Flickr photo by Anyaka
June is national cancer survivor’s month. This week’s extraordinary organization feature, Yoga Bear, shows reason to celebrate. Yoga Bear is a non-profit organization that offers free yoga classes to cancer survivors by partnering with studios throughout the country. Currently, there are 3 participating studios in Seattle. Many people have spent so much money on their cancer treatment and health care that they cannot afford to pay for yoga class. Halle Tecco founded Yoga Bear to provide cancer survivors with additional opportunities for wellness, healing, and peace of mind through yoga practice.
Most of us have either experienced cancer ourselves or knows someone who has or had cancer. It is the second leading cause of death in the western world (heart disease being the first). There are a variety of programs provided for those currently in treatment but not necessarily for those who survived cancer and are working to move on with their lives. Yoga Bear fills this important role. They are there for the survivors, to help them continue to be survivors.
Yoga Bear is having their second annual Yogapalooza Saturday June 27th. It is a full day of yoga and celebration of healthy living. 100% of the proceeds will go to Yoga Bear. Seattle’s yogis and yoginis will be heading to San Francisco but you can also check out the Yoga Bear website to see if there is a participating studio in another area you want to visit.. Soleil Hepner, Seattle’s only Advanced Certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy Group Facilitator, will be teaching at Yogapalooza in San Francisco. Soleil endured cancer treatments years ago before she did yoga. She explains, “Although I was “cured” relatively quickly by incisions to my body, it took me another dozen years until I found my yoga (Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy) and began on my path to truly heal, on the emotional and spiritual realms, the parts of me that I had cut out of my life.”
If you are a cancer survivor or you want to help promote quality of life for others through yoga practice, visit yogabear.org.
Comments
loved this article. Thanks for letting us know about this organization.
Hear, hear - another in your series of people who are doing remarkable things in their communities. Annette, you have a gift for finding these inspiring stories - thank you!
Great find, Annette! Can't wait to forward this to a few friends of mine who can take advantage of this opportunity.
Thanks Annette for the mention in this article. I'm thrilled to be going down to San Fran to teach at YogaPalooza this year.
If I may be so bold, for those in Seattle - I offer scholarships for private Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy sessions.
Please contact me for more info - www.SoleilRising.com
In Health.
Soleil*
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