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Marie

Marie is a Certified Focusing Professional and a mindfulness practitioner with over 25 years of experience. Like many, Marie had a sudden introduction to caregiving. At age 30, she became a primary caregiver overnight after her father had a brain hemorrhage. She spent the next year trying to make him better—an impossible task—and became utterly drained.

In the years that followed, Marie tried to balance her professional life—working to reduce poverty in sub-Saharan Africa—with her personal life—which included caring for young children and ailing parents. This was challenging and prompted her to find ways to enhance her own well being. Marie took a mindfulness class, found it surprisingly helpful, and honed in on mindfulness and other awareness practices that brought her more ease and joy in daily life. 

Now, it is Marie’s honor to help other caregivers do the same.  She created a toolkit of awareness-based practices and encourages caregivers to experiment with them, identify those that work best for their unique circumstances, and then integrate these practices into their daily lives. Building community is integral to her offerings, as it helps to validate our experiences and support connection, learning, and laughing.

Marie practices mindfulness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, who gave her the Dharma name “Joyful Path of the Heart” in 2003.  She is an active member of the Opening Heart Mindfulness Community, where she chaired the board for many years, and of the Clear Skies Meditation Circle, which she co-founded in 2022. She has a BA in sociology from William Smith College, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Certificate in Focusing from the International Focusing Institute. Marie taught mindfulness and Focusing at Circle Yoga pre-Covid. She lives on a farm in Maryland and offers classes, retreats, and one-on-one sessions that help caregivers learn ways to care for themselves whilst caring for those they love.