Cancer survivors in the Portage la Prairie and Central Plains region are finding strength, comfort, and connection through a free yoga program offered by Central Plains Cancer Services and led by instructor Lynn Bereza.
Creating space for healing
The program began in early 2025 and has quickly become a vital part of the local support network for those touched by cancer.
Bereza says the classes are tailored for anyone, no matter what stage of treatment or recovery they’re in; man or woman, survivor or fighter.
“I have to be ready and able to tailor that person’s individual experience for them,” she says. “If you have to sit in a chair, you sit in a chair. If you are comfortable lying on the floor, you lie on the floor. We use all sorts of props to make sure we have some support when we need it. They meet you where you’re at.”
Bereza adds that beyond the physical side, the program provides something unique.
“When they walk into this space and start to share automatically with their friends that maybe they haven’t seen in a while or just new people, they all know they’ve been through something similar," she shares, "So there’s automatically that connection that they have with each other, and that’s something that’s really special to see.”
Survivors finding strength
For Brenda Miller-Adams, the yoga program has helped her reconnect with herself while surrounded by people who share her journey.
“As a survivor, you are always a survivor. And one of the things when you are shouldering the burden of being a survivor with other people, I think it builds a level of community and connectedness,” she says. “Lynn is a great instructor. She starts wherever you’re at, and when you are a cancer survivor, you don’t know yourself, where you’re going to be able to begin. So being able to begin wherever you need to begin is so important.”
A boost for body and mind
Attendee Melanie Ferg says she was hesitant at first but quickly discovered how accessible and impactful the sessions are.
“Going into this, it was really refreshing to see that it was basic stretching and mobility and just at the stage I was at, being able to start into yoga again, more for my health and my mental health than the 20-year-old yoga I remember,” she says. “Lynn has a really great way of doing it in stages for any levels, for any level of energy you bring to the table that day.”
Having gone through chemo, radiation, and surgery, Ferg says the classes have given her both physical and mental relief.
“I was at a point where I could barely bend over to tie my shoes or get out of the bathtub. So having this yoga has completely increased my ability to stretch and move and have some energy back,” she says. “It’s been a huge part of my healing for sure.”
Ferg adds that the program’s benefits extend beyond the classroom.
“It has also allowed me to branch out. I participated in Yoga in the Park, which Lynn offered through the summer, and it’s starting to increase my mobility and my stamina to be able to do more. It’s been just a huge experience in a positive way, and I would encourage anyone who’s been thinking about participating to just come to a class and give it a try. And yeah, it’s free, so that helps too.”
It’s a class that provides strength and support far beyond the physical, offering cancer survivors in the Central Plains a space to heal, connect, and grow together.