Table 3 Supporting quotations identified in the articles included in the meta-synthesis (n = 24) related to changes in dimensions of quality of life
From: Women’s experiences with yoga after a cancer diagnosis: a qualitative meta-synthesis—part I
Theme | Sub-theme | Reference | Sample quotations |
|---|---|---|---|
Category 1: Yoga can support improvements in multiple dimensions of QoL in women diagnosed with cancer | |||
Regain the ability to perform basic and instrumental activities of daily living | Improved physiological functions of body systems | “I find that it’s helpful with my breathing because I think part of being anxious about being sick is it messes up your breathing and you catch yourself not breathing fully and properly.” [68] | |
Improved physical fitness and body alignment | “I am trying more things now. Like, I picked up a box of books and carried them.” [37] | ||
Improved execution of task or activity | “I think my balance is a little better. I’m not so afraid to walk fast as I was for a while.” [77] | ||
Improvements in fatigue and energy levels | “My muscles are sore, but I feel more energized.” [66] | ||
Decreased pain, numbness, and cancer-related symptoms | [33,34,35,36,37, 60, 61, 63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70, 72, 75, 77] | “Less numbness and a general feeling of being closer to ‘normal’.” [37] | |
Let go of negative emotions and thoughts while embracing inner tranquility | Increased emotional regulation | “I think that it (yoga) helps also in managing work stress too because I’m able to kind of better handle it.” [35] | |
Increased experiences of positive feelings, emotions, and mood | “… it calms my mind and gives me positive energy, especially on a day like today which could turn bad at any moment.” [66] | ||
Connect the mind and body to gain a deeper self-appreciation and understanding of oneself | Increased mental strength and resilience | “…we stretched [our arms] out and thought about extending our energy [through our fingertips] and it was a lot harder to push our arms down. So I think mentally it showed us that we had strength inside. And that helped me a lot.” [77] | |
Increased connection to and awareness of the body, behaviors, and capabilities | “I’m now more conscious of keeping my body more upright and learning to move in a relaxed manner and by having an awareness of what’s happening with my body trying to maintain a healthy way of being.” [70] | ||
Improved coping | “I did some breathing and wrist stretches at the eye doctor. It took the stress out of the possibility of surgery.” [66] | ||
Increase in positive beliefs about self | “And we also did a lot of things with our bodies that I didn’t think possible—like hanging upside down and the different ways we stretched. And for confidence, it was great to see.” [35] | ||
Increased feelings of self-acceptance, reduced inner critiques, and freeing oneself from negative thoughts, feelings, and beliefs | “I experience myself being more in my body. And I can connect it to the sense of wellbeing, I feel more empowered due to I can help myself, and [be] more self-accepting.” [34] | ||
Increased understanding of self, feelings of empowerment, and self-advocation of needs | “How important it is to take time out of my busy life to check in with my body and emotions on a regular basis.” [62] | ||
Improved outlook and mindset | “It’s been very positive. Every time I did it, I would feel really good about myself and about doing it. When you have a chronic illness... it’s really easy to fall into the trap of thinking that’s me. And you lose sight of the fact that there’s a whole lot of you, and I can find a way to tap into that and realize that you’re still strong in ways, it’s really good.” [67] | ||
Quiet the mental chatter to focus on the present | Increased focus | “I was feeling more focused because my body was doing something, so the mind was not able to go grocery shopping.” [71] | |
Increased attention | “Instead of just doing something, the exercises that we’ve been given, I actually have put some thought into what I’m doing and how I’m doing it, rather than just barging in with no thought at all.” [70] | ||
Increased feelings of mindfulness | “Iyengar yoga focuses a lot on the details of the poses and it takes you away from your thoughts; it quiets that chatterbox that’s always going inside your head. It helps you live more in the present and not sweat the small stuff.” [63] | ||
Find contact and connection for emotional support and companionship | Increased sociability | “The community aspect, we socialize and hike and it’s nice to hear what the other people are doing, I think that’s big factor.” [72] | |
Feeling connected to others | “It just was nice hearing [others’] stories and seeing how they were progressing. It felt like I wasn’t alone.” [74] | ||
Category 2: Women diagnosed with cancer experience an interaction between QoL dimensions | |||
Improved fitness supports positive self-beliefs, sociability, and emotional regulation | “I’m not reluctant to go out any more because I was reluctant in the past to just be active because I didn’t want to be tired all the time afterward. And I’m not so reluctant about that anymore.” [35] | ||
Greater control over emotions coupled with more positive emotions supports the functioning of body systems, positive self-evaluations and coping methods, and connection with others | “I did feel that every time I did finish one of the sessions like I did really accomplish something and it put me in a better mood and I’m sure that showed when I spoke to people.” [67] | ||
Category 3: Elements of yoga that support improvements in QoL dimensions | |||
Being in a group of others who share common experiences | “The gathering of the same people with the same condition, that’s really good because everybody understands why each other are here, and so you haven’t got to say or do anything.” [60] | ||
Detailed and tailored instruction | “I am glad we are practicing balancing, I am awful at it and have found that [Andee’s] instructions really help.” [66] | ||
Physical postures, turning inward, and breathwork | “When I came in I was drowsy and sleepy. Savasana (supine meditation) is just like having a power nap… at the end of it I was feeling much more energized.” [71] | ||
Category 4: Breathwork and meditation are integral elements of yoga | |||
Separate strategies that can be used in daily life | “I think I really ought to put half an hour aside and do some real stretching and then I’m busy doing something, but your breathing you can do it anytime, you know, just for the odd 5 min and it just sort of just brings you down.” [60] | ||
Facilitation of inner tranquility, connection to internal states, awareness of body, and decreased rumination on the external | “My greatest joy was in fact working on some of the deep breathing, the meditation breathing, the sort of release to let go, and actually it’s so much more helpful because it keeps you from ending up with that tension headache and the constant knot in the stomach.” [34] | ||
Category 5: Yoga practice may support lifestyle behavior change | “It has just encouraged me to be more active in general…really take stock on a weekly basis of what kind of things have I done and have I been active and often?” [67] | ||