Saturday, August 22, 2009

Cancer survivors thrive with yoga


Text: Valerie Berenyi (Calgary Herald, Aug. 21, 2009)

CALGARY - Chilling out in an innovative yoga program for cancer survivors was the highlight of Gale McCombie's week. But the program, which had grown out of a small research study by a University of Calgary kinesiologist working with a local yoga instructor, was offered only at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre and difficult to get into.

Now McCombie, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2007, is thrilled that the program, newly christened Yoga Thrive, is branching into the community and across Canada.

"I've just loved it," said McCombie, 50, of the gentle, seven-week yoga program that takes the special physical, psychological, and social needs of cancer patients and survivors into consideration. More>>