"Breathe" and Be Yoga with Justine Egan-Kunicki, Ph.D.,

In this 45-minute practice, we will focus on the connection between our breath and body. This class will consist of gentle, low to the ground physical movement (asana), some breathwork (pranayama), and end with a body scan meditation. We will pair breath with movement coming from a place of mindfulness and self-compassion.

What to Bring:

A yoga mat (or other supportive, comfortable surface to practice on)

A couple of pillows and a blanket (if you have access to it)

BIO:  Justine Egan-Kunicki (she/her/hers) is a 33 year old Latina breast cancer survivor, yoga teacher, social psychologist, and fur mom. She was diagnosed with Stage 1b PR+ ER+ HER2- breast cancer at 23 years old in 2012 when she had a bilateral mastectomy, went through AC-T chemotherapy, and was on Tamoxifen for seven years.

Justine received her Ph.D. in psychology in 2016, currently works as a professor of psychology and has always had a passion for mental health. She practiced yoga prior to her diagnosis, but stopped for a time during and after treatment. She found her way back to yoga after a reconstruction revision surgery in 2019. Justine took this time as a sign to recommit to her personal yoga practice, which helped her connect back to her body in a way she had not felt since prior to her diagnosis. She learned about the importance of one’s breath and how by bringing our attention to it, we can begin to listen deeply and heal from the inside out.

Justine wanted to share her experience with yoga, and begin giving back to the breast cancer community which has supported her throughout her diagnosis and recovery. To do this, she completed a 200 hour yoga teacher certification in May 2021 through IgniteBeWell under Susanna Barkataki which centered on embodying the roots of yoga, equity, and social justice. Justine’s teaching primarily focuses on accessible, gentle and restorative asana (physical practice), pranayama (breathwork), and meditation. Justine currently runs a free weekly meditation group for breast cancer affected folks (previvors, survivors, and thrivers) which aims to help folks be in shared space with others who get it, and to connect back to their breath and bodies after a breast cancer diagnosis. In her spare time, Justine loves to read, cook/bake, and go on hikes with her dog and husband.