HERStory: Erika Wolf

14 Feb HERStory: Erika Wolf

As we’ve entered into February, we’re celebrating women we’re grateful for that fill the community with love! Meet Erika Wolf, author and advocate for empowering women and girls, who shared her story with us!

“When I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in December 2014, I started a blog. It felt natural for me to use writing to inform and update my dispersed friends and family. Once I began writing the facts as I knew them, I realized it was helping me process the broader experience. I quickly began to rely on each post as a living history of my journey, allowing me to document thoughts, feelings, lessons, gratitude, and connections.” says Wolf. “Throughout my treatment and beyond, friends and relatives have asked me to reach out to countless other women who were about to embark on their own breast cancer journeys. As I did, I always included my blog as a resource that more fully chronicled my personal education and the reality of the disease, its treatments, and its effects. I consistently received feedback from these women that my blog was helpful, insightful, and supportive. This sparked my idea to write a book to share my perspective and grasp of breast cancer on a bigger stage.” Wolf shares.

Erika Wolf’s upcoming book, Cancer and Other Things I’m Grateful for, will share her journey to inspire and empower women on their health journeys. “My book is my personal account of my breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and subsequent effects, based on my blog. At the nerve center is the complementary care I sought, which led to more complete healing and filled the conspicuous gaps in traditional oncology medicine. One of yogic philosopher B.K.S. Iyengar’s most famous teachings offers: ‘Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.’ I lived by his philosophy throughout my cancer treatment. Whenever I came to a turning point and needed grounding, I meditated on his saying and integrated its truth.”

“I am sharing my story for other women to see how we can empower ourselves to own our paths on our health journeys, whether that involves questioning authority, switching from a doctor that doesn’t meld with us, or illuminating our own approach to overcoming a major challenge. We are our own best advocates.”

Wolf reflects on her journey and shares how she strives to empower and impact others and has been impacted by several female influences. “Throughout my career as a writer, a host of female teachers, professors, bosses, editors, and co-authors have helped shape my technique and hone my style. I owe these talented and admirable women a debt of gratitude for showing me how to use my voice positively and be confident in my opinions. My psychotherapist helped me through my cancer experience and was a life-saving force. She taught me about radical acceptance, guided imagery, and the power of the mind/body connection. She helped me develop strength in my convictions, enabling me to speak my truth.”

We love seeing women empower others and show appreciation for those who have impacted them!

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