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 Breath by BreathCancer survivor finds healing hope in yoga practice Inhale. Exhale. It seems easy enough. We’ve been doing it since we were born. But for any experienced yoga practitioner, irony exists in that the simple practice of meditative breathing can rival any impossibly awkward, muscle-shaking balance pose for difficulty. Bellevue Club member Carol Backer knows this better than most. Growing up in Madison Park, Carol’s life was filled with swimming in Lake Washington, dancing, tennis and healthy food. “I always thought of myself as indestructible,” she says. However, 15 years ago, Carol received a devastating diagnosis of lung cancer. A nonsmoker for 25 years, Carol underwent surgery and the cancer hid in remission. Carol breathed easier for eight years, until the doctor told her the cancer was back. “It was really hard,” she says. After her second surgery, Carol sought relief on a yoga mat. Finding down-to-earth instructor Tamara Weiss, she began practicing yoga regularly at the Bellevue Club as part of her healing. “I was really weak at the time, but Tamara took a hold of me,” she says. It wasn’t easy for her. Often, the meditative breathing time in class would set off coughing fits in her damaged throat and lungs that would send her for the door. “I could hardly make it through a class,” she says. Despite the challenges, she stuck with it and watched her body grow stronger again as a result. “It was a huge part of my healing, especially the breathing,” she says. “It’s something I try to practice in and outside of class.” Over the next five years, her yoga practice carried her through two more significant challenges: a third bout with lung cancer, which resulted in the total removal of her right lung, and the diagnosis of her husband Bruce with prostate cancer. “It all just made us look at life very differently,” she says. “We try really hard to stay focused on what’s important.” For Bruce and Carol, their children, grandchildren and friends top that list. Both in remission, they recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to Greece and Italy. They’re also both fixtures at the Club—Bruce in the Fitness studios and Carol in the Yoga Studio. Still, seven years after her second diagnosis, Carol rarely misses Tamara’s noon class on Mondays and Wednesdays. She plays bridge with a group of regulars before her yoga class. But no matter how fierce the morning game gets, her fellow players know that she’ll set down her cards 10 minutes to noon and stride for the Yoga Studio. Leaving the outside world, she’ll unroll her mat. She’ll hold poses with strength and grace alongside other students half her age. And she’ll breathe.  MONTHLY SCHEDULES Group Exercise (GPX) & Yoga Schedule (PDF) Group Personal Training Schedule (PDF) Fitbiz Monthly Newsletter (PDF) For additional Fitness information, please visit the Classes & Events page. |
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Bellevue Club REFLECTIONS | 11200 Southeast Sixth Street Bellevue, WA 98004 | 425.688.3161 | reflections@bellevueclub.com
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