Society may look at Yoga as a New Age whim, but advocates say that while it may not directly fight a tumor, it does have positive effects on the immune system.

The American Cancer Society has reported that research has shown that Yoga can be used to control physiological functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, metabolism, body temperature, brain waves and other bodily functions.

Stress can weaken the immune system, making it even tougher to battle cancer. "It's (Yoga) the oldest strategy for stress management," said Debra Mulnick, a registered nurse who offers classes through the Mountain States Tumor Institute at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center in Boise. "Our culture is just starved for

the concepts we teach, such as how to be kind to ourselves."

They can do the same with meditation. The teachers said everyone has a continual internal monologue and the chatter is even worse when they are troubled, such as fighting cancer. Meditation allows them to focus their minds on other things, such as how their bodies feel.

"Sometimes, just a minute of not having those thoughts can be a reprieve," Mulnick said. "But the training has been shown to have lasting benefits for days and even weeks. People don't have to be pulled down a path of habitual worrying." Mulnick said, "yoga is...going to become a standard of care."

This information was first reported by the Associated Press on March 12, 2004.