Donna Marie Conover 
 

Donna Marie Conover, FAFS

Certified BREATHE Teacher, Fellow of Applied Functional Science

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I’m one of those people who is truly blessed to be in a body that’s very adaptable and resilient. I’m sure it’s a wonderful combination of genetics, lifestyle and mindset that have allowed me to make it to my mid-60s with all of the functions that tend to diminish by the time we reach this age, intact.

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I truly believe that speaks to the innate wisdom and resilience of the human body.

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I have always loved to move my body – especially movement that feels free, expansive and expressive, like dancing and yoga. I love singing too.  And, even though I had always wanted to experience the freedom of being able to run far and fast, I didn’t believe I could ever do it.

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Yes. I love my body and all that it is capable of doing, but I had a major challenge. I developed asthma at around age 2 after the death of my baby sister, Cindy.

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Not being able to breathe is the scariest thing in the world for a young child. And it didn’t get any easier as I got older. And what’s worse is, living with the constant fear of not being able to breathe, really held me back from experiencing the pleasures that living life to the fullest brings.

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I often wonder, if I never had asthma, would I have developed my fluid and resilient body and voice into an artful expression, and truly show up in the world to make the kind of impact I still dream of making?

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But, was it really the asthma that kept me from showing up, or was it fear? Looking back now, I’m certain it was fear. Some days, I was even too scared to move. The fear of an attack that MIGHT happen literally and figuratively paralyzed me.

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I was a book-worm as a kid, because trying to keep up with the other kids in my neighborhood and at school not possible, since most exercise brought on asthma attacks.

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Fast forward to young adulthood. I was still struggling, not able get through an aerobics or strength training class without my inhalers. Although they brought relief, they didn’t solve the problem, and the fear and anxiety over not being able to breathe was always there.

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Until recently, that fear was still holding me back. It kept me from courageously showing up. It kept me playing small and undervaluing myself, which kept me from creating the kind of abundance that would allow me the freedom to blossom into the woman I know I’m meant to be.

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So, what changed?

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It was when I found BREATHE; The Simple, Revolutionary Program to Improve Your Mental and Physical Health, by Dr. Belisa Vranich, that I learned that I could change my breathing back to the way my body wants to breathe, the way it as DESIGNED to breathe, and little by little I increased my energy and endurance, and decreased my reliance on asthma meds. Yes, this program worked so well for me that I decided to teach it, and became a certified BREATHE Instructor in March of this year.

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All those years, and all those doctors and respiratory therapists, and not one of them ever told me that I could work out my breathing muscles, to increase the capacity of my lungs. I was always taught that increasing aerobic fitness would help with my breathing, but it doesn’t.

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As I was soon to find out, we could have the heart of an elite athlete, and the lungs of a couch potato that smokes 2 packs a day, and until we learn how to use our diaphragm and primary breathing muscles, lung function will continue to diminish as we age.

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Here’s how the Breathing Class works. It’s a primer for all other breathing training. It brings cognitive awareness to the diaphragm and the muscles that support its movement, and allows us to increase their flexibility and strength. You’ll find out why that is so important in the class.

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Now that you understand the "why" behind my passion and how I help people, here's some personal anecdotes about my life:

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I moved to Vero Beach in 1992 after going through a divorce, to be closer to my family.  Moving to Vero Beach, Florida was one of the best decisions of my life.

 

When I am not working with clients, I’m most likely to be caring for my home and dog, Tigger with my husband, Brent Conover. We also love to spend as much time as possible at our mountain cabin in Townsend, TN. When I am not enjoying the outdoors, you will likely find me studying physiology and functional movement, and devising routines that will soon become classes on how to move more and exercise less.

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One of the things I am most proud of is that I have overcome the effects of aging and chronic illness (asthma) with diligent self-care practices in breathwork, functional movement, and whole-food-plant-based eating.

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My favorite quote is "Let the breath move the body. Let the body move the breath.", by Dan Brule, Just Breath: Mastering Breathwork.

 

In addition to my husband, my dog, Tigger, has turned out to be one of the greatest loves of my life. Not only is he a constant loving companion, we share daily adventures at two beautiful conservation areas here in Vero, the Oslo Conservation Trail and the Lagoon Greenway. When we’re in Tennessee, we love to walk on the banks and in the Little River. He just loves the water, and always goes for a swim, and he will never pass up a good mud puddle.

 

Our walks give me the opportunity to practice mobility and stability of gait on various uneven surfaces. Walking is something humans were designed to do, so I want to keep that ability as long as I possibly can.

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Licenses/Certifications/Degrees:

Licensed Massage Therapist - Florida MA71014 – 2001-Present

Colonic Irrigation Specialist – 2004-2007

Qigong Institute of Rochester – Certification- Healthy Balance Qigong – 2010

Trunamics – Integrative Anatomy Certification – December, 2018

Trumanics – Reciprocal Dynamics Certification – July, 2019

Trunamics – Structural Dynamics, Feet and Lower Legs – August, 2019

FAFS – Fellow of Applied Functional Science – Gray Institute - October, 2020

Certified BREATHE™ Instructor Teacher Certification – Dr. Belisa Vranich, Program Founder - March 2021