We are honored to introduce you to Liz Zipper, our Featured Human of MYS for February! While Liz is ever working on positive self-talk (aren’t we all?!), she’s always got a smile at the ready for strangers she meets. Liz inspires not only the teachers at Modo, but her fellow students as well. It was one such student who felt compelled to recommend Liz as a Featured Human and we are happy to oblige! We love Liz and encourage you to say hello when next you see her before or after practice.
What brought you to Modo Yoga Seattle?
I was diagnosed with a very rare cancer in June 2017, and in January 2018 I was actually planning my funeral. Through the magic of medicine and the miracle of faith, I was cancer free by the end of July 2018 and needed a way to build back my stamina, focus my energy, and have a place where I didn’t feel like a cancer patient.
How has your practice influenced/changed your life?
It has shown me that life is practice. Every day is a new chance to try something new, feel something different, and accomplish something you never knew you could.
Could you share some words of wisdom that you have gained from your practice?
I love when the instructors congratulate us all for making the time to come to the mat. I have slowly figured out that finding time for what is important to you is the most amazing thing you can do for yourself.
Can you share an achievement from your life that you feel yoga helped make possible?
Through yoga and my cancer journey I have really learned to celebrate the small achievements. Taking the stairs, walking through an airport, doing all of the movements in a Modo class. These are all things I took for granted a year and a half ago. And seriously in November when I was walking through airports instead of using a wheelchair for the first time in over a year, as cheesy as it sounds, I really did have a thought in the back of my head “if you can make it through a yoga class, you can make it through the airport.”
What is your favorite book or documentary that you think everyone should read?
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. You’re reading the seemingly normal thoughts and actions of a young girl in extraordinary circumstances, and yet, she is still just a girl.