“It’s funny but cancer makes you sick and tired but it also makes you know your own strength and your own mind.”
Wake up in Cologne Ehrenfeld photo by holwzap Cologne

My insightful daughter gave me an exquisite over-dimensional -yoga book for Christmas 2018. It’s so large that when you open it you are in it. Cosmic Yoga by Gabriela Haenseler – the book is a yoga journey through India with a focus on yoga asanas and mantras. It’s a feast for the eyes, heart and spirit.

I immersed myself fully in the book and it became my happy place in that bleak January waiting for my next hospital appointment and TURBT. I let myself dream about doing a yoga teacher training course, but there were naysayers in my head:

  • You’re too old
  • You’re too sick
  • You’re not good enough

There’s a Richard Bach quote from “Illusions” that I love that stilled the naysaying:

„Argue for your limitations, and they’re yours.“

That quote had rarely felt so apt! It’s funny but cancer makes you sick and tired but it also makes you know your own strength and your own mind. I started to research my dream and run it past my close friends, partner and family. The idea met with a little concern about not doing too much too soon and overwhelmingly positive responses.

I found a local yoga centre that does an extensive course over 15 months. The more I looked at it the more I loved the idea. I met one of the co- founders for a chat and a trial lesson in the rooftop studio and signed up for September 2019. I decided to wear my cancer on my sleeve and be open but not defined by it, particularly as I had a recurrence in the summer. The teachers and my classmates are wonderfully supportive. I absolutely adore going to the class and learning everything yoga; theory, practice and anatomy. It makes my heart sing and is one of the best dreams I’ve made come true.

So, don’t let cancer or anything else stop your dreaming…