Meet Maria Cooper

I received my 200 hour Hatha/Vinyasa certification right here in San Diego during the early stages of the pandemic, but I have been practicing since I was a teenager. My mom's wish for Mother's Day one year was to attend a yoga class with her, and even though I dragged my feet, I got hooked almost immediately. Yoga has continually allowed me to welcome new versions of myself while allowing me hold and honor past ones. I am forever a student in this beautiful practice and have additional trainings in trauma informed yoga principles, restorative yoga, and sound healing.

Teaches:
Honey Flow, Honey Restore, Hi-Lo

The vibe at class:
Mindful. Autonomous. Balancing.

  • My Honey Flow classes are energizing, while encouraging different ways for each student to turn into their own specific needs. I try to incorporate yoga philosophy in accessible ways that allow for self-reflection and introspective time on the mat during our 1-hour time together. Playlists are jazzy, and as described by my Spotify, "lounging golden hour" type of music. I leave space to honor movement, breathwork, and stillness alike.

  • So many people come to yoga because of the physical postures, which is completely understandable with the way Western yoga is portrayed in the media. And if that is what brought you here, great! But yoga is so so so much more and doesn't even have to be associated with the postures. It is asana, but it is also breathwork, meditation, stillness, contemplation, discipline, detachment...the list goes on! All it takes is a little curiosity to dive deep into the self.

  • Child's pose. I know this feels like a simple answer, but the moment of resting my forehead down on the mat brings me back to center every single time. This motion of surrendering helps me tune into my intuition and I can physically focus on my breath with the rise and fall of my chest against my thighs. Even if I just need a moment to regroup not even in the context of a yoga class, child's pose is where I go.

  • You can find me in the garden tending to my herbs, hiking or camping with buddies, game nights galore, reading anything I can get my hands on about women's health, or just laying in the sun. I am working on just "being" instead of "doing."