Finding The Sacred Space – Maria Kiekari

The Beginning

I remember when I took my first yoga class in Monterrey, México, where I was doing my College degree; I was looking for something different, something that I could relate to or connect with at an emotional and mental level. I realized that I didn’t want the same things my friends wanted or the people around me were dreaming about, be it success in career or relationship goals. I wanted to find the sacred space where I could just be myself.

I had only heard about the power of universe and how it is listening to all our  demands and dreams and working towards making them a reality. Soon, I became a believer. The universe was listening and helped me find a place very close to where I was living. A small, homely yoga studio ‘Sattva Yoga’ was where I first met my yoga teacher, the woman who continues to inspire me because of her dedication to the truth about what life is about and her passion to share this knowledge with the world.

“Your sacred space is where you can find yourself over and over again.” – Joseph Campbell

I was unaware of the potential and impact being in tune with this sacred space can have on one’s life. I found the sacred space through yoga and slowly I was becoming more and more aware of the strength and a sense of tranquility it gave me. I understood that it can be guiding light in my inner and outer quest and this is what inspired me to start yoga – to awaken the potential within.

The beginning was 10 years ago when I was in college, and with yoga came many changes and I am glad I embraced them all. First I thought that all changes were external … happening around me, from friends, attitude of people I interacted with, circumstances, etc., but soon I realised that much was changing within, thoughts, habits, beliefs, my reaction to circumstances. I was happy about these changes and have no regrets.

Embracing The Changes

My love for yoga became stronger also because of the amazing and caring community I found at Sattva Yoga. It all added to my awareness and acceptance. And then the amazing movements I found my body getting in and out of was an add on to all the positives.

Though I was already into a lot sports such as gymnastics, soccer, and even dancing, my body felt very different when it embraced a yoga pose. I felt that I was breathing again with all my muscles, bone, inner organs, brain cells! I had re-awakened or re-connected with my breath and I continue to take these deep breaths with a deep sense of gratitude for this path.

Walking The Yoga Path

 

I take refuge in knowing that the sacred place is in my heart and yoga helps me nourish and cultivate this further. On finding this place, I feel the very essence of my life has begun to discover and align with the four directions of the universe. Choosing to walk the yoga path has helped me create morning and evening rituals that help me improve every day; these personal rituals help me maintain my inner peace, health, creativity, focus and joy in my mind, body and spirit. They take care of me and keep me happy and if I am happy, people around me will also be happy 🙂  

Here is how I kick-start my day:

• Drink between 500ml to 1 liter water

• A glass of warm water followed by orange, apple or grape juice with ginger.

• Read a quote from my Earth Prayers book and take a card from my Earth Magic Oracle and tune in  with these magical messages before my meditation.

• Meditate for 25 to 30 minutes.

• Pet my kittens and kiss my husband.

• Yoga- Movement practice.

• Drink homemade cold pressed green juice while doing earthing/grounding.

• Dry brushing of my body.

• Take a cold shower.

• Ready for my first private yoga class of the day!

My Evening rituals or shut-down routine:

• Reading, reading and reading.

• Meditate for 10- 15 minutes.

• Reflect back on my day.

• Look at my vision board.

• Glass of water with chia seeds.

• Be grateful for the day I had.

Strong rituals in my life are like prayers for me. I do them with much love and I let my intuition guide me in what works best for me to nurture my soul.

We Are All Interconnected

 

Apart from my own intention, my yoga teacher and my wonderful mom, my husband who I met 8 years ago also supported and inspired me to follow my heart. AcroTerra is our baby and we started this in 2014 when my husband and I were called to support Mother Earth’s Rights and Sustainability movement.

 

We co-created AcroTerra to reconnect people with their inner and outer ecosystems and to remember that all of us are interconnected, interrelated and interdependent, we are all part of a natural and social web of life that supports and sustains us. We had first launched this in World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia. It was the first time yoga was being done inside a conservation congress; our aim was to bring back the spiritual, sacred and sustainable sense of conservation through AcroTerra.

“The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.”

AcroTerra Yoga is a community taking action to heal the world through the philosophy of Yoga, ancestral wisdom, AcroYoga, natural primal movements, science, profuse ecology and spirituality. Yoga is union and what we share is to unite several philosophies, methodologies, techniques and practices to reach more people through unity in diversity.

 

We have several projects we are working on that we have co-created from our direct experiences and interactions. I also went on to complete a  Sustainability, Eco-Yoga and Deep Ecology program at Metta Earth Institute, Vermont. We are WALKING THE TALK and everybody is welcome to join our amazing community, we believe that we need others and others needs us.

Yoga TTC and Projects

Our 200 hr  Yoga Alliance Terra Yoga Teacher Training course (28 days intensive or Modular Format) has been created to give you a transformational experience to live the deep and profound meaning of that interconnection, interrelationship and interdependence within ourselves, our community and the natural and elemental world.

Primal Vinyasa Yoga: This is a system I have created where I bring my experience and wisdom of Yoga, Sacred Ceremony  and natural primal movements to empower, heal and transform people’s lives through more sustainable lifestyle choices.

Primal Barefoot Movement: This movement was born after I read “Earthing, The Most important health discovery ever” by Clinton Ober. It left me so inspired that I have walked barefoot everywhere for over 3 months now. This experience is about earthing, grounding and getting all the benefits from mother earth’s electric energy but also to free our feet and reconnect with them as sacred, re-learn how to walk Barefoot making our feet and our entire body stronger.

 

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” – Khalil Gibran

Primal Living: Primal Living is a Transformational Coaching to change old and bad habits and to create sustainable and healthy living habits.  This is an integral experience where I guide you through a journey of meditation, earthing, mindful eating, movement sacred ceremony and rituals to integrate them in your life and slowly get rid of what is stopping you from experiencing your full potential. We offer this through private and group retreats and through online/distant learning options.  

So, there are many ways everybody can join us in this mission of re-awakening our senses, our heart, and our minds to experience that We Are All One and walk our talk with beauty, love and courage.

 

Maria Kiekari

Co-founder of Acro Terra A C, Mexico (www.acroterra.org)

NatureforAll partner in Mexico

Facebook & Instagram: @acroterrayoga