Virtual therapy and yoga training in parents of children diagnosed with cancer

The research will be carried out on a group of parents of children diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia staying in Przyladek Nadziei in Wroclaw. The subjects will be randomly assigned to a group: with an intervention in the form of virtual therapy, yoga training and a control group. Virtual therapy using the VRTierOne system will be conducted in Przyladek Nadzei. The program assumes 8 sessions performed in the shortest possible time, which in practice translates into a period of 2-3 weeks. Sessions can take place maximum once a day. The length of the session increases gradually from 5 to 20 minutes of stay in virtual reality. The entire session is conducted in virtual reality. The therapist conducts therapy by talking to them via the VR headset. Participants can't see the therapist. The therapy is not tailored to the participant. It is the same for everyone. A research team trained in the use of the equipment will accompany subjects during each session. Sessions are held in the form of individual meetings, in a room excluded from use for purposes other than scientific and therapeutic during the research period. The session starts with putting on virtual reality (VR) goggles with headphones. After starting the session, the patient is always in the same virtual environment (garden) with various plants, a stone path and a watering can. In some sessions, there is also a mandala drawing, which is filled in with colors by the participant (according to voice instructions). Participant listens to the voice of the therapist conducting therapy in the Ericksonian style, tips on coloring mandala and the sounds of birds. The research team will keep a document containing information about the number of sessions completed, participants' resignation from the study, data necessary to arrange subsequent meetings and an individual code allowing the participant to be identified via VR. After entering the individual code into VR, it recognizes the patient and suggests starting the next session (remembers which session number was last played for a given person). Yoga training will be conducted by an instructor in a park near the center. They will be held 4 times a week so that parents can participate on the day that suits them best. Each training unit of moderate intensity will last 60 minutes. The intensity of physical exercise during training will be assessed using the Borg scale. The yoga instructor will keep a list of participants' attendance at ech session. The duration of the intervention will be 4 weeks, with a total of 8 meetings. This will be hatha yoga suitable for beginners. Examples of positions used during training: Auspicious Pose (Swastikasana), Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana), Hero Pose (Virasana) and Lotus Pose (Padmasana). Staying in each position is associated with deep breathing.