The month of October is known for many important traditions and recently I learned that the well-known Breast Cancer Awareness Month is now Breast Cancer Action Month. I like this change to highlight not only Awareness but also what can we do to bring Action to one of the most common forms of cancer for women. You see, I am a breast cancer thriver/survivor two times and while it took me a while to get comfortable sharing my story, I’ve learned that sharing helps others feel less alone and that’s what this month is really about. So my Action is sharing an essay that I wrote for a new book called PAVING Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond – Healthy Learning.
Before you start reading, if you haven’t got your mammogram, do it – schedule it. Remind a loved one. Mammograms saved my life, twice. Don’t be afraid do it, just take the step and if you’re scared, I’ll go with you.
In this adapted reflection, I share how breast cancer and yoga changed the trajectory of my career and my life. Yoga has always a part of me, as a young girl when I learned to meditate from my older sister, as an athlete and when working in the corporate world. But it was breast cancer that became a catalyst to turn my passion for yoga into a purpose: opening my own business, Artemis Yoga.
In 2010, when I was 42, I was diagnosed for the first time and then again in 2021. The first go-around, I turned to the security of my yoga mat to reclaim some peace for my mind and to observe my body, which at times felt so foreign. I had two young daughters and a marketing job and I put my head down and kept going. Within a year of completing radiation and a lumpectomy, my mom and then my sister both passed away within 5 months of each another. When faced with change, I could have waited for the dust to settle, yet times of change can be times of great opportunity.
Cancer has a remarkable way of bringing clarity. I realized yoga could become an even greater outlet, not only for myself to quiet my busy mind, but also for others. I reflected on the benefits I felt from my yoga practice while working in a fast-paced marketing career. Yoga had helped me navigate grief, and I wanted to share that in a community setting. In 2015, I drafted a business plan and founded Artemis Yoga in Watertown, Massachusetts. Once again, I got to work and hunkered down; owning a new, growing business is very busy. I had little time to join cancer support groups, or so I thought. Honestly, I wasn’t ready for what I imagined they might entail.
In 2021, when I faced breast cancer again, it felt like a big wake-up call. This time, I sought peer support and asked my doctor for resources. I found the MGH Paving the Path to Wellness program headed by Dr. Amy Comander. It was a lifesaver. I loved all the modules, especially the Paving Wheel framework. The visual makes it so easy to see where things line up. I’ve used the Paving Wheel multiple times, even with Artemis employees for goal-setting. You don’t need a cancer diagnosis to take stock of where life is out of balance. For me, it highlighted areas where I could spend some more attention: social connections and saying yes to reaching out to friends; prioritizing self-care for myself; and tackling sleep and nutrition a bit more directly.
The program was very much like the limbs of yoga, it is not linear perse and each limb or part of the wheel can link to another. Like yoga you might explore topics such as healthy cooking, bone health, breathwork, community and more. What is liberating is that you don’t have to do it all at once. I was able to share Artemis Yoga through retreats for the Paving participants and also connect me with new friends, like-minded women committed to wellness, very similar to the Artemis community too.
One of yoga’s strengths is that it can be a like a long-time friend, always there, always comfortable even if you don’t connect as often as you would like. The Paving Wheel highlights the pillars of yoga, Abhyasa and Vairagya, very well, that you can practice without attachment to the results, letting things evolve without expectation. The path of a yogi is similar to any survivorship journey; we are called to try something new, shift your routine and to remember that a path is not a straight line and often isn’t even on a map!
For me, yoga became my purpose and profession. I have to maintain connection to it so I don’t lose that, even as I run a yoga business. Being involved in a program like the MGH Paving the Path to Wellness has been deeply rewarding, allowing me to give back and empathize with others on this journey. That is the ongoing action of breast cancer awareness month, for me to share my story and to continue to listen to the challenges we all face. Over the course of the past 10 years at Artemis Yoga, I have been gratified find this spirit of action in the community at Artemis Yoga and may we all find ways to go forward together.
