MSyogamovements

12/05/2025

✨ What 25+ Years of Living With MS Has Taught Me

A message of teaching, advocacy, and truth.

Hi, I’m Mara — and I’ve been living with Multiple Sclerosis for over 25 years. When I was diagnosed, I thought my story was ending. What I didn’t know was that my story was really just beginning.

MS has shaped every part of my life… medically, physically, emotionally, and even in my friendships. And after two decades, here’s what I’ve learned:

1️⃣ Medically — MS Is a Journey, Not a Moment

Treatments change. Symptoms change. YOU change.
I learned to advocate for myself in every doctor’s office, ask questions, and honor that my MS is unique to me. This is why I speak up today—for access, research, equity, and every person living with this unpredictable disease.

2️⃣ Physically — Strength Looks Different Than I Expected

My body has asked me to adapt again and again.
Some days are light. Some days are heavy.
But MS taught me to meet my body where it is, not where I think it “should” be.

That’s what led me to yoga—
movement that honors fatigue, strength, rest, breath, and healing.
Now I teach others, especially those with chronic illness and seniors, that movement doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful.

3️⃣ Emotionally — Holding Grief and Gratitude Together

MS broke me open… and asked me to rise.
I’ve felt fear, frustration, hope, joy, and everything in between. Over time, I learned the beauty of choosing grace, pacing my energy, and allowing myself to be both vulnerable and strong.

4️⃣ Friendships — Finding My People

MS will show you who is truly meant to walk beside you.
Some friendships faded.
Some deepened.
And some new ones—especially within the MS community—became family.

Community is medicine. Connection is healing. Advocacy is purpose.

So What Has MS Meant to Me After 25+ Years?

It has meant transformation.
It has meant courage.
It has meant rewriting my life again and again—with compassion and resilience.

I don’t just live with MS.
I lead with it. I teach with it. I advocate with it.
And I use my voice so no one walking this path ever feels alone.

To anyone newly diagnosed or struggling:
You can have MS and still build a beautiful, meaningful, joyful life.
You can rewrite your story.
You can rise.

Mara-💛

11/29/2025

🪑💛 Pinecrest family… it’s time!
If you’ve been thinking about joining my Chair Yoga classes, consider this your loving nudge. December and January registration is officially open, and I cannot wait to move, breathe, and laugh with you again.

These classes are made for every body — especially my seniors, my chronic illness warriors, and anyone craving gentle movement, better balance, and a supportive community that truly sees you.

Every time I walk into that room at Pinecrest Community Center, I’m reminded how healing it is when we show up for ourselves… and for each other.
Come be part of this circle. You’re welcome exactly as you are. 🌿

🗓 Mondays & Fridays
⏰ 11:30 AM
📍 Pinecrest Community Center
5855 Killian Drive, Pinecrest, FL 33156

Let’s finish this year — and begin the next — with strength, joy, and community. I’ll save you a chair. 💛🪑✨

Blessings ✨

Mara

✨ Register today at www.MSYogaMovements.com

11/20/2025

I didn’t discover yoga because I was naturally flexible. Instead, I found it because I desperately needed a deep, restorative rest. The kind that meets you exactly where you are and allows you to exhale for the first time in a long time.

When I first stepped onto the mat, it wasn’t about the poses. It was about finding my breath again. My body craved a gentler way to exist, and yoga became that anchor for me. It still is.

Today, yoga is my sanctuary—a place where I can be myself without any pressure or expectations, just present.

We all come to yoga for different reasons: to alleviate pain, to combat exhaustion, to reduce stress, to heal, or simply to explore. Every story matters.

💛 What brought you to yoga?
I’d be thrilled to hear your story. Share it below so we can remind someone else that they’re not alone.

— Mara
MS Yoga Movements
www.MSyogamovements.com

11/14/2025

✨ Move with Ease and Find Support ✨

Does your body crave gentler movement, deeper connection, and a space to truly breathe? My Chair-Based Yoga classes cater to seniors and individuals living with chronic illness and MS, offering movements that respect your body's needs and help you feel more confident.

🪑 In our time together, you'll experience:
• Mindful movements to reduce stiffness
• Breathwork for a calmer nervous system
• Improved strength and balance
• A supportive community and peaceful environment

🗓️ Mondays & Fridays at 11:30 AM
📅 November & December
📍 Pinecrest Community Center
5855 Killian Drive, Pinecrest, FL 33156

👉 Save your spot today and join me for a journey of gentle movement, breathwork, and restoration. Your body and spirit will appreciate it. 💚

Mara

https://register.capturepoint.com/reg/cat_program_list_detail.cfm?s=&t=&season_id=21428&program_id=2458588

11/11/2025

Please take a moment to read the latest from National MS Society! This is all so promising but in the early stages.

10/16/2025

There’s something special about beginning the day with calm energy and an open heart. Imagine stepping onto your mat, inhaling the crisp clarity of peppermint, the floral serenity of ylang ylang, and the refreshing zest of lemongrass.

Each breath awakens your body. Each movement releases tension. Each drop of essential oil connects you back to yourself.

💚 Peppermint to awaken the mind.
💛 Lemongrass to uplift your spirit.
🌸 Ylang Ylang to soothe the heart.

This peaceful morning flow blends gentle yoga, mindful breathing, and aromatic support to help you feel centered, refreshed, and ready to embrace the day.

Join me in person or online and let’s begin the morning grounded, present, and glowing from within. ✨

10/13/2025

🌿 Living with Multiple Sclerosis for over two decades has shaped who I am not just through challenges, but through purpose.

There were years I stayed quiet about my diagnosis. But once I began sharing my story, everything changed. I found community, courage, and connection.

Today, as a State and District Advocacy Leader for the National MS Society, I’ve seen how one voice can ripple into change whether it’s through awareness, policy, or compassion.

Yoga became my bridge back to myself. Through MS Yoga Movements, I create spaces where every body can move, breathe, and feel supported no matter their limitations.

If you live with MS, I want you to know: your voice matters. 💛

Share your story. Join the movement. Let’s keep creating change together, one breath and one story at a time.

Join the MS Collective Community on Facebook for more information and support.

📣Visit my website for details of how to join me for a in person or online yoga class.
Www.MSyogamovements.com

Mara

10/06/2025

🌳 Accessible Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
Root down. Rise up. Find your balance, your way.

🌿 “Balance isn’t about standing still it’s about learning to sway with grace, rooted in strength and guided by breath.” — MS Yoga Movements

Tree Pose is one of my favorites because it reminds us that balance isn’t about perfection it’s about connection.
Some days, your foot might lift high; other days, it barely leaves the ground. Both are perfect.

Try this at home:
• Begin standing tall or seated with your feet grounded.
• Shift your weight gently to one side.
• Bring the sole of your foot to your ankle or calf (skip the knee).
• Hands come to heart or lift like branches to the sky.
• Breathe deeply and feel your strength grow from within.

Every time you practice, you plant a seed of balance body, mind, and spirit working together in harmony.

If you’d like to experience yoga that meets you exactly where you are, join me for Accessible Yoga in person here in Miami or online from anywhere.

Let’s grow stronger together one breath, one stretch, one moment of stillness at a time.

Visit www.msyogamovements.com to learn more or sign up for a class today!

09/30/2025

For a long time, I believed that healing involved being serious, persevering, and maintaining composure. However, the truth is that healing also manifests in laughter. It manifests in sitting in the sand, with messy hair and bare feet, finding joy in the simplest of moments.

Multiple Sclerosis has taught me to acknowledge both the challenging days when my body feels heavy and the joyful days when happiness flows effortlessly. Both experiences are valid and integral to my journey.

Perhaps yoga reminds us of this: to be present with all of it—the strength, the softness, the laughter, and the tears.

I’d love to know what one simple moment brought you joy this week. 🌊💚

09/18/2025

🌸 Find Your Strength, Ease, and Joy – Every Monday and Friday at Pinecrest! 🌸

Looking for a way to move your body, ease tension, and feel more energized without getting down on the mat? Chair Yoga with Certified Yoga Instructor Mara Fowler at the Pinecrest Community Center is the perfect place to begin.

This isn’t just another yoga class it’s a supportive community where we laugh, stretch, breathe, and celebrate every little victory together. With gentle, accessible movements, you’ll improve your flexibility, balance, and posture while discovering how powerful and capable your body truly is.

✨ Why join us?

You’ll receive personal guidance in a safe, welcoming space

You’ll connect with a caring community that cheers each other on

You’ll walk out feeling lighter, stronger, and more at peace

Whether you’re brand-new to yoga or simply want to move with ease and joy, this class is for you. Come as you are—leave feeling better than when you walked in.

🪑 Chair Yoga – Every Monday and Friday 11:30 AM at Pinecrest Community Center
✨ All levels welcome | No experience needed | Just bring yourself!

💛 Your journey to strength and serenity starts here with us.

👉 Are you ready to join our yoga community and feel the difference for yourself?

09/15/2025

Perspectives on Living with MS.

09/08/2025

Look at this new information from webmd:

https://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/ss/cm/slideshow-multiple-sclerosis-advances-treatment?ecd=socpd_fb_LAL_1827_spns_ctv24100_conmkt&fbclid=IwZnRzaAMrwaZleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqyC9DQ_ZQwEeRhSJBeSOQgZ7E5SSdezEhjvBJgdS1Y6hcHkNl0SCMSssqq5rPumaS7CMBr8_aem_jFs34v5nuY-Wmza1wlc-dw&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_id=120216333332830355&utm_content=120225611873390355&utm_term=120225611873340355&utm_campaign=120216333332830355

There are many recent advances in MS treatment. Some are approved by the FDA, while others are still in clinical trials. Learn more about new therapies.