Yoga is the practice of connecting to the innate preciousness, tenderness, beauty and stillness that we already are and resides within us all.

Yoga for breast cancer is about re learning as a woman how to connect to our inner beauty and stillness – to live a life of true joy and harmony.

As women, could it be that we have moved so far away from the essence of who we are, that we have forgotten how to tend and nurture ourselves – that we have forgotten who we really are?

Perhaps we have got caught up in the midst of life. We may have identified ourselves through the roles we play such as; the mother where the children come first no matter what, the friend who is always there to support others, the wife who cares for the family but puts herself last, the career woman who strives to be equal to any man – just to name a few examples.

Could it be that we have forgotten that we are delicious, we are tender, we are beautiful?

Could the roles we play, stop us from feeling who we really are?

Stillness is an energetic quality that we can all connect with and that is inside of us all (both men and women). It is a deep sense of connection with self where there is no doing, just a sense of being. Within this, lies a quietude – harmony within and contentment without any lack or need.  Once this energetic stillness is felt, it is a matter of taking this quality into all that we do (taking stillness into motion), but the key here is to connect with the stillness before going into motion.

To re connect to our inner-most part of ourselves requires us to work through the hurts (or emotions) that we hold onto that occupies lots of space in our minds and body. We can do this by allowing ourselves to stop and feel what is really going on rather than distracting ourselves with all of our ‘doing’ (motion). These hurts, which we identify with, are what stop us from feeling the essence of who we truly are.

We can re connect by making the choice to feel our body and develop a connection moment to moment that is gentle, loving and tender.

When the mind and body are with each other in whatever activity we are doing in a gentle and loving way, we are practising conscious presence.  As examples, when we walk, we can be with our body through feeling our feet on the ground and feeling our hips and shoulders swaying, when we sit at the computer and type, having an awareness of sitting within our body and feeling our finger tips tap at the keys. When conscious presence is developed and stillness is the energetic quality that we live from, this is yoga (union).

Conscious presence can be developed through making the choice to bring the qualities of gentleness and tenderness into all that you do.

If we took the time to stop and feel, we may notice that there could be anxiousness in the body or a quality of raciness that stems from living in a way where we are rushing around with too much to do, pleasing others, putting everyone else before ourselves. Perhaps we have been caught up in thinking that this is what makes a ‘good woman, a good mother, a good friend or wife’.

What if as women, we put how we are moment to moment and the quality of energy that we live in as the most important before we actually did anything? Would this not change how we live? Would this not allow us to make self loving choices that support us? And as we learn to truly support ourselves, would this then not allow us to naturally support others?

Could this quality of living from stillness be true yoga for breast cancer?

Yoga for breast cancer is not about fancy postures or breathing practises, yoga for breast cancer is about re connecting back to this stillness that innately resides within us all. When this is developed we are then living in yoga.

This article is inspired by the Work of Serge Benhayon, Universal Medicine and the modality of Esoteric Yoga.

Donna Nolan offers Breast Cancer Support programs, Gentle Yoga, Meditation, Counselling and Esoteric Healing Cancer Support sessions to assist people through cancer at  the  Cammeray and Balgowlah clinics.. For more information Contact Us. Other related articles My Unfolding to Understanding the Root Cause of Breast Cancer, My Reflections – 5 years from Breast Cancer, Top 5 Tips to Support you through Chemotherapy, Tips for Self-nurturing during and beyond Breast Cancer.

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Many who have been through a serious illness or life event, will often say that it is life changing.

This is how my life has changed over the last five years;

• I now choose to go to bed early (around 9pm) on a daily basis as I find that this supports me in having the quality of rest that I need so that I wake up feeling refreshed and can enjoy the day ahead.

• If I am really tired, rather than put on a movie and check-out, I’ll go to bed even earlier and honour myself that I need the extra rest.

• I live moment to moment with my awareness being with my body as opposed to just thinking (with my awareness just being in the mental energy). I try not to indulge too much in unnecessary thoughts that do not serve me, instead I choose to connect and feel my body and listen to what it is telling me.

• I choose to be gentle and tender in my actions as this feels lovely in my body. It allows for a deeper connection with myself. If, for example, I’m disconnected (that is my mind is elsewhere to my body) and I slam a door, it now feels awful in my body, therefore the choice to be present becomes easier.

• I use a gentle breath as a reference point to come back to me. If I find that I’m not breathing gently, I know that I have disconnected from me. I take the time to pause for a moment, to re-connect.

• I no longer do things to “keep peace” with others.

• I express openly as to how I am feeling. If something doesn’t feel right, I let the person know  – without holding back.

• When emotions come up – rather than suppressing them, I allow myself to feel them. If I haven’t recognised them in the moment, I’ll take some time out to feel what is there is to be felt, no matter how unpleasant it is. I know that by doing this, that I’m not suppressing these emotions in my body and it allows them to clear.

• I am aware of the choices that I make knowing that it will have a consequence on my body and mind. For example, if I choose to indulge in a food such as sugar, I know that I will feel racy and it will be more difficult for me to be present with the loveliness and tenderness of who I really am.

• I no longer drink alcohol, eat sugar, dairy or gluten or have caffeine – as these foods  and drink do not support my body. They were foods/drink that I had for comfort, so as to not to feel what was truly going on for me or as “special treat” to escape feeling me.

• I no longer live life looking forward to special “moments” such as an event or even a piece of chocolate to feel life as exciting. Every moment is an opportunity to be present with myself and therefore “feels enough”.

• I no longer exercise (or practise yoga) in hardness. The way I exercise (and teach yoga) is that it is first of all about establishing the connection with my body and then listening to how my body would like to exercise in that moment. I no longer push my body beyond its limits. I listen and cultivate a gentle breath and use this as a guide to assist me in staying connected to me.

• I listen to the call of my body in any given moment. As an example I may take a rest, a short pause within my day to reconnect to my body – rather than push through to get my “to do” list done.

• I have been able to let go of some of the ideals and belief systems around what being a woman is, such as having to look or be a certain way. I am now inspired by women who are truly living in tenderness and with a felt sense of love in their bodies, rather than by the role models that I was presented with in the magazines as I grew up.

• Work is not about working hard to achieve something or to get somewhere. This is yet another ideal and belief that I held. Work is about bringing all of me to what it is that I do, no matter what it is. If I am doing this in connection, it then allows others to re-connect with themselves. Work then no longer is just about “me” and what “I can achieve”. It is about being in relationship with everyone and everything.

What I have learnt is that for me the underlying cause of breast cancer was lack of self-nurturing.

Having learnt to build a more loving relationship with my body, I now understand that how I live and the choices that I make have a direct impact on my body and how I feel.  What I have listed above are steps that I have and continue to take to build the gentleness, tenderness and love in my body. I certainly haven’t mastered them as yet, but each day is another opportunity to bring more awareness in how I am with myself.

Making the above choices has exposed the hardness, the disconnection and lack of self-nurturing that I had pre breast cancer. This was there in my body to be felt, which has not been fun at times. However, as I have connected back to my true essence – how do I feel five years on from breast cancer?

I am feeling more and more of what it felt like when I was really little. I feel like a joyful girl, who feels the beauty that is inside her and that which surrounds her.

Donna Nolan teaches Yoga and offers Esoteric Healing, Meditation, Connective Tissue Therapy and Cancer support sessions. Each day she is inspired by the teachings from Universal Medicine and Esoteric Women’s Health. 

You may also enjoy reading my full story My Unfolding Path of Understanding the Root Cause of Breast Cancer.

The post My reflections – 5 years on from breast cancer appeared first on Yoga & Healing | Therapies Massage Exercise Corporate Wellbeing | Sydney, Balmain & Northern Rivers.