On Wednesday mornings at the Lindig Family Cancer Resource Center at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, a sense of serenity settles over the room. With gentle movement and focused breathing, cancer patients, survivors and caregivers gather to slow down, find relief and reconnect with their bodies one breath at a time.
The weekly therapeutic yoga class, led by certified yoga instructor and melanoma survivor Niki Cowburn, offers a space for healing for both body and mind. “You can see the change in their faces. They come in holding tension in their bodies and leave looking lighter, calmer,” said Niki.
Designed for individuals at any stage of the cancer journey, the class is open to all experience levels. Some participants are in treatment, while others are adjusting to life after surgery or managing long-term side effects. Caregivers often attend as well, taking a much-needed moment for themselves.
“There’s no pressure to dress a certain way or keep up with fast-paced flows,” Niki explained. “Some people sit in chairs and others lie on mats. Even if someone comes for just ten minutes to breathe, that can be enough.”
Niki guides each session with a focus on gentle movement, breathwork and mindfulness. Every exercise is adaptable to meet people where they are that day, physically and emotionally. For those who may be recovering from treatment or managing pain, it offers a supportive way to ease back into movement.
“After treatment, the body often holds onto patterns of pain or tightness,” she said. “Yoga therapy helps release that. Through breath and movement, we give people a way to feel more at ease in their bodies again.”
Niki understands this deeply because she’s been through it herself.
She was diagnosed with melanoma in 2019 after noticing a changing freckle on her upper lip. A biopsy confirmed cancer, and she was soon facing difficult decisions about treatment. She chose radiation, working closely with her care team while drawing on years of yoga practice and training to stay centered during recovery.
“I used everything I had learned,” she recalled. “Breathwork, energy healing and mindfulness. I stayed grounded through the experience, and I carried that into my healing.”
That personal journey now shapes how she leads others. “When you’ve had a cancer diagnosis, you understand the questions, the anxiety and the unknowns. Even though our experiences are different, we share that emotional thread,” she said. “It creates a bond in the room. No one has to explain. We just get it.”
The class has become a quiet source of community. Some participants come weekly. Others drop in when they can. There’s no sign-up list or roll call. It’s open and relaxed, welcoming anyone who needs space to breathe.
Recently, a participant told Niki she had never realized how much tension she carried until she started practicing breathwork in the class. “We breathe without thinking,” Niki said, “but when we become aware of it, everything softens. You feel different.”
The Lindig Family Cancer Resource Center offers a wide range of support services, including counseling and peer support, wig fittings, prosthetics and wellness programs like this one. The center was created to care for the whole person, not just their diagnosis.
“It’s not just a place to go before or after an appointment,” Niki said. “It’s a place to feel human again.”
Yoga therapy sessions are held every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Lindig Family Cancer Resource Center. They are free and open to anyone directly or indirectly impacted by cancer, including family members and caregivers. Whether you stay for ten minutes or the full hour, the goal is the same: to help you feel supported, seen and just a little more like yourself.
To learn more about the Lindig Family Center Resource Center and it's offerings, click here.