Friday, May 15, 2009

Yoga Unites® for Living Beyond Breast Cancer Makes Headlines

LBBC’s social media efforts made the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer todaycheck it out here! You can also read about Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer and see a photo in today's edition of the Philadelpia Daily News.

T-Minus Two Days

The day is almost upon us! Thank you to everyone who has donated or started a fundraising team for Yoga Unites® for Living Beyond Breast Cancer. We have raised over $95,000 so far and have almost reached our goal of $100K!

If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time! Just visit our Web site at yoga4livingbeyondbreastcancer.org. Trust us, you don’t want to miss out on this amazing event. Even if yoga’s not your thing, there’s still plenty to do!. Here are a few highlights:

Catered food.
Who doesn’t love food? Feast Your Eyes is catering the breakfast, which is sure to be delicious. The food will be served after the yoga class and is a great way to celebrate a job well done!
Massages.
Massage therapists will be on hand to soothe tired muscles. I’m sure we all could use a massage after a long week! Not to mention, all proceeds benefit LBBC. Now you can relax for a good cause.

SWAG.
It stands for “Stuff We All Get,” and you’ll get plenty of it at this event! The first 600 people to check in or register will receive gift bags filled with all kinds of goodies, including nail polish, ChapStick, energy bars, day planners and much more.

Self-Exams.
Not sure how to do a breast self-exam? Lead sponsor Aetna will provide breast self-exam training at the event. It’s a great opportunity to learn how to be aware of your own body.

Bra Bar.
It’s like a regular bar with bras instead of drinks. We’ll leave this one a mystery to be revealed at the event.

Our Healthy Living Expo will feature many exhibitors, including yoga studios, spas, gyms, clothing companies and other breast cancer awareness organizations. LBBC will have our own table featuring official Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer merchandise. And if you get dehydrated from all this activity, there’s plenty of Smartwater to go around! For all you top fundraisers, make sure to stick around after the yoga class to receive your prizes. Your hard work and dedication will be rewarded!

To all of our supporters—without you, we never could have come this far. Thank you for your help in making this year’s event the most successful yet!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Destination: Philly

In the words of The New York Times, “Philadelphia’s evolution from day trip to destination city is such that you can spend a long weekend there without visiting any 18th-century sites and not even miss them.”

Don’t get me wrong—the historic attractions are fantastic. But Philly has much more to offer, including food, art and music-related attractions. And since you’re already going to be in Philly for Yoga Unites® for Living Beyond Breast Cancer, why not make it a weekend getaway?

Don’t know what to visit in the city? No problem! Here are some sights you’re bound to enjoy:

Philadelphia Museum of Art

You’re going to see the outside of the museum at Sunday’s event, so be sure to wander inside it during the weekend! Check out the Cezanne and Beyond exhibit which runs until May 31. The exhibit features 40 paintings, watercolors and drawings by Paul Cezanne displayed along with works by artists for whom Cezanne has been an inspiration, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Web site for more information.

Galileo, the Medici and the Age of Astronomy

The Franklin Institute is celebrating the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s astronomical discoveries and the International Year of Astronomy with a special exhibit that explores the impact of Galileo’s work on science and the world. The exhibit will run until September 7, so be sure to get your tickets now! For more information, visit the Franklin Institute’s Web site. And while you’re at the Franklin Institute, see Star Trek the way it was meant to be seen: in the IMAX theater.

Sorrento Cheese 9th Street Italian Market Festival

Enjoy a weekend of authentic Italian-American culture in South Philadelphia! The street will be lined with stands offering fresh sausage, peppers, cheeses, meats and assorted pastries. Musicians will roam the crowds, and top chefs will show off their skills at live cooking demonstrations. Just be sure to bring your appetite!

Want more ideas? Visit
gophila.com for more information and to start planning your stay.

If you want to get involved in Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer, visit our Web site at
yoga4livingbeyondbreastcancer.org or check us out on Facebook.

Thanks for your support, and we’ll see you on the steps!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Yoga Class Memorializes Rachel Levin Troxell

Just 21 days before her death, Rachel Levin Troxell, founder of LympheDIVAs, wrote in her blog, “just because I'm scared doesn’t mean I don’t have hope.” She was preparing for her final round of chemo and knew her life was on the line. Rachel’s words, which were actually given to her by her father, deliver such an important message. We often believe that to be courageous, we can’t be scared, and that to feel optimism, we must not admit fear. However, life is seldom that black and white, and even less so when you’re fighting for your life.

Like many of the women who receive support from Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Rachel developed an arsenal of weapons in her fight against breast cancer. One of her tools was yoga, which helped her manage the lymphedema she developed after breast cancer surgery. Another was her company, LympheDIVAs, which she founded with another breast cancer survivor, Robin Miller. Both women suffered from lymphedema, swelling caused by a build-up of lymph fluid in body tissue. Their doctors and therapists recommended they wear a compression sleeve to control the swelling, but the only sleeves available at the time were rough in texture and bandage-like in appearance. Both women were upset and frustrated by the lack of options in sleeves, and they decided to do something about it. Together they met with fashion designer Kristin Dudley to discuss their ideas for a more elegant and comfortable compression sleeve. The result was an array of colorful and artistic sleeves unlike anything seen before.

Rachel died January 22, 2008, at the age of 37. Rachel’s life is honored at 6:00 p.m. on the first Friday of each month at a memorial yoga class to benefit Living Beyond Breast Cancer at LifeSport Fitness in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia (2112 Fairmount Avenue, across from Eastern State Penitentiary). The class is open to the community, and a $5 minimum entrance donation is requested.

To learn more about LympheDIVAs, visit lymphedivas.com. To view Rachel’s blog, visit
http://rachellevin.blogspot.com/. To contact LifeSport Fitness, visit http://www.lifesportfitness.com/.