Amity: How old are your daughters now?
Mariel: They’re 25 and 27. I remember
all of it like yesterday. You never lose that
connection. Actually, Langley and I just
did a Mother’s Day project for Coach. They
interviewed us separately. It was so cool to
hear what she said about me; you just get
choked up when you realize you did a pretty
good job and your kid likes you!
Amity: Of course she does! Your thoughts
on mindfulness and spirituality completely
inspired me. Can you share more on that?
Mariel: I don’t think of spirituality as
a separate thing we do. Everything we do
is related to everything. Spirituality is an
extension of eating good food in the morning,
taking a mindful approach to all that you do.
You know, “Chop wood, carry water.” Do
one thing at a time. I think our lives are so
complicated now because we have technology
up the wazoo and nobody knows when to
turn it off. I’m as guilty as the next person.
But we have to learn to compartmentalize and
also learn to take time for yourself; when to be
conscious, when to slow down, when to speed
up, when to make all kinds of choices. To me,
living life is a spiritual experience if you’re
living in the present moment.
Amity: It’s perfect, truly. Another way you
inspire us is your Instagram feed. It’s so calm
and peaceful. Our whole team just breathes
more deeply when we look at your photos.
And your sweet dog!
Mariel: No, I love your magazine images
with kids in nature!
Growing up, that was the only thing I had that
made sense to me. Nature was like, “Ahhh,
this is real. This is life.”
It’s always there, it doesn’t judge. I feel like
nature is such an important part of our lives
that we’re not paying enough attention to. I
really feel like nature is where God lives. That’s
where I feel a connection. That’s my religion,
and where I can feel most still and grounded.
So I think when you’re trying to find a place
to tune in to your instincts, that’s where you
go. That’s what will allow you to hear your inner voice.
Amity: And that constant of nature is
grounding, too. The stream you sit by is
the same today as it was yesterday, and last
year, and maybe even from when you were
a child. Something that remains unchanged
feels really important in a world where your
Twitter feed is completely different in five
seconds.
Mariel: It’s true.
And it’s all about
allowing, with no
expectation.
Read on in
Mariel’s new
books:
“Out Came the Sun:
Overcoming the
Legacy of Mental
Illness, Addiction, and
Suicide in My Family”
& “Invisible Girl”
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