Marian (Joy of Life) Paniagua

Mar. 18

The first time I experienced a yoga session with Marian she surprised me with a cool, beautifully fragrant mist and the light touch of her healing hands during savasana (the rest time at the end of a yoga session). Marian was a different kind of yoga teacher.

We met in early March 2020 during my spring break vacation to Costa Rica. The global pandemic was about to be announced in a few days and Marian came into my life in perfect timing. Neither of us could have predicted our relationship.

Marian would become the catalyst of my complete identity metamorphosis in 2020.

How did this happen?

Gradually.

It started with a desire I had to do regular yoga sessions during a stay in Costa Rica.

I am not a yogi so I was nervous.

Marian welcomed me. No judgement. She met me exactly where I was and she listened intently to all my desires.

We met 3 times a week. The sun would rise behind us, and the ocean would splash in front of us. I become her regular client. This is how I got to know Marian as a healer and a facilitator of great change from the inside out.

Marian’s smile was infectious. I felt a deep inner peace in her presence.

Even after 1 short week my body was feeling the healthiest and strongest it had been, maybe ever - and I have been a high level college athlete.

And here is the piece that is most important…

My mind was getting to rest, to calm, and to open up. In Marian’s practice I was able to sift through the mind clutter and release so much junk I was unconsciously carrying about. All the “I have to’s”, “I should’s”, “I am not enough’s” started to fall away.

I was able to just BE present for the first time in my life.

What she gave me was already so healing that the rest of what we have built together through retreats has simply been a magical bonus.

Who is Marian Paniagua?

Marian is a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wise teacher, and many people call Marian a friend - Myself included!

Some may describe Marian as an accomplished yoga teacher but this description is missing the full spectrum of what makes Marian one in 8 Billion. Yoga is just one tool in her toolkit and she has other tools that I experienced that are also very powerful!

I see Marian as a radiant and powerful leader of conscious awakening. She is able to tap into your deepest desires, you know, the ones you are not even aware are there until you find yourself speaking them.

She is native to Costa Rica and born in tiny, oceanside Brasilito. Her family and connections live all around her. You cannot go anywhere in the community without someone being connected to Marian.

She has deep roots in Guanacaste and this is part of her magic.

I feel Marian’s connection to her lands every time time I speak with her. She is like an ancient Costa Rican tree with roots that run through the ground. She is quiet, wise, and respectful and moves with the natural elements.

What does she do?

Marian facilitates transformation. Internal and external. I have seen her abilities and personally felt them.

She is the kind of person who magnetizes that exact experience you need to unlock your next level.

She works with you to figure out what you need.

Maybe you need flowing yoga by the ocean, an enriching cacao ceremony in Brasilito, a fire ceremony on the beach, or the opportunity to put out forest fires to help firefighters during a crisis (true story, she helped one of her students join a firefighting initiative this year).

Marian even holds space for her students who simply need to talk, reflect, and meditate on their dreams.