Lynn Manwar

Archive for the ‘Women’ Category

Lynn’s Comments:  Here’s my submission for #shareyourstory campaign as part of  http://www.wouldyoulikeyourcancer.com/shareyourstory.html:

Lynn’s Comments:   I first heard about World Women Global Council last month and was kindly invited by Sanjukta Das to participate and speak.    Little did I know at the time, I accepted, but it was also an opportunity for myself to be recognized and receive a Women’s Hero Award for International Women’s Day.   I have always enjoy getting out into the community, engaging with others and speaking to an audience.

Celebrating Womanhood and the launch of World Women Global Council was held on Saturday, March 9th, 2013 from 5pm-8pm at the Art of Living Centre in Mississauga, Ontario in Canada.  It was an excellent evening with the MP, Brad Butt of Streetsville, Mississauga as the lead speaker.   Women Hero’s honored included:

Shelly Siddoo

Lynn Manwar

Meena Chopra

Asma Mahmood

We also got to hear Debra Eklove, President of the Art of Living Foundation Canada speak which was extremely enlightening.  Overall, it was a great celebration, moving, educational and inspiring!   Being a woman is wonderful and I had the chance to speak about some of the women who helped me on my journey back to recovery in 2012.  I am extremely grateful for all the women who touched my life, as I made it because of them!

Lynn’s Comments:  With the Holiday Season in full gear and seeing friends and family, it is a time for reflection. It is an opportunity to give thanks, reflect where we’ve been and where we are headed in the coming year.   As I think back over these holidays, I am amazed that I survived one of the biggest challenges of my life.   Last year, on December 23rd, I left my surgeon’s office, and went to St. Michael’s Cathedral, and cried my eyes out lying on the church floor.   Now a year later, I am in a completely different space.

I GIVE THANKS FOR:

• my beautiful new curly hair that has grown
• my breasts and my scars that have healed
• the ability to move my right arm and lift things
• reduced swelling in my right wrist
• the time I spend with family and friends
• my new home and new furniture
• all the support I received from family and friends in the past year
• MY LIFE and my renewed sense of being!

Sometimes, it take something like Cancer to put things in check and to know what’s really important in life.  I encourage you all to Give Thanks this holiday season.   Gratitude brings more abundance into your life and leads to pure happiness.

What will you give thanks for in your life?

Lynn’s Comments:   Ever since I was a young girl, I always dreamed of living by the waterfront.   Anytime I was feeling stressed out, a little down or needed some cheering up, I would find myself in east end Toronto by the Beaches, in a lost gaze at the water.   In my early 20s, I thought wouldn’t it be amazing if I could actually live by the water.  Fast forward about 14 years, and I had a powerful coaching session with Jacinta Whelan in October 2007.  A few days later, I created a new vision board for myself that included a waterfront propery.   The following month, I was at a VIP Sales Night of Empire Communities and purchased my first waterview condo even though I just broken up with my boyfriend 2 months earlier.

Sometimes in life, we may be waiting for the perfect moment, or situation to pursue our dreams.  However, sometimes, going after those dreams, means just seizing the moment and taking action.  It doesn’t matter what is your situation is now.  You can have and be anything your heart desires.  Passion, vision and a commitment to having it all is the key to achieving and realizing all of your dreams.

Here’s a proven Six Step Method for Living Your Dreams Powerfully:

1. Decide what dreams are important to you

2. Write down your dreams on a piece of paper

3. Get some magazines, scissors and create a vision board

4. Visualize already experiencing and feeling your dreams

5. Tell your friends and family your dreams as you put it out to the universe

6. Take action towards fulfilling your dreams and give thanks for having received full realization of your dreams!

My proud moment of realizing one of my dreams happened on November 20th, 2012 when I received the keys to my new place on the waterfront.   It so amazes me to look out the window and experience something I’ve dreamed about for years.  It is a wonderful feeling and I am so grateful.

I encourage you all who want to live their dreams powerfully, to take the first step today.   Keep looking and moving forward and before you know it, you’ll be there— LIVING  THE MOST POWERFUL DREAM FULFILLED LIFE!

 

Lynn’s Comments:  During my recovery from cancer, I was reminded of the Cottage Dreams Recovery Initiative program.  For those who have completed treatment of cancer, the patient along with their family members are able to spend 1 week in a donated cottage.  Since, I had known about the program,  I applied to become a recipient of a cottage stay.

Cancer has an emotional, physical and financial impact on a patient and their family members.  In my case, some of my medications were covered by OHIP and some were only partially insured.  In addition, I had to pay for my fertility preservation medications out of pocket.   As a result of not working, my income was dramatically reduced and a donated cottage stay, beyond the $100 application fee I had to pay was definitely worth it!

I arrived at the Cottage with my mother and one great supporter on October 7th and we departed on October 12th, 2012.

I spent  time at the cottage with my mother and Samita Nandy, one of my supporters during my recovery process.  My cousins visited on Thanksgiving Monday and made bbq and went fishing.   It was very much a quiet time of reflection in absolute beautiful surroundings.

 

Lynn’s Comments:  I attended the Launch Party of the International Fashion Festival Toronto 2012 on July 4th, 2012 with guests at the Grand Victorian Convention Centre.  I love fashion and learning about different styles.  There were well known sought after Indian designers such as Vikram Phandis present, along with Super Models and Bollywood sensation Hamza Faruqi.

The IFFT 2012 fashion shows begin on July 6th to July 8th, 2012..  For more information and to purchase tickets, go to:  www.ifft.ca

Lynn’s Comments:

An associate of mine had mentioned to me about their gym and the steam room with aromatherapy— it sounded amazing and even looked better when I visited the gym last week.  I had decided earlier this week on Tuesday that I indeed wanted a day of relaxation and intended to try out his gym later on in the week.  On the same day, I shared an earlier blog post about Infrared saunas on my Facebook status and I had a few comments about it, which included an invitation to go to Body Blitz—a spa in downtown Toronto from a friend in Hamilton.   I gladly shared my cell number for her to call the next day.

I attended my Breast Cancer Survivor’s group meeting and finished at 2:30pm.  I walked along Bay St. and stopped into Duke’s Pub to order food and use a gift certificate I was holding on from the British Chamber of Commerce Christmas Party.  While in the Pub, I received a call from Radha that she and her daughter were on her way to Body Blitz.  I let her know that I would get my food packed and head over.  I did not feel like taking public transit, so I grabbed a taxi  to join them right away.  I arrived at Body Blitz and the concept of the spa reminded me of my days spent at the hot springs in Nagano, Japan and the city pools in Kyoto, Japan.

I purchased a 5 visit package with 1 FREE visit as I felt going to the spa for detox would be good on a weekly basis before my pending planned surgery.   Then I was escorted into the spa and given my locker key, flip flops, robe, towels and I was ready to go!  Since, I did not bring a bathing suit, as I was a bit unprepared, I had to go naked during this particular spa visit!   Being naked in a spa was familiar ground to me as that’s how it was in Japan as well.  I got my robe on, took a shower with soap and entered the pool hall and found Radha and her daughter.

We all started in the Dead Sea Salt pool, and went through the water circuit that included: a steam room with aromatherapy, infrared sauna, hot tea pool and cold plunge pool.  A rinsing shower would be required after a visit to the sauna and steam room to remove all the toxins from the body.    It was such a relaxing and rejuvenating experience for the first week after my last Chemotherapy treatment, it was exactly what I needed.

It is truly amazing when an intention is set, as the universe definitely delivers.

I highly recommend checking out Body Blitz Spa.

Lynn’s Comments: Being at home on medical leave from work due to cancer treatment has certainly been quite the experience.   I have been mainly been spending my time at home either reading, watching television (which is a habit I never had before), surfing on the internet and roaming on social media networks.   I was rather delighted when I received a message and invitation from Ashima Suri of Building Bridges Association of Canada to speak at their Networking Event for Women with Disabilities on May 2nd, 2012.  The day that I was invited to speak by Ashima, was also the day I also received my 5th Chemo treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital on April 20th, 2012.   I had a bit of Chemo brain that day, but I did commit to speak for the event!

I felt rather fine for a few days after my 5th Chemo treatment, however, about 6 days later, I started to get a dry cough from April 26th onwards.  The cough continued throughout the weekend and the following week as well.  I was a little concerned as the week progressed, wondering, if I would be able to still speak at the event?  I made sure that I rested and upon arrival to the venue on the day of the event, Silvi, a facebook friend gave me some ginger candies and I had some tea.   I settled in to the Speaker’s Table and met the other guest speakers.   There was positive energy all around.

Luckily, my cough went away and I was able to speak after lunch to the attendees and other guests.  I was able to share my personal experience of challenges and temporary times of disability with the audience and the knowledge I learned along the way in my journey.   I felt very fortunate to have had the opportunity to speak that day as my experience will enable others to build bridges in their lives!

For more information about Building Bridges Association of Canada go to:  http://www.buildingbridgescanada.com/

Lynn’s Comments: I first heard that Oprah was coming to Toronto in March 2012 when a family friend came over to visit at our home.  I was so excited when I heard the news that I then decided to post on my Facebook status, “Universe I am manifesting Oprah tickets, thank you, thank you, thank you!”.  Within 8 minutes of updating my status on Facebook, a lovely women named Arpana responded and said she had a ticket for me!  I was so excited and delighted to say the least.  I have been watching the Oprah show since 1988 and always wanted to see her show live as an audience member.

After learning that I had a ticket to the Oprah Life Class Tour in Toronto for the following month, I did a happy dance around my house and savored the great feelings associated with my happiness!  Being on medical leave and in treatment for cancer, this gift of a ticket really uplifted my mood and is the best gift ever!  Just imagine wanting something for 24 years and it finally happening—it’s such an amazing feeling!

I committed to go to the Oprah Life Class even though I was still in Chemotherapy treatment.  I knew it was an opportunity of a lifetime to attend the show and I certainly wasn’t going to let cancer or any type of cancer treatment stop me from attending.  The big day arrived on April 16th, 2012 and I took the subway downtown to the Metro Convention Centre.  I brought a salad and two boiled eggs to ensure I had food for that afternoon and energy to keep me going.  I went to the front entrance of the Metro Convention Centre and realized that I had to enter the event from another entrance.  I got a call from Priya who was already lined up with Reshma, and I asked if I had enough time to get some more food, and she said yes.  I then decided to purchase a veggie hotdog and fries, to ensure I had enough meals for the day and began my walk over to the long line to join the ladies and my soul sisters for the day!

My last Chemo treatment was on March 30th, 2012 and this big day for the Oprah Life Class was 2 weeks later.  I walked over to the long line and found both Reshma and Priya around 12:30pm that day.   Miraculously, I wore comfy shoes and managed to stay standing for 3. 5 hours until we were admitted to the Metro Convention Centre and lined up inside.  Much later on, just before we were admitted to the show, I had chosen to sit down on the ground for awhile, and I had a good rest while I watched Priya make a sign for the show.  We were admitted into the Hall for the show and walked diligently to find seats for all of us.  Luckily we found seats in the centre aisle and we were situated in a good spot.

As I sat in the audience, I thought about how grateful I was to be there.  For me, the Oprah Life Class was definitely a dream come true! and part of my bucket list of one activity that I was able to check off on my list!  It was very fitting that the theme of the Life Class was about Forgiveness and just what I needed to hear during my time of healing from a cancer diagnosis.  God does give us exactly what we need, that I know!

Lynn’s Comments: I was able to participate in Amazing Woman’s Day at the Ritz Carlton in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Saturday, April 16th, 2011 as a volunteer for the day. It was a day bringing together dynamic leaders, entrepreneurs, and feminine mentors that connects, transforms and celebrates! Here is a great highlight from Extraordinary Woman TV:

With leaders such as Jennifer Hough of the Vital You and Joanna Andros of Courageous Living, in attendance, it was definitely a day to remember.