Shakti Yoga

My boyfriend and I met Maria a few months ago and are already almost through our second package of private lessons! We couldn’t be happier to have Maria and yoga in our lives! She is wonderful and very professional. It is easy to get in touch to schedule our sessions and she is always on time. Maria is also incredibly patient and responsive to our individual needs. She even provides us with at home practice for us to do! We look forward to continuing our practice with Maria!

Yo he estado practicando yoga por 2 anos y mi experiencia con Maria ha sido fenomenal. Ella ha sido mi maestra y estoy my contenta de haberla encontrado.
Las clases son muy completas siempre poniendo mucha atención a las necesidades de cada estudiante, gracias Maria por hacer el espacio y tu dedicación yo recomiendo a Maria a todas las personas que tenga necesidad de estar activas y que tengan necesidad de estar saludables.
Elizabeth G.

Stress got the best of me, after months of many quick life changing events, the constant demands of work, school, and urban city living. I am usually a very active person and movement such as dance and yoga is my outlet but I took a few months off because of the intensity of early pregnancy. Now four months into this new journey, I’m finally settling back into my body. I decided to reintegrate gentle movement and start making time for holistic healing methods such as Reiki.
I had learned the basics about Reiki in the past, but have never experienced an actual one-​on-​one healing Reiki session before. Maria offers a really unique approach to this practice with sound healing bowl’s and crystal stones. The treatment was really soothing and the atmosphere was prepared well so that I could really feel safe and comfortable to go into a deep relaxation. I felt really comforted by the sound of the meditation bowl’s that she played, and I felt nurtured from warmth of the Reiki. Maria is really intuitive and she has really helped me to stop, calm down, relax and find the healing energy stored within myself.
Overall my experience was great! I was able to get up feeling light like some heavy blocks had began to open up, and I think my baby enjoyed it too. I look forward to ongoing sessions with Maria throughout the next few month. I suggest checking it out for yourself and booking an appointment with her if you are interested in or involved with energy work at any level! You will definitely want to try this at least once or do even several sessions with Maria.

Maria was my hatha yoga and restorative teacher when I began my yoga practice. She was very communicative and mindful of my shortcomings. She brings depth and enthusiasm to her practice as opposed to other teachers who just move from one pose to another like a drill sergeant. I always looked forward to her classes no matter what my mood as she always had that ready smile to begin the classes even as the poses became more challenging. I highly recommend Maria to anyone who is beginning or continuing their yoga practice

Maria is really as good as it gets when it comes to yoga. I have been a student in her class and also a private student at my condo in Pacific Heights. She is very patient, kind, and a good listener. One of the qualities I appreciated the most is her ability to read my facial/​body cues (e.g. Ow, I’m feeling this pose way too much!). And oh yes, she really cared that I learned not just the activity itself, but that I understood the philosophy behind the practice. Imagine that; a yoga instructor who is also smart! Haha, J/​K. In short, I highly recommend Maria and would gladly nominate her for Yogie of the Year. Good luck!

Maria has been coming by my work for the past several months, providing what has been a great intro to yoga and a fantastic way to start the morning. I only wish we could have her more often!
I never thought I’d be the sort of guy who’d try yoga, much less get a lot out of it and look forward to it each week. I’m typically much more into resistance training with weights and some cardio in a gym setting. But Maria’s yoga instruction has been great in getting me to connect with my body on a deeper level and bringing a greater level of awareness. I’m always in a better place after her class, ready to begin the day with a more balanced physical and mental state.
Maria is able to take our motley crew of employees, and no matter how much yoga experience we’ve had prior (in my case none), get us all comfortable in the practice with a steady pace and alternative poses in case some of us aren’t as flexible or balanced as others. Speaking for myself, I’ve never felt out of my depth or left behind or bored in Maria’s class, and I appreciate the time before and after the class where she takes the time to check in and invites comment. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide to yoga!

Recently, I broke three bones in my leg playing soccer and the pain was unbearable to sleep with. Consuming painkillers plus sleep meds did very little to solve the problem.
So I decided to try alternative healing. Maria visited me and performed a Reiki Session on my ankle. Slowly I could feel the pain receding and my mind starting to ease allowing me to get some sleep. When I awoke, my muscles felt more relaxed and my mind had a much more positive outlook on my injury. It provided me with some much needed relief that I do not think that traditional medicine could have given me.
I must admit I’ve been skeptical about alternative healing. My point of view had always been «What are these so called ‘energies’?-it just didn’t make sense to me that something I couldn’t see was going to help me. But it truly did and I’m thankful to Maria for opening my eyes to the benefits of Reiki. From my personal experience, I recommend Maria’s Reiki to anyone suffering with physical injuries and encourage skeptics like myself to explore alternative healing.
Maria is a patient and caring healer and I look forward to expanding my Reiki sessions with her to help me with my leg healing and also helping me with my day to day stress from work.

Hello :) Let me start by saying that I have known Maria now for about 4 years and we have become very dear friends. We lived as roommates at one point, and she held yoga classes and Reiki sessions out of our home in a beautiful space. I have taken Maria’s yoga classes, gotten Reiki done by her and have done Ayurvedic cleanses per her instruction and guidance. No matter how Maria has worked with me, it has always been of great benefit to me. Her yoga classes are a perfect mix and relaxation and challenge. She guides me right to my edge and is very in tune with that subtle balance. Her Reiki sessions are nurturing, creative and held in a beautiful way, giving me space to release what is needed. Her knowledge of Ayurveda is always so right on with what I need and it is inspired by so much passion and wanting to truly help me get into a place of balance in my body. She wants everyone to be in balance and harmony with themselves and she uses all of her tools to guide you there. Maria is a true healer. Her life is about healing, not just her clients, but also herself. The way she lives her life is on purpose and she is always working to be the best person she can be. She works through blockages in her own self on a regular basis and that is why she is able to assist others to do the same. She has a magical Spirit and it comes through in the way she interacts with you, it will always be fun in some way! She knows how to transform herself and to help others to do the same. I am also a healer and I would never recommend someone if I didn’t completely trust their abilities, friend or not. Maria is very rare and if you happen to cross her path, you are lucky indeed. She has many tools to help you open your heart, strengthen and balance your body, and expand your life!

Maria is a very knowledgeable, patient, supportive teacher. I like that she tailors the class focusing on specific needs of her students and says the poses in both English and Indian. One can immediately tell Maria has a warm heart and spirit so I feel blessed she’s been my teacher the past two and a half years.

I had such a great first Reiki experience with Maria. I had mention to Maria about my interest in the session and she promptly offered me information about Reiki and suggested a private lesson. Having never done this before I was so happy to hear that was an option. She is a very experienced and knowledgeable Reiki practitioner. I enjoyed the private session setting in her cozy studio, which made my experience very comfortable and I was able to completely relax. Thank you Maria for such an amazing experience!

I have been blessed to get to know Maria through her volunteer work at the non-​profit where I work. Maria provides weekly one-​on-​one private instruction to our clients who are all living with breast cancer, as well as other life-​threatening illnesses. Maria thoughtfully tailors each of her private sessions to the specific needs of our clients, many of whom are actively in treatment for breast cancer, have mobility issues, and do not speak English as their first language. Maria’s compassionate, dependable and grounding presence has not only deeply impacted the clients who have received her instruction, but has also created a more vibrant and healing energy in our office space. My clients who have practiced yoga with Maria report feeling less stress and anxiety toward their health condition, decreased pain, and having a better sense of well-​being and community. Not only is Maria a talented yoga instructor, but she is also a delightful and loving person who truly cares about her students. Maria’s ability to connect and respond to the individual needs of her students is a true gift.

I’ve only been doing yoga for 4 years and in those 4 years, I’ve only met 2 yoga instructors that I’ve enjoyed learning from. One of them is Maria. I met her while she was an assistant to a Restorative Yoga Workshop. She gave me her business card and decided to schedule a yoga session with her. She has true passion and commitment to yoga and has really helped me with some injuries that have nagged me for a long time. She applies reiki into some of her sessions and I really feel a sense of awe and enlightenment. Her warm personality and professionalism allows sessions to feel comfortable and at your own pace. I highly recommend attending one of her yoga sessions and most likely, it won’t be your last.

As someone who had never done yoga before, I was always intimidated to give it a try because of my lack of flexibility, even though I am a runner and in pretty good shape for a 55 year old. Well, I finally decided to do it, and found Maria on Unilocal based on her positive reviews. I am so glad I did!
She is a very supportive and encouraging teacher, and I am making good progress in our work together. My wife has now joined me too.
Maria makes our time challenging, yet motivating. She has a warm and relaxed style while providing clear coaching throughout the session. After each session I feel like I have achieved my intentions, and am more relaxed, balanced and flexible.
Thank you Maria. I look forward to continuing our work together.

What an amazing experience! I first met Maria through some coworkers. Because of the type of work I do, I had strained my shoulder and back and was in so much pain that I brought it up. She immediately took me aside and showed me a few very simple stretches. After breathing into them for several minutes I felt significantly better. These are stretches that I’ve continued to use when I experience my back pain. We started talking about the work that she does, and she offered to give myself and a friend a private restorative yoga session. I would consider my experience with yoga basic. Every step along the way Maria checked in on how we were feeling. She would make all the proper adjustments that I’ve never been able to experience in larger yoga groups. Her calm voice, her pace, and the intensity of her poses are all tailored to the experience of each individual. It was very clear to me that she sensed what my abilities were and worked with them. My experience with other instructors is that their poses are too repetitive, so I’d often come out of a session not feeling like I had experienced an entire range. Maria made sure that we breathed into every party of our body. After an hour and a half of yoga, she started the relaxation part. She set us up in a few comfortable positions, and slowly added sand weights, blankets, and hot stones. She did a few massages, rubbed some scented oils, and really allowed us to be in total peace and relaxation. I came out of this experience so rejuvenated, conscious, and cleansed. Thank you so much Maria!

Maria is a fabulous instructor! Maria is incredibly focused on her students. She is very intuitive, warm and aware. Maria also has a tremendous grasp of yoga practices and restorative yoga. The result for students is a wonderfully rewarding and satisfying class each time. I have suffered from post concussion syndrome (PCS) and Maria introduced me to restorative yoga. The practice with Maria has provided me with a huge amount of relief, and the tools to bring my headaches down between sessions. I am now also seeing the benefits of that mindfulness in my daily life. Maria always finds the right blend of yoga movement and restorative poses that are refreshing and renewing. I can’t recommend her enough.

If you looking to expand your knowledge of Yoga, Shakti Yoga is the place to do it. Maria is a passionate teacher, she makes everyone feel challenged and supported. I had issues with migraine, until I met Maria. She introduced me to several poses that have helped me with my migraine. I am very thankful for her help and advice. Moreover, Maria helped me to personalize my yoga goals, which definitely has helped me reduce stress. Moreover, I have never been flexible, now after several month practicing with Maria, I have been absolutely amazed at the flexibility that I have gained.

Maria Colina is the heart of Shakti Yoga. I was first introduced to Maria via the Mindful Body and she has been an incredible inspiration. She guided me in the poses of yoga, knowing just when to push and also helping me become more balanced. I have had scoliosis since I was a teenager, that paired with my high anxiety resulted in some serious back pain. After just a few months of yoga with Maria, I felt stronger and more balanced and my back pain subsided. She is wonderful at working with people who have all types of injuries and her sensitivity to peoples’ feelings is what makes her an exceptional teacher. Wonderful teacher for beginners or more advanced yogis.