Dec 30, 2016 06:56 AM EST By Jane Reed, UniversityHerald Reporter

Yoga is being seen as a much more connected and diverse way of exercise. Many see it as a way to meditate and connect with the mind, body and sometimes the soul or spirit. It is also a means of relaxation most yoga-goers enjoy.

To unveil more of the benefits of yoga, a University of Windsor professor discovered another advantage. Yoga itself can be therapeutic for the relief of stress, anxiety, depression and certain physical conditions. More importantly, it can also benefit breast cancer survivors.

In particular professor Cheri McGowan from the University of Windsor says that Ashtanga yoga has therapeutic values for breast cancer survivors, as reported by Our Windsor. The study is being headed by psychology professors Josee Jarry and Kendall Soucie. Cherie McGowan is the kinesiology professor in the research study.

With a $70,000 grant from the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation, they aim to figure out if Ashtanga yoga definitely has benefits for breast cancer survivors. They do this by testing survivors on their response to physical and psychological factors when it comes to Ashtanga yoga.

How are these researchers going to gauge the benefits? They will tackle the mental health pros and cons of the participants. Factors include self-esteem, anxiety and depression levels and over-all interpersonal relationships.

To make sure the program is carefully studied, a specialized yoga routine for breast cancer survivors will be developed based on the results of the study. Each yoga session will then be filmed. Afterwards, they will analyze the films and create focus groups.

Josee Jarry said that when people practice Ashtanga yoga, they have found an increase in self-esteem and interpersonal relationships. In a way, it has also decreased the levels of anxiety and depression in a person.

Yoga surely is a practice to instill relaxation. It subsequently helps improve posture, breathing and relieves stress.Their research hopes to create a positive exercise for breast cancer survivors everywhere.

Here is a video from YogaVibes where they use yoga for breast cancer survivors:

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