Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga means yoga as a selfless service. I’ve read it described as a means to help, heal and share. Which could also be translated as Pretty Awesome Yoga.

Tracey Adshead, from Ashram Yoga, teaches a yoga class once a week at the Cancer Society’s Domain Lodge where patients stay while receiving care. It’s a free class and open to all who have suffered from cancer or are currently undergoing treatment for cancer.

The Cancer Society told Tracy it’s now the most popular activity they offer – something, Tracy says, that has nothing to do with her. But I think it takes a special kind of grace to make a class accessible and beneficial to everyone in the room, no matter their ability; to teach with a view to comfort and peace, not class size or advanced asanas.

It’s yoga on and off the mat in the best possible sense.

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Tracey: Part of the training at Ashram Yoga is to take on a Karma Yoga class and I teach a free weekly class at the Society. There can be between six to 15 people [although] it’s not like a regular class as 15 is not always good news in this setting. Some students try to organise their chemo for after class as they say it helps them to feel relaxed.

 

Sadly, cancer does not discriminate so I find myself with a cross-section of ages, male and female, those in remission who are feeling good and those who are not feeling so great. I never know who’s coming or what’s going to happen from week to week. Sometimes it’s a small, regular group, some weeks it’s a large group, and then a 19-year-old will walk in with no hair, very fragile, often accompanied by an anxious relative and in that moment I have to make yoga accessible and beneficial for everyone in the room. Having to rethink the class at a moment’s notice happens regularly.

I have found that a gentle, mindful practice works best. I encourage an awareness of prana, pausing between the postures. Although I always like to inform people what the benefits are of particular postures, as a teacher I know the best I can hope for is simply to try to bring a moment of peace.

From day one, I took my harmonium and started chanting. I’m a big believer in the positive effects of Nada Yoga so we start the class with nine Om’s and three to finish.

[blockquote cite=”type=”centre”]“I try to make people laugh.”[/blockquote]

I try to make people laugh if I can. It’s so good for us; breaks the ice, brings a little ease for those who are new to yoga, and takes a bit of fear away. Comfort is obviously important and I take a large bag of pillows and blankets along. There’s always the option to stay seated in a chair if that’s more comfortable [and I give] lots of cues to listen to their bodies, and reminders to stay away from discomfort or pain, always offering the body positive language. When someone comes to class who looks a bit wobbly but they want to practice, I have to remind myself that even the smallest movements are fantastic.

I tend to keep to classical chakra related postures. In every class we practice Viparita Karani asana (half shoulder stand), using a chair for ease and support. The benefits of this posture, both as a mudra and an asana, are so wide ranging, not to mention the stimulation to the throat chakra (vishuddhi). There’s always space for pranayama and Yoga Nidra as the research within the science of yoga states that these practices are the most beneficial for cancer patients.

Everyone seems to really enjoy it – the response is always positive, thankfully. The social side of coming to class is important too. [The patients] walk into a room of fellow cancer sufferers and can laugh together and share their stories. That’s great.

I’m always asked for recommendations for yoga classes up and down New Zealand and I try to point them in the right direction if I can through the Ashram network of teachers. The main thing I advise them is to talk to a yoga teacher before attending a class; talk about their health only as much as they feel comfortable but don’t expect to race off to a local class expecting it to be the same [as what I teach].

[blockquote cite=”type=”centre”]“It’s a great privilege to be able to teach yoga.”[/blockquote]

What I take away, and into my other classes, is the great need for compassion for oneself. I’ve come to understand the body as an almost separate and intelligent being that is willing to give, endure and do anything we ask of it but we don’t often say ‘thank you’ or acknowledge the great love that exists there. Many of us are focused on what’s not right about our bodies so I always encourage patients to finish a class with a quiet moment of gratitude for the body.

I’ve learnt that I’m not defined by how many people are in a yoga class but by the wellbeing that I can bring for anyone who’s willing to give yoga a try. I feel now that it’s a great privilege to be able to teach yoga and therefore I have a responsibility to learn as much as I can about both yogic philosophy and the science of yoga. With yoga there’s always more and more to know!

I will occasionally get to hear when someone who was coming to class has passed away and that’s the hardest of all. (The Cancer Society has offered me counselling if I need it.) Teaching at the Society is wonderful, at times heart-breaking, and as the Vedas advise us: [something to approach] with no attachment to any outcomes, no judgements, just be there every time with the intention to bring wellbeing.

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Thanks so much for giving us your time, Tracy! And for sharing your teaching in the best possible way.

Tracy recommends other teachers consider getting involved by contacting your local hospice and volunteering your services as a yoga teacher. She suggests you bring a sense of humour, leave your ego at the door, and you’ll need a big anahata* space. 

*Anahata symbolises love, empathy, selflessness and devotion. The center of force inspires humans to love, be compassionate, altruistic and devoted and to accept divine actions.

– Jane

© The Yoga Connection 2015