Maria Brown, MS, GISP, PWS
Founder, Serenity Wellness & Coaching Services, LLC
SOMA Neurosomatic Breath Therapy Instructor
Additional Certifications:
Sound Healling II & Advanced
Ayurvedic Nutrition I
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“When trauma strikes unexpectedly and your whole world seems to be out of alignment…breathe and let peace be your guide”
Hello world, I am Maria Brown and I am a SOMA Certified Neurosomatic Breath Therapy Instructor based out of the quaint town of Stony Creek, New York in the southern region of Adirondack State Park. My journey to this profession has been a long and winding road by crashing and burning and then reacquainting myself with me and finding empowerment through self-love and the power of breathwork.
I began my career in the 1980’s as a restoration ecologist, professional wetland scientist and geospatial analyst for an International Engineering firm. After delivering my twins in 1994, I was fortunate to be able to choose to be a stay-at-home mom until they began kindergarten. On their first day of school in 1999, I began mine as well as a high school science teacher for the Sayville Public School District located on Long Island, New York. Long Island had been my home for 57 years until my retirement in July 2021 which lead to my transformative move to the North Country with my best friend and partner, Dane.
No one could have prepared me for the summer of 2020 when I experienced the most heart-breaking and life-changing trauma in the midst of a global pandemic. I found myself in a crushing state of depression and I decided I needed to try and find peace in a pause by taking a leave of absence from the high school to help my son and daughter, and to take the time for me to begin the long journey to heal from those profound events in my life. I was invited to attend a Qoya Retreat facilitated by my lifelong friend Stephanie in Phoenix, Arizona. I was open to anything and everything at that point and headed her way to embrace something new. This experience opened me up to a level of vulnerability that I had never experienced before in my life with the introspection needed to begin the hard work and pathway for true inner healing. After the retreat, Stephanie planned a trip for us to Sedona where I was emersed in my first sound bath and trauma breathwork session. In just three-hours, I had made more progress in releasing the pain that kept me stuck in a state of profound sadness and mourning than I had made in nine-months of intensive Emotionally Focused Therapy.
When I returned to Long Island, I embraced more breathwork and made the decision to become a SOMA breathwork Instructor once I retired from the high school. Taking that risk alone presented many new opportunities for me to embrace a new journey where I could focus on sharing my story and coaching others who were struggling in similar ways that I had, through breathwork, nature meditations, journaling and inner child work.
Since becoming a SOMA Certified Breathwork Instructor, I have co-facilitated numerous Qoya and Breathwork retreats with Stephanie and I also work with a Group in Atlanta, When Women Heal founded by Tierra Destiny Read. I am excited to be part of the SOMA Tribe and look forward to expanding my coaching business and co-facilitating and collaborating with other holistic healers to enhance wellness opportunities for others! My focus is on overall wellness of mind, body, and spirit as a collective consciousness for becoming the best version of you and for living the life you deserve to live! My other areas of interest and focus that hold a special place in my heart are for those who want to learn methods for trauma release, substance control, intermittent hypoxic fitness training and improved sleep patterns through the practice of breathwork and integrative transformational modalities. The power of the breath has transformed my life and I am so honored and excited to share these practices with others who desire the most powerful and positive transformation you can make...what a wonderful gift you can give to yourself!
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*Results cannot be guaranteed, moreover, results from individual testimonials are for reference only and your own personal experience may differ to those shown on this site.
SOMA Breath® is an approach to breathwork and breath therapy that includes certain techniques that can be used to resolve significant past events believed to be interfering with a person’s present mental and emotional wellness. Only people with sound mental health who are confident that a review of past events will not adversely impact their emotional or mental health should participate. We request that you do not participate in breath therapy of any kind if you or your treating practitioners have any past or existing concerns about your mental health.
SOMA Breath® is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.