Pink Kitchen

This entry was written by Lisa Grey, a first time participant:

My name is Lisa and this year I decided to participate in Yoga Unites for LBBC and form a team – Pink Kitchen -- for a few reasons:

I am a two-year survivor. I was born in Philadelphia. Most of my family - particularly those who supported me through the worst of my treatment - still lives in Philly. So there is something very nostalgic for me in supporting an event that takes place on the steps of the Art Museum.

I am also a huge fan of yoga. There is no other activity that can combine exercise, relaxation, and personal achievement in quite the same intensity as yoga can. I began practicing yoga two years before my diagnosis. Little did I know then that yoga would be such a critical part of getting through treatment, and then rejoining the non-cancer world. It was bittersweet for me - between the chemotherapy and all the surgeries I've had, I've lost so much of my range-of-motion and energy. Yet I've learned that yoga is a safe place - no one cares what you're doing, or how you're doing it. No one cares what level you'd reached before cancer struck. You're just there in the moment of each pose, feeling alive.

But the best reason I have for supporting Yoga Unites for LBBC is that LBBC helped me this year. For the first time, I attended the Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer. I really felt like I needed to get away from my role as post-cancer Superwoman and surround myself with women who understood what it's like to balance cancer and daily life expectations. The workshops gave me a chance to empower myself through knowledge, while the social events let me leave my cancer label behind for awhile and just be 'Lisa'!

So here I am! I want to raise money so others can experience the conferences and programs like I did. I am earning my PhD in Health Psychology, and my dissertation research pertains to breast cancer and healthy living. I’m creating a cookbook series titled Pink Kitchen to make nutrition easy on survivors (and really, anyone) with a lack of time and energy....even if they think they have no knack for cooking. Next year, I hope to have a table at the event. Can't wait!



Why are you participating in this year's event? Comment here or on our Facebook page!