For Maria Margolies, It’s All About Breath and Body

What motivates the instructor of our upcoming Glacier National Park FP Escape? Come on and find out…

“[Glacier] is so vast, untouched and sacred. It appears as if no one has ever walked its grounds. I’m looking forward to immersing myself in the wild, connecting with the land and its creatures, and sharing guidance and energy with a beautiful tribe of women.”

Zodiac sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Bogota, Colombia

Your website says that you are a: Mystical Gypsy Traveler. Mother. Spirit Surfer. Plant Obsessed. Healer. Yogini. Teacher. Consciousness Awakener. Cosmic Dancer. Creative cook. Eternal Student. Sacred Activist. How did you come to embrace all of these wonderful qualities? This is the story of my life. Since I can remember I’ve been using my body, this vessel in which I travel the physical world as a tool to heal and access the world, it drives my curiosity. I passionately believe in movement as medicine. Movement is another form of nourishment, just as important as food and one of the most healing practices we can do for ourselves.

My interest for healing and wellness sparked at a very young age — dancer since the age of 5, vegetarian at 15. And as the closet nerd that I am, I read and study as much as I can about all of the things that interest me. I like to dive deep and not swim in shallow waters. Because of my air nature and gypsy spirit, I was called to move: to travel, to leave my native country to explore and experience the world firsthand. It was on this journey where I learned about myself and my path. My passion for health and wellness deepened and evolved: I developed an interest in cooking and experimenting with flavors, spices and medicinal herbs, understanding their benefits and how these affected not only my practice but my whole energetic and physical being… and of course, my love affair with riding waves began.

I weave all these teachings, passions, experiences, travel and studies into my daily practice and rituals. They are part of who I am and they inform my teaching as well as my holistic approach to wellness and life. But I never stop being a student. I continue to study and explore as much as I can with my teachers and on my own. I am very curious!

You will be guiding our next Escapes trip through Glacier National Park. What can our guests anticipate learning from you? Our highest intention will be to connect to our cosmic centre — that constant place of awareness within. We will be placing a great deal of emphasis on breath. I believe there is a direct connection between the breath and mind. If we work with our breath we can heal our minds, while yoga asanas heal our body. Breath provides us with our ebb and flow — it unifies, sustains and informs us in every level. It’s our life force. It communicates with our body, heals and stops the fluctuations of the mind and even increases our longevity.

Being on a retreat provides an ideal opportunity to venture within. To stop, contemplate and learn about ourselves. Through unified flows of asana and synchronicity with the breath, our experience with the internal and external worlds will deepen, tone our systems and rebalance our entire body. There will also be plenty of playtime! Plus, I’ll be sharing a hands-on Radical Radiance workshop with herbal alchemy and recipes to glow inside and out.

For those of us who can’t accompany you, what lesson/s can you impart on us to integrate into our daily exploration? I think that the biggest, most important message in these very difficult, busy times is to find quiet and go within. Disconnect. Listen. Witness. Observe your mind. Find time to connect to our cosmic center. The divine.

Nowadays we are always connected, constantly moving, with so many distractions and spending way too much time in front of a screen. So, consciously trading some of that time to mere contemplating, observing and cultivating a meditation practice is very important. A moment of meditation can refresh you on every level, give you the tools to cope with whatever life brings you, and ultimately guide you to happiness.

What’s the best piece of advice you ever got? Be you.

Worst advice? I can’t remember, it was that bad!

Spirit animal: Butterfly.

What does the word free mean to you? Free means to be me. Authentic. To be awake and keep consciousness alive. To Give. To Love myself. And to be attached to nothing, yet connected to everything.

Photos by Enrique Aviles.
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Love that her spirit animal is a butterfly!

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com

6 years ago

She seems to know who she is, that’s beautiful : )

6 years ago

Love this!

6 years ago

Hello,

My name is Paul McDonald and I am the product manager of PAAVANI Ayurveda. PAAVANI Ayurveda is a Nevada City based artisan line of small-batch, pure, organic, herbal skincare and wellness products formulated with the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda. Our products are cruelty free, sustainably packaged, gluten free and vegan. We believe that our offerings would fit well with the natural, organic focus of your store with also having the added benefit of being handmade in California. Our products are currently sold at all of the co-ops and natural food stores within our local community and are quickly making their way into select stores throughout northern California and the Bay Area.Thus, this seems to be a thriving market for our products.

At PAAVANI we make a wide range of products including: a 3-Step Skincare Line, Body Oils, Aromatherapy Spritzers, Loose-Leaf Herbal Teas, Oil Pulling Oils, Nose Oil and Ear Oil. Our brand is unique from other suppliers because we use ancient Ayurvedic wisdom to offer traditional herbal products to the modern world. Through these product offerings we honor the individual needs of our customers by providing them with options to support their unique mind, body, skin and soul. Our product line intends to educate our customers on the principles of Ayurveda by teaching them to connect with their doshic (elemental) make up. With the clear explanations we provide on each label, we strive to make our products accessible to everyone regardless of their understanding of Ayurveda.

To learn more about PAAVANI, I am able to send you our one-sheet with more information about Ayurveda and the intention of our products. I can also send you a copy of our wholesale brochure and line sheet for you to look over at your convenience. I hope that you find our products to be a good fit for your shop. I look forward to hearing your response & will plan to follow up with you.

​Have a blessed day!

Paul

204 N. Pine St.
Nevada City, CA
95959
T: 530-346-3729
http://www.paavaniayurveda.com