Introducing Debbie Marks Wellness
Hello! With this first blog post I feel the need to tell you who I am, or at the very least, tell you what you can expect from these weekly monthly (let’s be honest) posts. Maybe I can answer some questions you might have as to why I’m writing in the first place, or why you might be interested in reading on.
Yoga means union. Some think of it as the union of body and mind, but it can mean many things; uniting breath & movement, body & soul, the individual self and community. Yoga is finding wholeness within oneself.
I recently had the opportunity to learn from an inspiring yogi named Nikki Myers. She’s the founder of Y12SR– Yoga of 12-Step Recovery. Nikki spoke to me and my colleagues about the real meaning of wholeness. She told us that you can’t pretend one part of you doesn’t exist. She could have told us only about her achievements in life, but then she wouldn’t be sharing her truth, that although she’s an accomplished speaker and practitioner, mother, and grandmother, she’s also struggled with addiction for most of her life.
So in an effort to introduce my true self to you, I will have to unite the good and the bad, remembering that although my experiences through life are a part of who I have come to be, none of them define me as a person.
I’m Debbie. I’m a public health educator, and a yoga and meditation teacher. I’m an empath, and a mother of 3 young children. I’m a lover of donuts and ice cream, and I’m divorced.
My separation wasn’t easy. I was raised by immigrant parents in a household where we didn’t discuss divorce. There was so much shame associated with the concept that I never accepted it as a possibility in my own life, and judged other couples for “breaking up” their families. That’s exactly how I saw it– a family that was broken. It took time, some therapy, and lots of yoga to realize and accept that my family looks different, but we are whole.
I’ve been practicing yoga for over ten years, but it wasn’t until I dove deeper into my yoga practice that I uncovered what was hidden all along. By practicing yoga and meditation daily over a long period of time, I’ve learned a few things:
I’m stronger than I thought I was; mentally, physically, emotionally. (Think of a cross between the Buddha, the Hulk, and Dr. Phil, all wrapped in the shell of a petite 30-something woman).
Everyone has suffering in life, but what matters is how we react to that suffering. Although I don’t wish divorce upon anyone, I know it was the right decision for my family.
Nothing in life is permanent except for death & taxes. Most of the time we worry about things that haven’t happened yet. We live in that reality and it’s poisonous. If we let go of our attachments to how we think things are supposed to be, we feel less loss and more contentment.
Non-reaction is our strongest asset. If you don’t react to stress, it loses its power.
Gratitude is a muscle. Research has found that practicing gratitude 3 times daily for 21 days actually changes the pattern of the brain.* Instead of looking for the negative, our minds naturally start to look for the positives in life, changing our overall perspective.
I can go on and on, but then there wouldn’t be as much content for the rest of my blog posts ;) It’s sufficient to say that the study and practice of yoga changed me. It continues to help me find balance, literally and figuratively, every day.
Through this blog I’ll share more about the benefits of my practice and how some of the things I’ve picked up along the way might help you. I’ll also talk about how I’ve stumbled, in an effort to remind you that we are all on our own journey to wholeness.
I decided to start writing here as a gift of reflection for myself, but also as a resource for others. A healthy lifestyle should be accessible to all. One of my most favorite things to do in life is educate and this platform allows me to do it on my time, with my own parameters. Some posts will highlight yoga, meditation, and breath-work. Others will bring attention to research in the field of preventative health or provide tips and ideas for easy (and difficult) ways to start making healthy changes in your life. I encourage you, my reader, to engage in conversation and bring your own questions and conclusions to me and to your communities. I hope to bring together a community of individuals who feel inspired by healthy living through mind, body, and soul. Until next time...
