Marion Lyman-Mersereau was born and raised in Honolulu and is a graduate of Punahou, the University of Northern Colorado, and the University of Hawaii where she received a Masters in Education and has done extensive graduate work in the religion department. She served in the Peace Corps in Palau, Micronesia for two years. Marion retired from Punahou where she taught ethics government, yoga and mindfulness to middle school students for 34 years. She is currently a part time mindfulness teacher at Liholiho Elementary.