Day 7 - 2nd Annual Ovarian Cancer Awareness Yoga Challenge (09-16-2017)

Day 7 – Presented by Heather @gurugrid - #Savasana or #CorpsePose

Our last and final day of the challenge…although you have until 9/20 to get all poses in! Thank you ALL so much for the outpouring of love, compassion, and awareness.

For a traditional savasana, lay flat on your back with arms and legs comfortably apart, with palms up and eyes closed. If you have back problems, you may want a blanket under your knees. Allow your body to melt into the mat. I, personally, like an eye pillow over my eyes and myself wrapped in a sweater or light blanket over me. Take some nice, deep cleansing belly breaths. Imagine every part of your body relaxed, listening to instrumental music may help or just the sound of your own breathing. Stay in this position for a few minutes or longer…just try not to fall asleep! When coming out of the pose, slowly roll over to your right side and then prop yourself up into a sitting position. Allow your body to fully adjust before standing completely up.

Please make sure to honor your body and only do what you are comfortable with. If you are under a doctor’s care, please check with them first before attempting any of the poses.
This pose helps to calm the mind and relieves stress; relaxes the body; reduces headaches, fatigue, and insomnia; and can also help lower blood pressure. 

#AWARENESS - The National Cancer Research Foundation (NCRF) has great information about the research they are doing, not only for ovarian cancer, but other types of cancers as well, the link can be seen here (you will have to scroll down to ovarian cancer):

Cancer Types

I shared this last year and it is definitely worth repeating:

Some thoughts I would like to leave you with, as in yoga, honor your body and trust your instinct. If something feels off or not right about your body or symptoms you are experiencing: write everything down and call your doctor. I have said it before and it is something I feel very strongly about: we need to be our own best patient advocates. Advocate for your health, treatment, and care…whether it be something benign or serious, like ovarian cancer. Under the same umbrella as being your own advocate, find out what the laws are in your state or country concerning advance directives. 

Do NOT wait until a crisis happens to figure out what you want or don’t want for your care OR worse yet, be unable to state what your wishes are and have someone else make them for you. Cancer and other life threatening illnesses will certainly make you think about these things, but sadly in a second any of our lives could change for a multitude of reasons. My wish for all of you is a long, happy, and healthy life…should life throw a curve ball, I would like it if you were prepared. It is a conversation that no one ever really wants to have, although it is a very important one. 

Here are some links for information about Advance Directives:

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/advance-care-planning-healthcare-directives

https://www.cancer.org/treatment/finding-and-paying-for-treatment/understanding-financial-and-legal-matters/advance-directives.html

http://conversationsofalifetime.org/resources_tools.shtml

The last link above also have an IG page dedicated to things that you shouldn’t wait to talk about, it is called @conversationsofalifetime

Thank you for being part of the SECOND ANNUAL Ovarian Cancer Awareness Yoga Challenge.  Again, I was honored and humbled to hear from women and men and have meaningful conversations, dispel misconceptions, learn, have fun, cry, and take the awareness up a notch.  Another great challenge has finished and together we made a difference.  WE really ALL made a difference.  Thank you ALL so much!!

A very heartfelt and sincere thank you to all of my co-hosts along with the generous sponsors who again made this all possible.

💙

With a humbled heart filled with gratitude and lots of love,

LindaLee 

The hosts and sponsors can be found on Instagram and their corresponding websites, if they have them. Here are the IG names along with the websites for the sponsors:

Hosts:

@lljerseygirl (LindaLee)

@yogasloth (Anna)

@nicole_rn (Nicole)

@farrahbrown (Farrah)

@youromlife (Nicole)

@shiziks (Milena)

@gurugrid (Heather)

Sponsors:

@lljerseygirl (Just a yogi trying to make a difference.)

http://lljerseygirlyogaandmore.blogspot.com/

@yogasloth (Home of the Duddhara Strap -- it is a yoga prop that allows you do to so much more in your practice! This wonderful prop was the genius creation of the company owner, Anna, who lives in Canada.)  

Yoga Sloth

@loneblackbird – (Laurie is such a talented artist, please be sure to check out her website.)

laurieblackwell.com

@kl_wellness – (There are so many great handmade products in Kathleen’s online, made in the USA.)

www.etsy.com/shop/comfycreations

@pawpawyogawear (Amazingly soft and comfortable organic cotton yoga wear company based in Sweden. "Swedish design sewn in India by people who receive fair wages for their work.")

PawPaw Yoga Wear

@fourseeapparel (A fun and great yoga, athletic, and casual wear company for both men and women, created by a family based in Colorado.)

Foursee Apparel

@youromlife (A yoga teacher for classes and retreats that just opened her open studio this year. She has  an OM gear line of yoga tanks and is based in Massachusetts.)

Your Om Life

@gurugrid (“Alignment yoga mats. Find your unique & proper placement. Plant your body.  Let your alignment bloom. Québec, Canada”)

The Guru Grid

@bootyshawl  (Such a fabulous addition to your clothing. As they state, “A derrière tender.  A wardrobe extender.  A fashion contender. Booty Shawl is a flirty little hip wrap.  Designed to cover just enough, but not too much.  Like a scarf for your neck, it’s an accessory for your bum. Slip it on after a workout, sashay around the pool or smooth your silhouette over form-fitting yoga pants or skinny jeans.” Made in the USA!)

Booty Shawl