Being before doing

by
Pasha Hogan

Pasha Hogan

I met Pasha Hogan, two years ago, at the Young Survival Coalition conference in Washington DC, where she sought out the two Irish girls who had travelled all the way across the Atlantic ocean to attend the event.  Pasha herself is Irish, so having bonded on that connection, she went on to impress us with her compassion, beauty, joy in life and creative energy. Pasha, a trained psychotherapist and a breast cancer survivor, was facilitating a creative workshop at the conference, which was imbued as always with her zest for living.

She teaches how to celebrate the beauty in all of life – the good times and the difficult times, and believes that wherever you are right now on your journey is not a detour. It is your greatest opportunity for stepping into a life full of unknown possibilities.  Details of her workshops and classes are on Pasha’s website , where you can also learn more about her transformative journey from three times breast cancer survivor living in a corporate world, to living an authentic life in New Mexico, empowering individuals to live passionately and transform life challenges into profound learning and healing experiences.

I would like to share the  following from an article written by Pasha in “Natural Awakenings Magazine, May 2006

Being Before Doing

When I was asked to comment on what I would have done differently in the hope of preventing breast cancer, “lifestyle”, was my immediate response. I would have done my lifestyle differently. I was twenty-six years old the first time I was diagnosed with breast cancer and burning the candle at both ends. Living the high life in London with a personal mantra of, “Work hard, play hard”. The second time I was diagnosed with breast cancer, at twenty-nine, I was well on my way up the corporate ladder with only a few rungs left. Two years later, my third diagnosis stopped me in my tracks. I needed a new mantra. ”Being before doing”.

The concept of “being” never appealed to me. Doing was far more productive and what I believed was necessary in order to succeed in life. It was important to be seen as successful. I have a different understanding of what success looks like now. I was always interested in things like yoga, art and meditating but they took time. Believing that those activities were luxuries, I never made much time just to breathe, play and relax. Choosing and preparing good food also took time, which I believed was better spent rushing around.

Nine years ago I consciously decided to change my lifestyle, for the sake of my life. Creating space to simply be, without an agenda, is a necessary part of my day and has become the platform for my doing. Making art and yoga now help me to release unexpressed emotions from my body, without judgment. The process of living consciously now interests me more than the product. Success for me now looks like living an authentic and passionate life as me!

Category : Holistic, Inspirational Survivors
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