Living Beauty
Like the lotus flower itself, beauty and strength blossom from the murky waters of living with cancer and yet, is a universal symbol we can all relate to on our own journey. Inside the flower is a small meditating figure seated in the "lotus" position representing both awareness and unlimited inner strength.
Many of you have asked for a piece that honors the cancer journey for yourself or a loved one. It has taken time to fully wrap our hearts around this request. We wanted a design that would resonate beyond the “C” word, that could move beyond fear and bring forward the undeniable strength one needs. A symbol universally understood and yet, unique to honor this moment in time. And ultimately, something with a meaning that would continue to grow and become part of a story as it unfolds.
A reminder. An inspiration. A promise.
Hello. My name is Dyan and I'm one of the designers here at the Lee Brevard studio. For me, my story begins with the loss of my mother as a child. Younger than she was when I received my own diagnoses, cancer is something I have always carried with me, but it is NOT all that I am. I am more than my cancer, I refuse to let it hold me back, and needed a symbol that was more than a “ribbon”.
Shortly after my last surgery, I attended a yoga retreat offered by the Foundation for Living Beauty. An AMAZING non-profit organization that provides community support for women living with cancer through empowerment and wellness programs. In spite of my limited mobility, I learned to trust my body again, and that retreat was the turning point I desperately needed to heal. Yoga had been a part of my life before cancer, but it wasn’t until the retreat that it took on greater meaning. I felt like I could breathe again.
“Cancer steals your breath, Yoga gives it back” - Tari Prinster
I first met Tari Prinster at that retreat. A cancer survivor herself, Tari teaches a yoga method which combines lymphatic massage into a yoga system adapted specifically for those living with the side effects cancer treatments. Her program and book Yoga 4 Cancer offer easy to follow yoga routines for every stage of recovery to help you connect with and regain control of your body by ACTIVELY taking part of your recovery and long term health.
In Tari’s class, we are reminded “to trust ourselves, and to trust the yoga.” She is right. Yoga restored my breath, and gave me something more proactive than hope.
Unexpectedly I found a community of strong, vibrant women - who just like me -felt hijacked by their cancer and were struggling with displacement that was difficult to express to friends and loved ones. Together, we found understanding that didn't require words. And together we face our fears, renew our strengths and we laugh - from deep in our bellies we laugh, like the cancer was no longer there. For the first time since my diagnosis, I am no longer isolated from the life I once knew, instead I am surrounded by vibrant women in motion and unconditional love. Today, I am stronger than I ever was.
These days, when I find myself off track, I take a deep breath, gather my strength and begin again. I am a LIVING BEAUTY and will forever be grateful for the compassion of so many. Proceeds from our Living Beauty Collection are donated to Foundation for Living Beauty. Thank you for helping support more women at a time when they need it most. With all my heart, thank you.
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To learn more about the Foundation for Living Beauty and how you can get involved visit: http://www.livingbeauty.org/