The Yog Pranayam (breathing exercises) will help with the side effects of chemo and also help in building the immune system. Cancer hates oxygen, so the extra oxygen getting into the blood, when doing pranayam, will help fight the cancer.
Build up your timing gradually. If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after 1 minute.
Bhastrika - Take a long deep breath into the lungs(chest not tummy) via the nose and then completely breathe out through the nose. Duration upto 5 minutes.Place your fists, with the thumb pointing up, on the the legs, above the the knee, and do bhastrika for one minute.Repeat this for one minute, but with the fists upside down, so that the thumb is pointing down, and resting on the legs.
Kapalbhati -(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for 10 to 30 minutes twice a day. Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.
Children under 15 years – do for 5 to 10 minutes.
Anulom Vilom –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril
then -keeping the left nostril closed deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do for 5 to 10 minutes.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.
Bhramri Pranayam -Close eyes. Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, and rest three fingers on base of nose touching eyes. Breathe in through nose. And now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee.
Duration : 5 to 11 times
Once you are better, continue the pranayam once a day.
I can relate... my 81 year old mother has undergone chemotherapy, twice.
12 cycles of ABVD for the treatment of Hodgkin's Disease in 2008.
And, just last month... 4 infusions of Rituxan for the treatment of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
No question about it... chemo is brutal!
My best wishes and prayers are with your friend.