SGO Wellness Blog: Yogi Wellness and Mental Chaturangas | Ashley L. Greenwood, MD

Ashley Greenwood, MD

I have a lot of thoughts on wellness. If you’re a health care provider these days, chances are you’ve sat through at least one, and likely many, mandatory wellness trainings. We can probably agree that wellness looks different for everyone.

During fellowship, there was a running joke that the faculty retreat was going to include mandatory yoga, all in the name of promoting wellness. Yoga felt like an express train to wellness. Do a few flows, sip some green juice, and just like that: wellness achieved.

For me, a big part of personal wellness has always included exercise. This is not atypical for many of us. I discovered CrossFit in medical school and have been hooked ever since. It wasn’t just the workouts—it was the built-in community I found outside the hospital. Over the years, I dabbled in all sorts of activities. Spin class, boxing, rock climbing. In general, if I’m active and with friends, I’m pretty happy.

I dropped into yoga classes occasionally, starting in high school, but I mostly saw it as another way to stay fit or get into “better shape.” Over time, though, I encountered a few instructors who emphasized the mental and philosophical aspects of the practice. After some classes, I would walk away with a little mental gem. Something I’d want to remember for the future, maybe even repeat in an interview someday. One lesson stuck with me during a class while I was in med school: practice doesn’t make perfect, but it does form habits—both good and bad.

During fellowship, I mostly stuck to CrossFit with a bit of yoga sprinkled in. I loved the yoga studio I found, but the demands of fellowship (plus Denver traffic) didn’t always allow time for workouts. Then came my research year with a promised 9-to-4 work schedule. I was so excited for all the time I’d have for wellness activities.

Unfortunately, less than a week into that research year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and within a month I was into chemotherapy.

I was determined to continue life as usual for as long as I could, and, for a while, I managed it. I modified my CrossFit workouts and kept moving. By the fourth month, I started a new chemo regimen and things changed. Just getting out of bed, or staying out of the hospital, became a significant challenge.

Yoga and walking to the park were a big part of my wellness during that time, and as I recovered following treatments. My body wasn’t capable of endless chaturangas or power flows, but I still went to yoga class. Sometimes I barely moved out of childs pose, but I had a space to be present, to sit with my complex thoughts and emotions. Those moments of stillness and introspection taught me a lot. Here are a few of the things I carry with me today:

1. Choose Your Own Adventure

Even in a group class, yoga is an individual practice. It doesn’t matter what the teacher cues—you get to decide what feels right in the moment. Our bodies are pretty good at telling us what they need, and we should listen. This perspective helped me care less about what others thought and let go of the narratives I imagined were expected of me.

2. Breathing

Breathwork is foundational in yoga. Learning to regulate your breath is one of the most effective tools for calming stress. It slows your heart rate and clears your mind. When I’m in a high-stakes or stressful moment, a deep clearing breath can instantly reset my focus.

3. Kind Thoughts

Yoga encourages challenge, not perfection. There’s always a more advanced pose or a small adjustment to improve on. The real goal isn’t to achieve the hardest pose. Can you achieve something challenging while be gentle with yourself? Say kind things to yourself in moments of struggle.

4. Intention Setting

Most classes begin with an intention: a feeling, a focus, a word, or a small goal. It’s a simple practice, but it has broad applications. Big, long-term goals are important—but it’s the small, achievable ones that keep us moving forward.

That dedicated time in yoga was the single best thing I did for my mental health during one of the wildest periods of my life. My cancer journey isn’t fully behind me, but I’m now a survivor. I’ve returned to CrossFit and I maintain a regular yoga practice. My mental and physical strength is stronger than it has ever been.

Now, in my first year as an attending in a world that at times feels very chaotic, I rely on many of these strategies to keep my cool and continue to always move forward.

Ashley L. Greenwood, MD, is a Gynecologic Oncologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE.