This Sunday is National Cancer Survivors' Day, a day for appreciating all of our loved ones who got through the trials and tribulations of cancer, and are now rebuilding and redefining their lives in the wake of their remission.

It is also a reminder of how cancer never truly leaves us. Even if our body is free of malignant cells, the impact it has on our lives, one way or the other, stays with us.

But survivors also have the power to change their lives for the better on the other side of this experience: not all the baggage we take from going through cancer has to be a burden. Many people find the motivation to change their lifestyle in the battle with cancer. But to really improve your life as a survivor, those healthy changes need to stay with you long after the countless hospital visits and surgeries and chemo sessions have ended.

I've talked a lot about how a mind-body exercise routine is key to boosting your immune system and preventing chronic illness. I've talked about how to take baby steps for learning mind-body techniques, how to commit to a regular routine, and even how to fit it into your busy schedule.

But today, the message is this: make sure you don't leave your mind-body tools behind when you walk out of that oncology ward for the last time.