Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Marcano.
Hi Maria, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a survivor from the glorification of busy and a mind that was prone to worry and over-achievement. My life was an example of what stress, lack of mindset tools, and poor eating can do to an intelligent mind that wants to build and create. It is also a testimony of the power of a holistic approach to repair burnout in the body and soul.
I worked in the food industry, moving up to become a high-profile catering and corporate event manager. I spent countless hours creating themes and menus, planning the logistics and then supervising the execution of the colossal effort it takes to feed and entertain thousands of people. Creating million dollar programs for some of the biggest corporations in the world was an exciting career, but it was also very stressful and demanding. I was working and going to college full time, managing a large staff, forecasting revenues, and creating half million-dollar budgets. I was the embodiment of a “go getter”, a determined young woman going for her American dream…but one day that dream became a nightmare.
“Is this what life is all about?” I asked myself that question after being completely burned out from the career I had chosen. I noticed that my hectic lifestyle put self-care, relationships, and proper diet on the back burner. Finally, the problems moved into my physical body. I became so tired and weak that I ended up going to the doctor. At age 33, I was diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance so acute that the doctor said it’d be hard for me to conceive a baby if I wanted to. I was moving into pre-menopause! The long term effects of stress “speed-aged” my body…
I went on a quest to find my cure. I chose a natural path because in my heart, I knew this was not a disease to “fix” but the results of my lifestyle choices and an unexamined mindset. Being a high achiever, I put my focus to work for a noble cause: empowering myself with solutions. I wanted to get better and I needed to stay that way forever. As I dived deeper, my intuition, something I didn’t even acknowledge before, started to guide me. This was the beginning of using what I call whole-body feminine intelligence. I started to engage with my nervous system, gut-brain, and emotions to find my answers.
I received an education from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I was trained in many dietary theories and studied a variety of coaching methods. I earned a Kripalu yoga teacher certification that provided me with additional tools for stress relief and mind-body connection. But the key component I added to tie this intelligence together was breath work, a tool I received by completing the Inner Axis training with world-renowned teacher Max Strom. Drawing on this collective knowledge, I realized that ALL my symptoms were the result of an overwhelming and chronic triggering of the stress response that led to adrenal, gut, and emotional imbalances. Cortisol damage had affected my every organ and now I knew how to repair it and stop it from coming back.
What I’ve found after a decade of work with burned out women is that the missing link is that they don’t know how to activate their bodies’ innate ability to self-regulate. Big changes happen when women understand their whole-body intelligence and they realize they have a burnout prevention system within. This knowledge leads to repair when they use their nervous system to generate energy and build resilience. I focus on teaching the practical use of this inner technology and mindset.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been smooth, but nothing worthwhile is really that easy. For example, I never got a clear answer from the medical system. I actually felt very alone in the process because back then burnout wasn’t even a term people spoke about. I only started to hear and use this term about four years ago. All I knew was that I was speed aging and I had to do something. People didn’t talk about this back then and with a Type A personality I did not accept it easily. I kept it to myself and that was very isolating.
There was also quite a bit of trial and error. I spent a lot of money and time looking for answers but my deepest personal challenge was emotional. I felt an underlying sense of shame for not being strong enough to keep pushing. Leaving the corporate world to pursue my health and happiness is one of the scariest things I have ever done. I don’t regret it at all, but it took enormous focus and perseverance to stay on track. There were many times I almost quit. I started from zero, stumbling from theory to theory, modality to modality, and there was little to no direction on this subject matter (there still isn’t) – I just had to piece it all together on my own. But I did it so that other women wouldn’t have to.
Now that I am healthy and on a mission to share the answer, trying to get the message out has been the new challenge. This is because the consumerist self-care market has women convinced that they can buy burnout relief one yoga class, supplement, vacation, or wine glass at a time. Sometimes it still feels like I am going after a giant when I hear the ways we still buy into this approach. Many women can’t see their own power and responsibility because economic interests are influencing them all the time. Entire markets depend on their disempowerment, fatigue, and stress so this challenge is probably the largest today.
We’ve been impressed with Om My Wellness, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a burnout repair coach for driven women who are looking for a holistic answer to the fatigue or emotional decline happening as a result of their successful careers.
I help women with the same story of overwhelm and exhaustion I had in my successful corporate career. I am able to help these high-performing women that are suffering from tired nervous systems by reversing the chemical imbalance caused by their on-set stress response.
In my programs we address things that seem disjointed: fatigue, gut issues, anxiety, emotional swings, migraines, poor sleep, weight gain, hormonal issues, and brain fog. With the practices and protocols I give them they start building inner coherence in their nervous system; they see that these symptoms were all connected to chronic stress and they start improving them one by one. My coaching program empowers these women to access their built-in technology: mindset, gut-brain, and nervous system. This is what I call whole-body intelligence and it can both repair and prevent burnout.
My call is for women that are fed up with covering symptoms with medications or escapism and those that are being dismissed by their doctors with “your tests look normal”. My clients are in this world to serve in big ways and I’m here to help them do that. These are bright women, they can see that a massage, a yoga class, or spa treatment are not long-term solutions to burnout. What they need is sustainable energy to fulfill their calling.
Women in leadership need to lead from within to truly shine. I focus on simple and practical solutions that work for busy people – They value results and so do I. My intention is to help professional women show the world a new form of success that is sustainable and healthy.
Their goals for a vibrant life as women that lead and succeed without breaking their body or relationships are my inspiration.
How do you define success?
To succeed is to have the freedom to live authentically and to fulfill your calling with confidence while being graceful with yourself and your fellow sentient beings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ommywellness.com/
- Instagram: @ommywellness
- Facebook: @ommywellness
Image Credits
Nori B Photography
