Babbles Nonsense

Awaken With Maria: Transformative Healing Through Retreats and Holistic Practices

• Johnna Grimes • Episode 156

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#156: Maria Brito, better known as AwakenWithMaria on Instagram, joins us for an inspiring episode where she unravels her healing journey from postpartum depression to becoming a beacon of empowerment as a life coach and yoga instructor. Her story is a testament to the power of holistic healing, as she opens up about the limitations of traditional medicine and her transformative experiences with practices like breathwork, plant medicine, yoga, meditation, and so much more. Maria’s commitment to fostering personal growth and self-discovery shines through in her retreats set in stunning locations like Mexico, Puerto Rio, Maine, and Spain, where she curates experiences that celebrate female camaraderie and transformation.

We explore the dynamic world of healing modalities with Maria, delving into the potential of plant medicines and the often-overlooked power of breathwork as tools for profound therapeutic breakthroughs. Maria shares her firsthand experiences of integrating sound baths and shadow work into her life coaching, emphasizing the need to confront and release limiting beliefs. Her aspirations to extend her message through a TED Talk and an upcoming book highlight her dedication to reach a wider audience with her message of empowerment.

Maria’s passion for creating supportive environments is evident as she recounts her retreats in places like Sayulita, Puerto Rico, and Maine. These retreats are more than just a getaway; they are sanctuaries for healing and growth, where the power of silence and self-reflection are harnessed to foster personal evolution. She also shares her commitment to helping women break free from societal constraints, advocating for the importance of self-investment and internal healing. Maria’s journey as a "soulful midwife" guiding transformative experiences serves as a reminder of the power of facing fears and embracing growth wholeheartedly.

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https://www.instagram.com/awakenwithmariabrito/
https://www.facebook.com/mariabritofitness?mibextid=LQQJ4d
https://www.awakenwithmaria.com/about
https://www.awakenwithmaria.com/wellnessretreats

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Johnna:

What is up everyone? Welcome back to another episode of the Babbles Nonsense Podcast. I'm beyond excited for you all to hear today's interview with Maria Brito. You may know her as AwakenWithMaria on Instagram. She is a life coach, a yoga instructor. She does breathwork, sound baths, all the things. But on today's interview you're going to get to hear her personal experience. You're going to hear about her retreats that she does, where she takes women on this healing journey in places like Mexico, barcelona, spain, puerto Rico, maine, her upcoming vision board workshop that she is doing here in Huntsville, her life coaching and all the modalities utilized in all of these experiences. We talk about so much and she is just a ball of energy and just the energy that she exudes in this interview is just beyond exciting. So I hope you all love this interview as much as I enjoyed interviewing her. Here we go, guys, guys, welcome back to another episode of the Babbles Nonsense Podcast. I'm super excited to have Maria here.

Johnna:

Awaken with Maria that you may know on Instagram. Welcome to the Babbles Nonsense Show. Thank you for having me. Of course, like anything that's like therapy driven mental health, whatever. It is that just number one. I'm so fascinated by it. I know we were talking before we started. I have mean you on all the time, who's a life coach in nashville, and like just just her thought process alone interests me, so like just sitting down and being able to talk to anyone like that just interests me. But you are a life coach, yes, yoga instructor, breath work. And then I know we mentioned you said you're not a midwife. I'm not, but on your website it says midwifery.

Johnna:

Yeah but we're gonna jump into that on what that means. But you also do retreats, you, I mean, you just do so many things. So I want to know, like your background first of all, like how did you get started in all of this? I'm always intrigued by someone like was this your life calling? Were you like when you were, when you were six years old? Were you like this is what I want to do? Or did you have like a whole, not life?

Maria:

before this, um, I say the chaos of my I always say the chaos of my life is what got me into this. Okay, um, I had just had my daughter, my youngest, who's now 28 in England. My husband was military and what? She still lives in England. Oh, no, no, okay, I was like, wait, that was 28 years ago in England. Okay, in England, um, and I had no family and I fell into a very deep depression. I had postpartum and the only thing that they had for me was, hey, here's some Prozac, here's some Xanax, and basically good luck.

Maria:

And that was, for me, really eye-opening that I wasn't given tools to live life to cope with the anxiety, because I was having panic attacks, trying to get take care of two little little girls and military wife, husband was gone, deployed, and all I had was this right and I got really upset, Really upset.

Johnna:

Right, and that's where I feel like, because you know, I am a nurse practitioner and I do work in western medicine, but it does fail us a lot because there are other things that they don't tell us that we can do. Yes, because big pharma then would lose a lot of money. Yep, absolutely. But also bravo to you for recognizing that something was wrong 20 years ago with with postpartum, because that wasn't talked about either exactly so.

Maria:

I mean we've gone, we've come a long way, a long way, but like 20 years ago like yeah, bravo to you for even recognizing something was wrong, yeah, and so I started diving into books. I went the holistic route. I did all the things. I hired all the coaches, I went to the retreats, and that's that's why I say the chaos of my life got me into this, because I fell in love with what I was learning and how I was able to pretty much heal myself right through this process and it's one of those things like when I decided to get yoga certified After practicing yoga for so many years, I was like, no, I think I want to do this.

Maria:

I want to go deeper, I want to dive deeper. I'm a seeker of life, um, and I started taking the classes to treat, to teach us, like I can't keep this to myself. I can't keep this goodness to myself. It would be selfish not to right share it. And that's exactly how I felt. I was like I have to share this goodness because I saw it's almost like when you start to work on something, the universe starts to present you people that need that too.

Johnna:

That's interesting that you say that, because my life passion is to help women with their thyroid and hormones Maybe not so much hormones because I suck at it, but thyroid in general just because it's so misunderstood and misdiagnosed in in what I do and in my personal journey took me there because I was misdiagnosed for and I think I went to 10 doctors before anyone would listen.

Johnna:

so now I'm like why do people not listen when people are speaking, like, especially in medicine, therapy, medicine, health, whatever it is? There's a lot of people that don't listen, and I do blame a part of that on insurance companies and things like that, because it's like get them in, get them out 15 minutes, 15 minutes. But I do commend you for like being able to share your journey and share what you love with other people as well.

Maria:

Yeah, and then that's really pretty much how I got to where I am today.

Johnna:

How long have you been doing it?

Maria:

I have been doing this for 12 years, 12 years.

Johnna:

Yeah, I mean, I worked on myself, I was like my. I always say I was my first client for many years.

Maria:

And then I was like you know what, this is the moment, I'm going to go for it and I did, and it was scary, but yeah, I'm so glad I did.

Johnna:

Did you leave like a corporate job or anything like that?

Maria:

No, I was working corporate and I was doing the wellness on the side and it took. It took many years of that until I decided you know what I'm going to go for it like fully do this 100%. And it wasn't until after COVID. Oh really. That I actually. Yeah, I was working for the government at that time and I resigned. Oh, wow I was crazy, but yeah, I did it.

Johnna:

Big leap of faith, and it's taken off, though it's literally been the best probably decision you made it was it was?

Maria:

you know, it's like one of those things like I wish I had done it earlier, like what is the fear, you know, that's holding me back?

Johnna:

you know and and yeah, I wish I had done it earlier, but you know, it's funny that you say that, because I have interviewed a lot of women entrepreneurs and a lot of them have said the same thing, which even like, when I follow, like certain influencers that have like a gift, where they're like they were like there's this one particular that I follow in Nashville and she's always like quit your job and make soap. Like I'm serious, like, if that's your passion, do it. Because, like, whatever you're passionate about, usually you will make happen. Yes, is what I've found out.

Maria:

Yes.

Johnna:

Which I recently, over the past couple of years, I went, I left like a w-2 position. I'm still I'm not technically quote unquote self-employed, but I am 1099 contract and I do kind of work for myself and that was a big, scary decision. Leaving like a w-2 position. I can't say 100% like leaving and doing, like opening a whole business, like y'all have done. But I kind of can relate and understand, because it is scary, because you're just like what if this fails? What if my contract ends? What do?

Maria:

I do then like, yeah, you know, and it's all on you, right, you know, once you make that decision, it's you gotta, you gotta, make it happen.

Johnna:

I know it is now. You said you work for the government. So like is there, do you have like a certain degree or something like your background that you were doing prior? Yeah, project management budget analyst yeah okay, so this is complete, like you have, like spreadsheets, two separate lines.

Maria:

No, it's like the analytical mind and the creative mind. But hey, it works together. I balanced it out for so many years.

Johnna:

I really did well, it probably helps you in your business oh yeah, oh my gosh.

Maria:

Yes, it absolutely has. Like people are like I don't know how you make all this, the retreats happen and the agendas and the, and like hey, it's everything I learned in my past life.

Johnna:

I love that though. Yeah, and speaking of like not to keep going back to me and you or whatnot, but like she had a marketing background before she full-time went into life coaching, and so, like her, I have a marketing background so I was like it completely helped her.

Maria:

She was like I know how to market myself. It's fine. Yeah, that's amazing.

Johnna:

But I also looked up. Something very interesting about your training is that you were trained by shamans. So I want to know about that, because I listen to Jay Shetty and stuff like that and listening to his experience and reading his books and how he did the same thing. That's very fascinating. So tell me about your training with shamans.

Maria:

I started years ago going to retreats and getting involved in a lot of women's work. That was really, really intriguing to me, how this whole world of womanhood was there and no, and I really didn't know about it and I was like, wow, this isn't so interesting. And so I went to different places and met all these amazing medicine women, medicine men, and just started to take all this information. You know like it's amazing what's out there and plant medicine and all you know what, what, what is given to us by Pachamama, the earth, and how we can. It's there to nourish us, literally nourish us and heal us. And we take it for granted. We do.

Johnna:

And since you brought up plant medicine. I don't know if I've mentioned this on the podcast. I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to mention it. I did a mushroom ceremony with a girl from LA. I was not trying to get high or anything like that, but I was dealing with a lot of trauma in my life where it was family trauma and stuff like that. She was like, hey, this will take you there. So I did this mushroom ceremony or whatever. She came in. She gave me the mushrooms. So I did. I did like this mushroom ceremony or whatever. She came in, she gave me the mushrooms. I didn't realize this was going to be like a six hour thing. I thought it literally only lasted an hour in my brain. Yeah, but like the things that it unlocked in my brain, I remembered.

Johnna:

Yeah, I was just like wow, like this is where my abandonment issues come from. This, like I got on the phone with my mom when I was done, I was like I can't believe you left me with a babysitter. Like she was like, yeah, that happened. I was like I forgot, like I suppressed it, I couldn't remember, and then it just made me understand more, like why I have the abandonment issues that I have, like in my adulthood, yeah, so and all that from mushrooms, from mushrooms Right Like I.

Johnna:

Mushrooms right like I was just like what? Like is it I? I was questioning myself after I was like, was that real? Like, did that? And when my mom confirmed that, everything that I remembered, which I did watch the documentary I cannot think of the name of it now on Netflix before I did it because I was terrified, because I, you know, I was just terrified. I was like I'm not trying to like trip, I'm not trying to go down that rabbit hole, but when you say plant medicine is like, is that kind of what you're like referring to? Yeah, which? On that documentary it literally said that, um, they were studying this, I want to say, at john hopkins um hospital where they were like supervising people. They would give them the mushrooms or whatnot and apparently it was curing OCD, yes, depression, yes, like, like we're saying curing, not just suppressing. But then they put a stop to it because they couldn't patent it, because it's from the earth.

Maria:

Doesn't that blow your?

Johnna:

mind I was like, oh, so big pharma can't make money from it.

Maria:

I'm going to get like who knows who's listening to this, but you know it's like, uh, breathwork is the same. You know, breathwork is something that we have. All of us have it and in a breathwork journey, people have told me I felt like I I was in a mushroom ceremony.

Johnna:

Really, yeah, yeah. So when you say a breathwork journey, like what does that entail?

Maria:

Because I can't breathe when I'm working out in general.

Johnna:

I'm just a lot of people have issues with that.

Maria:

Okay, you're not the only one, I'm just a highly anxious person.

Johnna:

So, like I try not to, because that's one thing like I have trouble sleeping. So there's this one meditation I listen to. That's like hold your breath for six seconds and I'm like I feel like I'm dying.

Maria:

Yeah, it's, it's a lot of. It takes practice Okay, it takes practice and I always talk about the, you know to learn how to cultivate space in your body for breath. Um, it's really eye-opening how much, how much space you have and and how how long you can hold the breath for. And once you start working on it, um, but breath is the breath of life and we take it for granted and you know a lot of women have said this after a breathwork session. They're like, I feel like I I feel high, I feel like I'm very for very light. Yeah, um, I've just let go of so much. Some women say this is like five years of therapy in one, in one one hour session. I just like I can't believe. This is unbelievable. How, how, how much I've been able to release and what I've been able to tap into right.

Maria:

I was not able to tap into talk therapy for years. So and I'm all about therapy yeah, don't get me wrong, and I'm all about. You know, sometimes we have to take medicine to regulate ourselves, but for me the most important thing is learning how to cope with life and gain and teaching women. Tools like breath work right to calm the nervous system, meditation, but also shadow work.

Johnna:

So I was gonna ask you what different modalities do you use when you're doing life coaching or treatment? Like I know, you mentioned breath work, you just mentioned shadow work. Um, what all modalities you do? Sound bass as well, correct? Yes, like, can you list each one and like give an example or how it can help you tap into something?

Maria:

So I don't call it a treatment. They're just modalities that I use, and most of them when you come to my retreats you get to experience everything together. But I use breathwork, I use sound bath. Of course, Sound vibration is so healing. It also takes you places. It just like it have you ever?

Johnna:

experienced it. Oh so when I did the mushroom ceremony, she played different musics. Like if I and of course I was talking to her the entire time she's like what are you seeing, what are you doing? And then, like if I told her what I was saying, like she would either play like very, like dark, kind of okay music to get me to go there or she would play like light floaty music to get me to go there or she would play like light floating music to get me to go a different way.

Johnna:

Yeah, so that's the only yeah kind of experience it does affect your feelings and emotions right, which I mean music does music.

Maria:

That's what that's exactly that's what it is. Sound, sound therapy, okay, um, but also, um, I do shadow work. And shadow work is pretty much getting to the root of the cause, of why, the why that you know it's like, it's like a toddler, but why, but why? Yeah, we got to get really curious as to why you keep experiencing this, why this limiting belief keeps surfacing for you, and how we can stop that from happening. But we have to get to the why first and the why. Why is the shadow work? So we go in deep. I ask you a lot of questions and I try to ask questions that everybody that can, everybody can work with.

Maria:

Yeah in a retreat setting. Of course, I'm in a workshop too, yeah, but yeah, it's just really interesting to me what surfaces from these deep questions and some women say you know, I don't they meet me finally in person. They're like oh, I've been following you on Instagram and I see your pictures of retreats and it looks so interesting, but I don't think I'm there yet. I don't think I'm ready. And like will you ever be ready? No, like, no one will ever be ready I mean, if you keep waiting, it's gonna be like.

Johnna:

I wish I had not waited so long, right and that's something because I have worked with, like um, a life coach and a shadow therapy, and I've talked about my journey like for me that was a life-changing experience, like it's something that I need to continue to do. But then that's something we worry about monetarily-wise. But I've even mentioned on this podcast, even when it came to the money I had gotten to the point where I was like I have to do this, there's no other option, and then the money came back to me. Oh, absolutely.

Johnna:

And she talked about that. She was like money is energy and the longer you hold onto it and it's's stagnant, you're not going to get anymore, she's like. But if you put it into the universe and she's very believing in that and I did like I literally paid her. I was like you know what, I'll figure out, I'll put it on my credit card.

Johnna:

And then, like this unexpected check came in the mail and I was just like this will pay this off and I was just like wow, but it is very life-changing and it's and I'm not gonna lie, it's hard and you have to be in that place where you are ready to accept your own faults, because it's no more of the.

Maria:

You did this to me you, it's more of a victim right.

Johnna:

You have to be willing to accept and realize that there's a lot of stuff internally with you that absolutely you've held on to or you've done and you have to. And so it is hard and I understand where people are, like I'm not ready to face that, but I think no one's going to change until they face that.

Maria:

And I always say like the moment that you put that down payment on the retreat is the moment that universe says, oh, she's ready, now, okay, and things start to happen, like instantly they really do. Women say, oh, my God, you were not kidding. Like so-and-so said this and so and so started changing and things started to stick. The things start to shift to support what you have chosen, the path that you have chosen, and um but, and nothing's going to shift unless you make it happen oh, I agree, one thousand percent and, like we said, it is very hard, but once you made that decision, you stick with that decision.

Johnna:

Yes, and something with that decision. Yes, and something I've also learned, like just whether it be coaching, therapy, whatever, like fitness nutrition, if you're paying the money to work on that, you tend to do better and you tend to stick with it and you tend to actually put forth the effort versus something that's free, because people I'm sure have told you I can see that on TikTok. I can see that on TikTok, I can see that on. Youtube. I can learn breath work on YouTube, but it's not the same it's not, it's not.

Maria:

and one thing that women say when they come to my retreats and they say it's it feels like, it feels like I entered women heaven, like all these women, and and that's one thing I want to talk about is women have this issue with being with other women Like they're like they asked me like how many women are coming? Because I don't do well around women and it's like why is that?

Johnna:

I think women should not be the case. So I work in a field where you know being in nursing, which should be a field where we help everybody right, but it's a lot of women. It's a women dominated field.

Johnna:

It's catty it's messy, and I think a lot of women think that because I have a lot of friends and I used to say it I'd be like, well, I just like to have guy friends, I just like to be. You know, I'm not a girl's girl, yeah, but the older I've gotten and the more I've healed, the the more I was like no, I actually need that camaraderie. I need that around me because we are actually tearing us down more than anyone in society. Like, when you're talking about like aesthetics and you're talking about this, it's not really a lot of the men. Now I'm not saying like the patriarchy hasn't contributed to that, but I'm just saying there's a lot of like. When I look at a woman, I'll be like she could do this or she could do that. And then I'm thinking to myself why did I think that? Why was my first thought she could do this?

Maria:

about herself, yes, it's so sad, it is, it is. And when women come to my retreats they're like women bond. Well, I'm very protective about the space I create, first of all, and each woman is vetted in. Basically, you don't, I don't just let you in my retreat like we have a conversation.

Maria:

And I prepare you like okay, do you know what you're getting into? You know why do you want to do this? Because I want to make sure that all the women that come to retreat are there to do the work right and are there to hold a space not only for themselves but for all the other women there too, right, and that's what creates this beautiful space that women enter and they're like immediate friends, like, and they feel safe and they feel accepted and not judged and and that's why they say it's like women heaven yeah like soul camp.

Maria:

I just want to go back to soul camp because it just feels so good in my soul to be in that space.

Johnna:

Yeah, but since we're talking about your retreats, because those are very interesting to me you pick a lot of different locations, yes, so I want you to list your locations. I want you to tell me how you came up with these, because in my mind, I'm thinking you're doing this for a spiritual journey. So why are these specific places so spiritual and healing versus other places?

Maria:

Yes, tell me all the things about the retreat. Yeah, that's a great question, because I get approached by many places, because they know that I do. Retreats are like hey, here's my place, come here right, and for me it has to have some, it has to have something really special, it has to have some, it has to have something really special. Um, so the place I'm going to in Mexico for January, the end of my end of January, um is a place that I went to, sayulita, mexico, which is not Tulum, it's not Cancun, it's not that crazy you know touristy Um but it's still.

Maria:

It has it has this soul about it. It's this beautiful little town, but I did a retreat there with one of my mentors and I fell in love with the space, so that's why I picked that place. And then I have Spain and the place in Spain is. A friend of a friend owns it and I connected with her right away. I love Spain. I used to live there. My grandmother's from Spain.

Johnna:

I mean there's so much connection there, it's like home.

Maria:

Yes, but I'm from Puerto Rico. I'm from the island of Puerto Rico, and the woman that owns this place, this retreat center in Barcelona, in Spain, is from Puerto Rico too.

Johnna:

Oh wow, so there's that connection.

Maria:

And we have that mutual friend that connected us. And then I have my with a place in Puerto Rico and that one, finca Victoria, is such a beautiful place. That retreat is in June and I go back there every year and it's like when you land there, when you get there, you truly land there and you feel so cocooned.

Johnna:

I've always wanted to go there. It looks so beautiful.

Maria:

It is. It's amazing. So, but that's why I love that place. And then we have let me I have to think how many. Okay. Then we have Maine in September, and the place that I picked in Maine is owned by a friend of mine who I met in Boston last year and she's just a beautiful soul and she this is her home, and her home is now a retreat center. She made it a retreat center.

Maria:

She's moving to Australia wow and um, and she didn't want to give it up yeah she cultivated so much love into the space and she's redone it and revamped it and now it's a retreat center with glamping tents outside and a grotto, and it's just like beautiful, oh wow. Absolutely beautiful. So, yeah, every place has a story, yeah, and every place has a special connection.

Johnna:

And then the energy is probably just. We were talking so, like everyone knows, on the podcast.

Maria:

like my, energy in my home is not the best right now, but you know it's beautiful. Well, it looks can be deceiving sometimes.

Johnna:

But yeah, but I get what you're saying, like with energy and stuff like that. I didn't really tap into energy until I started working with an energy healer and realizing how powerful it truly was. Yes, and like when you walk into a place, like, and you can start to feel that yes, and people say that all the time and I think that's why some women will be like I'm not a girl's girl, because it can be catty and you can feel that but I feel like like I love that you vet your women so that you know it is a safe space for people to go to and you know everyone's gonna walk away being friends at the end of it.

Maria:

So that's also beautiful yeah, and and the fact that a lot of I and I didn't learn this till later, like I have control over my energy and I have control over what energy I allow in, and I think that's something that should be taught in school.

Johnna:

No, it should One thousand percent Right, because I used to and I've said this all the time I used to be like I'm just, you know, I'm just a realistic person, I'm kind of leaning towards the pessimistic side. And then I realized, no, you can actually change your thoughts and you can control them. You, when you're having those negative thoughts, switch them, change them. And it takes work. It takes working with someone like you. It's not easy, especially when you've done it for 37 years.

Maria:

Yeah, but also being careful of spiritual bypassing. So also understanding like, yeah, it's not all love and light all the time rainbows and unicorns. And it's not just replacing the thought with a positive thought, but also going into why am I, why do I keep having these thoughts, and and how? What do I need to shift in my life in order for this to not reoccur? And that's where I really my work, comes in.

Johnna:

Now, alongside the retreats, do you offer like one-on-one coaching? I do, I do.

Maria:

Okay, so what offer like one-on-one?

Johnna:

coaching. I do, okay. So what is your one-on-one coaching like? Is there like packages, or do you like, recommend, like someone's not like? Would you be okay if someone was like I just want to do one session, or would you be like that's not really going to work? No, I only do packages, okay.

Maria:

I do a power month, what I call a power month. We do have a clarity call. That's totally. You know. You don't have to pay for that and it's very quick 20 minutes. In 20 minutes I can decide.

Johnna:

It's like a Bob chip yeah exactly. Are you?

Maria:

ready, are you ready? Are we a good fit? Exactly, you know, and we do have that, we do have a clarity call and then from there we start, because it's not just in one call, it's not going to happen like that quick. Same thing with going on to a retreat you just don't go to a retreat and you're fixed, it's going to be fine, and also in a retreat.

Maria:

I always say the woman that arrives on the first day is not the same one that leaves on the last day. But also, retreat begins the day you leave retreat okay, because everything because you're going to put, be put to test like well, that's so.

Johnna:

Explain your retreat a little bit. Like how long are they like? What are you doing there? Like, like, are you literally like therapy sun up to sundown no, no, no, no, no.

Maria:

We do have a lot of fun too.

Johnna:

There's a lot of balance, because what is that other one? I can't. I was trying to think um is it? Is it wim hof?

Maria:

oh, yeah, yeah, that's all the cold plunging and the breathwork and cold plunging there's another retreat.

Johnna:

There's someone that does like some kind of a lot of celebrities go to it because it's really, really expensive, and I cannot think of his name like I don't know I'll think of it probably.

Maria:

Yeah, it'll come to me later.

Johnna:

but like I was, like I wonder, his is a week long and it's like $5,000, $10,000.

Maria:

Yeah, yeah, well, or crazy.

Johnna:

Yeah, but he basically says no cell phones the entire time. There's a lot of strict rules.

Maria:

Yeah, so I don't have the no cell phone rule. I do have a silence rule. Um in in the mornings and women at first are like what, I can't say anything?

Johnna:

no, not till 10 am seriously like yeah, because I'm like I get up in the morning I'm like, hey, what's up?

Maria:

no but, but you know what it's? At the end of the retreat, women are like, oh my god, that was the best you know silence I've ever experienced in my life yeah because we're not used to it right and our bodies are like yes, this feels so good.

Maria:

I mean, you can acknowledge each other you know I mean but, um, but yeah, sitting at a table and not saying a word and just eating your food slowly, you know. And then there's like writing prompts that you're working on and you have that time to really process things.

Johnna:

Yeah, that's so special. No, but it's so special it is and it's hard. It is hard and you don't realize the little things like that, just taking out the silence.

Maria:

Yeah.

Johnna:

Like that we could do that daily here, but we but it's not required, so we don't but like even just the littlest things you don't realize are healing.

Maria:

Exactly, exactly. But the whole process of retreat is um, there I have a process, I have a system and, um, the first day is releasing, the second day is nourishment, the third day is activation and the fourth day is integration. So you're basically, you know, we have to get, we have to get into the core of all the things and release first, before we start to try to integrate or manifest anything that you want in your life. But I always say like I, I have a disclose, like a disclosure, like, hey, you're, when you go home, you're about to piss a lot of people off, because the woman that will come back will be a much, a much stronger woman. She will have boundaries and she's not gonna put up with anymore right right, I agree, and so um be ready.

Johnna:

Yeah, and that's why I say retreat starts on that day right because you're gonna have to put everything you learned to practice in the real life, without like not saying that you're not there to support, but like without someone like guiding you, and that's something I had, I struggled with and I know I can't relate to your retreats, which I'm definitely gonna go on one like I really wanted to go in.

Johnna:

January but, like I said, my friend's birthday is the weekend you're doing yours, um, but I am gonna go to one because, like, like I said, like I'm 1000% into this journey and like when I worked with my energy healing life coach last year, it was like really eye-opening, like when I came out, how much I like started noticing things and started like noticing mostly my behavior and I was just like, oh, I'm the problem, you know, like and it's not that I didn't notice it before, but like, yeah, and then I would be down on myself and I don't know if you experienced this with some of your clients because I would take a couple steps back and I would revert back to my old behaviors, but you would have to remind me, like you went two steps back, but you're still three steps ahead. So you're gonna do that and I don't know if you experienced that with your clients, or yeah okay, I say like you say you can't unknow what you know now.

Maria:

Right, Like once you come to retreat you're going to learn so much. And I just had a retreat in Puerto Rico and one of the ladies was like we have covered so much in just three days.

Maria:

I still have two days to go and I can't believe I've gotten to the core of so much. And yeah, I mean you can Once you know, you know Right, and you're going to go into spaces and circles of friends that you thought were friends and you're going to be able to sniff it out right away. You're going to be like, okay, this is not in alignment with me anymore, with the woman that I want to be, and that's when I say you're going to piss people off and it's going to be up to you to set those strong boundaries, yeah, and set new standards for you to walk away, because the moment that you do that, you're you're creating the space for the good people right to come in.

Johnna:

You're right, and that's something huge. That I didn't realize is like um, I think the example was given to me like if you want a new car, you got to move your old car out of the garage because how is something new going to be parked in there if there's no space for?

Maria:

it.

Johnna:

And I was just like yeah, but it's like it's. It's hard letting go of old things but like especially when it's your personality or things like that.

Johnna:

But I think that's beautiful and I would love to know what your thoughts are. I'm not knocking therapy at all. I've been in therapy for years, but the biggest thing for me was life coaching, energy healing, like that. It, like you said, it got to the root quick and it started healing things that I didn't realize I had issues with. So what is your thought process or what you've seen in your clients that have possibly been to therapy for years, versus doing your type of um coaching, training, energy healing yeah, yeah, well, I started with me.

Maria:

I was in therapy for many years and I was taught the issues lie in my tissues by one of my mentors.

Maria:

She always said that your issues lie in your tissues and until you feel into them, they're going to stay trapped in you. And that's how I fell in love with breathwork and that's how I fell in love with feeling into my feelings, really feeling what that little girl went through years ago, you know, and sitting with her and asking her well, what is it that you wanted to scream? What was it that you wanted to like, not do?

Johnna:

asking her well, what?

Maria:

is it that you wanted to scream? What was it that you wanted to like, not do? And nobody told you that you, you know? You, what, what, what made you so mad? Right, right, but that didn't happen until I had a life coach. And that didn't happen until I did breath work, right. That did not happen when I had therapy. I talked about it, but I didn't get to feel and go there and and release her right from all the pain.

Maria:

I didn't get to do that, so I feel that that is, that is the journey that I I try to. I try to help women release whatever is is stagnant, like the trauma?

Johnna:

yeah, because we all have it. Like we all like not saying that's any just anybody's parents dating, but like we all have it, we all have it. We all like not saying that's any diss to anybody's parents, to anybody, but like we all have it.

Maria:

We all have it. We were born in trauma. We were born screaming.

Johnna:

I was about to say, like, what about generational trauma? Like, what are your thoughts on that? Like, do you, like? I know people say, like your grandparents if they didn't? Um, and you know it's the mother a lot of it?

Maria:

is the mother lineage, of course you know um basically you.

Johnna:

Whatever you see your mother go through affects you right even in the womb I mean she's carrying you right I mean, that's energy yeah right, I saw this meme the other day and it will probably resonate with you and I was just blown away by it. It said people. It said oh gosh, I'm going to mess it up. But it said basically, like people believe in wifi, where it's this thing you can't see and all these connections going from room to room, from state to state from you know whatever, but people don't believe in energy that they can't see. Wow, state from you know whatever, but people don't believe in energy that they can't see, wow, you know. I was just like, oh wow, that's, that's a good yeah that's a good example, right, and I was just like never, thought about it like that, but like we believe in.

Johnna:

Why? Why is my wi-fi not connecting? Why is it not? You know, why is it not doing this? But we don't think about this person in this room who's got this bad energy. Why is that affecting me?

Maria:

we're not thinking about that and and I say you know, I always tell women like I want I want people to feel you before they see you. I want your energy to be so alive and lit up like you're parking your car, people, people are inside the house going. I think she's right I love that though you should. You should expand your energy so much and know that you're worthy of lighting up the world.

Maria:

And and don't play small anymore right so many women are playing small and because they don't. You know, I talked about this the other day with my girlfriends, like so many women start a conversation with I'm sorry, but yeah, why did you start with?

Johnna:

I'm sorry I do that all the time, first place.

Maria:

You don't need to be sorry for anything, for speaking your truth. You don't need to be sorry for that. So it just, it just makes me like, oh, I just want to shake you, oh, I got grounded as a child for apologizing too much.

Johnna:

Yeah, and I and some.

Maria:

Some women need. Some women need to be told to stop apologizing.

Johnna:

I'm like I would do something I go. I'm sorry, I'm sorry and mom said if you say you're sorry one more time, you're not allowed to talk on the phone tonight.

Maria:

You know we've been programmed to be ashamed from the get go Right and we need to stop.

Johnna:

No, 1000% and I do think that this, like women empowerment movement, has been wonderful. I do think it's taking a little bit of a backslide in 2024, a little bit Hopefully that will improve, but I love the work that you're doing and I want to talk a little bit more about the stuff that you offer, because you do have a workshop coming up. Yes, I do. Let's talk about your workshop, can we talk about the midwifery.

Johnna:

We talked about it a little at the beginning and I said we were going to talk like clear that up a little bit, because I want to clear that. Yeah, let's clear that up because I'm not a midwife.

Maria:

But I am a mid, I'm a soulful midwife and that's why my uh, my mentor was like you are kind of a midwife because you women are reborn with you and that's very true. Like a new version comes out, and so I just wanted to put that on yeah, sorry that's my fault, because I said we would get back to it.

Johnna:

But you have a workshop, yeah I do. Let's talk about your workshop a little bit. What's going to be going on in this workshop? When is it? Who can attend?

Maria:

so huntsville, um, on 1 11 at 1 pm. I chose all the ones. On the 11th of January it's going to be at Noela's the space, the Parisian, right next to Noela's, this beautiful space, and it is my vision board workshop and I'm calling it breakthrough because I believe that every woman is on the verge of a breakthrough.

Maria:

They just need to get clear on what is getting in the way because, there's a threshold that they want to cross on what is getting in the way, because there's a threshold that they want to cross. But, um, I said that this morning in a class I was teaching. It's a beautiful quote and it says that you fear the cave. Um, the cave that you fear holds the treasure that you seek you know that's beautiful for you.

Johnna:

Have you thought about that? Because, like you, were afraid to give up your corporate job? To start this so like the thing that you were afraid of actually literally leaped you into what you're doing. But all of us have that.

Maria:

All of us have that cave that we just keep like we're scared to go in because it's so dark and it's like so scary and so unknown. But on the other side of that is just this huge expansion and almost it feels like too much. Once you leap over and you go past the threshold, it's like, oh my God, this is wow, this is so much coming at one time.

Maria:

I don't know if I can handle it and I always say like yes, you can, God doesn't, and God never gives you more than you can handle.

Johnna:

Right.

Maria:

Right. And that is the moment that you have to say if I see it, it's because I'm ready for it, and give me more. Yeah, give me more and prepare me, give me more and make me ready. Yeah, because the moment that we say it's too much, what are we doing? We're blocking energy, yep, right. And that's when it stops happening and we're like okay, I can't do it. And that's when we start to play small again.

Johnna:

Yeah.

Maria:

So at this workshop, we're going to experience lots of things. You're going to learn about your human design. Oh, I love human design. Oh, can we talk?

Johnna:

about that a little bit. Yeah, I love human design. I just recently got into it. I had the app and everything learned about it from like Stassi Schroeder. Yeah, so I'm a generator, I believe, um, which that was a story in itself.

Maria:

Trying to get my time.

Johnna:

I brought all the energy oh, I know, like, let me tell you, my mom couldn't remember I didn't have my birth certificate. I lost my birth certificate. I had to request my birth certificate because my mom so my mom told me a long time ago that I was born at 5 am. Okay, so my best friend from high school texted me every single morning at 5 am, waking me up with happy birthday. And I remember I found my baby bracelet, like maybe when I was in college, and it said 5 pm. And I remember texting my friend going I cannot believe you wasted all these years waking up texting me at 5 am when my birthday's at 5 pm. And then, of course, years went by and I was like did that conversation happen or did I make it up? And I texted my friend. She was like I don't remember and I was like, mom, was I born at 5 am or 5 pm, because now I'm confused and she was like I don't know and I was like how do you not remember you were in labor?

Maria:

I don't remember when my daughters were born. She was like in the wintertime. John, at 5 am and 5 pm were both dark. So I was like good Request my birth certificate and found out it was 5 pm. Yeah.

Johnna:

It was 5 pm, so that memory was real about telling my friend she wasted all those years. Okay. So yeah, it ended up being a generator, which it was like crazy, like going through everything. I was just like, oh my God, all of this sounds like me.

Maria:

Yeah, it was crazy. It's validating yes, that's why I love the human design. Validating, yes, that's why I love the human design. It's validating um to our own uniqueness of how we um take in energy how we give energy. Um, how much energy we have. Right, because you're a generator, you have all the energy on the during the day, yeah, but your sleep is sacred, you have got to honor your sleep.

Johnna:

Oh my gosh, that's so funny that you say that, because I'm always like, if someone's like come out, I'm like no going to bed yeah, no, you're like done. You're done because you expended all your energy and if I go out with my friends and like, if it's like, if I'm ready, I'm like bye, disappear, no, where'd she go?

Maria:

oh bye, I need my sleep. But see, I'm a projector and I only have four hours of sleep, of not sleep of productivity in a day, really, yeah so my nine to five, like I.

Maria:

When I found out that I was a projector, I was like, okay, how am I going to survive from now on, knowing this that I have to go to work for for nine to five? Um, so I really like split up my day and I took a lot of breaks Well, hey, a lot and I blocked myself from other people like energy wise, but the whole human design is like it makes you aware of so much it does.

Johnna:

And, like I always thought I was indecisive, but it basically says no, you're a yes or no person Like people can't ask you maybe questions. They have to say do you want Chinese, yes or no? Person like people can't ask you maybe questions, they have to say do you want chinese, yes or no? Yes, do you want mexican, yes or no? Like.

Johnna:

But when someone presents me with six options, I'm like yeah, I don't know you're like oh my god, no, I don't know but yeah, but explain, like, if someone presents the option to you in a yes or no format or a this or that form, like chinese or mexican, that's your only options. Oh yeah, this one, like it's easier, like you have to have that full body, yes, full body, yes. And they're like, if it's not a full body, yes, and you're like, maybe it's a no, say no to it exactly. And when I started doing that, like, whether I'm out clothes shopping or whatever, because I'll, I'll be, like I'm thinking about it, no yeah, it's like the merry condo like you know does it bring you joy?

Maria:

check into you, check with your body, right, does it bring your joy? No, okay, then it's a no bye. See you, peace, yeah, um, but yeah. So we're gonna do that. You're gonna find out about your human design, um, and also we're gonna go into some life coaching and to some release work of what you want to let go of, that you know came of surfaced in the past year, and what you want to allow in. And what. What are the new, you know standards that are necessary in order to get this?

Maria:

you know, allow all this goodness into your life a manifestation, and then from there we're going to create this beautiful vision board after we get clear on all these other things right. So your vision board is going to be aligned to you. It's not just you cutting out pictures from a magazine and slapping them on a piece of paper. It's actually something that you created with so much intention, so much thought. And women say that have been to my vision board workshops. They say that almost everything has manifested.

Johnna:

Really.

Maria:

Yeah, because it is such an intentional, you know, session of of really coming to you know, who do I really want to embody?

Johnna:

in this coming year.

Maria:

Yeah, what am I really done with? What am I tired of? Um, but we get to the core of many things, and so I I like I'm already excited because I I just checked my email and I think we're like a little past halfway sold out already.

Johnna:

How many people do you allow into this workshop? And then I forgot to ask about the retreats, like how many people are allowed into the retreat? So the.

Maria:

So at Noella's I'm having 30 women, Okay, and then at retreat, it just depends on the space and the retreat center. Okay, but in Mexico we have 14. In Spain we have 16.

Johnna:

And in Puerto Rico we have a bigger group because it's a bigger space. What would you say? I guess the question like if someone's like I really want to do this, like I'm on the brink of doing it, but I'm nervous about crying in front of someone or sharing a personal story in front of someone, or sharing a personal story in front of someone, is it, is it a group therapy or are we one-on-one with you?

Maria:

It's a group session, um, and we also do core sessions, so we do core groups, um, and you don't have to share anything.

Johnna:

Okay, so it's not like we're sitting in a circle going well in my childhood no, no, no, no, no, no.

Maria:

The. The way that, um, that I work at retreat is, is you share what you feel comfortable sharing. Okay, um, I have mothers and daughters. Sometimes they're like I should we go together because? We have a lot of, a lot of work to do and some of it is like about the other person and it's like no, you can. You can come together and know that, um when, when the time comes that you have to work separately, I'm going to put you in a different group and you're going to be able to do your work and and express.

Maria:

If you want to express whatever you need to express and let it out, you're going to be able to do that, um, but it's really internal work that you're going to be doing. You're going to be able to do that, um, but it's really internal work that you're going to be doing. You're going to be working with yourself for yourself and um, and I always say, like it's, it's an invitation, everything we do is an invitation. Whether you, you know, want to share out loud is up to you.

Johnna:

I was going to say it's like as much as you want to put into this as possible. Which, going back to, like I said, when you spend money on yourself and you make that investment, I feel like you do put more into it. If you're like, hey, come to Mexico for free, Am I really going to put as much forth? If you're like, hey, this retreat's, you know, $2,500. You know I'm going to put more work into it because I spent that money and I invested in myself, you know I'm going to put more work into it because I spent that money and I invested in myself, exactly exactly which.

Johnna:

I know we all have issues investing in ourselves. But, like I said earlier, like when I finally did that, like that money literally came back to me and it was like the most amazing, because I was just like, well, I guess I'm just wasting this money. And then I, and then like after all the work, I was like you know what and I've told everybody this I said I would pay it and I would pay it 10 times more just to feel as good, as I felt Like I know it's a continuous work and like just doing three months is you're not going to be like, oh, I'm healed, I'm good.

Maria:

I'm never going to. I'm never going to have to do this.

Johnna:

And that's something I always ask someone when they are coached themselves Like do you feel like you never have to do work?

Maria:

Oh no, I am very like I always say like be leery about a person that you go and attend a retreat for with and you don't see them doing the work. Right, and you don't see them attending retreats, you know, and you don't see them having mentors because that's something that's so necessary. And I have my mentors, I have my retreats that I attend.

Johnna:

I've been to three retreats this year, um, just for myself, because and I did the work, right, like when I think that we all get this misconception that when you're a coach or you do this energy healing, that you have this quote, unquote perfection, like we're looking to you for that. But then when someone sees you mess up, it's like oh what? Well, it doesn't work, Well, that's not life.

Maria:

No, exactly, and that's one thing that I want women to know that I'm real, you know, and I can tell you that if you interview any of the ladies that have come to my retreats and they ask, have you seen Maria cry? They'll say yes on day one. Yes on day one, Sometimes day one, sometimes day two, Sometimes every day, Because you know I share from my personal experiences and those things you know, I'm very proud of the woman I am today because I did the work and when I think back on who I was and I get emotional now talking about it, I feel really sad for her. I'm not that woman anymore, but the thought to me is like so many women are still trapped in that thinking, in that mentality.

Maria:

And they're putting masks on, and they're putting masks on and they're spending money on extensions and Botox and they have no problem paying the $2,500 for whatever is going to cover up whatever's going on outside of them. And don't get me wrong, I'm in vain and I do Botox and I'll do all the things right Because I like all those things too.

Johnna:

I like to look good but no, I know what you're saying.

Maria:

I know it should not be so difficult for you to say, oh, hair extensions, you know, or Botox, or fillers, they're making that oh, but this is too expensive because I'm going to be working on, I'm going to a retreat and I can just go on a vacation. Big difference. I love that you say that though because one of my very best friends.

Johnna:

She struggled with depression and she has come to me multiple times and been like you know, I don't like the way I look, I don't like this. If I could just be, you know, 20 pounds lighter, if I could just be this, I would feel better. And I finally you know, not that I don't love her and not that I don't want to help her, but this has been years ongoing and I was like you know, I've listened to you as much as I can. Yes, I'm here to support you, but I think it's at the point where I can't help you anymore because you're seeking validation from outward sources, whether it be your weight loss, whether it be your Botox, your looks, your filler. I was like I think it's time you either get professional help, whether that be therapy or coaching. I said because I can't keep supporting this, not that I don't support you and not that I don't want you to. I don't want it to sound like I'm being insensitive towards our feelings because I love her. But I was like it's past, that like you're at this point. It's a choice, said because you're aware of it and it's been like five years and you have to make the choice to choose you and you're not, yeah, and like.

Johnna:

Once I said that to her, though she was like you're right, I do, you're right, you're right, you're absolutely right. Nothing else is helping me. I've tried to do the extensions, I've tried to do these things and nothing is making me feel better. And I said, because you keep saying that you keep saying, once I lose 20 pounds, I'll feel better, and I said, because you keep saying that you keep saying, once I lose 20 pounds, I'll feel better, once I have long hair, I'll feel better, once I, you know, get the Botox, the fillers, and none of it's worked, because it's not any of those things, it's internal she has to learn to love herself.

Johnna:

And there's and I said, Look, I know it's going to be hard. I said there's trauma that you're not wanting to face, Like it's clearly that you're running from it and you're avoiding it. Yes, and that was something I was doing, Like my confidence, like in this year alone, like it's not that I'm like, oh my God, I'm so beautiful or whatever. I used to beat myself up and I wouldn't go out with my friends and I would be like, oh, I look too fat in that or I don't like the way my face looks in that I'm not posting that picture. But since doing that life coaching, I've been like who cares? Life is so short, Post the picture, do whatever. Like we all look back. Like we all do it.

Maria:

Look back a year ago and go. Man, I look good. What was I thinking?

Johnna:

So I know what you're saying. It's that investment in yourself and it's such a hard and I think, especially for women, right Like investing, investing in yourself, like we'll go spend money on Botox and stuff, but then we feel that regret or that guilt. But then when it comes to like mental health, for whatever reason, it's even 10 times that guilt to to do that. Yeah, and I don't know what that disconnect is.

Maria:

I don't either. Um, and and the. The thing that I that I come to time and time again is like it's, it's women are scared to go there because they're scared of what they're going to find.

Johnna:

And, yeah, and the thing that they're going to find is the thing that's going to liberate them I think now that you say that, like once they do that and they realize who they are, are they going to want the things that they have, and that's the thing, whether that be a husband, a boyfriend, you know, do they want that anymore? They're going to make a lot of people mad.

Maria:

And they're going to have to make a lot of changes that require a lot of work.

Johnna:

Yeah, that makes sense.

Maria:

And that's scary. It is scary, but you know, the women that I have seen do it are so happy yeah, right, yeah, it's life is too short.

Johnna:

It is what inspired you like. I don't know if you work with men too, um, or if you just specifically work with women, but like, what inspired?

Maria:

like, because I didn't mean for this podcast to come out just about women, but it has, because I have a lot of entrepreneur, women, friends, and so I don't want people to be like, oh, she's like, I'm not.

Johnna:

It's just that I think that women need a voice and I think that women have these personal stories that just need to be heard, like yeah, well, um, it's funny.

Maria:

you asked that because this year will be the first year that I start working with men really in breathwork circles.

Johnna:

Yeah.

Maria:

And I started to dab into it last year a little bit, but this year we're going all in and I'm actually connecting with a local gym that just is about to open and I want to work with vets. I really do.

Johnna:

So I'll work with vets. You should give me your card. I will, yeah, that's my daily job.

Maria:

Oh, obviously Amazing, but yeah. So I'll be doing some breath work to help with PTSD and anxiety, all the things. So, but it's going to be co-ed. So, men and women because I've, after all these years of doing retreats, like women are, like I really you need to have a couple's retreat because I want my husband to experience this. Or, you know, you need to have a men's circle because I want him to experience this.

Maria:

And now this will be a great opportunity for women to do that, to come together with their partner and uh and do the work together.

Johnna:

So until this year you've only worked with women. Yep, oh wow.

Maria:

Okay, that's good, yeah, so I'm really excited for this year to like launch it now, are you going to do like they've they've requested?

Johnna:

like, are you going to start doing like the couples retreats and stuff? I'm thinking about doing that in 26, because I think that would I mean that would help marriages and like you know, maybe if you're not married but like a couple like that could help tremendously yeah, so maybe 2025, 2026?

Maria:

yeah, keep an eye on that, but yeah, I'm thinking about it.

Johnna:

So you initially started those specifically women. What drove you to just working with women alone initially?

Maria:

I feel that energy is really different when you are in a space where you want to share something deep. I did have my first retreat was men and women and after that I had a retreat just for women and I noticed a big difference in the energy and in the sharing and um and the healing that happened to the connection. That was such a bigger connection there. So that just stuck with women for me. Um, I think I'm I'm really passionate about helping women know their worth.

Maria:

Yeah and um, and because of my own life journey, um right, I don't want any women to suffer the way I was suffering.

Johnna:

Yeah, um, I'm 53 you're 53, I am, you do not look 53.

Maria:

I am a grandmother of five.

Johnna:

I have you look like you're 42 thank you.

Maria:

Oh, somebody told me I was 42. Today you're the second person.

Johnna:

Oh my god, like you serious yes, sometimes I say this on every single podcast and it's gonna come one day. I'm like, this is why I wish I had like a visual, like podcast, because people would like, I like to see like people's reality, like I'm like what?

Maria:

yeah, so I'm that old, I've lived a, I lived life, you know, and I, just I, I feel like the grandmother in me comes out also at retreat, like it really does, like a lot of my girls, my ladies I call my, my ladies, my girls, they call me mama, mama maria, um, because that that grandmother energy in me comes out, um, and I just, I just want women to know that they need to be heard yeah and, and they need to be loved how they want to be loved um, and, and there's a, there's a way I'll saying I can feel that energy with you, like how you just exude, like this.

Johnna:

It just feels very loving, like being in your presence like I can.

Johnna:

I can feel that that you're just like I want that so bad and the only. Because I always try to relate to someone's energy or like experience, like the only thing, like like going back to what I said earlier, like when someone starts talking to me about their thyroid or like it just comes up, I I'll just get so passionate about it and I'll just be like, oh my God. And people will be like, thank you, like you just know what you're talking about and I'm just like you can see, I'm all in, like your doctor doesn't know what they're talking about. Do this get these labs?

Maria:

Yeah, yeah, I'm very passionate about that, and you also have another thing that we haven't talked about.

Johnna:

That I don't know if it's recent, but it was something I was supposed to do last week and I didn't get to do it because of the house the reset experience.

Maria:

Oh yeah.

Johnna:

Is that?

Maria:

new. Yes, so that is new. Thank you for reminding me of that. So yeah, in me going into doing more one on one work, I'm going to be doing one-on-one work in person.

Maria:

And so I do at-home calls, basically where I come to your house and I do a whole nervous system reset on you. So we do the breath work, we do the sound healing, we do a little bit of live coaching as well. I check in with you, see how you're doing, what we can work on, and then I do some energy clearing as well.

Maria:

So yeah, and women have experienced it are like what just happened, like this was amazing, um, and and you know it's, it's, it's moving from a place of of k, of chaos, because we're in, we're multitasking, we're constantly on, our hands are on some kind of electronic device. Um, we have not given ourselves time to take a sake. I call it the sacred pause. You know like just pause.

Johnna:

You know like I was telling you like just be in silence yeah you know that's so foreign it is because, going back to just the silence like there's sometimes like I'll even know it, but I'm recognizing it now, like I think I did a podcast a couple of months ago where I was like I'm just feeling blah and I realized I was like cleaning more watching tv, I was trying to find projects, so and then I realized I was like jonna, you're literally trying to avoid feeling your feelings sit down yeah, yeah, the cleaning the house.

Maria:

It's like, yeah, um, my husband sees me cleaning, he's like oh boy, something's coming, a shift is coming. Like that's how we like it feels good because we're in motion, right. But right after that there's like this moment of like something shifting and we're making space for it. That's why we clean. Okay, that makes sense.

Maria:

Yeah, we're cleaning because we're making I do it like three times a week, so it's like our body it's like our body knows right like something's coming, and it's like like women they say that they're, they start nesting yeah, when they're pregnant, yeah. It's. It's amazing how our bodies start to get us ready Interesting.

Johnna:

Yeah.

Maria:

But I also use the headsets in the in the reset Like the. Yeah, the sound sound.

Johnna:

What am I trying to think of?

Maria:

The silent sound system that I use with the headsets. I use that in the session so my voice and the music and the nature sounds are all in your ear. I'm guiding you through the whole thing, um, and it's just so you feel.

Johnna:

You feel really good at the end yeah, you feel like I really wanted to do it. I'm still gonna rebook. Good, because I wanted to do that before this podcast so I could share my experience, but we'll have to do a part. We'll have to do a part, we'll have to do a part two, absolutely yeah. Now what would you say if someone you know hypothetically wanted to love yoga and meditation, but they don't? Okay, like I want to love it. We're talking about me.

Maria:

Yeah, if anybody didn't catch that yeah.

Johnna:

I want to love it. I lift weights, I do that kind of thing. I'm a go go, go, go, go, go go person. So to try to get myself to be still with yoga and meditation literally is the bane of my existence. Yeah.

Maria:

Well, I'll say that you haven't done yoga with me. Maybe after you do it with me, you'll like it. Yeah, I've had people say I've never loved yoga until I did it with you, but I always say that meditation we have this conception of meditation needs to be this way.

Maria:

You have to be sitting and you have to be still. Meditation can be many different ways. You can have a moving meditation. You can be walking outside and make that a meditation. You can be driving in your car and put some really soothing music on. And you can be driving in your car and put some really soothing music on and you can be looking out and purposefully looking at the trees as you're driving, looking being present. That's a present meditation.

Johnna:

Okay.

Maria:

Being present instead of listening to music or being on the phone while you're driving, which you should not do Right. But I always say, like there's different ways to meditate and it doesn't have to be this way.

Johnna:

Okay, because in your mind you think you're supposed to like sit down, close your mind off and I'm like I can't. You don't have to close your eyes to meditate.

Maria:

It's bringing your body from one state to another.

Johnna:

All right, literally, I love that definition better.

Maria:

That's what meditation is right, yeah, and even if you're lifting weights like I have people who do that and they're like I mean, that's my meditation Then choose music. That's going to get you to a state of not being in thought and being in presence.

Johnna:

Okay.

Maria:

Okay. Yeah because we can be lifting weights and we can be thinking about all the things that we got to do right, but if we're lifting weights and we're actually thinking of pausing and breathing, and being with this part of my muscle right now that I'm working in my body, being completely present in my body there's a difference, right. You just entered meditation.

Johnna:

Well, it's funny that you say that, because I've recently started doing audio books. I've always been able to listen to podcasts and do that, but I'm in a book club with my friends and I was always like I never have time to read because I'm always doing all these things. And they were just listening to it. I was like I can't because my mind is everywhere. But then I went to the gym. I was like I'm going to try it and that was the hardest thing I think I've ever had to do. And I wonder if that is a slight meditation, because then I had to focus on the book, yeah, and I literally had to listen, otherwise I would have no idea that what was going on in the book?

Johnna:

yeah, that's you being completely present, right yeah, because I literally had to like, truly focus on it. Because if my mind started wondering while I was listening to that book like my mind can wonder why I'm listening to a podcast and it doesn't matter but listen I would be like five minutes in I'd be like what do they say?

Maria:

and I have to rewind it yeah, so that's being in a present state. Okay, I like that, and that's what meditation is.

Johnna:

I'm gonna bring that up in book club on Saturday.

Maria:

I'm gonna say I'm meditating with these you go there, you go Like um, but you know, in all seriousness, you know, when you come to retreat, you are going to practice meditation and it'll be different. And you know, I always try to like make, make every everything a little different with my own little special sauce. Um, because I know how hard it can be.

Maria:

I know how hard it is to have a morning practice and get on that mat every morning and move your body and sit down and meditate. I know how hard that is. Nobody, nobody, really has the time right To do it. Like you do, but we make excuses. That's been four hours watching TV and I let's you have the time, you know, but spend four hours watching tv at night.

Maria:

Let's make a world you have the time, you know but we know, we put it in our heads that we don't have the time, um. So when I do share it, um, and when I do teach it, I want to teach it in a way that's sustainable and that you're going to want to do it yeah right, and so that's why I say my special sauce yeah so, um so, yeah. So stay tuned.

Johnna:

When you come to a retreat, you'll experience that I did forget to ask one question about the retreat. So when it comes to like if I wanted to come by myself, no friends, no family, whatnot? Okay, like I know you mentioned, there's solo rooms and then there's double rooms. So like, let's say, I pick a double room, am I going to be room with someone that I don't know?

Maria:

yeah because that's part of the experience, right well, it doesn't have to be like you know, a friend could join you and you could room with her. But if you're coming by yourself and there's only double rooms left, there's a process that I go through to put you with the right person. Okay, because, remember, I talk with every woman right. Right. So I know who these women are and I try to place you with someone that you're going to really connect with and who's going to support you, as you're going to support her.

Johnna:

so, and I have not failed yet yeah, so I bet you haven't because you were very intuitive, I am so I'm going to put you on the spot. Okay, what place is your favorite? Oh, retreat, oh, I mean, I know they're all so wonderful. But if you had to pick a favorite spot, a favorite spot would be Puerto Rico. Cause it's home. Yeah, yeah.

Maria:

Yeah, I bet. I mean I. Every retreat is special and I and I try to create the most special experience and every retreat is different. But for you, when you go there, I have my friends who um, who some of them are facilitators, and I bring them in as special guests and we do special things right.

Johnna:

It just has this specialness to it and it's my island and I know this is completely separate, but when I drive home to see my friends or whatever, it's just there's this nostalgic feeling. So, for your own personal experience, that's what you're probably feeling home. I'm bringing people to my home.

Maria:

This is my home, yeah, yeah, so that I want them to have the best experience and I want them to be like wow, and you know I've had women that that have come to retreat in puerto rico and have come to retreat every year after that yeah puerto rico because they love it so much I bet I, I, that is one place I do.

Johnna:

Definitely it's on a bucket list of mine that I want to go, because it's just any pictures that I see or anything, even like the picture you, it's just so beautiful, yeah, so I want to go so bad, there you go that may be the one I have to come to man, because I really I also want to go to mexico.

Johnna:

You should know I haven't traveled a lot like. I've only been out of the country one time, oh my god. One time I didn't even get on a plane until I think I was 25 or 26 oh no, we gotta fix that.

Johnna:

Yeah, so like my place that I went to is Iceland because my friend got married there wow, so yeah, I've not traveled a lot, so yeah, we gotta get you out, girl, we gotta get you out. I have all these goals and aspirations, but then I'm such a workaholic and I've got to get past that. But going back to yoga teaching for a second, yeah, where do you do like local teachings around town or do you have your own studio?

Maria:

I don't have my own studio. I do one on one, private sessions, and but I also have pop ups. Ok, so I just had a popup this morning in Florence at a great studio there, great fitness, um, and I do teach at the Orion Amphitheater on stage is that the one that I've seen people? Do with the headphones on. Okay, is it called? Light on? No, no, okay, that's not that one. Okay, no, that's not it.

Johnna:

I was like. But it is the ones with where I say, where people have the headphones on, yeah, okay, yeah, that's what I brought here to Huntsville. So yeah, so that's what I did. My friend went to that and that was probably one of her favorite ones. I think she said everybody loves it.

Maria:

So those will start up again um in March, april, okay, when it starts getting warm again yeah, yeah, because it got cold quick here in Huntsville, but I do pop ups here and there and I announced them on my Instagram. So now.

Johnna:

Is there any goals or anything that you're thinking, long term goals that you really wish, that you want to do, that Maybe you've toyed around with that you could share with us? Sure.

Maria:

Well, I'm writing a book, yeah that's amazing, it's pretty much written and um, actually I do have a council of women who I'm actually opening it up, my council, it's called the glow, the glow council I love that and these women get to work with me for a full year, um or six months, and so the women that have signed up they signed up in june have been working with me since June. They've been getting part of my book every month.

Maria:

And I'm opening it up again for registration right now so women that want to work with me for six months, from January to June, can join. And yeah, so I'm sharing my book a little bit here and there. It's a devotional working on yourself, doing shadow work and just inner, you know, interconnection work. But each month we we get together on zoom and I do an empowerment talk. We have a theme each month we do work, we do yoga, we do meditation, we do all the things throughout the month and we also have a chat space where we connect with each other, each of us. You know we're going through our things, but we are in community um. So that will be closing on the 6th of january, but that's one thing that I have open right now. So if you're interested anybody that's interested they can contact me and um and we can see if you're a fit for it yeah, um, but yeah, so I'm writing a book that's awesome and hopefully we'll have it published, um this coming year.

Maria:

And then, um, yeah, I want to. I want to have my ted talk.

Johnna:

Yeah, so that's, that's coming up that'll be awesome, like, is it going to be more like a podcast style or is it going to be? No me on the stage? Yeah, oh, wow.

Maria:

Look, you're going to travel the us on the ted talk I don't know if I know it on the ted ted stage, tedx, yeah, like stand come on girl. No, no, I'm not first okay well, we're gonna, we're gonna get you right on that, but is that where you're gonna like travel? No, I just there's. Uh, there there's TED conferences in different cities.

Johnna:

And they have one in Nashville.

Maria:

They have them all over the US and in Europe. Are you just going to do the one in Nashville? I want to do some. It doesn't matter, I'm putting it out there. It doesn't have to be Nashville.

Johnna:

It can be any city. What if you went to every state?

Maria:

Any city.

Johnna:

Yeah, every state.

Maria:

Everyone, city, yeah, every state, every everyone needs to hear you, everyone does. I want to write that book and finish it and publish it, because everybody will get me.

Johnna:

Yeah, right so now I know we've talked about a lot of stuff that you do. Is there anything that we left out, that you want to share more on, or no?

Johnna:

I feel like we we talked about a lot and I think you do so much and I think that you're helping so many women, and thank you so much for coming on the podcast. Thank you for having me, of course, like I had planned when you, because so y'all, we were supposed to do the um reset experience last week in my house, but due to some construction issues in the house right now, I was like I don't want her freezing, so, um, we had to cancel that, but my plan was after that was to be like, hey, this is what.

Johnna:

I experienced, yeah, I would love for you to come on my podcast and but, but it worked out, because when I, when I had to cancel, you were like you know, I was just like hey, you want to call them both?

Maria:

Perfect, so it worked out anyway.

Johnna:

Pimp yourself out. Where could everyone find you sign up for all the things that you do?

Maria:

And then it will also be linked in the show notes, guys, so you can just click on it as well, yeah, so they can go to my website, awakenwithmariacom, and if you want to find out about my retreats, it's awakenwithmariacom slash wellness retreats. Okay, and they can find me on Instagram at awakenwithmaria Brito B-R-I-T-O like the Brita filter, but Brito and the same on Facebook, and if you want to email me, it's awakenwithmariabrito at gmailcom and we can start the conversation and get going. But one thing I do want to add is, like you know, retreat if retreat is one of your goals, to kind of like get away and do that for yourself. Make it a non-negotiable and set the date Just do it Right.

Maria:

You know, like the Nike, just do it because you know put the it's a $500 deposit holds your spot and then we can start a payment plan. Or you can pay in full. Whatever you decide, there's always a perk when you pay in full. Whatever you decide, there's always a perk. When you pay in full, you get a one-on-one coaching session with me. But you know, the step one is to decide and to take that first step. It's a courageous step, but you can look at all the testimonials and you can see nobody died.

Johnna:

And I can speak from personal experience, not with your retreat, but again. But again, guys, like, when you invest in yourself, yes, there is no price you can put on that. There's just, there's really no price you can put on that.

Johnna:

It's the accelerator it is, and the feeling that you leave with it and then that money, like it, comes back tenfold because you're just the vibrations that you're putting in the universe, the manifestations that you're putting in the universe. The manifestations that you're putting in the universe like just investing in yourself, like if I could just make everyone like and I know I haven't even worked with you and I want to work with you.

Johnna:

Like even after this conversation, like just doing that alone, like I can't even speak, like, and again, I'm not. I'm not knocking therapy, I'm not. I'm still in therapy. But when I talk about the difference in how fast and how much I healed more with life coaching and modalities that I wasn't learning in cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy or whatever you want to call it, it's just night and day.

Maria:

That's why I call it the accelerator. It accelerates you forward. It definitely does. And if you're I mean, if you want that jumpstart, you got to jump in and do the thing right. You got to. Well, thank you want that jumpstart, you got to jump in and do the thing right.

Johnna:

You got to Well. Thank you so much for coming. And guys, again, y'all will be able to click on the links in the show notes to go straight to Maria. And again, thank you. Thank you so much.

Maria:

Until next time, guys. Bye, thank you.

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