Holiday Gifts

[DouglasRThompson]

I received a very unexpected gift from one of my yoga students, that I wish to share with you.

She had breast cancer many years ago, and had thought that chemotherapy had rid her of it. She went through her pregnancy in my class (right up until a week before delivery), and after she had a baby--very shortly after--she found that she once again had breast cancer. A four-year-old; a newborn; a husband that just lost his job; and now breast cancer.

This time she decided to fight it with all her might. The ordeal she went through was to have chemotherapy first (somewhat unusual), followed by a double mastectomy. The advanced yoga class that she attends is a small one, and because we are all neighbors and friends, she didn't feel the need to wear a wig during chemotherapy. She would wear a kerchief to class, but most of the time it fell off somewhere in the middle of class, and she would just leave it off. She was very open and sharing with our yoga class about everything she was going through. Both the good times and the bad times. She included in her own wellness program a dietician that gave her special processed vitamins, and macrobiotic foods. This pretty much eliminated any nausea that she remembered from her first chemotherapy treatment many years ago. She also considered her yoga class to be a "treatment."

Often, after class, she would linger behind, and she would share private moments with me, and I would just listen. She didn't want sympathy, she wanted compassion. She didn't want my tears, she wanted my strength and help as a yoga teacher. And so, I mostly just listened. Once I wept with her, but I was usually able to hold my tears until she left. Of course private moments are just that, but what I can tell you is that as the time for her double mastectomy came closer and closer, she became afraid.

On the last class before she went to have her mastectomy, I finished early so we could have a healing circle of love. We all sat in a circle, holding hands, and did a loving kindness meditation, and sent her home filled with the power that only love can give. She successfully underwent her double mastectomy, and even showed up in class the following week just to stay for a few moments and say hi. Her powerfully poignant display of courage and dignity has truly inspired me, and the rest of the class as well. It continues to do so.

Her ordeal is almost over. She still needs to have her permanent implants put in, which will happen in a few weeks, but that is all. She still considers herself to be in the healing process, and still thinks of our yoga class as a necessary weekly treatment. I am so blessed and honored that she has chosen my class.

After our last class of this session, I put my mat away, and when I came back out, there was a pink box laying on my attendance sheet. Inside was a lavender candle, a miniature picture of a pink ribbon, and a pink bracelet with "Celebrate Courage" written on it. These came from a website called TheBreastCancerSite.com. When you buy a gift there, the profits are used to give free mammograms to needy women.

Of course the gift she gave me was much much more than the gifts in the box. I write this message not to advertise a particular website, although I will buy gifts for other people through this one that I mentioned. I am writing this to let you know there are many similar websites out there, for many causes, and using them to buy gifts for family and friends is one small way you can spread some goodness and love.

I would also like to solicit other stories from all of you - stories of "gifts" you have received by being a yoga teacher. As yoga teachers we are all "givers", but what Karma we receive can be so beautiful, and worthy of sharing. So please share your story.

Happy holidays everyone.


Be @ Peace,
Douglas

[MarleensYoga]

Thank you for sharing your story, Doug!

Years ago I had a student with breast cancer. People were bringing her food, etc and she had a good support system. So I decided that the best thing I could do for her was to keep teaching her yoga. I told her she could attend any of my classes for free until she was officially cancer free. She came to class as often as she could. She later told me that that was the best gift I could have given her and she probably would have quit if hadn't given that to her. She told me she was ready to pay for classes again when she was better and now, 5 years later she is still in class at least twice a week.

I have since done that for other people in my classes who are in a crisis. If I feel that yoga is what they need in their crisis, then I give it to them. Right now one of my students (and friend) gets free classes because she lost her brother unexpectedly a month ago and she was falling apart. So we explained to the other students that there might be tears in class and why so she felt free to just come and be. And she has been coming regularly, which she says has helped her immensely.

This holiday season I had to change locations again for my classes and as you may know, you always lose some people when you do. Things had been slow since October and and at the end of December it's usually just me and few die hards in class. So I decided since I was going to have to be there anyway with only a few paying students I was going to give away free classes. So I sent out an e-mail and a postcard letting students know that if they attended any class between Dec 15 and Dec 31, they would get a free class to use before Jan 5 (after that things usually get busy again) in a buy one get one system. Plus if their class card was expired and they bought a new one before Dec 31 I would roll over their expired classes to the new card. Dec 23rd (usually dead) I had the biggest class I've had in two months. My regulars love getting something back for being faithful and a number of long lost students crawled out of the woodwork to take advantage of the deal. I am curious to see how this holiday season plays out. I think I may still come out ahead compared to previous years, even while giving away so many classes!

As for gifts received: besides tips from my private clients, I got the most comfortable pair of slippers, that I had admired from my 75 years lady with neuropathy in her feet.