Research and Safety

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Safety & Participation · Our Approach · Research · Scope of Practice · References

Thoughtful. Adaptive.

Evidence-Informed.

Cancer Care Yoga Collective provides supportive yoga and mind-body programming for people living with and beyond cancer.

Our approach is informed by research in cancer survivorship, exercise oncology, cancer rehabilitation, yoga and mind-body interventions, and psychosocial care. We translate that research into accessible practices that prioritize individual needs, autonomy, and safety.

Yoga is not a treatment for cancer. Our programs are designed to complement, but not replace, oncology care, rehabilitation, physical therapy, mental health care, or other medical services.

Your Safety Comes First

Cancer and cancer treatment affect every person differently. A practice that feels appropriate for one person may not be appropriate for another. Our programs are designed around the understanding that energy, strength, mobility, balance, symptoms, and treatment status can change from day to day.

You are always invited to:

  • Modify or skip any practice

  • Rest at any time

  • Use a chair or other support

  • Choose a less physically demanding option

  • Participate without sharing personal information

  • Stop a practice that does not feel right

  • Ask questions about modifications

You never have to push through pain, fatigue, fear, or discomfort to participate.

Our Approach

There is no single “right” way to practice during cancer treatment or survivorship.

Sessions may include:

  • Gentle, adaptive movement

  • Mobility and range-of-motion practices

  • Supported strength building

  • Restorative postures

  • Breath awareness

  • Meditation

  • Relaxation practices

  • Guided reflection

  • Optional peer connection

Practices are offered with options and modifications. Participants are encouraged to work within their own current capacity rather than toward a predetermined physical goal.

What “Medically Informed” Means

“Medically informed” means that our programming is developed with an understanding of common cancer-related experiences and treatment considerations, including:

  • Fatigue and fluctuating energy

  • Deconditioning and changes in physical capacity

  • Neuropathy and altered sensation

  • Changes in balance and fall risk

  • Surgical recovery and changes in range of motion

  • Lymphedema-related considerations

  • Bone health considerations

  • Treatment-related symptoms and limitations

  • The emotional and psychological effects of cancer

We use this knowledge to inform how practices are selected, taught, modified, and offered.

We do not diagnose, treat, or provide medical advice.

Before You Begin

Before participating, we ask participants to provide information about their current health and treatment experience so that we can better understand their needs and identify appropriate modifications.

Depending on an individual’s circumstances, we may recommend discussing participation with their healthcare team before beginning.

Medical consultation may be particularly appropriate following:

  • Recent surgery or procedures

  • A new cancer diagnosis or treatment

  • Significant changes in symptoms

  • Severe or unexplained fatigue

  • New or worsening pain

  • Significant balance or mobility concerns

  • Bone involvement or fracture risk

  • Acute illness or infection

  • Other complex or changing medical circumstances

You know your body and health history best. You should always follow the guidance of your oncology and medical care team.

During the Program

Our teaching prioritizes:

Choice

Participants are offered options rather than directed to perform a single version of a practice.

Pacing

Rest and reduced participation are valid forms of participation.

Adaptation

Practices may be modified based on energy, mobility, symptoms, treatment status, and individual needs.

Consent

Hands-on adjustments are not used without explicit consent. Participants may change their consent at any time.

Emotional safety

Participants are not required to disclose their diagnosis, treatment history, or personal experiences.

Boundaries

Facilitated group reflection is not psychotherapy, medical treatment, or a replacement for professional mental health care.

Emotional and Community Support

Cancer can affect more than the physical body. People may experience changes in identity, independence, body confidence, relationships, and connection with others.

Our programs may include optional opportunities for reflection and peer connection.

We establish group agreements that support:

  • Confidentiality

  • Respect

  • Choice

  • Non-judgment

  • The right to pass

  • Respect for different experiences and perspectives

Participants are never required to share.

Our group programs are not group therapy. When a participant may benefit from additional mental health or clinical support, we encourage connection with appropriately licensed healthcare professionals.

Research

  • Cancer survivorship extends beyond the completion of active treatment. Survivors may experience ongoing physical, psychological, social, and practical effects of cancer and its treatment.

    National survivorship standards emphasize the importance of addressing these needs, supporting healthy behaviors and physical activity, coordinating supportive services, and evaluating outcomes that matter to patients, including quality of life and function.

    Our approach is designed within this broader survivorship framework.

  • Research and clinical guidance support appropriately adapted physical activity for many people living with and beyond cancer.

    Exercise oncology research has identified potential benefits related to outcomes including:

    • Cancer-related fatigue

    • Anxiety and depressive symptoms

    • Physical function

    • Quality of life

    • Overall well-being

    Because cancer and its treatments affect individuals differently, physical activity should be adapted to a person’s treatment status, symptoms, functional capacity, medical history, and goals.

    This informs our emphasis on individualized movement, pacing, modifications, and rest.

  • Research on yoga in cancer care is promising but continues to evolve.

    Studies have identified potential benefits associated with yoga-based interventions for outcomes such as cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, psychological distress, sleep, and quality of life in some cancer populations.

    However, research varies significantly in cancer type, treatment status, yoga intervention, duration, and outcome measures. Findings are not uniformly consistent, and further research is needed.

    We therefore do not present yoga as a treatment for cancer or as a guaranteed solution for specific symptoms.

    Instead, yoga is offered as one complementary approach to movement, rest, breath awareness, mindfulness, and connection.

  • Mindfulness-based interventions have been studied in people living with cancer and have demonstrated potential benefits for psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life.

    Our programs incorporate meditation and breath awareness as optional practices intended to support:

    • Relaxation

    • Present moment awareness

    • Self-observation

    • Coping

    • A sense of connection with the body

    These practices are offered as options. Participants may modify or opt out at any time.

  • Social and emotional needs are important components of comprehensive survivorship care.

    A cancer diagnosis and treatment can contribute to isolation and changes in a person’s relationship with their body and community.

    Our facilitated group format creates opportunities for connection and reflection without requiring participants to disclose personal information.

    We believe that community can be supportive, but we do not present peer connection as a substitute for clinical mental health care.

How We Apply the Evidence

Research informs our program design. It does not replace individualized clinical judgment.

We aim to:

  • Apply evidence thoughtfully rather than make exaggerated claims

  • Adapt practices to individual needs and changing circumstances

  • Respect the boundaries of our scope of practice

  • Encourage communication with healthcare teams when appropriate

  • Continue learning as research and survivorship care evolve

  • Evaluate participant experience and outcomes as our programming develops

Our goal is not to suggest that yoga can do everything.

Our goal is to offer one carefully designed, accessible, and compassionate supportive care resource for people living with and beyond cancer.

Our Scope of Practice

Cancer Care Yoga Collective is a yoga-based supportive wellness program.

We do not:

  • Diagnose medical conditions

  • Treat or cure cancer

  • Prescribe or modify medical treatment

  • Provide medical advice

  • Replace oncology care

  • Replace physical therapy or cancer rehabilitation

  • Provide psychotherapy or mental health treatment

  • Guarantee specific health outcomes

Our role is to provide education and supportive practices within the scope of our training and professional qualifications.

When needs fall outside that scope, we encourage participants to seek appropriate medical, rehabilitation, or mental health care.

Selected Research & References

The references below represent selected sources that inform our approach; they are not intended to represent an exhaustive review of the literature.

Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care

National Cancer Institute. National Standards for Cancer Survivorship Care.

National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences.National Cancer Institute. Cancer Survivorship Research and Definitions.

Physical Activity and Exercise Oncology

Campbell KL, Winters-Stone KM, Wiskemann J, et al. Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors: Consensus Statement from International Multidisciplinary Roundtable. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2019;51(11):2375–2390.

National Cancer Institute. Physical Activity and Cancer.

Yoga and Cancer

Ma X, Li SN, Chan DNS. Effects of yoga on cancer-related fatigue, psychological distress, and quality of life among patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Nursing. 2025;48(3):200–212.

Cramer H, Lauche R, Klose P, Lange S, Langhorst J, Dobos G. Yoga for improving health-related quality of life, mental health and cancer-related symptoms in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2017;1:CD010802.

Mindfulness and Mind-Body Interventions

Cillessen L, Johannsen M, Speckens AEM, Zachariae R. Mindfulness-based interventions for psychological and physical health outcomes in cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psycho-Oncology. 2019;28(12):2257–2269.

Piet J, Wurtzen H, Zachariae R. The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on symptoms of anxiety and depression in adult cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2012;80(6):1007–1020.