Northern Lights: Trying Out Yoga
When I look back on the last five years, I can see real changes in my life due to having had myeloma, including at least two years of intensive cancer treatments.
Before I was diagnosed, I was active physically and enjoyed jogging, working out at a gym, singing in a choir, playing bagpipes in a band, and doing Pilates classes.
Pilates, as done on floor mats, includes strengthening and stretching exercises with the aim of building a strong core. Taking a class just once a week or less wasn’t enough to change my physique, but I really did enjoy the stretches. I also enjoyed having a chance to chat with the other people taking the class, who were mostly women.
In the spring of 2009, I was unusually stiff and sore through the back and rib cage area. At the time, I wondered if I might be getting rheumatism or arthritis. Working from the floor mat, we did push ups, but I wasn’t strong enough to do the ‘plank’ version and just pushed up from my (sore) knees.
A few scant months later, in the summer of 2009, I crashed with collapsed vertebrae and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
I didn’t get back to the gym for workouts for a year. One reason why was that I was in extreme pain and was using a walker to get about. Leaning on the walker took pressure off my back. I was also caught up in very intensive cancer treatments and could really only focus on getting through those.
Eventually, I was well enough to return to the fitness center for light workouts, such as walking on the treadmill, using the elliptical machine, and stretching out on the floor mats. But as far as taking up Pilates classes again, I shied away from that, fearful of getting more injuries.
Some friends and family members suggested that I try yoga for exercise. One of my best friends attends a weekly yoga class and says that, in addition to the physical benefits, it helps her to relax. My sister-in-law teaches yoga to Alzheimer's patients. Both of these women thought that doing yoga might help me in my rehabilitation, but I didn't pick up on their well-meant suggestions.
It seems a little irrational to me now, but for the last four years, I was very frightened of having further fractures. Even though I have had the benefit of a lot of bisphosphonate treatments, and I am no longer in much pain, I worry a lot about potential fractures. I have to limit any weight that I lift to under 20 pounds. I don't want to put my body weight on my arms, such as in doing push ups. However, I have taken several falls on snow and ice and wasn’t seriously injured, so I must be stronger now.
Last month, when we were on vacation in Hawaii, I noticed a sign posted in our hotel’s lobby about yoga classes being offered for the next two mornings, poolside. I realized that this was my perfect chance to try a bit of yoga.
Since it was a ‘drop-in’ class, I could always just roll up the yoga mat and leave if it didn’t work for me. I would also have to explain to the instructor that I had to be very careful with my weak bones. I also would mention a huge bruise that I got on one hip from being crashed into an underwater lava rock the day before while snorkeling. My hip was really sore, but I was lucky that I had not been injured worse.
So donning my shorts and a t-shirt, I turned up barefoot at the class the next morning. The setting was idyllic, in a tropical garden with glimpses of the blue ocean as a backdrop. We even saw the misty spouts of humpback whales, which come to Hawaii to have their calves every winter, before they head north to Alaska on their annual migration.
A charming, young instructor reassured me about all my concerns, and I grabbed two mats to cushion my frame on the cement patio floor. We both waited for a few minutes, but no one else came, so I basically had a private lesson.
We started out with breathing exercises. These reminded me of the breathing exercises I have been doing before choir practice. I know that moving large volumes of air in and out of the lungs is good for you. It seems to help one focus on the task at hand, which in this case was the yoga class.
We then moved through a series of gentle yoga poses with interesting names, including lotus, mountain, warrior, downward dog, tree, and child.
The class was invigorating and relaxing at the same time. It felt great to be outdoors stretching on the mat and balancing while standing. The poses, also called asanas, all looked quite simple, but yet were challenging for me. For example, it was not easy to stand like a stork on one leg for more than a few seconds. The warrior pose, which seems similar to standing on a surfboard, with one arm pointing to the horizon, was also a bit of a challenge for me. I was glad that no one was watching me except the kind instructor.
I do seem to have aches and pains on a daily basis, and I could feel my muscles complaining a bit during the asanas. I just didn't push through the pain, as I would have years earlier. I no longer subscribe to the philosophy of "No Pain, No Gain!"
At the end of the 45-minute class, I enjoyed the complete relaxation I felt when lying on my back with arms and legs spread out.
Overall, my first yoga class was all good fun. I felt quite energized for the rest of the day and decided to return the next day. In addition, I thought it was worth getting up a little early for such a beautiful class setting and the chance to learn a little more about yoga.
The following morning, there were eight people in the class, with a different instructor.
The instructor opened the class with a quote from Michelangelo (see below) that really resonated with me.
This class was a bit more difficult, and I didn’t try one or two of the more advanced poses, which is basically what the instructor had told us to do at the beginning of the class when she said: “Always listen to your body. It will tell you how far you can go.” When I looked around, I noticed that other participants followed her advice, too: A pregnant woman in the class didn’t try some of the advanced poses either.
As the session ended up, I mentioned that I have had a bone marrow cancer and had been afraid to try doing yoga. A woman next to me said that she was a breast cancer survivor and that she practiced yoga regularly and found it to be very helpful to her state of mind and health.
After taking these classes, I came away with a feeling that doing yoga would work for me. It might help me to work through some of the muscle stiffness and pain that I still have from the injuries four years ago. I feel well enough now to do gentle yoga, if for no other reason that it is relaxing, which may help with my worries. I tend to worry about myeloma, even now, four years after my diagnosis.
Now that I am back home, I will hopefully find the time to get into some beginner yoga classes and explore that gentle world more. It could be a good addition to the exercises I am already doing (mainly walking and aquafit exercises). And one needn't injure oneself doing yoga, as I had feared.
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The quotation for this month is from Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer, who wrote “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
Nancy Shamanna is a multiple myeloma patient and a columnist at The Myeloma Beacon. You can view a list of her columns here.
If you are interested in writing a regular column to be published by The Myeloma Beacon, please contact the Beacon team at
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Nancy, as a newly diagnosed 58 year old MM patient, I am thinking about beginning yoga for many reasons. For starters, to relieve stress and anxiety about my new and scary situation, to keep me moving and flexible, to have a new focus. I have no real physical limitations, except from the surgery I had 2 months ago to repair my humerus which had a pathological fracture from lytic lesions. That has healed very well. I just started CyBorD chemo and I feel really good. Doctor encourages exercise! Why not start? You have given me just the impetus I needed! Thanks so much.
I'm LOVING this column today Nancy. Everything you wrote is how I've been feeling since my diagnosis in 2008. I'm scared of doing the least little thing since having a T10 compression fracture and subsequent vertebroplasty last year. I have had 5 years of biophosphate therapy and during my last biopsy the nurse stated "you have very strong bones" as she was attempting to remove the marrow. That was good to hear since I'm always fearful of broken bones but I still have this nagging worry in the back of my mind that prevents me from doing lots of things, yoga included. I've recently purchased Jane Fonda's DVD's and one of them is for gentle yoga. I'm 46 and your post has made me realize I don't want to live in fear anymore. If I'm careful, and don't push myself past my limits, I too can experience the joy of moving again. I'll listen to what my body is saying to me and even if I can't stand on my head, I'll still enjoy the experience:) Thanks again Nancy.
Cathy, I am glad that my column helped you along in your decision to try yoga! You are smart to try to alleviate stress, and recognize that too! I think that gentle yoga is a good contrast to walking and other more aerobic forms of exercise...helps one to stretch out tight muscles.
Pam, I guess we were in the same mental 'space' about being fearful of getting re-injured. When you consider how weak one's bones can get with myeloma, it's difficult not to be concerned! If I don't listen to what my body is telling me, I hear about it later...in the form of aches and pains. So I just try to keep a balance there..and it is indeed a pleasure to move freely again.
Nancy, I have been in remission for three years after a stem cell transplant. One of our local pilates centers last year began offering a free pilates class to cancer survivors, and I tried it on advice of a physical therapist I had been seeing for shoulder pain.
She said that I needed to build some core strength. I have now been going once a week for over a year. Our instructor is great at modifying the exercises to accommodate osteoporosis/penia, ports, etc. and I can't believe the strength I have gained. I am also doing yoga (but the chair variety) and tai chi. Keep up the exercise and find what works for you. And as all my instructors say "listen to YOUR body."
Thanks Barbsarb...that sounds like great advice. Interesting that you are doing pilates also...I did enjoy that a few years ago, but the version I was doing would be too difficult now, I think! Tai chi always looks interesting too when you see people doing it in parks outdoors (I am pretty sure that there must be indoor classes too). And a chair variety of yoga sounds like it would be a gentle exercise.
Hi Nancy,
Pilates was a favourite of mine prior to dx. I must admit that after a couple of treatments I felt a lot better and tried to do a pilates move but managed to fracture another vertebrae instead!!! Since then I have been a more hesitant.... Your column gives me food for thought perhaps I should give Yoga I try.
Hi Libby...always nice to hear from you, and I enjoy reading your postings on the Forum as well! I am so sorry to hear that you fractured another vertebrae through doing pilates. At the time of my dx, my bones were so weak that I could literally feel them giving way to fractures. That was so frightening to me that I did stay away from a lot of exercises for quite a while. It was even an effort to walk then!! I guess it took me a couple of years out from that, and after having the bisphosphonate treatments monthly at the start, that I realized that I was actually stronger. It wasn't without 'trial and error' though. I didn't fracture any more bones, but I did experience a lot of pain when trying anything above my limits. Of course, since I didn't really know what the limits were, it took time to sort that out too! I did take a few falls, unintentionally of course, and was surprised when I stood up that I hadn't broken any bones! I still suffer from aches and pains related to the fractures, but doing mild yoga has helped to relieve muscle tension. Probably it is best if you have any worries that way, to get professional instruction from a physiotherapist. And of course, ask for your doctor's permission before starting any new exercise program.
Libby...the last pilates class I took in 2009 was from a charming Australian physiotherapist. Her name was Kathy and she taught 'chi ball pilates'. This used an inflatable 'chi' ball about the size of a grapefruit. It was quite gentle exercise actually. We waved the ball around in the air in large circles and then also used it to roll on, sort of like the roller that people use to stretch out their IT bands, but softer.
Nancy,
I'm glad you had such a positive experience with yoga. However I think you have to make it clear in your column that it is your individual experience. Multiple Myeloma effects people very differently and it is very complex how the disease manifests itself.
Over my 7 years with MM I have tried a wide variety of exercise methods, including a variety of yoga classes most were gentle yoga. They were not good for my back. No matter how gentle or sitting in a chair, they aggravated the pain in back. The actual classes made me restful and relieved stress (including falling asleep) and enjoyed them.
But once again just 3 weeks ago a yoga class did my back in. So please warn your readers that your experience is not for everyone.
Hi Jeffrey, I am sorry that you had a bad experience with yoga. I know it is not for everyone, and I think I should have made that more clear too. I hope that you are not still experiencing back pain. Do you have exercises that work better for you?
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