Last weekend I attended Yoga for Cancer teacher intensive training led by Lorien Neargarder, RYT 500. Today I went to her actual class she provides through Stanford Medical Center but rather than having the class at a hospital setting, it’s held at a beautiful studio in Palo Alto. It’s free for cancer sufferers and survivors ! How wonderful is that? FYI, it’s not depressing at all but rather …the exact opposite. I’ve done some super punishing yoga classes myself in the past. While there was a sigh of relief during savasana, I didn’t really see joy and contentment. maybe it was just endorphin high but was it truly good for me? Nothing Sattvic … more an extension of that looping self-talk, beating yourself up. This class is … soothing and supportive but not in a pity or sympathetic fashion. It’s more authentic than that as it caters to this special population of students seeking wellness.
Lorien has been leading these kinds of classes for something like 10+ years so needless to say she has honed her skills to become the Peninsula community’s best known yoga teacher and therapist with this particular expertise. But … this amazing veteran teacher is leaving us, leaving California !!! Oh,no. So for me the news of her impending move meant no more procrastinating studying under her. This is the time to absorb as much knowledge she gained through years of experience and seek out what skills transmission she’s able to share directly in person … while she’s still here. Luckily my yoga therapist training cohort who introduced me to Lorien in the first place will be taking over the class. I couldn’t be happier for him having seen how dedicated he is. Training under her for awhile now, he’s in touch with the Palo Alto community. He’s going to do a great job as he is so committed to this – so compassionate and knowledgeable.
Why my interest in cancer care? My father had stomach cancer; my aunts; my cousins … they all had cancer and so when people close to you suffer, you suffer with them. As long as I remember, I have been directly affected by this disease though family and friends. Most recently a friend and a mother to 13 year old boy died suddenly. Ironically the Grim Reaper came on Easter Sunday, upon her return trip from Japan with her son. Only a couple of months ago, she lost her husband and became a single mom. Only a few months ago, over our breakfast outing, she confided she had just few more months of having to take Tamoxifen. She confided she had breast cancer nearly 5 years ago. Surprised, I just listened. She was determined to see her son into adulthood, at least he finishes college, she said. In our earlier talks she said she wanted to try yoga and hoped that I would introduce her to it. That is, she said, when she’s not so busy. (Have you heard that before? That qualifier statement … stagnates you.)
She said, let’s get together after spring break, I joked maybe you will finally do my yoga class – of course, if you are not too busy, after she gets back from seeing her mother who suffered a stroke. A spring break trip to visit her ailing mom with her son. I said, of course, yes, let’s. After you get back, let’s get together, yes, let’s! And I bid her goodbye. On Easter Sunday, right after her return flight, she collapses and was rushed to the hospital. She dies almost instantly. Cause of death? Deep vein fibrosis. I know it was from being too busy, too busy to really care for herself, she was putting out so much, suffering from chronic stress and taking medication with side effects.
I know non-yogis will either think I’m crazy or some delusional egomaniac but it’s not about me; it’s about the power of yoga. I know had I got to her earlier to practice yoga, she would be alive today. It’s not confidence in me but confidence in the practice, faith in the teaching of yoga that would have helped her with post cancer treatment self-care. Side effects of the drug Tamoxifen are many but uncanny that developing blood clots is one. Knowing that, it behooved her to practice yoga – not any yoga, but the kind of yoga I am studying – for better circulation, lymphatic drainage, stress management, pain management & so much more.She would have benefited so much. If only.
I am sorry I didn’t insist and push her that she come to my class. I am sorry many a times, I didn’t invite her thinking she’s too busy. The practice would have saved her.
If attending a class is difficult, get a private with a yoga teacher/therapist or if that’s out of reach, how about this DVD Lorien produced. While nothing beats the real live class for the group vibe, if you have to care for others and can’t take the time to come to class like Lorien’s (or mine:), I highly recommend Lorien’s DVD.
I am going to take a friend and her mother who is a breast cancer survivor to Lorien’s class while she’s still here. I know the practice will benefit anyone on a healing journey. I don’t want to regret that I hadn’t shared this preventative medicine. This … medicine.
