2009 Joel Brame www.JoelBrame.

com
Can Bikram Yoga Help Reverse
Cancer Processes?

By Dr. Joel L Brame
Lxpert Speaker on Cancer Recurrence & Preention
Author Speaker Proessor Consulting
www.JoelBrame.com


Important:
1his article is in no way intended to replace proessional medical adice. I
you are acing an actie cancer, please consult with your healthcare
proessional beore using treatments to bring the tumor into remission.
1his article is intended to sere educational purposes only. Medical research
shows that practicing yoga can play a positie role in supporting recoery rom
cancer. loweer, little research is aailable on yoga`s role in primary
preention o cancer ,reersing the cancer processes beore a tumor is eer
discoered through standard medical diagnostics,. 1hereore, this article`s
purpose is to bring light to the possibilities o primary preention o cancer
through Bikram ,or heated, yoga. 1his author`s hope is that someday
diagnostic tools will be aailable to measure the eicacy o cancer preention
methods on the initial cancerous processes.

Have you heard of Bikram yoga?
\ou hae probably heard o Bikram yoga. 1he name is amiliar perhaps
because there`s a Bikram yoga studio near you, or because you`e seen the
ounder Bikram Choudhury on teleision. Or perhaps you`re a already a
dedicated Bikram yoga student

Bikram yoga is a unique orm o yoga because it is practiced in high heat and
moderate humidity. Lntering the room eels like arriing in a New Orleans
airport in mid-July. Beore you een begin to stretch during the warm-up
poses, you`re already sweating buckets. A series o challenging poses gies you
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the opportunity to stretch eery muscle o your body. By the end o the class,
you are not only well-stretched and limber, but also eel surprisingly clean.

During each pose, the yoga instructor will oten inorm you o seeral illnesses
that can be relieed by that particular pose. loweer, rarely does an instructor
mention cancer. \hy not It`s just too controersial. Only qualiied
healthcare practitioners will talk about such a deastating and complex disease.
But the question still remains: Can Bikram yoga actually preent cancer or its
recurrence Although there are no guarantees, yoga can deinitely reduce
many o the risk actors o cancer.

Put another way, yoga can reerse cancer processes. By the end o this article,
you will ully understand what beneits you can expect each time you enter the
studio. 1his knowledge will help you make great healthcare decisions een
outside the yoga studio. It can literally change your lie.

Will cancer impact your life?
Is understanding cancer important Absolutely. Cancer impacts almost all o
us, directly or indirectly. It currently strikes almost 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3
women, and is the leading cause o death in the United States. Cancer
incidence has risen 24 in the past three decades.

Most people do not pay attention to the possibilities o deeloping cancer until
a tumor has been discoered with conentional medical diagnostics. 1hen,
ater receiing the dreaded diagnosis, they urgently reach or a treatment
program with highly toxic and dangerous side eects. 1hose who surie
treatment must contend with the continual possibility o a recurrence.

Indeed, the need or cancer preention has neer been higher than right now.
And it`s not hard to do. In act, it`s quite simple to dramatically decrease your
risks or most cancers. lrom my experience as a physician, researcher, and
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consultant, the key to preention begins with simple changes in the mindset
that anybody can do.

lor starters, most people think that cancer just sneaks up on them and gets`
them. \hat they don`t realize is that cancer only grows within an
enironment` that supports it. Just as a mosquito will only lay eggs on
stagnant dirty water, and neer on resh moing water, cancer will only grow in
certain bodily enironments.

lere`s another perspectie: 1here is a reason why the cancer is there. It`s not
about bad luck, it`s not about ate, it`s not about thinking bad thoughts. 1hese
ideas disempower the innately powerul person that we all hae within us. So
why would cancer show up in someone`s lie

1he Iceberg: What lies beneath the surface CAN hurt you
1here is an excellent metaphor that describes cancer. 1his metaphor is the
iceberg. Imagine yoursel onboard an ocean liner in northern lands, much like
the 1itanic. O in the distance, you spot an iceberg jutting out o the water.
1he massie piece o ice appears to be a hundred eet tall.

Now let me ask you this: Are you seeing the whole iceberg

Most people hae learned that the answer to the question is No.` \ou are
only seeing literally the tip o the iceberg. 1he ast majority o the iceberg is in
act underneath the water. \ou won`t be able to see it unless you put on a
wetsuit and go exploring underneath the surace.

\hat does this hae to do with cancer 1he tumor that one sees in a
mammogram, C1 scan, or other test is like the tip o the iceberg aboe the
water. One can see and,or eel a tumor. loweer, underneath the surace
lies a massie process that has culminated in the tumor. 1his process is called
cancer.`
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1o continue the metaphor, suppose you were to chop o the tip o the iceberg
so that you could no longer see it. Is the iceberg gone O course not.
Similarly, to destroy the tumor using chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery does
not mean that all the cancer processes are gone. Instead, they would continue
to grow and push upward, until another tumor eentually suraces.

Most importantly or you right now, the opportunities to reerse the cancer
process are endless and always aailable. lor those actiely ighting a tumor,
they can also reerse many o the cancer processes that would later lead to a
recurrence. Some people deelop a tumor twice, three times, our times, or
more. \hat has happened Somehow the underlying processes were neer
reersed.

1o restate, remoing the tumor and reersing the cancer are two ery dierent
issues. Most people only ocus on the irst. A simultaneous ocus on the
latter can proide een stronger support in recoery.

So, how can one reerse cancer processes lor this article, I will discuss a way
to reerse many o the processes at the same time. It is a secret gem hidden
rom the \estern culture or a long time, and has only recently been put
together in a scientiic way. \hat is it called Bikram yoga.

But wait.Will MY body environment grow cancer?
\ell, to begin, let`s identiy the ie basic characteristics o a cancerous body.
1. It is highly acidic`. 2. It lacks oxygen. 3. It is ull o toxic substances. 4.
It has poor immunity. 5. It is disconnected rom the central processing unit`
o the body, the oerall master control center. Does this sound healthy to
you

1hese are ie primary processes o cancer. 1hey can culminate in genetic
changes, and eentually a tumor. Bikram yoga can help reerse them.
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Reduces Acidity
lirst, acidity. 1he work o many holistic proessionals rom around the world
has shown that an imbalanced pl within the body is dangerous. In a toxic or
stressul liestyle, the body becomes excessiely acidic. Just as many ungi loe
an acidic enironment in which to lie, so does cancer.

Bikram yoga greatly contributes to remoing acids rom the body. 1his
happens through seeral routes. 1he lungs are a powerul ehicle or
eliminating dangerous acids within the body. In chemical terms, they are
called olatile acids, which means they can readily diuse into air. 1he deep
breathing techniques throughout yoga help to clear out many o these olatile
acids.

1he kidneys are a major route o eliminating acids. 1his is easily demonstrated
by testing the pl o a irst-morning urine sample. In other words, upon
waking, one can use a pl strip ,aailable at most pharmacies and supplement
shops, to test the pl o their irst urination o the day. 1he ast majority o
the time, this urine is highly acidic. It oten alls around 5.0-5.5 ,below .0 is
acidic,. Ideally, you would want the urine pl to be aboe 5.5. 1he more
acidic the body, the more acids will be eliminated by the kidneys ,except in
cases o kidney ailure,. A higher urine pl usually relects less acid buildup.
Because Bikram yoga increases metabolism and heart rate ,and possibly
glomerular iltration rate,, the kidneys will clear out more acids. In addition,
the extra water you drink during and ater class helps to lush out additional
acids.

Another major route o acid elimination is through the skin, ia sweat. Bikram
yoga induces more sweating than almost any other orm o exercise! It is
comparable to the natie American sweat lodge. \hen I go to class, I always
notice that my sweat eels more acidic in the irst hal, and more like water in
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the second hal. Imagine how the body must eel to hae released so many
stored-up acidic toxins.

Remoal o these acids creates a more alkaline enironment within the body.
1hus, Bikram yoga is one o the most powerul ways to reerse a common
cancer process within the body. It is especially important i you hae high risk
actors, are battling an actie cancer, or trying to preent a recurrence. I you
are currently dealing with an actie cancer, be sure to discuss your yoga plans
with your healthcare proessional.

Re-oxygenates the body
Second, oxygenation. In the 1960`s Otto \arburg discoered that proper
oxygenation plays a major role in health. Dr. \arburg ound that a reduction
o oxygen by 35 could cause de-dierentiation o cells. In other words,
normal cells could potentially transorm into cancerous cells. le ound that
oxygen is critical to the unctioning o normal, healthy cells.

\ithin the walls o a tumor lie billions o cancerous cells that cannot
withstand oxygen, in act, they may die in the presence o oxygen. 1his
discoery quickly prompted many alternatie cancer treatments aimed at
reersing cancer through increased oxygenation. 1hey include hyperbaric
oxygen chambers, ozone therapy, and the mineral germanium.

Len i one does not brae the alternatie cancer treatment world, he,she can
still take adantage o many liestyle strategies to bring more oxygen into the
tissues. One o the best ways to re-oxygenate the body is through Bikram
yoga.

lrom the Pranayama breathing at the beginning, all the way to ire breathing`
at the end, yoga instructors will always tell you to ocus on your breath. At the
beginning, I ound this almost impossible. I was too busy trying to listen to
their crazy instructions about bending body parts in ways I did not know was
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possible. Or sometimes I ound my mind wandering to subjects like grocery
lists. But once the instructions became amiliar, I was able to hae moments
where I only ocused on breath.

Long deep inhales, ollowed by ull exhales, help to moe stagnant air` out o
the lungs. In essence, it moes out acids ,such as carbon dioxide, and makes
room or oxygen to come inside. Once inside, the oxygen quickly diuses into
the blood, to be carried throughout the body to eery cell. 1he improed
oxygenation promotes aerobic metabolism ,and increased energy,, rather than
dangerous anaerobic metabolism with its resulting lactic acid buildup.

Strong leels o oxygen promote a healthy enironment within the body-an
enironment in which cancer cannot grow. Bikram`s breathing exercises are
not just or un, they hae a deep and powerul impact on health.

A Remarkable Detoxification
1hird, cancer grows amidst a body ull o toxins. As mentioned earlier, cancer
can only grow in a toxic enironment. \hat types o toxins create a cancer-
prone enironment Acids, carcinogens, pesticides, heay metals, synthetic
ood chemicals ,such as aspartame,, artiicial colors, preseraties, artiicial
sweeteners, medical drugs, toxins rom bacterial,ungal inections, and much
more.

1o preent these toxins rom accumulating, the body has ie major routes o
detoxiication: intestines, lier, kidneys, lungs, and skin. Incredibly, Bikram
yoga actiates all ie o these routes.

In the \ind Remoing pose, the person lies on the loor ace-up and brings
the knees to the chest. It`s one o my aorite poses. \hile you are in this
pose, the instructor may tell you that you are stimulating the ascending,
transerse, and descending portions o the large intestine. 1his helps to moe
those built-up toxins out o your body.
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Other poses inole compressing your internal organs, such as the Japanese
ham sandwich` pose and lal 1ortoise pose. 1his compression stimulates the
organs o detoxiication, including the lier and intestines.

\hen we take a deep breath in, the lier becomes squished` by the
diaphragm ,a muscle that lies beneath the lungs and helps acilitate breathing,.
1o explain the physiology o this action would be beyond the scope o this
article. loweer, it is important to note that the lier is similar to a huge
sponge. Lery time you inhale, your lier receies a massage` rom the
diaphragm. During Bikram yoga, with its hundreds o deep breaths eery
class, the lier gets a long massage, helping it to detoxiy the toxins that can
potentially contribute to cancer processes.

\hy does the leel o humidity in the yoga room matter \ou`e probably
noticed that two dierent air qualities need to be controlled during Bikram
yoga: temperature and humidity. Most people are aware that an increase in
humidity results in an increased sensation o heat in the room. 1his is easily
understood when comparing 100 degree weather in humid llorida ersus dry
Arizona. So the increased humidity in the room makes it seem hotter ,eels
like a giant steam room,, but there`s another adantage that readily helps to
preent cancer.

1he act o heating up the skin or a period o time causes a release o toxins
rom the skin through sweat. 1hese toxins include at-soluble toxins and
heay metals, both o which can be carcinogenic. I you sweat while in dry air,
what happens 1he sweat eaporates and cools down your skin. 1his deeats
the purpose o detoxiication. \ou need the skin to stay hot and continue
sweating. In Bikram yoga, the humidity in the room slows the eaporation o
your sweat. 1hus your skin stays heated or longer periods o time. 1his
creates additional detoxiication beneits in the skin not ound in dry yoga
classes.
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\es, the sweat dripping down your ace during poses may be distracting, but
you are inducing a massie detoxiication. 1hrough Bikram yoga, you can drip
yoursel to health!

Some people hae a body loaded o heay metals, many o which may
contribute to cancer processes. Lxamples o these heay metals include
mercury ,rom ish, teeth illings,, aluminum ,rom pots,pans, canned oods,
canned drinks, deodorants,, cadmium ,rom cigarettes,, lead, and more.
Llimination o such heay metals can support the immune system and lier
unction.

low does one eliminate heay metals 1here are many tools aailable today,
such as chelation therapy, inrared saunas, and more. loweer, the easiest
way is through sweating. Sweat is a major route o elimination or heay
metals. I you hae eer ound your yoga towel to be darker in color ater a
class, you could hae just released a substantial amount o heay metals
through your sweat. \our towel may be dirty, but your body will be happier.

Bolstering the immune system
lourth, cancer grows within an immune-deicient enironment. \ou may be
surprised to know that the human body produces cancerous cells eery day.
\es, your DNA makes plenty o mistakes eery day, leading to abnormal cells.
Luckily, the immune system is normally capable o destroying any abnormal
cell that may arise.

loweer, when the immune system is deicient, abnormal cells will hae the
opportunity to slip under the radar.` I let unchecked, these cells can
eentually prolierate. One o the most dangerous cancer processes is a
deicient immune system. low can Bikram yoga remedy this problem

2009 Joel Brame www.JoelBrame.com
lirst, let`s reiew a ew basic acts about the immune system itsel. Roughly
5 o the immune system is ound in the intestines. 1he immune system has
one unction: to separate me` and not me.` 1hat which is not me` needs
to be destroyed and remoed. 1hat which is me` can stay.

In the digestie tract, the ood you just ate reaches a barrier: the intestinal wall.
\our intestinal cells must make a decision right then and there: accept this
nutrient as me` or reuse it. 1he nutrients that build your whole body hae
to undergo this strict examination at the leel o the intestine. lere`s the
problem: i the digestie system is damaged, there is a breach in this system.
1he immune layer within the intestinal walls cannot do its job. Pieces o not
me` substances can pass right into the blood stream. 1his puts tremendous
stress on the whole body, and potentially weakens important parts o the
immune system.

Bikram yoga helps to restore the immune system in seeral ways. It helps
stimulate the passage o ood through the digestie tract ,called peristalsis,.
1his is accomplished through mechanical and hormonal means. Mechanically,
the twisting o the abdomen during many yoga poses helps to push ood along
the digestie tract. In addition, the relaxation between poses helps to trigger
hormones and nere cells that increase digestion and peristalsis. 1he dead
body pose` at the middle and end o the class is extremely powerul in
restoring the digestie tract`s unctions. 1hereore, immunity throughout the
body is improed, and cancer processes are reersed.

Bikram yoga also helps the immune system through detoxiication. \hen a
toxic burden exists within the body, the immune system struggles to deal with
it. 1his is similar to haing a hidden inection within a tooth that causes haoc
on the immune system or years. Releasing those toxins rees the immune
system to continue its sureillance unction o looking or cancerous cells.


2009 Joel Brame www.JoelBrame.com
Re-Connecting the Mind with the Body
lith, a disconnected mind and body can contribute to cancer risk actors.
\hile this area is poorly understood rom a hardcore research perspectie,
clinicians across the world see supportie eidence oer and oer again.

In another article called 1he Messages o Cancer`, I elaborate on how control
o the mind and emotions can impact the outcome in cancer. \hen we lose
awareness o our eelings and thoughts, due to a busy and stressul liestyle,
cancerous processes may become triggered and support tumor growth. Please
note that I am not, and neer will, say that speciic thoughts cause cancer. I
am only saying that a disconnection between the mind and body will create
conditions which may allow cancer to grow, i other risk actors are also
present.

All types o yoga, including Bikram, help greatly with improing the
connection between mind and body. 1his works in seeral ways:

lirst, as you continue with classes, you become more sensitie and aware o
your body. \ou will notice subtle changes that you might not hae noticed
beore. lor instance, you may notice that you eel dierent i you miss class
or a week or two. As you become more in-tune with your body, you begin to
recognize when something eels o.` In the case o cancerous processes, you
will become an expert at early detection.` Just like a mammogram, PSA test
or the prostate, or a colonoscopy, you will become a human barometer or
your own body. 1he more you practice yoga, the better you become at
noticing subtle changes within.

Second, many o the poses elicit great emotions. lor example, when I come
out o Camel pose, sometimes I hae an oerwhelming urge to cry. Other
times I want to just start laughing! It`s amazing how that particular pose really
brings emotions to the surace. One o the hypothesized characteristics o
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cancer is the inability to connect with emotions and release them. Bikram yoga
helps acilitate this releasing process. Its psychosomatic power is remarkable.

linally, deeating cancer requires courage, strength, discipline, and tenacity.
Practicing yoga helps prepare one or the necessary endurance to beat cancer.
\hat do I mean by this

Sometimes the hardest part o Bikram yoga is simply showing up! Just walking
through the ront door o the studio can be challenging on days when you
don`t want to go but know you should. 1hen, completing 1.5 hours o intense
exercise and sharp ocus requires another leel o discipline and challenge.
\our reward upon completion o yoga class is not a gold medal or a >1000
cash prize.it`s that you accomplished something you didn`t think you could
do. 1his is ar more empowering than any other reward. lor me,
accomplishing one thing motiates me to accomplish another, then another.
Success can really snowball` and take you to a higher leel than you`e eer
been beore.

Indeed, you eel clean ater a yoga class, and inspired by your incredible
accomplishment and discipline. So you go home and hae a healthier meal
than you ordinarily would eat. 1hen you eel the energy to make more
signiicant contributions at your work. \hich motiates you to improe your
relationships with amily and riends. And on and on.

Bonus: 1he most important step to reverse cancer
Now that we`e coered the ie primary ways Bikram yoga can reerse cancer
processes, I`d like to gie you a bonus. \ou will now learn the most important
step to reerse cancer. But be warned: it`s not easy.

1he biggest part o reersing cancer processes is consistent action. It`s not
about taking massie steps. It`s about little steps done oer and oer again.
2009 Joel Brame www.JoelBrame.com
As motiational guru 1ony Robbins states, Ordinary eorts consistently
applied yield extraordinary results.`

Regular yoga practice can help you reach your goals, but it will also bring
results you might hae neer imagined possible! Can Bikram yoga really
preent and,or reerse cancer processes 1here are no guarantees and
hardcore research is limited, but it will certainly reerse many o the
pathological processes that can culminate in a disease called cancer. Lery
person is dierent, and your results will be dierent rom your neighbor`s
results. But keep going on your journey, because regardless o your own
outcome, you are a role model or eeryone else in your lie. And you neer
know who`s watching.

Attend your yoga class on a regular basis, and eel the magic happen!

Lxtra Bonus: Practical Health 1ips for yoga lovers
1. During yoga class, make sure your breaths are as ull as possible.
2. Add a little sea salt or trace elements drops to your water bottle. I
preer the Concen1race brand in my own bottle.
3. Use a glass water bottle i possible. I not, a hard plastic bottle that is
BPA-ree is second best ,look or the 4 inside the recycling triangle
on the bottom o the bottle,. Aoid the use o sot plastic bottles in
the hot room.
4. Ater class, take a glass o water with a Greens powder ,either a wheat
grass,barley grass mix or powdered organic ruit,eggie mix,. \our
digestion will be at a maximum and better absorb these nutrients.










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About the Author:

Dr. Joel E Brame is an expert in educating and motivating others to achieve their
health and energy goals. Trained as a physician and counselor, Dr. Brame shows
others how to find greater health and vitality, and create a renewed body with
inspiration and confidence. He has personally experienced the radical
transformations that come with an energized and healthy lifestyle, overcoming
several chronic ailments through lifestyle changes alone.
Joel's messages of positive energy and precise action extend through his
workshops, keynotes, books, articles, websites, and consulting. He serves as a
professor in biological sciences at local colleges.
Joel has contributed articles to many local and online publications and has given
award-winning radio interviews on cancer. He is also a sought-after speaker on
holistic approaches to energy and cancer recurrence & prevention. Visit
www.joelbrame.com for further resources, tips, and available books and articles.

Looking for an experienced professional to speak with energy and inspiration for
your studio, college, or organization? Contact Dr. Brame at 602-387-0101 or
email joel@joelbrame.com.