When did you first start practicing mindfulness and why were you motivated to do so?
Spring of 2007. My oncologist thought that it would be beneficial.
Did you take a class? If so, what sort of a class did you take?
Yes. It was an eight-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.
How has mindfulness made a difference in your life?
It smooths out, or controls, the side effects of my cancer therapies (depression, stress, anxiety, body pain, etc.). It allows me to live in the moment. It allows me to "do," rather than "react." It improved my relationship with others.
What do you do for your livelihood (e.g., homemaker, teacher, firefighter) and does your practice of mindfulness affect that?
Retired from UPS in 2008. I’m now a certified yoga teacher. I incorporate mindfulness into every yoga class that I teach.
Is there anything else you would want people to know about mindfulness and you?
Mindfulness has changed my life. Before the MBSR course in 2007, I had been fighting a couple of different cancers for 10 years. I wish that I had found mindfulness long ago.
