Surviving breast cancer with yoga

Since October, Breast Cancer Month, I have heard so many amazing stories of women who have survived breast cancer and used yoga and fitness to cope with the disease and to find peace.

I was so shocked to find out that some of my dedicated yoga students at Shakti are breast-cancer survivors! Diagnosed with the disease at age 42, Yolande chose not to go the conventional route of chemotherapy and radiation. Instead, she took her healing into her own hands by changing her diet, reducing her stress levels and adding yoga and spinning to her life. Today at 47, she is radiant, always smiling and you would never know that at such an early age she faced her own mortality.

Always smiling

Another yoga student, Sharon, was diagnosed with stage one cancer last year. After surgery, she decided to make her yoga practice more consistent and did her first four-day yoga retreat only three months after her operation. Sharon feels that yoga is the reason for her quick recovery. We see her daily at Shakti spinning, sculpting and practising yoga and she too is always smiling as if in a constant state of gratitude for her health.

She said that "being physically and mentally fit is key to surviving breast cancer or any disease as well as being careful about what you eat. It is never too late to start becoming involved with your fitness. Find a positive place to hang out with caring, grounded, committed persons around you who inspire you to stay positive".

Dedicated to mom

Another incredible woman, Chelan, walked into Shakti on October 1 and signed up for a month of unlimited classes. Chelan's mother died at age 34 of breast cancer, leaving her and her one-year-old brother. Since then, Chelan has dedicated the month of October to doing 30 days of yoga and fitness in honour of her mother and as an inspiration to survivors of the disease. She uses her blog and daily recordings of her journey to inspire young women to take care of themselves and to do annual mammograms. You can read her blog at mamachel.wordpress.com.

In my research on the effects of yoga on breast cancer, I found an excellent study done at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center which showed that even a short, gentle yoga programme, including meditation, relaxation, breathing exercises and visualisations, had a profound effect on reducing the side effects of breast-cancer treatment.

So in honour of these three amazing women, let us all commit to taking care of our health by eating well, exercising consistently and finding a way to add yoga to our lives!

Sharon McConnell-Feanny is a certified yoga instructor and co-owner of Shakti Mind Body Fitness in Kingston. She has more than 25 years' experience in health and fitness; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.