A POOLE woman discovered a "huge" brain tumour after going to the doctors when she noticed an issue with her balance at a yoga session.
Daphnée Paquin Katma went to the doctor after noticing her balance was "decreasing" at her weekly yoga class.
She was then diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, a type of brain tumour in 2017.
Acoustic neuromas grow on the nerve used for hearing and balance, which can cause problems such as hearing loss and unsteadiness.
Daphnée said: "I was practising yoga a lot before my diagnosis and I noticed that my balance was decreasing.
"I wasn't able to balance on one leg which made me question my health, this saved my life because if I hadn't been practising yoga I wouldn't have realised something was wrong.
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"I was generally well it was only my balance that made me speak to my doctor which is when he realised I had a huge tumour that was threatening my life.
"Following my surgery, I completely lost my hearing and I was walking with my hands in a 'T shape' to help me because my balance was so bad.
"I decided to return to yoga but I really struggled because I had lost so much of my ability, however, I kept at it.
"Now I have come a long way, I have really improved my balance and strength and I think I am a lot stronger than I was before. My mental health and well-being are also a lot stronger now.
"I then decided to train to become a yoga teacher because it was what saved me.
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"I then started teaching during the pandemic in October 2020.
"Everyone that comes to my classes I think is struggling with something whether it be family, mental health or physical health. I tailor my classes to meet my participant's needs.
"I also offer chair-based yoga and pilates which is good because it allows a lot of people with physiological difficulties to be able to join in.
"I want people to know that you don’t need to be good at yoga to feel the numerous benefits of practising yoga."
First sessions are free, to book a class visit Daphnée's website here.
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