The “after cancer” can be very challenging for many as it was for me.  After the medical appointments regulating my daily life for close to a year, suddenly after going through chemo and radio, I felt vulnerable, waking up with anxieties, feeling lost and alone.

After, being diagnosed in June 2023 with stage 3a breast cancer, I had a double partial mastectomy in August 2023 (4 tumors and 6 lymph nodes (5 metastasis)) followed by 5 months of chemo and 3 weeks of daily radiotherapy through March 2024 – while going through a divorce.  The divorced was pronounced during the chemo while my children lived abroad – I came out exhausted.  

Although I was in remission and the first sets of check-ups were clean, I couldn’t completely rejoice.  Something was broken.  My spirit was gone, I felt misunderstood by my loved ones, I felt that the light within me was gone.  That’s when I came across horse therapy, here in France which brought emotions to the surface – then found further solace in 3-day silent retreat at the Hridaya yoga Center.

This is why, I founded Retreat for Alegria, to bring you, cancer survivors to a little paradise on earth in Mexico where you can benefit from horse therapy, a silent retreat, express yourself through art therapy with other women who understand what you are and have gone through in the warm climate of Mexico.

My mission for this retreat is to give an opportunity to other cancer fighters and survivors to spend 7 days disconnected from their world and reconnect with themselves.  Let’s “get back on the horse” and go on with life!