Cancer Warrior

Today, I went to a hot power yoga class with my sister-in-law. There is a true feeling of serenity that comes from the yogic breathing, the meditational silences and the astonishingly beautiful poses that we create. The "warrior" and the "dancer" are among my favourite positions. With each class, I feel that my balance is improving and my muscles are strengthening.

The classes also focus on heightening awareness of the body. When I am working at the office, I tend to spend long hours sitting at my desk without a break. The result is that I arrive home stiff, sometimes with excruciating foot cramps as soon as I remove my heeled shoes. When I am focused on my work, I forget to eat, and am not even aware that I am hungry until my stomach starts to growl its discontent. I will stay at work until the wee hours of the morning, and I am not conscious of how very tired I am until I fall asleep during the cab ride home.

Sometimes, in our very busy lives, it is more convenient to ignore our bodies and to just press on. It should not take a serious disease for us to learn to be in tune with our bodies and to listen when our bodies are telling us that they are tired, stiff, hungry, in pain, or just need a break. Nourishing our bodies with rest, relaxation, nutritious food and exercise are really the only things that we can do to help our bodies stay strong and powerful.