Finding Strength Through Breath: A Breast Cancer Story

A note from Just Plain Yoga

Yoga does not make the difficult parts of life disappear. Sometimes its value becomes clearest when life is anything but easy.

Heather Harris, a longtime member of the Just Plain Yoga community and a yoga teacher herself, generously shared this personal account of navigating breast cancer and the role that breath, mindful movement, and years of yoga practice played in helping her meet an extraordinarily stressful time.

This is Heather's experience, not medical advice. Anyone undergoing cancer treatment or recovering from surgery should work with their healthcare team to determine which movement and breathing practices are appropriate for them.

Guest Essay by Heather (Sharar) Harris

During a routine mammogram in 2021, I heard the words no one wants to hear: "We need to review your previous screenings for comparison." Since I had recently moved to Virginia to be closer to my granddaughter, my health records were still in Pennsylvania. (Full transparency: it had been a few years since my last mammogram—something I’ll never let happen again.) Shortly after, I received a call. They had noticed some "architectural differences" and wanted me to come back for an ultrasound.

After the ultrasound, I was asked to get dressed and then ushered into a room with a table and chairs, where the doctor would meet with me. My mind was racing. When the doctor finally came in, they explained over the next ten minutes that I needed a biopsy, scheduled for the following week, and detailed what to expect.

This set off a whirlwind of tests, results, conversations with doctors, family, and my best friend—who, as a breast cancer survivor, became a tremendous source of support. I found myself navigating disbelief, stress, and the weight of all the upcoming expenses. It was overwhelming—everything happened so quickly.

When the physical practice wasn't available

At the time, I was also managing a neck injury that had limited my yoga practice. But yoga means "to unite"—unite the body and breath to calm the mind. Breathwork. Breathwork. Breathwork. The breath practices I had learned through years of yoga training became the most important tool I could rely on during this journey from the biopsy to post-surgery and through every treatment.

Returning to the breath

If you’ve attended my yin class, you’ll know I often start with four-part breathing: inhale to the count of four, pause, exhale to the count of four. This became my go-to practice throughout the entire ordeal. After surgery, I was also given exercises to support my arm mobility and recovery. I began them slowly and mindfully, often pairing the movements with my breath. As I recovered and received appropriate guidance, I gradually began bringing some Yin poses back into my practice.

The practice we carry with us

Yoga did not change what was happening to me.

But the practice I had built over the years gave me something to carry into what was happening.

The breath was there in the waiting rooms. It was there through fear and uncertainty. Mindful movement became part of finding my way back into my body after surgery. And the lessons my teachers had shared with me long before I knew I would need them took on an entirely different meaning.

That is one of the gifts of practice.

We don't always know when something we learn on a yoga mat will become useful somewhere far beyond it.

I remain deeply grateful to the teachers who taught me to breathe, to listen, and to move with awareness.

— Heather (Sharar) Harris

Looking for individualized support?

If health changes, recovery, mobility concerns, or simply uncertainty about joining a group class have changed the way you approach movement, a Private Assessment can give you a place to begin one-on-one.

We can learn more about your needs, answer questions, and help you explore whether private yoga or an appropriate group practice might be right for you.

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When navigating a medical condition, treatment, or recovery, please consult your healthcare provider before beginning or returning to an exercise program.