Category Archives: yoga

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME: UPSIDE DOWN IN THE AGE OF TRUMP

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Emily

It’s harder than I thought it would be to write about gifts and gratitude, in the face of this creeping darkness, this foul energy that seems to have tainted everything. Today, I am celebrating the day of my birth – … Continue reading →

Posted in Life After Cancer, Philadelphia, yoga | 1 Comment

inhale; exhale

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Emily

“They say the darkest hour is right before the dawn.” – Bob Dylan Mornings, moments, scrambling toward something, have marked the recent days. Waiting for a switch to flip, for clarity to emerge, literally, from darkness. But it wasn’t until … Continue reading →

Posted in Life After Cancer, running, Writing, yoga | Leave a comment

PERFECTION, or WHAT IS HARD

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Emily

Last weekend, at the First Descents Climb-a-Thon, our belayer was, quite unexpectedly, a 14-year-old boy.  When the day began, I formed a climbing group with another cancer survivor, her brother and his girlfriend.  I liked them immediately.  There was a … Continue reading →

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moments of surrender

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Emily

As it turns out, there is much more to fear in life than the onset of a life-threatening illness.  Fear of weakness, of facing limitations, of inadequacy, of conflict, of vulnerability – over the last five years, these manifestations of … Continue reading →

Posted in First Descents, Life After Cancer, yoga | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

holding it all

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Emily

Life can be extreme.  Our fears can consume us; joy can make us feel like our hearts will burst.  Holding it all, simultaneously, as I was made to do recently, can seem nothing short of defying emotional gravity. There are … Continue reading →

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burning doubt – lessons from a yoga mala

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Emily

At 5:30 this morning, I offered up all of my doubt to the forces of balance and harmony in the universe.  Then, along with about 10 other women, I performed 108 sun salutations – a yoga mala to mark the … Continue reading →

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four years: a parade of awe

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Emily

Something is changing.  Perhaps it is simply that the passage of time breeds perspective.  But something must be owed to hard work and hopefulness, and the steadfastness of friends and family.  This past Tuesday marked four years since the beginning … Continue reading →

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opening; anniversaries

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Emily

It’s fast becoming clear that Sunday evening’s Yin yoga class is in large part about clearing the mind.  So, on the drive home, it begins to fill up.  After an hour and a half of stretching and expanding and opening … Continue reading →

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stillness

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Emily

Stillness is invaluable.  Quiet feeds the soul. Surviving cancer, all I wanted was to move.  Run, ride, climb, dance, walk, create – anything to be in motion.  I wanted to reclaim all of the lost months, the days and weeks … Continue reading →

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over my head: a yoga/cancer miracle

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Emily

Today’s extraordinary lesson was about coincidence, unspoken connections, the unexpected and letting go. And all of that before 7 AM. Since January, I have been attending a weekly 6 AM core-strengthening yoga class.  It’s been revelatory.  It’s helped my running; … Continue reading →

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