Last night, I was honored to receive the Cancer Alliance Network’s Mission Hero Award for the work we do sponsoring and presenting YogaCAN. I would be remiss if I accepted this award without acknowledging Practice Yoga’s amazing team, the studio volunteers, and our community, who have supported this event year after year. To all of you who have contributed to YogaCAN, thank you for helping make it a success. I share this award with all of you.

I will also share the irony of receiving such an award: YogaCAN has given me far more than I could ever give. Being part of something so rewarding, something that gives so much to our community, has been a blessing for me, my family, and the Practice Yoga community.

The Sanskrit word karma breaks down as kar (to do) and ma (to me), meaning that, energetically, what you put out finds its way back to you. For me, YogaCAN is a perfect example of karma as joy, gratitude, generosity, connection, and love. Every year, being part of YogaCAN moves me to my very core. It is a heart-opening that fills me up until my cup runneth over. This is what happens when you give freely, without expecting anything in return. The law of karma naturally gives back all that you give away. I am grateful.

In my speech last night, I said, “Serving others is the most effective way to mend a broken heart.” I know this to be true for Joel and his girls, who started YogaCAN 13 years ago during his wife’s cancer journey. It is equally true for Pierre, Juliana, and me after the loss of Annaleigh. And I dare say it has helped this community heal from its own personal losses, as well as from the shared grief of caring for both Joel’s family and mine during our darkest days.

So, with an open heart full of gratitude in this season of giving thanks, I acknowledge you, our Practice Yoga community, for all you do to hold each of us up. There is nothing as powerful as a group of people united in a mission to create a movement and make an impact, and the Practice Yoga community has made a positive one.

Along with my acknowledgment, I also have a request: that you pay it forward. I have set a goal to acknowledge at least five people who have had a positive impact on my life before Thanksgiving, and I invite you to join me in this movement. Imagine all the love we can generate. May our cups run over! 

Happy Thanksgiving. 

-Debi Grilo