Embodied Mind Wellness

09/29/2026

It’s been quiet around here, but that’s because I’ve been making moves—literally and metaphorically! I’ve spent the last 2.5 years working in high acuity care with adolescents and adults as a Contemplative Practitioner in a virtual IOP program, where I’ve sharpened my clinical skills and gained incredible experience providing services to clients all over the country. I wanted to share that I am now accepting clients for individual and group services, and my profile went live today! Please feel free to share it with anyone who’s looking to explore what they’re navigating through creative, expressive, and/or somatic practices—I’d be happy to connect. 🙏✨

Maria Gismondi, Pittsburgh, PA, 15241, (412) 253-4492, You know the feeling of living entirely in your head: ruminating, spiraling, overanalyzing. You want an intersectional, q***r- and neurodivergent-affirming space focused on safety and personal liberation where you don't have to leave any part of...

02/24/2024

There’s still time to join us tomorrow for Intuitive Movement at Yoga Innovations! What is Intuitive Movement? Well, it’s an opportunity to connect with yourself—body and mind: to listen deeply, honor your impulses, tune in to the messages your body holds, and practice moving what’s stuck!

Intuitive Movement is about giving yourself the gift of time and space to focus on YOU and your personal process from one present moment to the next. Join me in an exploration of dance/movement therapy-informed somatic practices that will open your heart and mind to the wisdom held by the body. Facilitated by a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist and Certified Yoga Teacher (aka, yours truly) with gentle loving kindness and care.

Have questions? Just ask! And if you want in, save your spot at www.yogainnovations.com/workshops or via the MindBody app now!

02/21/2024

We’re just a few days away from my Intuitive Movement workshop at Yoga Innovations! Whatever is going on in your life right now, take some YOU time and explore it through movement with me. If that sounds intimidating or scary or confusing, trust me when I say that if you’re an adult with a body, this workshop is for you.

All you need to participate is a yoga mat, a journal/pen, water, and your curiosity! Feel free to reach out with any questions, and I hope to see you there!

Check out the second pic for more upcoming events at YI over the next few weeks, and come move with us…

02/19/2024

I’m delighted to be back at Upper St. Clair High School again this year to celebrate the district’s Wellness Day by facilitating Mindful Movement groups for these incredible educators! We’ve had a lovely morning so far connecting (and in some cases, reconnecting!) through movement. It’s been fun both getting to know some brand new friends and reuniting with folx who have absolutely made a difference in my kiddo’s lives through the years, all while sharing somatic self-care practices. Big thanks to the Wellness Committee (and Nurse Hansen, who originally recruited me!) for having me. I’m excited to see who shows up in my last two sessions this afternoon!

For those who attended and requested it, I’m linking my playlist for today’s sessions in the comments below. Enjoy and keep moving!

02/06/2024

If you haven’t saved your spot already, what are you waiting for? Register now at www.yogainnovations.com/workshops or via the MindBody app. Need more info? Read on!

Intuitive Movement is:

*A chance to check in, listen deeply to your body, and explore what emerges through movement with a dance/movement therapist and certified yoga instructor to guide and hold space for you.

*For any adult with a body. No experience necessary; curiosity required.

*An opportunity to practice exploration and experimentation in a judgement-free space. What’s going on for you right now? What questions are you seeking answers to? What do you need to let go of? Bring all of it to the studio, and be ready to move and release it back into the wild.

*Happening at Yoga Innovations in Bethel Park, PA, on 2/24/24 from 1-3pm! Bring a yoga mat, water, a journal/writing device, and an open mind, and I’ll meet you there!

01/31/2024

Just finished the last guided practice of this year’s 30 day yoga journey with , and what a treat it’s been! I remain convinced that the most important thing we can do for ourselves is find movement that feels sustainable—ways of moving that nurture us, bring joy to body and mind, and that we actually *want* to do consistently—because it’s the fastest way to connect with our freest and most attuned selves. It’s the quickest way I know to feel better about anything and everything, to find answers to questions we don’t even know we’re asking, and to rid our bodies of stuckness and dis-ease.

Having said that, I also understand how hard it can be to find the motivation to start! Some days just the thought of peeling your body off the couch and into action can feel impossible, and that’s because some days it actually is! So find yourself an accountability partner. Check in about how often you move, and maybe keep a journal about it to see if it changes how you feel overall. I promise you’ll find the worth in it. And if you need support around this sort of thing, I’m your girl! Feel free to shoot me a DM, or connect with me at [email protected].

You can also join me at Yoga Innovations in Bethel Park on Monday nights for $5 Cash Power Flow 2 from 8:30-9:30pm, OR for Intuitive Movement—a very special workshop combining yoga asana and expressive movement—on Saturday, 2/24/24 from 1-3pm! Sign up via the MindBody app or at www.yogainnovations.com/workshops

And in the meantime? Drop your shoulders away from your ears, take a deep belly breath, and thank the universe that you inhabit that beautiful body that makes movement possible—no matter your capacity for it in this moment. Sending love from my mat/dance space to yours! Xo

01/09/2024

Pittsburgh and surrounding area friends: If you missed out on my last movement workshop at Yoga Innovations sign up now to join me for the next one! On Saturday, 2/24/24 (check out those numbers!), meet me on your mat for 2 hours of YOU time—a chance to explore your felt sense of self through powerful somatic-based practices inspired by principles of dance/movement therapy.

This workshop is for anyone interested in connecting with, witnessing, and releasing material held by the body, and no experience is necessary. Not a dancer or a practicing yogi? Not a problem! Everyone (including dancers/yogis) can benefit from this work. Consider this a personal invitation to introspection from me to you, no matter your level of body/movement confidence.

This is an unheated practice, but the room will definitely get warm as we do! Bring water, a yoga mat, a journal/writing device and your curiosity, and I promise to hold space for you with gentle loving kindness.

Save your spot today at www.yogainnovations.com/workshops/ or register via the MindBody app, and get ready to dance it out with me!

*Please note that this workshop is structured for adults. Feel free to DM with any questions.

12/31/2023

How will you spend your last moments of 2023?

Many of us feel pressure this time of year to set goals or expectations for ourselves for the year to come. If resolutions feel good to you, have at it! But if they historically lead you to a place of disappointment, allow me to present an alternative:

Might it feel more productive to spend some time closing out this year simply by connecting to yourself? You don’t need any special equipment, just your own presence and awareness.

A quick exercise: Take a moment—it doesn’t have to be long!—to drop into your body. Get comfy, close your eyes if it feels safe, or take a soft focus toward the floor to encourage your attention to turn inward. Start by sending the spotlight of your mind’s eye to your breath… your thoughts… the sensations you are experiencing… Scan your body from head to toe, and notice how you feel.

Take stock of the effects of the last 365 days on your body, mind and spirit. Where do you feel settled? Where do you have an unmet need? How can you support yourself in shedding the weight of your disappointments and holding your triumphs to the light for appreciation? As you work through the body in this way, maybe a word or short phrase might emerge from your subconscious: a message from you to you.

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Did you try it? Feel free to share your experience in the comments, or just share a word you hope might help shape the next year of your life.

As we prepare to cross the threshold of a new year, give yourself the gift of intentional attention. Turn the space you hold for others towards yourself, and notice what you notice. And if you’d like to explore this kind of work with more individual guidance, don’t hesitate to contact [email protected] to get started today!

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Art by Salvador Dalí
Dream Passage from Alice in Wonderland (1979)