Samantha Dubinsky began practicing yoga at
the age of 14, inspired while vacationing on Hornby Island and watching a
couple dressed up in white clothing practicing around the beach. Soon after she bought
white clothing herself and received a yoga mat on her birthday.
Stemming from the passion for nature, hiking,
kayaking, tennis and being a former half marathon racer, yoga appeared to mold it
all together. Her childhood included difficulties with test anxiety and stuttering
throughout school, so the practice of yoga seemed that much more attractive as
a method to cope.
Since the age of 3, Sam would be a passionate
singer and was quite associated with competition and singing events which she
thanks her former coach for that wonderful experiences and relationship.
Additionally, professional theatre and film and tv auditions formed
a lot of Samantha's childhood routine before the age of 16.
It ended up being that they took a desire for
competitive racing, generally being fairly athletic throughout school.
Quickly though the infatuation with extreme training and exercise took control of her lifetime with no understanding of proper nutrition and overall balance between the two. This led to severe weight reduction as well as an unhealthy obsession with exercise with what is known as Orthorexia.
Looking back, she admits she was in deep
denial that she were built with a problem and was overwhelmed by the thought of healing.
It was then that she turned to
internationally recognized teacher and studio owner Kavita Maharaj of RED DOOR
YOGA in her hometown Nanaimo BC for one-on-one power yoga. Kavita was her first
teacher and helped Sam observe how yoga can be of great value to one's life but in
their state Samantha was at, learning about yoga was very important for her
health.
Thankful for this type of strong support of loved ones
network, Dubinsky their love and support in helping turn her lifetime around. This
support network also included multiple therapists whom she felt strongly
linked to.
By 2009 she felt her strongest as tennis,
running, hiking allowed her to focus and left her love of acting and singing in
the dust. Even today she holds the record for women 19 years and under for that
Victoria BC Half Marathon in 2009.
Soon following this half marathon, Dubinsky's
health quickly deteriorated again as she felt as though she missed the boat in
life and deep depression occur affecting her very own self-worth. By November of this
year, she was receiving daily calls from her doctor ensuring that she was
drinking enough fluids to stay awake. Sam knows how scared her family was
in this horrific time, yet she understands now, how helpless they must have
felt dealing with their daughter.
Sam made weekly visits to the Nanaimo
hospital where she'd stayed for a couple weeks the very first time she experienced
Orthorexia in 2007, however the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital did not have
anyone on staff who focused on treating eating disorders.
Forward towards the following year, she put her
small-time of teaching yoga on hold once she was eventually admitted to St Paul's
Hospital in Vancouver by February 2010 throughout the Olympics.
Samantha was around the medical ward after she
cleared emergency after her heart rate had plummeted to some deadly 15
beats/minute along with a weight drop of 74 lbs. She was coined the “worst case in
Canadian history” based on one of the emergency nurses.
After 2 weeks within the medical ward being
revitalized having a feeding tube, she was delivered to 4 Northwest, the eating
disorders program unit until April 7th.
“The worst month of my life saved me,” she
admits in hindsight but to this day, will still be quite surreal that Dubinsky
battled anorexia that severely at all.
The procedure for stabilizing your body to a
safe point where she was discharged felt endless. The last week she was in
hospital, Sam recalls how driven she ended up being to get better by herself and with no
doubt, it had been the refeeding that helped her gain mental stability to find a
positive mindset.
She returned to training together with her dad at
a fitness center, and the following Fall of 2011 she flew to Costa Rica to pursue
another 200hr month intensive yoga teacher training.
“It isn't negative, it's brutally raw and
real when i state that my eating disorders screwed me over, but it is constantly
being conscious of my thinking habits, and just what suits me positively in all forms,
how I choose wisely whether it be food or exercise that will give me that
optimal life. Simply seeking balance is a constant practice,” she says.
It was in that major volitile manner in
2009 that they stopped eating meat and have become what is a common orthorexic behavior
– infatuation over health: studying, living a vegan/gluten free/raw diet.
Currently she's a pescatarian, eating
grains, vegetables, and fish – particularly salmon, halibut and mahi mahi, thanks
to her father Byan Dubinsky who fishes.
Samantha has shared her story in schools, and
as had the honour of teaching yoga for those in alcohol and drug rehab, old
folks homes and elementary and schools. This is her method of giving back and
to share the healing power of yoga practice.
Dubinsky, living in Nanaimo, met her
boyfriend John from Edmonton, online in August of 2021.
In a cute but bittersweet nutshell moving
to Edmonton never was a concept that had crossed her mind. Yet, to determine the
relationship she went for this and have become the official Edmonton resident in
October of this year.
Landing full time use Goodlife
Fitness, Sam's passion for teaching grew immensely. Moving provinces was
certainly a struggle.
“I didn't move across the world but moving
away from my passion for the lake and ocean would be a big deal for me and felt
totally out of my element”.
Since being here, her fitness has
intensified yet her have a problem with food has mellowed.
“The food issues won't go away,” she says.
“I catch myself stressing over things to eat and may go quite a while without
food within my system, however the path I'm on currently shows me that i am doing just
fine. I have to remind myself how hard I train my body which must be
refueled”.
Samantha won't ever forget something a past
psychiatrist Dr Laird Birmingham believed to her. “You train like a Ferrari, and
Ferrari's need optimal fuel”.
“He was the guy. He listened and truly
respected me. Yet after a few visits, I told him that ultimately, I'm the main one
that has to turn my illness around. I can pay attention to you all night every week
but it's as much as me to put in the job if I want to get better”.
Sam cannot imagine life without yoga.
It was her first teacher, Kavita, who
helped open her eyes to the healing yoga can provide. And due to the support
from her Mother and Stepfather Peter Wolski, Sam attended numerous workshops in
Vancouver at her favouite studio YYOGA. It had been there that they confirmed, that yoga
was her calling.
She still enjoys mad football with
family, long walks together with her boyfriend and long road cycling in the summer.
“What is one thing I can say to those
battling a diet disorder and depression? Recognize the problem and seek help
to show it around. Speak up! A cry for
assistance is not a failure or something like that to be embarrassed of like I believed it was. IT'S
Alright to ASK FOR HELP! We are able to bottle stuff in, and nothing gets resolved and that we
slowly disintegrate, but I firmly believe the yoga mat also saved me.”
