Yoga has been used for more than 3,000 years to help maintain and restore health. Most people associate yoga with exercise and most yoga classes focus entirely on physical movement. But yoga is in many ways opposite of exercise, and some of the non-movement-oriented practices of yoga can have a profound effect on the physical body.

The postures (asanas) and breathing practices (pranayama) together constitute hatha yoga.

In the Sanskrit language of ancient India, "ha" means "sun" and "tha" means "moon." The two together, "ha-tha" indicate the balance of opposites (night and day, yin and yang).

Asana focuses at its core on flexibility of the spine: forward bends balance backward-bending poses, left twists balance twists to the right. There are even inverted positions to counter-balance gravity.

The goal is to keep the muscles relaxed in movement so that muscle fibers elongate. This results in increasing flexibility and a sense of well-being. The yoga practitioner engages the body in a stretch, extending and elongating into a pose as much as comfortable, not as much as possible. The breath is crucial in this work because it both focuses and calms the mind.

While the spine is integral for physical balance, self-awareness, which is developed through yoga, is integral for emotional balance. The attitude one brings to hatha practices is as important as the practice itself.

The Osher Center for Integrative Medicine offers specialized yoga classes to meet the different needs of our participants. These include Gentle Yoga for Cancer Patients, Therapeutic Yoga for Stress and Medically Related Conditions and Continuing Therapeutic Yoga for Stress and Medically Related Conditions.

All classes are located at the Osher center and are taught by Jnani Chapman:
Osher Center for Integrative Medicine
1545 Divisadero St., Fourth Floor
San Francisco, CA 94115

Gentle Yoga for Cancer Patients

This class is designed specifically for cancer patients and combines gentle movements, postures, slow deep-breathing, meditation and relaxation.

• Classes —Thursdays, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
• Cost — Free
• To Register — Visit the Osher center or the UCSF Cancer Resource Center to pick up the required doctor referral and yoga history forms, or download them here. Please contact the instructor at (415) 353-7720 prior to the first class.

Therapeutic Yoga
For Stress and Medically Related Conditions

Students learn gentle movements, postures, slow deep-breathing, meditation and relaxation at their own pace. At the completion of this course students will feel safe to participate in general community yoga classes and are encouraged to continue with the class on a drop-in basis at the Osher center.

• Classes — Thursdays for eight weeks from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Cost — $88
• To Register — Call (415) 353-7720. Space is limited, so please pre-register.

Continuing Therapeutic Yoga
For Stress and Medically Related Conditions

This class continues to combine gentle movements, postures, slow deep-breathing, meditation and relaxation for more advanced students who want to continue their practice.

• Classes — Tuesdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
• Cost — $12 per class
• To Register — Visit the Osher Center or the Cancer Resource Center to pick up the required doctor referral and yoga history forms, or download them here. To enroll, you must complete one of the introductory yoga classes offered at the Osher center or have an equivalent level of experience. Please contact the instructor at (415) 353-7720 prior to first class.