"After a cancer diagnosis, I went through a very dark season in my life. Still painful to speak about. For me, cancer was like dark drifting clouds that you see before a storm, completely obscuring my view of the sun. Yoga reminded me that the sun was still there!
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. "I'd dabbled with yoga about 15 years ago, but didn't dive into my practice until after my diagnosis
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I was a young mother of 4 boys. Shortly after the birth of my 4th, I decided to go back to the doctor to check on a lump that I had for many years; of which the doctors had told me I was paranoid about about, as the mass was painful to the touch; stating "it's not cancer, because cancer isn't painful." .
Two years went by before I decided to listen to my body & get a second opinion. It was cancer. Three surgeries later & the cancer was fully removed. But along with the cancer, a large piece of my self-esteem taken. I'd look at myself in the mirror, knowing that those feminine parts of me would never be the same. The cancer was on my labia - I believe I speak for most women- that was my femininity
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After the physical pain of the surgery subsided, the emotional scars stayed raw
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I decided to seek something that might bring mental & physical healing. I tried a trial membership at a yoga studio
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The first times I sat in silence on my mat... with my thoughts, the magnitude of everything that I had been through, was almost overwhelming. Yet, I felt whole again. Safe. I was able to sit in silence, listen to my breath, listen to my heart beat. Face my truth. Through the quiet time on my mat & the physical practice, yoga brought me healing & confidence. Yoga was meeting me exactly where I was, giving me freedom to show up as a beginner, wounded & depressed. I didn't have my life together, & that was fine. There was no hurry, no judgment, no expectations
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Yoga brought me confidence, & the physical practice helped the pain from my scars to completely subside. Every time I stepped onto the mat I was reminded of my unique beauty as a human being. I was then able to go home to my sweet boys & instill all of these feelings within them
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