When ‘Life Threatening’ Becomes ‘Life Altering’ with Mary Cerdeiras

Mary Cerdeiras is Yuliana’s very special guest on the podcast today. Faced with a diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2009, Mary decided to complement the traditional Western treatment she was receiving with alternative treatments, a decision which would ultimately shape her life from that moment forward. Today, we are all so very privileged to listen in as she shares her inspirational tale of courage, commitment, and renewal.

Mary begins by recounting that challenging moment in her life, describing what her life was like at that time, and reviewing both the conventional and alternative treatments which she received. She goes on to describe the sense of renewal she felt upon becoming cancer-free, how it changed her life, her journey to become a Yoga Teacher, and what enabled her to continue moving forward and find her new direction in life. Mary draws the episode to a close by sharing how she navigates the more competitive and youth/beauty focused aspects of the Yoga world, details of her Yoga and trauma work, and one book which she feels describes her life. As Yuliana notes, this is a podcast that celebrates inspirational people who have faced their challenges in life and found renewal, and, as you will hear, Mary Cerdeiras definitely qualifies as a ranking member of that noble assemblage.

Episode Highlights:

The challenging moment that reshaped the course of Mary’s life
What her life was like when the challenge arose in her life
The alternative treatments she used to complement the traditional Western treatments she was receiving for her cancer
The sense of renewal she felt in becoming cancer-free and how it changed her life
Teaching yoga
What enabled Mary to move forward and find a new direction in life
How Mary navigates the terrain of entering such a competitive and youth and body focused field as Yoga
Her Yoga and trauma work
One book that describes Mary’s life

Quotes:

“Back in 2009. I was diagnosed with cancer and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma...that definitely woke me up to crazy reality, and it changed the trajectory of my life.”

“I always wanted to do things holistically.”

“That's always been my life - staying away from toxins and stuff like that.”

“Why don't you do the chemo and also do the organic dieting and whatever you're doing?”

“The Yoga helped me so much - the stretching and the breathing.”

“But something inside of me said, ‘This is not it...you've got too much to do, you're not done, yet, on this earth.”

“I took charge of my own wellbeing.”

“You make it sound so seamless, and I'm sure it wasn't as you were living it.”

“I also had two parents that never said I couldn't do anything.”

“Trauma has been something that I've been studying for years through different teachers.”

“I've been on the other side, so I know how that person feels.”

Links:

Phoenix Tales on Instagram