VISION
yoga4cancer is prescribed and available for all those touched by cancer.
What do we do
Provide classes, resources, trainings, workshops and support.
yoga4cancer (y4c) is a specialized yoga method tailored to address the specific physical and emotional needs left by the cancer and cancer treatments. This unique approach matches breath and movement to stimulate the immune system, improve flexibility & strength, reduce anxiety and boost overall well-being. The approach goes beyond the gentle and restorative yoga that are commonly offered in wellness cancer centers as the only yoga illness interventions. The yoga4cancer method is also gentle and restorative, but additionally, it is an evidence-informed style focusing on the science foundation of movement and breath and the special needs of cancer patient or survivors. Teachers are trained to be aware of and understand the cautions / risks in generic yoga styles for cancer survivors . These trained teachers come to serve cancer survivors with compassion informed by knowledge and experience. Their goal is to support the individual in the ways that each patient / survivor needs on any given day. They are trained and supervised to adapt this valuable methodology to all cancer types, stages and other physical challenges.
yoga4cancer classes and private sessions are tailored to address the specific needs of cancer patients and survivors.
A yoga4cancer trained teacher will look to:
- build strength and flexibility in safe ways
- stimulate your immune system and build bone density
- detox the body and cultivate a sense of well-being
- create hope and community
- empower cancer patients and survivors to feel in control of their lives
- and encourage survivors to embrace yoga as a personal tool that will enhance their future wellbeing.
About yoga4cancer Founder
Tari Prinster
Tari Prinster is a cancer survivor, master yoga teacher, celebrated author and founder of yoga4cancer (y4c) and the Retreat Project (501c3), which bring evidenced informed yoga to cancer survivors worldwide.
When Tari was fifty, she started a yoga practice to ease symptoms of menopause. After a diagnosis of breast cancer, yoga became a powerful tool for her to manage the daily challenges of treatment side effects. More than a way to stay healthy, yoga gave her a community and the emotional support and spiritual comfort so necessary for recovery and beyond.
The challenge of cancer led to life change. Research about cancer and yoga was in its infancy in 2000. Tari got curious why yoga was so healing for her, but not recommended by her doctors. Cancer patients were told to “go home and rest.” She read widely, including both classic Eastern texts and Western science about anatomy and movement.
Learn More.
Articles
What Yoga Teachers Need to Know About Teaching Cancer Survivors
by Tari Prinster. Published in Kripalu. Yoga for cancer patients—what better way to manage anxiety, gain strength, increase flexibility, and create feelings of well-being! A growing body of research points to this path, both during and after treatment. But it’s important for teachers to realize that teaching yoga to cancer patients and survivors is different than teaching yoga in a typical class. Here’s why.
Specialized Training Is Required
B. K. S. Iyengar said it best: “Do not imagine that you already understand and impose your imperfect understanding on those who come to you for help.” Most yoga teachers, whatever their style or practice, are trained to teach a general population. While 200-hour trainings typically include anatomy modules, there’s not enough time to cover specific physiological topics, such as cell development, or psychological challenges, like the acute anxiety induced by a diagnosis of a life-threatening disease. It’s not possible to cover the specific needs or risks of the survivor in a standard yoga training.
Learn More.
Start your experience today!
Buy Yoga for Cancer today.
Tari Prinster
"Hope is not a plan. Yoga can be."
