My journey into mindfulness did not unfold in an ivory tower of academic pursuits but emerged from the well of personal challenges. In the corridors of college life, I grappled with the dichotomy of being both an athlete and an individual silently battling bulimia. This struggle would eventually become a crucial puzzle for understanding the mind-body connection.
Diagnosed with anxiety and depression, my journey has been a daily negotiation with the shadows that can eclipse the light of the present moment. Through this very struggle, the seeds of mindfulness were sown—seeds that would later blossom into a profound understanding of the transformative power of being fully present.
Tumultuous chapters have marked my personal life, including my pregnancy, which was threatened by my past eating disorder, and a marriage to a narcissist that ultimately led to a high-conflict divorce. The subsequent journey of parental alienation that threatened to sever the precious bond with my daughter—a journey fraught with heartache and resilience. The death of a parent from COVID-19 - and finally, as a parent navigating the trials of a teenage daughter's multiple chronic illnesses, the need for resilience and presence became not just a philosophical concept but a daily practice.
In the pages of “A Mindful Triumph,” I wear the hat of both an expert and a fellow traveler. The academic rigor of my credentials is coupled with the raw authenticity of a life lived with its share of triumphs and tribulations. Using personal stories and professional insights, "A Mindful Triumph" is a testament to mindfulness's transformative journey—one that transcends theory to become a lived experience.