Libby F. (Houston, Texas)
My name is Libby F. I have been coming to the Dahn Yoga Center since January of this year, 2002. The reason I began looking for a yoga center was because I knew major changes in my life had to occur. I was diagnosed with cancer on February 7, 2001. I had a tumor in the muscle of my right thigh which measured 18 centimeters long. My cancer was a Sarcoma, specifically a myxoid lyposarcoma, which is a very rare cancer. A sarcoma consists of 1% of all cancers.
My first treatment was chemo and radiation for five weeks to try to shrink the tumor. Then I had surgery in June, 2001. The tumor was successfully removed from my leg along with one hamstring and muscle from the inside of my leg. From this point, I had to learn to walk again with my right let. Following surgery, I had cheomo again beginning in August and completed in November, 2001.
My cancer survival was obviously a life changing event for me. I knew that changes had to be made in my life style, and one of the major changes was to reduce the stress in my life. I decided I must learn how to meditate and learn how to control and calm my mind. I looked in the yellow pages and found the Dahn Yoga Center which advertised yoga methods. I made an appointment for a session with Instructor Oh on New Year’s Eve of 2001.
Oh took his time explaining the mission of the Dahn Yoga Center and how I could really benefit from the teachings here. I have always been very physical all my life with activities which include aerobics, jogging, water skiing, snow skiing and scuba diving. For the first time in my life I was now physically limited, and I was apprehensive of my ability to do the required exercises. But my goal was to learn to meditate and learn to calm my self. Oh encouraged my by telling me that I would work at my own physical ability, and that everyone here was at their own level, whatever that level might be.
I decided to give this a try, and I am so glad I did. Through the practices here I have learned how to be still and calm my self, and I have learned that energy is around us everywhere. The classes have taught me how to become centered with my energy. The blockages in my body are being released, and this had made a world of difference in my health. I am stronger everyday not only from the healing of my cancer, but also from the energy that I am now aware of in my body. I give a lot of credit to the Dahn Yoga Center for helping in healing my mind and my body.
I look forward to even more positive experiences that will come from my being here. Thank you to the Instructors for your guidance, and thank you to the members for the positive energy you have passed on to me. I believe that to be the best you can be is when you are healed first in your heart and your mind.
