This week’s very special guest is Michelle Lepp, a fully accredited NASM personal trainer and 500 hour yoga instructor with an emphasis in yoga therapeutics whose passion is helping others improve their physical and mental health. Michelle is also a cancer survivor, and today she shares her inspiring phoenix tale of how she was faced with her cancer diagnosis just weeks into her marriage, was unwilling to go down with her illness, and ultimately found the strength to become the powerful mother and yoga therapist she is today.
Michelle starts the conversation with the story of her cancer diagnosis and how she battled with the side effects that came with chemotherapy. She discusses how she was able to detach herself from her illness and also overcome her fear of starting her family amidst other illnesses. She also explains how she got into yoga therapy with the intention to help others, and, as the episode draws to a close, shares why she would love to meet Idina Menzel.
Episode Highlights:
- The challenging event that redirected the course of Michelle’s life
- Michelle’s reaction after her diagnosis
- Battling with the side effects of chemotherapy
- The impacts of Michelle’s diagnosis on her new marriage
- Focusing on work rather than her illness
- Transitioning into the health and wellness industry
- Becoming a yoga therapist after an emotional reckoning
- The impact of a great support system
- Overcoming the fear of starting a family
- Michelle’s experience with thyroid diseases
- Releasing emotions physically
- The person Michelle would most love to meet
Quotes:
“You had to read through like all 87 million things that could possibly go wrong in your body.”
“All I kept thinking is ‘ Oh my God, his mom just passed away a couple of years ago, and now his wife of two weeks has cancer.’ ”
“Something about that moment was just like, the light shining on me like, 'Wait a minute, I am no longer a cancer patient, I can walk away from this, and made me be able to look back and acknowledge the experience and acknowledge, yes, there was definitely a chance of a different outcome.”
“I am not my lymphoma and I can grow and do something with that experience.”
“During this pregnancy, I had moments of ‘What if I'm not here forever for the two of them?’ ”
“Find something in your life that makes you feel like 'you' or 'normal', and find a way to continue to incorporate that into your daily, weekly, monthly routine.”
Links:
Phoenix Tales Homepage
Phoenix Tales on Instagram
Phoenix Tales on Spotify
Phoenix Tales on Facebook
MichelleLaurenMovement
