Yoga and Meditation Archives

Breast Cancer Awareness Part II – RISK FACTORS!

Hi friends! In a continuing effort to bring more real awareness to breast cancer.. I’m going to shine a light on some of my “aha moments” as I’ve come to learn why I cancered in the first place.. keep in mind.. I’m NOT a doctor or nurse.. I’m NOT here to diagnose, prescribe or treat.. I’m simply sharing what I’ve learned.. in hopes that my journey may open your eyes to some possible risks in your own life..

I flash back to the shocked looks on so many peoples faces when I first told them I had cancer.. and their instant response.. “but KIM! You are one of the healthiest people I know!! How could YOU get cancer?”.. and honestly.. I felt the same way..

I had cleaned up my diet about 4 years prior to diagnosis and was eating (still am) an almost exclusively organic (grass fed/pastured/wild caught) diet that follows a clean eating “mediteranian diet” approach mostly .. I worked out 5 days a week.. did yoga.. and was actively seeking out ways to minimize chemicals in my life by using natural household cleaning and skin care options. (I still do all that stuff btw..)

Funny thing is.. now that I’m part of the cancer community.. I find there are LOTS of women out there that fit that same description.. so how/why DID we cancer??

My first clue was at the initial diagnostic ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy.. wherein.. ALL the techs and doctors kept saying the same thing.. “well you do have VERY dense breast tissue”.. (I’d always known this.. but had NO clue that dense breast tissue is a risk factor for breast cancer.) The thing of it is… the size of our “girls” is irrelevant.. a woman can have an A cup and still have dense breast tissue.. there is nothing anyone does to “cause” the density.. it just is.. so ladies if you have been told you have DENSE BREAST TISSUE.. just know it’s a “check” on a list of risk factors..

As diagnosis hit me like a sucker punch to the gut.. I went into classic Kim mode and dove in to learn everything I could possibly learn about cancer.. why what how when etc..

This is where sucker punch two came in to the picture.. which is ALCOHOL.. (yep I’m going there.. its a HUGE risk factor!).. did you know that drinking alcohol of any type of any amount more days during the week than not increases the risk of breast cancer by at least 37%??? (EEEK!) I look at our social lives.. happy hours, birthdays, football parties, bbqs, girls night out, plus of course that glass of wine or three at dinner… and lets not forget the free glass of something when we get our nails painted.. ugh.. it ALLLLLLL adds up to yes.. alcohol more days a week than not.. sooo.. as HARD as it is.. we gotta stand back and decide what’s more important.. easier said than done.. but important! (Im speaking to myself here too! Cuz while I was REALLY good about staying away from alcohol during treatment..(dear lord my poor liver had enough to contend with the chemo).. now that I’m out of treatment… I still struggle with this EVERYDAY!)

From there I did some more looking and discovered a few interesting tidbits (keep in mind that science and what we know is ever evolving.. ) for now tho.. it appears that red meat is actually not as bad as its made out to be.. however the SOURCE of that meat can be VERY problematic.. in that commercially raised cows (feed lot cows) are LOADED with chemicals, antibiotics and hormones.. the meat is literally poison to our bodies.. and should be avoided at all costs.. (this includes pork, chicken and fish too.. its important for SO MANY REASONS.. to make sure your meat is sourced from grass fed (cows & dairy products), pastured (pigs, and chicken/poultry/eggs) and wild caught fish.) On top of all this.. is the topic of GRILLING (& those who know me, know I’m married to the GRILL MASTER!) … sadly.. its those CHARRED ENDS OF THE RED MEAT that are very problematic in setting up a cancer driver.. so as much as I know ya’ll love those crispy ends and blackened tips.. cut them off.. don’t sear them that hot.. cook the meat at a lower temp.. your health literally depends on it.

In addition is the question of ALKELINE vs ACIDIC (Acidic conditions in our body drive cancer) and most commonly people turn to Alkeline water.. at first I was drinking it by the gallon (literally).. but I’ve since learned that drinking the water doesn’t do much good. However our bodies will naturally alkalinize when we eat lots of fresh green veggies and steer clear of sugars and simple carbs.. (cool huh? Cuz that’s one of the best things you can do for your nutrition for lots of other reasons too!) You can also cut coffee (yeah I know.. but honestly that was the easiest thing to do! I switched to tea and have never missed the coffee!) and also you can squeeze fresh lemon into your water glass (which is good for lots of stuff including helping your body to alkalinize!)

Since I mentioned it above.. I’ll take this opportunity to highlight SUGAR as a MAJOR driver of cancer! Sugar comes in EVERYTHING and is TOXIC to our cells.. it overloads our bodies and creates an imbalance everywhere.. this creates a prime environment for cells to mutate and fall to the cancering process.. and then of course… the sugar is a favorite source of fuel for cancer cells.. In conversation with friends, family and clients, this topic comes up constantly as people do not realize how much sugar is in food! There is an entire blog titled “lets chat about sugar” on my website that I encourage you to read through so you can start to see and understand how to identify sugar and keep it on the down low. Basically you don’t want to exceed 24g of sugar in a day.. this includes fruit, juices, energy or hydration drinks.. heck even bbq sauce and salad dressing is full of sugar! Simple carbs like chips, bread, cookies, tortillas etc also trun to sugar almost instantly and have little to no nutrition.. so steer clear of those too (AND DON’T TURN TO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS (aspartame and sucralose)! They are even worse than sugar! Stevia and Monk fruit are safe natural sources of sweetness with no calories.)

Now I’m going to drop a bombshell on you.. did you know that STRESS is actually one of the biggest drivers of cancer?? Yep! Stress has this fascinating effect on our body.. part of which is the increase in cortisol.. which in turn does several things.. including getting our organs to produce excess GLUCOSE! (aka SUGAR!) .. and we recall the dangers of bathing our cells in sugar right?

so basically.. if you are not getting enough restful sleep (7-8 hours a night) this is stress!, if you rush to get out the door and drive in rush our traffic to work or hustle the kids to school or have a disagreement in the morning with a family member.. (all stress), then have a long day sitting (stress), worry about finances (stress), worry about aging or ailing parents (stress) have a boss who breathes down your neck or co-workers who don’t see eye to eye with you (stress), or work at home and are lonely (stress), or have a house to clean and not enough time to clean it (stress), or eat fast food on the go for lack of time (stress) or go to the gym and work out HARD to burn off stress but don’t stretch properly (or at all) or don’t drink enough water (stress), or don’t drink enough water thought out the day (stress), or get home and take advil for the headache/body aches (stress), or drink alchohol (stress), or have a rush to get everything done for the next day before bed (stress) or have difficulty going to sleep (stress) so you take a sleeping pill (stress).. and don’t get a good restfull night of sleep……………………

Can you hear me screaming? Stress surrounds us.. EVERYWHERE.. Mediating that stress is so critical! Mediation, yoga, making healthy changes in what you eat, going to counseling or working with a life coach to shift to healthier more productive less stressful patterns in your day to day.. getting outside for a walk in the sun, gardening, listening to music.. all of these are ways to get your body back into the rest and digest mode.. where cortisol is calmed and your body is given a break!

The last area I will touch on is genetics.. specifically GENE MUTATIONS (aka SNPs) .. I will start this section with the knowledge that your genes are NOT your destiny! (Read “Dirty Genes” by Dr Ben Lynch to learn more about this) .. we CAN inherit genes but that doesn’t mean they have to be “activated” .. and even if they are turned on and become “dirty”.. there are ways to balance them so that they don’t cause you grief (working with a trained naturopathic doctor that understands all this is valuable) .. Its fascinating to me that the western medical world “Only” looks for mutations in the BRCA gene.. (which certainly has value as there are definite links to breast cancer and BRCA.. in fact.. if you have family members who are BRCA.. you may want to consider getting yourself tested.. if you are positive for the gene.. there are many women who choose to have preventative mastectomies and even hysterectomies.. as the BRCA gene carries significant risk for breast cancer as well as uterine/ovarian cancer) Further to these tests tho.. there is an entire another world of genetic mutations that western med doesn’t even KNOW about ! MTHFR and COMT are two very common ones. And two that yours truly is positive for (yay me!).. interestingly these two (and several others that I carry..) have links to breast cancer! When I look back on my life before cancer.. the food I ate.. the chemical exposure I was open to, and the extreme levels of chronic stress I was exposed to for YEARS.. its obvious why those genes got “turned on” and got “dirty”.. and is a likely prime reason why I cancered..

The best test I’ve come across so far to determine these SNPs for YOU.. is something called Nutrition Genome.. It’s a one time test that comes back with the results along with about 60 pages of info.. including what foods to eat and avoid in support of your specific SNPs. Supplements can be helpful to get balanced also.. I’m in a cancer coach certification training program currently and will have access to a discount very soon.. so if you would like to run this test for your self.. reach out.. I’ll help you get access to it……. And in fact, I’ll be able to read it for you once I’m done with the training ☺

There are other tests that can be ordered as well.. The DUTCH test and the Great Plains lab Mycotoxin tests have been two of my favorites.. The DUTCH looks at all your hormones and cortisol over an 18 hour window.. this shows the ebb and flow of each and identifies where imbalance lies.. it also shows how your hormone pathways are functioning which is helpful in identifying areas that can be addressed with food, supplements, sleep etc .. the Mycotoxin test identifies mold that should NOT be in your body… (yes we all have mold in our body.. however our normal metabolic process should remove the ones that are harmful and don’t belong there.. if your metabolic process aka detox pathways are not working properly (return to genetic mutations/SNPs) your body can “hold” mold and THAT my friends is a PROBLEM! (I discovered that thanks to MTHFR (which means I don’t detox properly among other issues).. I was in fact holding 3 bad molds .. and you guessed it.. 2 of them are CANCER CAUSATIVE!) now knowing this.. I’ve been working with my integrative oncology naturopathic dr to detox that stuff out.. its been stubborn.. but its moving out slowly ☺ )

Of interest is the potential connection to hypothyroidism and or autoimmune thyroid/hashimotos … I’m just reading now that there may be a link and interestingly enough, I was diagnosed with a slow thyroid about 5 years before my cancer diagnosis.. my integrative oncology ND now thinks I’m actually mildly hashimotos (autoimmune).. I’ve been on assorted thyroid meds to balance it since diagnosis. Mostly porcine based (more natural) for a time though, I was on a synthetic med. (and as part of my reading, there seems to be a connection between breast cancer and that type of thyroid medication too? hmmmmm)

At the end of the day.. as I now know all this.. I can easily see that despite my healthy eating and lifestyle.. I was still basically a ticking time bomb for cancer..

1) Very Dense Breast Tissue

2) Years of chronic stress

3) Alcohol more days a week than not

4) Charred red meat

5) Genetic mutations (SNPs) that are known to be linked to breast cancer

6) Cancer causing mold trapped in my body (thanks to the MTHFR)

7) Hypothyroid/Hashimoto

The way I am mediating all this now to reduce future risk is be ever aware of my stress response…when I feel my heart start to race to instantly turn to deep belly breathing to calm it back down, to keep myself out of stressful situations, to cool it on the alcohol, to eat red meat rarely and when I do make sure its grass fed sourced and not charred, and to continue to work with my doctor to ensure I’m supporting my SNPs (diet and supplements) and that I’m vigilant on keeping the mold gone (we all get exposed all day every day to that stuff) .. Naturally I continue with my thyroid meds (compounded porcine based), healthy organic eating, natural cleaning and skin care, and regular exercise.. I seek joy and positivity to keep my spirit light and thank God every day for the opportunity to live this glorious life!

My list is not complete.. as I know there are SOOO many variables and risks.. but this will give you a good start to identifying some areas in your life that might be problematic…… If you would like to make some healthy changes in your life.. or have interest in pursuing some of the testing reach out ! As your coach I’ll work with you to find the best ways so that you can reach your goals!

I say again.. I am NOT a doctor or nurse or nutritionist.. I will refer you to the health care providers as needed to fill those roles. I am however a Nationally Board certified Health and Wellness Life coach soon to also be certified as a Terrain Advocate (cancer) coach under the tutelage of Dr Nasha Winters author of the Metabolic Approach to Cancer.. as such.. I’m here for you!

PS.. Breast cancer is NEVER ANYONES FAULT.. I know I didn’t cause my cancer.. however.. I’m eyes wide open now.. so I’ll do everything I can to prevent its return and I’ll do everything I can to shine the light on this topic in hopes it is helpful for others!

Find Your Drishti

“Find your Drishti”… I kept hearing that as I was attempting Eagle pose, or rotated standing split .. or Tree.. or Warrior III.. or.. well you get the idea.. I was basically an amazon giraffe wobbling on one limb trying really hard to not fall.. and look all yogi graceful all at the same time.. (God love the teacher and fellow classmates for not bursting into laughter!!)

I was REALLY new to Yoga.. (and at 47.. taking up something like that.. at 6ft tall with a 36” inseam is not a simple task!) But there I was .. Wobbling and sweating away with everyone else.. Learning the poses by name as the teacher gently guided us with the descriptions of each..

I kept hearing that “Drishti” word.. (no idea what they were talking about??) Until one day.. a new instructor said.. find your focal point.. find a spot ahead of you that isn’t moving that you can focus on.. Find your DRISHTI!!! AHA! Said I..so I did find.. I think it was a dark spot on the wood floor a few feet in front of me.. and I’ll be snookered.. I stopped wobbling as much! I was able to hold the pose (breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out..) for the duration! I was able to relax into what I was doing and do it better (not great.. but at least better!).. WOW! Was it me.. was I getting stronger and more balance? Hmm.. or was it that Drishti thing?

Next class.. “FIND YOUR DRISHTI”.. (I got this now.. I found.. I think, the reflection of a chair leg in the mirror in front of me.. I discovered over time.. it didn’t matter what it was.. except that it wasn’t moving! And so I was able to find my balance faster and more easily! I was able to do the called for pose with more ease and more effectively.. and actually enjoy what I was doing!) I also discovered, that the more intentional I was with the direction of my focus.. the better my balance, coordination & ability to maintain the pose became!

So now my mind is running with this idea as I’m feeling strong in reverse Warrior II or stretched in triangle.. Finding a focus in LIFE kinda does the same thing doesn’t it?

I’ve since learned.. the true meaning of Drishti in Yoga is to focus on specific points that the eye naturally gazes toward in each pose.. your third eye.. your navel.. your hands or sometimes looking toward a specific direction.. up, or to the direction of your twist…. etc.. Regardless all are fixed points that don’t move.. focal points to help focus your attention.. As one article describes it.. “Drishti is a gazing technique that develops concentration—and teaches you to see the world as it really is”…. “The practice of drishti gives us a technique with which to develop single-pointed concentration of attention.” (I’ll paste the full article below for those who would like to learn more about the full intention of drishti in yoga.. )

But my question to myself.. to you.. and the purpose of writing this little blurb.. is to ask.. How can we make fixed points that don’t move.. like gratefulness, personal growth goals, taking actions in the love of others, and daily habits like setting intention and mindfulness for the day.. how can we make those our Drishti in our day to day?? Because.. as in yoga.. having that intentional focus can help us to balance our lives, to see the good through the maze of our full days.. and to continue to move and grow toward that which we are focused on.

So what is your Drishti??

(Ps.. As a Certified Life and Health Coach.. I am always available to you if/when you would like to explore finding the answers to questions like this in your own life! We can then work together to get you on the road to making these healthy changes! Holistic health is about whole being including finding BALANCE in your life! 🙂 When you are ready.. contact me and lets get you started on your journey!

(in the interest of appropriate reference.. here is the article that I mentioned.. and took two quotes from 🙂 )

Yoga Journal

See More Clearly By Practicing Drishti

DAVID LIFE AUG 28, 2007

The practice of drishti is a gazing technique that develops concentration—and teaches you to see the world as it really is.

We humans are predominantly visual creatures. As every yoga practitioner has discovered, even during practice we find ourselves looking at the pose, outfit, or new hairstyle of the student on the next mat. We stare out the window or at the skin flaking between our toes, as though these things were more interesting than focusing on God realization. And thwack! Where our eyes are directed, our attention follows.

Our attention is the most valuable thing we have, and the visible world can be an addictive, overstimulating, and spiritually debilitating lure. The habit of grasping at the world is so widespread that the spiritual teacher Osho coined a term for it: “Kodakomania.” If you have any doubt about the power of the visual image and the value of your attention, just think of the billions of dollars the advertising industry spends on photography every year!

When we get caught up in the outer appearance of things, our prana (vitality) flows out of us as we scan the stimulating sights. Allowing the eyes to wander creates distractions that lead us further away from yoga. To counteract these habits, control and focus of the attention are fundamental principles in yoga practice. When we control and direct the focus, first of the eyes and then of the attention, we are using the yogic technique called drishti.

The increasing popularity and influence of the Ashtanga Vinyasa method of yoga, taught for more than 60 years by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, have introduced drishti to thousands of practitioners. On a simple level, drishti technique uses a specific gazing direction for the eyes to control attention. In every asana in Ashtanga, students are taught to direct their gaze to one of nine specific points.

In Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose), for instance, we gaze at the nose tip: Nasagrai Drishti. In meditation and in Matsyasana (Fish Pose), we gaze toward the Ajna Chakra, the third eye: Naitrayohmadya (also called Broomadhya) Drishti. In Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose), we use Nabi Chakra Drishti, gazing at the navel. We use Hastagrai Drishti, gazing at the hand, in Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). In most seated forward bends, we gaze at the big toes: Pahayoragrai Drishti. When we twist to the left or right in seated spinal twists, we gaze as far as we can in the direction of the twist, using Parsva Drishti. In Urdhva Hastasana, the first movement of the Sun Salutation, we gaze up at the thumbs, using Angusta Ma Dyai Drishti. In Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose I), we use Urdhva Drishti, gazing up to infinity. In every asana, the prescribed drishti assists concentration, aids movement, and helps orient the pranic (energetic) body.

The full meaning of drishti isn’t limited to its value in asana. In Sanskrit, drishti can also mean a vision, a point of view, or intelligence and wisdom. The use of drishti in asana serves both as a training technique and as a metaphor for focusing consciousness toward a vision of oneness. Drishti organizes our perceptual apparatus to recognize and overcome the limits of “normal” vision.

Our eyes can only see objects in front of us that reflect the visible spectrum of light, but yogis seek to view an inner reality not normally visible. We become aware of how our brains only let us see what we want to see—a projection of our own limited ideas. Often our opinions, prejudices, and habits prevent us from seeing unity. Drishti is a technique for looking for the Divine everywhere—and thus for seeing correctly the world around us. Used in this way, drishti becomes a technique for removing the ignorance that obscures this true vision, a technique that allows us to see God in everything.

Of course, the conscious use of the eyes in asana isn’t limited to the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition. In Light on Pranayama, for example, B.K.S. Iyengar comments that “the eyes play a predominant part in the practice of asanas.” Besides its use in asana, drishti is applied in other yogic practices. In the kriya (cleansing) technique of trataka, or candle gazing, the eyes are held open until tears form. This technique not only gives the eyes a wash but also challenges the student to practice overriding unconscious urges—in this case, the urge to blink.

Sometimes in meditation and pranayama practices the eyes are held half-opened and the gaze is turned up toward the third eye or the tip of the nose. In the Bhagavad Gita (VI.13) Krishna instructs Arjuna, “One should hold one’s body and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose.” When using the inner gaze, sometimes called Antara Drishti, the eyelids are closed and the gaze is directed in and up toward the light of the third eye. As Iyengar puts it, “The closure of the eyes … directs the sadhaka (practitioner) to meditate upon Him who is verily the eye of the eye… and the life of life.”

Drishti Tips

As with many spiritual techniques, with drishti there is a danger of mistaking the technique for the goal. You should dedicate your use of the body (including the eyes) to transcending your identification with it. So when you look at an object during your practice, don’t focus on it with a hard gaze. Instead, use a soft gaze, looking through it toward a vision of cosmic unity. Soften your focus to send your attention beyond outer appearance to inner essence.

You should never force yourself to gaze in a way that strains your eyes, brain, or body. In many seated forward bends, for example, the gazing point may be the big toes. But many practitioners, at certain stages in their development, must take care not to create such an intense contraction of the back of the neck that this discomfort overwhelms all other awareness. Rather than forcing the gaze prematurely, you should allow it to develop naturally over time.

In general, practitioners should use the various bahya (external) gazing points during more externally oriented yoga practices, including asanas, kriyas (cleansing practices), seva (the service work of karma yoga), and bhakti (devotion); use the antara (internal) gaze to enhance contemplative and meditative practices. If you find yourself closing the eyes during any practice and focusing on the dramas or perplexities of life instead of being able to maintain a neutral, detached focus, re-establish an outer gaze. On the other hand, if the outer gaze becomes a distraction to your concentration, perhaps an inner-directed correction is necessary.

A fixed gaze can help enormously in balancing poses like Vrksasana (Tree Pose), Garudasana (Eagle Pose), Virabhadrasana III (Warrior Pose III), and the various stages of Hasta Padangusthasana (Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose). By fixing the gaze on an unmoving point, you can assume the characteristics of that point, becoming stable and balanced. More importantly, constant application of drishti develops ekagraha, single-pointed focus. When you restrict your visual focus to one point, your attention isn’t dragged from object to object. In addition, without these distractions, it’s much easier for you to notice the internal wanderings of your attention and maintain balance in mind as well as body.

Drishti—The True View

Throughout the history of yoga, clear, true perception has been both the practice and goal of yoga. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells his disciple, Arjuna, “You are not able to behold me with your own eyes; I give thee the divine eye, behold my Lordly yoga” (11.8). In the classic exposition of yoga, the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali points out that in viewing the world, we tend not to see reality clearly, but instead get deluded by the error of false perception. In Chapter II, verse 6, he says that we confuse the act of seeing with the true perceiver: purusha, the Self. He continues, in verse 17, to say that this confusion about the true relationship between the act of seeing, the object seen, and the identity of the Seer is the root cause of suffering. His cure for this suffering is to look correctly into the world around us.

How are we to do this? By maintaining a prolonged, continuous, single-pointed focus on the goal of yoga: samadhi, or complete absorption into purusha. The practice of drishti gives us a technique with which to develop single-pointed concentration of attention. The hatha yogi uses a kind of “x-ray vision” comprised of viveka (discrimination between “real view” and “unreal, apparent view”) and vairagya (detachment from a mistaken identification with either the instrument of seeing or that which is seen). This basic misidentification is called avidya (ignorance), and its counterpart, vidya, is our true identity.

The bhakti yogi uses drishti in a slightly different way, constantly turning a loving, longing gaze toward God. Through imagination the vision of the Divine appears in the form of Krishna, and the whole world becomes prasad (holy nourishment). In both cases, drishti provides a kind of enhanced yogic vision that allows us to see past outer differences (asat, in Sanskrit) to inner essence or Truth (sat). If we remove ignorance through these practices, we can then see through deception and delusion.

When we charge our eyes with yogic vision, we see our true Self. As we gaze at others, we perceive our own form, which is Love itself. We no longer see the suffering of other beings as separate from our own; our heart is filled with compassion for the struggling of all these souls to find happiness. The yogic gaze emerges from an intense desire to achieve the highest goal of unitive consciousness, rather than from egoistic motives that create separation, limitation, judgment, and suffering.

Like all yogic practices, drishti uses the blessed gifts of a human body and mind as a starting place for connecting to our full potential—the wellspring that is the source of both body and mind. When we clear our vision of the covering of habits, opinions, ideas, and their projections about what is real and what is false, we gaze beyond outer differences toward the absolute Truth.

David Life is the cofounder of Jivamukti Yoga.