Physical & Mental Health
The summer 2018 I was in the best shape of my life! I trained for 8 weeks at CorePower Yoga in Dallas, TX to become a certified yoga instructor. Facing fears of public speaking, insecurities about not being the most flexible person in the room, as well as pushing myself physically were all my goals upon enrolling. I believe that being in shape leading into treatment made a huge difference in terms of side effects. Now I realize the importance of self care and carving time out each day for it. Looking to round out my wellness routine after treatment ended, I started running again with the goal to make it to a 30 minute 5K. In addition to continuing with yoga & meditation daily, massages, talk therapy, acupuncture, & weight lifting. My yoga sequences I did after I healed from surgery will be included in the book.
Finding my center before Chemo #2. The more I moved the better I felt. Even on days when it was really hard, I never finished a practice feeling worse than I did before I started.
Round #3: Finding balance in body & mind. After each infusion it look longer and longer to get back into my body. I had very intense joint and bone pain after treatments. This pain would be endless and would hit me even when I was just sitting still. Yoga, as hard as it was, kept me in touch with what was happening inside and outside of my body.
Round #4 - I got up at 6am to get some key plank time in. It is hard to see in this photo but at this time I had put on 17 pounds. It was all bloating. My ankles were so swollen. I was told it was from the steroids that they pump into you before the chemo drugs go in. I was so uncomfortable. None of my clothes fit me. It was just one more thing that made me feel like I was out of my body.
Round #5: Was by FAR the hardest round. By taking this photo I wanted to capture the very real emotional toll that cancer can take on a person. I had just finished a 60 minute yoga class with a playlist I had created to keep me moving as well as relax me. Well I ended the class curled into fetal position crying. All of the emotions came out of me. Movement is so key to stir up these feelings so they can be released.
Leading up to my last round of chemo I had told my energy healer and my therapist that I was feeling really down (see chemo #5 photo). They both said to move my body. So move I did! SOME how - I do not know how - I was able to run a mile without stopping on this lovely September afternoon.
12.18.20 yoga practice on the patio of my husband's parents house in Saint George, Utah. We drove here from Dallas, TX to stay for the month of December after receiving our negative Covid19 tests. Staying safely at their home and doing loads of activities outdoors.
A short but beautiful hike on the Aspiration Trail in Saint George, Utah. Each day on the month long trip there I did a new hike. Making to the top of each one.
The first step in my exploration of Trauma Informed Yoga. How do I incorporate what I learned in this program into my own practice and how do I begin to share this with others? The instructor of this course, Akira Stuckey from Keene, NH was very inspiring. During the course we tackled a lot of very sensitive topics. Akira spoke on each topic with respect and compassion for a person who may or may not have experienced any of the trauma we covered.
Riding Bikes in Bentonville Arkansas is some of the best bike riding in the country! I am not the strongest rider, I mostly stick to the paved trails. Ryan is a great guide and I can go strong for about 20 miles!