Moving Through Cancer
How Pilates Helped Me Find Myself Again
When you are in the shitstorm of cancer, everything is unrecognisable
Your life is suddenly a whirlwind of medical appointments.
Relationships change (the people you least expect are there in a heartbeat, the people you thought would be there… crickets..).
You don’t recognize yourself when you look in the mirror ( you see this bald skinny person staring back) you feel like you are watching from the outside as your life unfolds like some awful movie where you can only see it ending in tragedy.
As time slowly passes, you get through it one day at a time , perhaps there is an alternative ending.
You want to regain your sense of self again.
You start eating super healthy, walking more, small movement snacks , journaling.
As you start feeling hope you think maybe I will gain myself back .
You want to feel connected in your body again.
To shut off the external noise and just turn in.
You lay down on the mat every day at first once then twice a day.
You connect to your centre .
It feels familiar , like the old days even though when you move your body is weak.
But slowly slowly over time your strength comes back . This new body you are in doesn’t feel so bad. Different but not bad.
Then one day you realise you might actually have more strength in some areas than you ever did before.
I never thought Pilates would have such a profound effect on my cancer recovery. Silly I know because I have been in the industry for 20 years and watched amazing things from my clients).
I have so much gratitude for this method and how it has been a huge part in my physical and mental recovery.
It has built my strength back up from my being able to barely walk without pain to feeling like superwoman again.
If you are in the shit storm, consider adding Pilates to your life.
And if you need an instructor who knows just what you are going through, I’m right here waiting x
