A cancer diagnosis comes with a long list of things that happen to a person: scans, surgery, infusions, radiation, side effects. Much of the experience is about following instructions from others.
Oncology yoga offers something different. It gives people something they can do for themselves. That idea isn’t new to yoga, and it isn’t new to medicine either. Nearly fifty years ago, a nurse named Dorothea Orem built an entire theory of care around it. The yoga4cancer methodology borrows directly from her work.
Who Was Dorothea Orem?
Dorothea Orem (1914–2007) was an American nurse, educator, and one of the most influential nursing theorists of the 20th century. Her Theory of Self-Care, first published in 1971 in Nursing: Concepts of Practice, starts from a simple assumption: people take action on their own behalf to maintain and improve their health.
Her work shifted the focus of care. Instead of seeing patients only as recipients of treatment, Orem saw them as active participants with their own capacity to care for themselves. The job of the professional is to support and strengthen that capacity, not replace it.
The Three Core Ideas
Orem’s theory rests on three concepts. Each one maps clearly onto what happens in an oncology yoga class.
1. Self-care
The actions a person takes to promote their own health and wellbeing. Choosing to attend a class, practice breathwork at home, or move gently after surgery are all acts of self-care.
2. Self-care agency
A person’s ability to engage in self-care within the reality of their current life — including illness, available resources, and physical capacity. Agency is not fixed. It shifts during treatment, recovery, and survivorship.
3. Self-care requisites
Orem described three kinds of needs that self-care addresses:
- Basic life functions — the activities of daily living, such as sleeping, eating, moving, and breathing.
- Developmental needs — what a person needs at their stage of life.
- Adapting to a change in health — the ability to adjust when health departs from what is usual, as it does during and after cancer treatment.
What This Looks Like in an Oncology Yoga Class
When someone in active treatment shows up to class, they are demonstrating self-care agency. They have chosen to take part in their own care while managing fatigue, pain, neuropathy, anxiety, or the many other effects of treatment.
That choice matters. It reflects:
- Motivation to do something for their own health.
- Awareness of their disease and how treatment is affecting their body.
- Adaptation — the third requisite in action — as they learn to work with a body that has changed.
The teacher’s role is to protect and grow that agency. In practice, this means:
- Offering choice. Invitational language (“You might try…”, “If it feels right…”) keeps the student in charge of their own practice.
- Adjusting to current capacity. No fixed series. Props, modifications, and rest are part of the plan, not a fallback.
- Building skills students can take home. A breathing technique for scan anxiety or a short sequence for stiffness extends self-care beyond the studio.
Why Sharing the Benefits Matters
In the yoga4cancer methodology, teaching students why a practice helps is part of the practice. This approach comes straight from Orem: when people understand the purpose of what they’re doing, they are better equipped to play an active role in their own recovery.
A student who knows that weight-bearing poses support bone health, or that a longer exhale can calm the nervous system, has a reason to keep practicing.
But how you share that information matters. Cancer patients are often overloaded with technical information from their medical teams: statistics, procedures, anatomy, and jargon. Adding more can overwhelm rather than empower. Effective teachers share benefits in a way that is:
- Brief — one clear idea per cue, not a lecture.
- Honest — no overpromising. “This can help” is more credible than “this will fix.”
- Relevant — tied to what the student is experiencing right now.
For example:
“This pose puts gentle weight through your arms and wrists. That kind of load helps keep bones strong.”
“Try making your exhale a little longer than your inhale. Many people find it helps settle the body before a scan or appointment.”
Simple, accurate, and useful. That is how information becomes motivation.
A Note on Scope
Orem’s theory places self-care alongside professional care, not in place of it. Oncology yoga works the same way. It complements medical treatment and never replaces it. Teachers support students’ self-care; they do not diagnose, assess, or give medical advice. Always encourage students to keep their healthcare team informed.
Teacher Takeaways
- Your students are active participants in their own care. Teach in a way that reinforces that.
- Self-care agency changes with treatment. Meet each student where they are today.
- Sharing benefits builds motivation — when it’s short, honest, and relevant.
- Choice is not a nicety. It’s how agency is built in the room.
For Yoga Teachers and Healthcare Professionals
Orem’s Theory of Self-Care is one of the frameworks covered in Module 1 of the yoga4cancer 75-Hour Certificate Program, alongside the evidence, safety guidelines, and teaching skills needed to work with people affected by cancer. Learn more about the program →
For Survivors and Caregivers
Looking for a class led by a teacher trained in oncology yoga? Find a certified yoga4cancer teacher near you →
Source: yoga4cancer Certificate Program Manual, Module 1: The ABCs of the yoga4cancer Methodology (© 2025 yoga4cancer LLC). Orem, D.E. (1971). Nursing: Concepts of Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill.
