Tricia Austin is from Desoto County but has been a Memphian since moving here for college, and she cites movement as a big part of her life and identity. She grew up in gymnastics, dancing, and cheerleading and eventually found entry-level yoga classes to stay fit during college. In 2008, Tricia found more vigor and consistency in her yoga practice. By 2010, she had found Hot Yoga Plus, where she had fallen in love with hot power vinyasa. She spent the next decade practicing hot yoga consistently and eventually decided to embark on Yoga Teacher Training in early 2020. However, her year quickly took a turn, and Tricia soon realized how much she needed yoga to keep her calm and balanced during turmoil.

“Surround yourself with people you
love, and embrace the activities
that make you feel good.”

Tricia has no family history of breast cancer but prides herself in being very mindful and proactive about monitoring her health through regular checkups and physicals. Therefore, in 2020, Tricia had scheduled her first routine mammogram, which fell on the same day the first COVID-19 patient was admitted into Baptist Hospital here in Memphis. “Everything felt so surreal,” Tricia remembers. “I was terrified to go to the hospital that day because of all of the uncertainty at the time, but I made myself go despite my fears.” Within a few days of her mammogram, the whole world had gone into lockdown, and Tricia received a follow-up call from her doctor to come in for another screening and a biopsy. Soon, she was diagnosed with early-stage ER-positive, high/nuclear grade Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) breast cancer in both breasts. “I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. I have always taken care of my body and health, and it felt so uncertain and scary to get this diagnosis out of the blue,” Tricia says. On top of the fear of her diagnosis, Tricia had to go to all her appointments alone, including an eventual double mastectomy and reconstructive surgeries, due to new restrictions.

During these months, Tricia felt her life had turned upside down, but she found peace in her yoga practice to help her cope. “I am so thankful for all the teachers who kept yoga studios going and provided virtual classes during the pandemic. Continuing my practice and teacher training during such a scary time in my life gave me something to focus on instead of the fears around my breast cancer diagnosis,” she says. By 2021, Tricia had recovered from her reconstructive surgery and completed training from DwiPada Yoga School. She soon began teaching at Hot Yoga Plus, where she has now completed her 300-hour teacher training.

Tricia is grateful she was proactive with her screenings and had yoga to remain calm and distracted from her scary reality.
“Every cancer patient’s journey is uniquely theirs, and I encourage them to take one step at a time and be gentle with themselves. They are stronger than they know and more courageous than they feel. Surround yourself with people you love, and embrace the activities that make you feel good.”

By Zoe Harrison
Photo by Tindall Stephens