My healing Journey

In Brief

There’s one day in life that can change everything. For me, it was the day I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer during pregnancy. That moment transformed my life — leading me to mindfulness, yoga, and a deep shift in how I live, love, and heal.

Today, I’m here to share the practices that saved me — mindfulness, movement, and conscious living — through my courses, retreats, and coaching. If you’re ready to step into your power and transform your own story, you’re in the right place.

Why I’m Sharing This

I’ve chosen to share my full story because I know how isolating this journey can feel — especially for women navigating breast cancer, surgery, recovery, and the emotional weight that comes with it.

This is not a promise, a prescription, or a universal truth.
It is one woman’s lived experience, shared with honesty, responsibility, and care.

If you recognise yourself in parts of this story, I hope it helps you feel less alone.

The Diagnosis

I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer while pregnant.

There are moments in life that divide everything into before and after.
That was one of them.

Alongside the shock and fear, there was responsibility — not only for myself, but for the life growing inside me. Decisions suddenly carried enormous emotional weight. Every choice felt charged.

The medical reality was real and serious.
I was supported by doctors and followed medical guidance throughout.

And emotionally, I knew I needed more than treatment alone.

Living With Uncertainty

One of the hardest parts of this journey wasn’t pain — it was uncertainty.

The waiting.
The scans.
The not-knowing.

I couldn’t control outcomes.
I couldn’t think my way out of fear.

What I could do was begin to change how I lived inside each day.

That’s where mindfulness, yoga, breath, gratitude, and surrender became essential — not as concepts, but as survival tools.

I stopped asking, “How do I fix this?”
And started asking, “How do I live with this?”

I focused on:

• calming my nervous system


• staying present rather than catastrophising


• supporting my body through rest, rhythm, and nourishment


• meeting fear without letting it run my life

The Shift

These practices didn’t remove difficulty — but they changed how I related to it.

Over time, something unexpected happened.

Three weeks after the diagnosis, I had a lumpectomy (whilst still pregnant) to remove it, and we were so pleasantly surprised that the cancer had stopped growing over those past 3 weeks.
It wasn't in the lymph nodes either!

I don’t claim to know why in absolute terms.
But I know — deeply — that how I lived during that time mattered.

Responsibility Without Blame

I want to be very clear about something important.

I do not believe people cause their illness.
And I don’t believe healing is about positivity, control, or perfection.

What I do believe — from lived experience — is that how we live, respond, and relate to stress matters.

Taking responsibility for your health is not self-blame.
It is self-empowerment.

For me, this meant recognising that aspects of my past lifestyle were unsustainable — and that creating different conditions in my body and mind was both possible and necessary.

If the body responds to how we live, then we are not powerless participants.

That realisation changed everything.

What Supported me

Alongside medical care, I immersed myself in practices that helped regulate my nervous system, restore trust in my body, and support healing at every level:

• Mindfulness and meditation


• Gentle, embodied yoga


• Breath awareness


• Gratitude and conscious living


• Ayurveda and Panchakarma in India


• Trauma-informed awareness


I don’t claim a single cause or simple explanation.
But I honour the role these practices played in how I lived — and healed — through this experience.

After Surgery: Relearning trust

Healing didn’t stop after surgery.

There was:

• Grief for the body I had known


• Learning to live with scars


• Rebuilding trust


• Navigating identity after trauma

This is where deeper practices — retreats, silence, Ayurveda, Panchakarma — supported restoration at a level beyond coping.

Not to erase what happened.
But to integrate it.

What I Believe About Healing Now

Healing is not linear.
It is not neat.
And it is not something we “achieve”.

But it is possible to live with more presence, resilience, and trust — even in the face of uncertainty.

I believe:

• The body holds deep wisdom


• The nervous system deserves care and respect


• Movement, mindfulness, and nourishment are medicine — not luxuries


• Self-compassion is not soft; it is fierce and life-saving


• We don’t need to be perfect to be whole


Healing is not about fixing ourselves.
It’s about coming home to the body with reverence.

Why I do this work now?

This journey reshaped my life.

It taught me that wellbeing is not about optimisation — it’s about relationship:

Through Grateful Minds, I now support others — especially women — who are navigating stress, illness, recovery, burnout, or profound life transitions.

Not to “fix” them.
But to walk alongside them with tools that are real, embodied, and compassionate.

Relationship to the body


Relationship to fear


Relationship to uncertainty


Relationship to life itself

You’re welcome to explore the work I now offer, at your own pace.

Yoga

Helping with nervous system regulation

Mindfulness

Retreats

For stress, fear, and emotional overwhelm

Restorative expereinces both in person and online

If This Resonates

Workshops

Short and easy tools to implement into daily life

Space for fear, strength, grief, and hope to coexist

If you are facing breast cancer, surgery, recovery, or fear of recurrence:

You are not weak.
You are not failing.
You are not doing this wrong.

You deserve:

Support that respects your experience


Practices that honour your body

A Message to Women Walking a Similar Path

You don’t need to be brave all the time.


You just need support that meets you where you are

Final Reminder

This story is mine.


Your journey will be your own.

But you don’t have to walk it alone.

Alena was a perfect teacher - sharing her wisdom, genuine enthusiasm and having thoughtful responses to everyone's comments/ feedback. Also, she has the most lovely relaxing voice for the guided meditations!

Annabelle Mayers

Alena - fantastic teacher , so knowledgeable and always knew the correct way to answer any situation. Cannot ask for a better supportive teacher

Sangeeta Patel

★★★★★

★★★★★

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