Holistic Fitness
While there are many incredible holistic practitioners–from Yoga instructors, to body workers, to therapists, to herbalists–few honestly address the undeniable facts about weight gain, decreased mobility, and inappropriate eating behaviors in the modern world. Individuals cannot afford to continue with the luxury of holistic therapies if they do not learn the ins and outs of their own bodies, and establish realistic, functional fitness.
The underlying language of Maria’s holistic fitness philosophy describes the body in terms of Yin and Yang, deficiency and excess, internal and external.
While exercising her clients, Maria focuses on the inclusion of all planes of motion, a complete range of motion, a variety of speeds, and a variety of metabolic pathways. All exercise programs begin with an emphasis on balance, stability, isometric endurance, flexibility, controlled breath, and inner awareness.
She encourages macrobiotic nutrition–”whole foods nutrition”–with an emphasis on plant foods, and describes their effects on the body in the same terminology. She helps her clients direct their own food choices in accordance with individual needs. For example, an individual who has a diet in excess of more Yang foods, such as a diet rich in meat, dairy, and salt–and who exhibits symptoms of excess, such as hard areas of swelling, or a ruddy complexion–may benefit from the incorporation of more Yin, plant foods to re-establish balance.
Holistic fitness emphasizes a strengthening of protective chi, that is, the immune system. During the day, protective chi moves to the surface: to the skin and muscles, warming and nourishing them, opening sweat glands, and defending against exterior conditions. At night, protective chi circulates deeper, in the organs. Protective chi is derived from the food we eat and the air we breathe; that is, immune function is critically associated with the ability to absorb nutrients and utilize oxygen. Both of these abilities are directly addressed through fitness training.
Maria’s approach to her holistically-minded clients’ fitness keeps in mind every aspect of lifestyle and behvior, rather than simply focusing on the “exercise” component. She teaches people new, lasting, positive habits in their day-to-day lives, motivating them to recognize the benefits, encouraging them to continue, and providing the right amount of honest, constructive criticism.
She does not encourage the precision of measuring or counting calories, adherence to strict traditional lifting routines, or the prescription of bouts of cardio. Her approach is more intuitive, creative, and dynamic, with an emphasis on the client’s ability to feel his own limitations, and accurately assess his balance–not just in his body, but in his life.
