Cheryl Fenner Brown is seen here as a presenter at Kripalu's Symposium on Yoga Research. Cheryl's research project was an 8-week community-based study including 23 cancer patients (86% women, 13% men, mean age=54 years, mean time post-treatment=39 months). The Healing Yoga for Cancer Survivorship (HYCS) intervention included intention setting, chanting, mudra, reclining, seated, kneeling, standing and restorative yoga, pranayama, body scan, and relaxation in a once weekly 90-minute session over 8 consecutive weeks taught by a Professional Yoga Therapist. The intended benefit of HYCS protocols was to increase body awareness and lymphatic drainage; facilitate deep breathing; reduce anxiety, edema and muscle tension; and induce relaxation. A DVD and booklet of the protocol was provided for voluntary home use. Yoga participants were asked to report daily on which HYCS protocols were practiced, medication changes, and well-being factors (physical, functional, emotional, spiritual) using an onlineassessment form based on validated FACT-G and FACT-Sp questionnaires. The primary outcome was to correlate change in well-being factors based on which HYCS protocols used as measured by the questionnaires. Control group reported weekly on medication changes and well-being factors. To see the banner showing the results click here.

Here is a picture of the President of Piedmont Yoga Community, Chris Roberts, accepting the grant we received from the Oakland Rotary Club. These funds will allow us to purchase much needed supplies for our classes. Thank you Oakland Rotary Club for this generous grant.

The Society for Integrative Oncology has published a first-of-its kind breast cancer clinical practice guidelines in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographscoinciding with the 11th International Conference of the Society for Integrative Oncology in Houston, Texas at the end of October.  NorCal CarciNet Community President and PYC Board Member, Josh Mailman contributed a perspective on Integrative Oncology to the Monograph entitled "A Patients' Perspective on Integrative Oncology: Getting Past the "War," Living With and Beyond Cancer.

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