TWO time breast cancer survivor Toni Wright is not prepared to be defined by the illness that came knocking twice.
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Life is to be lived in the present and with mindfulness, the "demons" that can run away with your thoughts are not in control.
It has been a hard journey, both physically and emotionally, but yoga has helped transform her openness to challenge and change in a positive way and now she is sharing her experience with others.
Toni was 38 years old when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer.
It hit her and her family like a bullet and what followed - a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy - became life until the cancer was stopped in its tracks.
That victory was short-lived and within eight months, Toni, at 44, was diagnosed with breast cancer again.
"I've now had a double mastectomy and reconstruction. I am now cancer-free but still having some tweaking with the surgeries. I'll have two surgeries this year and another next year," she said.
Toni's two aunties had breast cancer. It was enough to prompt her to have the genetic test which showed she did not have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 hereditary gene.
She has a son, now 29, and husband Chris, who have been with her every step of the way.
"We'd only been in Australia two and half years after emmigrating from the UK in 2009 when I was diagnosed. We hadn't been here for long and I had friends, but it's not the same as having family around. I found that very hard," Toni said.
"After my first diagnosis I sat down and took a long hard look at life and appreciated more things. I asked myself how did this happen?
"I changed my diet, I looked at the chemicals I had around the home, what I was putting on my skin.
"I started to change my life - simple things like going for a swim in the ocean today, because I can. When I was diagnosed again I needed a challenge, something to focus my mind on so I went to Yoga One Nine.
"I loved the whole mindfulness thing, your breath work and how it helps with stress and anxiety, relieves tension in your body, helps lymphatic fluids which is good for people who have had lymph nodes removed."
Toni has since started her training to become a yoga teacher and share the benefits of the craft in her cancer journey with others.
She now runs a class every Monday afternoon with breast cancer patients and survivors, giving her time for free. A recent yoga fundraiser collected more than $700 which was donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
"Everyone in the class is different - some people are starting treatment, some are at the end, or two years past treatment," Toni said.
"Yoga helps strengthen bones weakened by cancer treatment, and I add in lots of mindfulness which helps retrain your mind to not think negative thoughts and let the demons run away with you. It brings you back to the present. We practice gratitude, it helps you sleep better, reduces anxiety and stress and helps with acceptance and connection.
"It's good for us all to connect. When I was diagnosed for the first time I didn't know anybody.
"It's hard to accept I am a "breast cancer survivor" - I don't like the label. Mindfulness and gratitude helps with all that."
To join Toni's class, women on a breast cancer journey can be referred by an allied health professional through the North Coast Cancer Institute in Port Macquarie.
For more information, you can also visit the Facebook page Yoga Tonic.
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