It's not uncommon after class for a student to sidle up to me and say something like, “It’s actually kind of nice when your knee clicks... makes you seem more human.” Which is always said in the tone of someone offering a compliment — as if my humanity was in doubt until proven by a rogue joint noise

I knew the research. I knew the practices. I knew the power of this work. And then, I got cancer.

In a yoga class the group is bound together by the experience of doing the practice. There is evidence to suggest that people who attend support groups for cancer are likely to survive longer, which indicates the positive effects of being able to communicate to others what you are going through. ,

I’ve been both the teacher and the person with cancer. And I know how much your words can either bring comfort and connection—or unintentionally create distance, shame, or hurt. We don’t need to have perfect answers. But we do need to tread gently, speak mindfully, and stay present.