Maria served victims of crime for twenty-three years; as the director of the Crime Victim Rights Unit of the local county Prosecutor’s Office, as the Coordinator of a Child Advocacy Center, and as a Community Educator for the local rape crisis center. Curious about the lack of self-care among criminal justice professionals (including herself!), Maria learned the fine art of pivoting within the field she loved and now spends her time passionately teaching others how to embrace the beauty of slowing down, honoring the wisdom of the body, and finding nuggets of joy in the chaos of everyday life. Maria also enjoys teaching yoga to the younger generation (especially pre-teens!) because witnessing their transformative moment on the mat is one of the coolest things ever, serving as a volunteer soccer coach to 4 and 5 year old girls, and most importantly, being the proud mom of three pretty awesome kids. Maria holds an Applied Science (Paralegal) degree from Kellogg Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in Family Life Education from Spring Arbor University, and is a Registered Yoga Teacher, a Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher, and an Eating Psychology Coach certified by The Institute for the Psychology of Eating.