MY LIFE Matters: Health and Wellness Issue - 20

Wellness YOGA
yoga, I am paying it forward by doing the
same for those diagnosed after me.
Terlisa Sheppard, a 21-year metastatic
breast cancer patient, attends my virtual
yoga classes as often as she can. One of
the things on my bucket list was to go to
Switzerland to the Alps. So last summer
Terlisa and I took the trip, and I did yoga
all over Europe. We started in Lisbon, Portugal,
then went to Zurich, Switzerland.
We took the train up to Jungfraujoch, the
highest accessible point in Europe and one
of the main summits of the Bernese Alps,
located between the northern canton of
Bern and the southern canton of Valais.
We hopped over to Lucerne, Switzerland
and Appenzell, where we hiked and took
a cable car to the Aescher, a guest house
in the Swiss Alps on the side of the cliff.
We had breakfast there and enjoyed the
beautiful view and weather. We then headed
to Chur-the oldest town in Switzerland
that has a settlement history of over
5,000 years. There we boarded the Bernina
Express train and took a four-hour ride
to Tirano then to Milan, Italy to see the
20
MY LIFE MATTERS
HEALTH AND WELLNESS ISSUE SPRING 2023
Duomo. From Milan to Monaco and then
to Paris we went to visit the Eiffel Tower
and the LouvreMuseum.
I turned 50 last year, so this was a trip of
a lifetime. What I learned from cancer and
COVID is that you are only granted this
one life. We must honor our body, mind,
and spirit, give of ourselves, but also take
care of ourselves daily. I have learned that
YOU are your own primary healthcare
provider. You must take more responsibility
and ownership for your health and
make decisions based on nourishing and
loving yourself. This creates positive effects
for you and your family and all of society.
There is so much healing power in proper
breathing. How we breathe matters-it
is just as important as the food we eat, and
our daily exercise routines. According
to James Nestor and a host of scientists
and researchers, breathing properly can
allow us to live longer and healthier lives.
Today, doctors who study breathing say
that most Americans do it inadequately.
Starting around age 30, bones in the chest
become thinner and collapse inward. We
Terlisa
Sheppard, a 21year
metastatic
breast cancer
patient, attends
my virtual yoga
classes as often
as she can. One
of the things
on my bucket
list was to go to
Switzerland to
the Alps. So last
summer Terlisa
and I took the
trip, and I did
yoga all over
Europe.
- Valencia
MY LIFE Matters: Health and Wellness Issue

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MY LIFE Matters: Health and Wellness Issue
