By: Marnie Dachis Marmet
The obstacle is the path. - Zen proverb
I grew up in Minneapolis, MN. I was raised in a health-conscious home, we were all about fitness. My mom was a TV aerobics instructor in the 80s and I went to many of her classes (Firm up with Elaine - good times). I’ve always been an athlete – throughout my school years I was a gymnast, runner, skier, and dancer. My early years looked like the picture of health. Exercise and sports? Absolutely. But healthy food and mindset? Not so much. Before I became an Integrative Health Practitioner, I was (and still am) an entrepreneur. I graduated from UW Madison with a BA in Journalism and landed a tempting, high-paying corporate job right out of school. I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me. I needed a career that nurtured my independence, my creative thinking and my bubbly optimism and I sure didn’t find that in the cold corporate world. I have always listened to my gut feeling, and it was telling me to carve out my own path. Eventually, after a few different jobs and a couple of self-started businesses, I set-up (and still run) my own company, ChillyBean Promotions, and I have spent the last 18 years as an entrepreneur. It's been a rewarding and satisfying business in many ways, but still, something still didn’t feel right. I thought I was living my purpose. So why was there a nagging voice whispering in my ear that I needed meaningful change in my life? For me, everything comes down to health, so that’s where I started. With some honest self-inquiry, I confronted some hard truths. I was in good physical shape, but I’d neglected a huge part of my well-being: the part that is harder to see and more difficult to heal. I had the “body” part figured out, but what about my mind? What about my spirit? Integrative Health was the missing piece of the puzzle. For years now I've had a passion for wellness and holistic health - I immersed myself in books, articles, and self-education, but it hadn't occurred to me yet that I could turn this passion into my career. During this period of self-inquiry (while I was focused on my health more than ever), the path ahead of me slowly opened itself up. Wisdom crept in. It was like a light bulb flickering on. Here was my awakening. I realized it’s not enough to have an active lifestyle. Although yoga has been a big part of my health routine for more than two decades, I’d somehow missed its central message – the interconnectedness of the physical, the emotional and the spiritual. I began to address my health as a whole. My mindset shifted. I changed my diet, workouts, self-care routines, and the way I talked to my children. I established more positive self-talk and slowly weeded out negative, toxic energy in my life. From there, it was a no-brainer: integrative health was my calling. Once I understood what my inner voice had been trying to tell me, there was no stopping me. As the Zen proverb says, “The obstacle is the path." I was fearful, but I took the plunge. I rearranged my whole world around integrative health. I enrolled in three simultaneous programs in one year, and it was crazy and challenging and wonderful. I became a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, a certified yoga teacher, and a Certified Yoga Calm® instructor. Zenful Life Coaching was born. I created Zenful Life Coaching as a way of changing lives using a powerful combination of health coaching and yoga. I now live, breathe, and teach integrative wellness. I get to inhabit my passion – if you’ve ever followed your heart, you’ll know how satisfying that feels. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! The impact on my own life has been profound. My loving husband and three kids are making small and steady changes too. Our home is much happier because I am living my purpose. I wake up every day excited and invigorated! Zen means “calm and restful” – it’s the serenity and confidence you achieve when you let go of what’s holding you back so that you can create a brand new reality. When you take small positive steps every day toward a healthier future, you are on your path to living your Zenful Life. Today, as a Board Certified Integrative Health Practitioner and Health Coach, I teach busy women and teens how to implement sustainable, healthy habits into their lifestyle to create a happier and healthier life. I help women attain the energy, vitality, health and anti-aging qualities that they seek, by identifying and addressing the root causes of dis-ease in the body. After a very thorough lifestyle assessment, I empower women to make gradual, sustainable lifelong changes in nutrition and lifestyle through a highly personalized plan. I help remove toxins and rebalance the body so a person can look and feel their best.
As your guide and mentor, I will empower you, providing on-going support and guidance, as you make changes that improve your health and happiness.
I coach clients on: Diet, Exercise, Stress Reduction, Toxin Removal, Sleep Issues, Supplements, Mindset Coaching and more.
I also recently co-launched The Art of Living Well Podcast which I created with a co-host to empower people to live their happiest, healthiest and most authentic life. Each week we bring inspiring and motivating conversations covering health & wellness topics including fitness, mindset, food, travel, product reviews and strategies from a variety of experts including our own bank of knowledge. I find this newest endeavor to be wildly fulfilling and I am thoroughly enjoying the journey and the process of creation.
A few fun facts about me:
I always wanted to be a singing, dancing stage star. (I have no vocal talent whatsoever – does that matter?)
As a hopeless romantic, I love watching a sentimental tear-jerker. A few favorites: Say Anything, The Notebook, Titanic, The Proposal, The Holiday, When Harry Met Sally, Up Close and Personal.
I have two secret superpowers: I have a crazy, intense sense of smell, and I can say "no soup for you" in Hebrew.
I make up goofy songs and sing them to my kids as I wake them up in the morning. They love it. (They hate it.)
Some of my random nicknames growing up were: Matilda, Marna Loa, Barney, Barn, Mern.
I feel very at peace when I'm outdoors – I think I was a National Geographic adventurer/photographer in another life.
I would love to pick up and move my family to another country for a year. (Or maybe just a summer.)
I generally stick to a 90% healthy, 10% splurge lifestyle. My non-guilty pleasures are chocolate and wine. Make no mistake – balance is healthy and treats are necessary!
I adore yoga, running, biking, hiking, skiing, water sports, travel, reading, photography, spending time with family and friends and learning new things.
To contact Marnie you can find her here:
Podcast: https://www.theartoflivingwell.us/