Maria’s journey to wellness has taken her through many different modalities to the point where she found that she needed to take charge of her own health in a more methodical way through training in pilates, practicing Gyrotonic and more recently the MELT method. Maria is a PMA Certified pilates teacher since 2010 and also a MELT Method instructor. MELT assists the nervous system through hydrating the connective tissue, de-stressing the body, stabilizing and strengthening to achieve more balance and efficient body movement.

Maria has always been active, but it was not until 1995 that she began a more focused approach to staying healthy. Ballroom dancing became a passion and also long distance running. Pilates was a conduit to enhance the former and help steer clear of injury, as well as help the back and neck issues brought on and intensified by playing violin, dancing and just life in general.

The person who first introduced pilates into Maria’s world was Roberta Meyer, beloved dance teacher and mentor, who advised her to see Suzanne Martin, DPT and pilates instructor. From there classes with Ellie Herman, pilates teacher training course and eventually teaching. Maria has taught pilates in a physical therapy setting in Marin since 2009.

The primary motivators in her continuing development has been Madeline Black, whom she has been seeing for years for workshops and privates, being her ‘pilates guru’, as well as encouraging Maria to look beyond the pilates scope into IMT and other modalities, Gil Hedley’s Integral Anatomy Intensives among them. All of which is influencing the way Maria looks at the body and her teaching style.

To help people live a more healthy and balanced life using MELT and Pilates is a privilege and dream come true for Maria.