“After online yoga therapy with MVP, I felt more deeply connected to myself again.” – Louise.
When Louise was diagnosed with breast cancer, her life was turned upside down. This is how she found stillness and acceptance with the help of My Vinyasa Practice online yoga therapy.
The Diagnosis and Initial Struggles
Louise, a wife, mother, and psychiatrist, is a 5-year breast cancer survivor. From July 2020 to July 2023, she engaged in online yoga therapy with My Vinyasa Practice (MVP). Her journey began in the summer of 2018 when she discovered a lump in her breast on the night of her daughter’s first birthday.
“It was my daughter’s first birthday. That night, it was hot, and I couldn’t sleep. I felt a lump in my breast and panicked. I went online to check for other explanations, but I couldn’t find anything else that matched. I knew something was not right.”
She also found a lump in her armpit. With her medical background as a psychiatrist, Louise understood that this could indicate the issue was not localized. She was scared.
“At that time, my baby daughter was still sleeping in our room. The only thing I could do was listen to her breathe and try to breathe myself.”
The Diagnosis Confirmation
The next day, she called her gynecologist, who initially thought the lumps might be hormonal due to weaning her daughter. However, Louise knew something was seriously wrong. She had been feeling unusually tired and feared the worst. After a biopsy, her fears were confirmed: she had breast cancer.
“I remember lying there, crying, and saying, ‘This is not possible. I have a little girl. This cannot be happening.’ I was scared to call anyone because I thought, ‘If I say this out loud, it’s more real.'”
Louise underwent six months of chemotherapy, during which her partner shaved her dreadlocks as she began losing hair.
“I was scared my daughter wouldn’t recognize me anymore.”
Following chemo, she had surgery and radiotherapy, and participated in a rehabilitation program. Throughout her treatment, she was surrounded by love and support.
“My daughter’s first word was ‘mama,’ and her second was ‘flower’ because the house was full of flowers people sent.”
The Road to Recovery
In September 2019, Louise received wonderful news: her PET-CT scan showed no evidence of disease. However, her journey was far from over. She continued with medical interventions, including wearing a central catheter and taking antihormone medication, which came with numerous side effects like joint stiffness, bone loss, hot flashes, and fatigue.
Louise felt unmoored. The trauma of her experience left her confronting her mortality and the fear of what would happen to her child if she were no longer there.
“When it happened, it was like a bomb had gone off in my life.”
Embracing Yoga Therapy
Louise leaned on the idea that she could return to her old life post-treatment. However, the Covid pandemic delayed her return to work. With a weakened immune system, her oncologist advised against going back to work, prompting Louise to rethink her priorities.
“I felt like time was precious, and the idea of going back to work was holding on to an illusion.”
Yoga had been part of Louise’s life before her diagnosis, but the classes she attended were physically focused. Post-diagnosis, she began practicing more holistic yoga at home and noticed it helped her cope and find some mental stillness.
“On the mat, on that one square meter, it was safe for me to explore those feelings. I needed the movement of yoga to find some stillness in my head.”
Discovering My Vinyasa Practice
Seeking to deepen her practice, Louise enrolled in My Vinyasa Practice’s yoga teacher training. However, she struggled with certain poses due to chronic lymphedema in her arm. She contacted MVP founder Michelle Young, who suggested online yoga therapy.
“I had read a lot about trauma sensitivity and trauma-sensitive yoga. But it was more about theory rather than finding someone who could guide me on an embodied level.”
Despite initial doubts about the effectiveness of online sessions, Louise found them surprisingly grounding.
“I could be vulnerable. I felt really safe being guided by Michelle. I hadn’t felt that grounded in a long, long time.”
The Healing Journey
Louise’s sessions with Michelle were holistic, addressing mental, emotional, physical, and environmental issues. They worked on asanas that avoided pressure on her affected arm, Yoga Nidra sessions to reduce arm heaviness and techniques to manage the side effects of antihormone therapy.
“I was less afraid of what I was feeling after those sessions.”
Through yoga therapy, Louise was able to add sitting meditation to her practice and connect with an ancestral energy that provided comfort.
“Feeling that presence helped me trust in passing it forward to my daughter.”
From summer 2021, Louise transitioned to bi-weekly, then monthly sessions, continuing until mid-2023. Although she hasn’t had a session in nearly a year, she doesn’t consider her yoga therapy journey over.
“I know that Michelle is available whenever I would like to pick up again.”
Moving Forward
Louise has experienced significant personal growth through her online yoga therapy journey with MVP.
“Yoga therapy has brought me to a point where I can slow down and just sit with what is. It has created an awareness that life is fragile and not permanent. This awareness has helped me make more authentic choices for myself and my family.”
Despite ongoing challenges, Louise finds joy in her life. She recently explored her father’s roots in Southeastern Europe, a trip she might not have taken without her illness.
“Being able to show up with what is present, here and now, has had a lasting effect on me.”
Conclusion
Louise’s journey with MVP online yoga therapy has been transformative, helping her transition from a state of survival to truly living. She is more aware of her body and emotions and more connected to the people she loves.
“Now, I can fully live life and connect in an authentic way to the people I love.”
To find out more about online yoga therapy with My Vinyasa Practice, book your free 15-minute consultation call.