Stepping into the gritty Astoria Boxing Club in Vancouver for the first time, Lara Cubitt never imagined it would change her life. "It's old, it smells of empty beer cans and maybe urine?... blood?" she recalls with a laugh. Yet this unlikely beginning set her on a path to becoming a two-time Canadian amateur boxing champion—before multiple sclerosis forced her to reimagine her relationship with movement entirely.Lara's journey from championship boxer to certified Iyengar yoga teacher unfolds with raw honesty in this conversation. She describes being drawn to boxing almost by accident, initially thinking "I probably won't fight" before finding herself blood-covered after her first sparring session. Her coach noticed something special: "She keeps going forward." This resilience would become crucial when mysterious symptoms began appearing—extreme fatigue, inability to perform, and eventually the devastating MS diagnosis that ended her boxing career.The heart of Lara's story lies in adaptation. When boxing became impossible, she turned to yoga, initially viewing it as "the exact opposite of boxing." But as her MS progressed, bringing numbness, cognitive challenges, and what she describes as "shut down your life fatigue," yoga became both anchor and lifeline. Eventually completing a rigorous three-year Iyengar yoga teacher training, Lara discovered a new purpose in helping others navigate their own movement challenges.Whether you're facing health challenges or simply curious about movement's deeper dimensions, Lara's perspective challenges us to value motion in all its forms. After a bone marrow transplant unexpectedly improved some abilities, she embraces each day's possibilities without attachment to outcomes. Her message resonates clearly: presence matters, adaptation isn't failure, and how we move profoundly shapes how we live.About Lara CubittLara Cubitt is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher and former two-time Canadian Amateur Boxing Champion who competed internationally as part of Team Canada. She has also lived with MS for over 15 years and uses her experience navigating severe chronic illness - physically, mentally & emotionally - to inform her teaching.Lara teaches private clients at their homes & can be reached via email [email protected] to arrange sessions.I'd LOVE to hear from you! Send me a text! Heart of Motion Podcast host Susannah Steers is a Pilates & Integrated Movement Specialist and owner of Moving Spirit Pilates in North Vancouver, BC. She is passionate about movement, about connections and about life.Through movement teaching, speaking, and facilitating workshops, she supports people in creating movement practices that promote fitness from the inside out. She loves building community, and participating in multi-disciplinary collaborations. Along with her friend and colleague Gillian McCormick, Susannah also co-hosts The Small Conversations for a Better World podcast – an interview based podcast dedicated to promoting the kind of conversations about health that can spark positive change in individuals, families, communities and across the globe.Social Media Links:Moving Spirit Pilates Instagram Moving Spirit Pilates Facebook Susannah Steers Instagram

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