Maritza is a Latina- Bolivian-Puerto Rican- social and emotional wellness educator, mindfulness guide, and licensed social worker. As a daughter of immigrants, Maritza has cultivated a strong work ethic to achieve her goals that impact the greater good. She has practiced yoga and meditation over ten years as a way to pause and recharge after long days serving under-resourced communities in Baltimore, MD. As a wellness professional, Maritza prioritizes self-care and shares how to make it a lifestyle through discipline. Self-Care takes discipline. Just like physical fitness requires routine and determination, Maritza shares the power of self-care routines, rituals, and tiny joys. Through community support groups she creates a platform for collective healing, focused on mindfulness meditation, self-reflection and self-care. She facilitates groups in English and Spanish to help others reclaim their peace and compassion. Maritza guides women of color to break negative generational patterns that may be holding them back. Her personal experience as a mother opened her eyes to the power of taking a pause and being mindful of our emotions, in order to deepen relationships with the ones we love.

Nature has a powerful effect on your nervous system. Spending time in nature decreases your stress, lowers your blood pressure and increases your ability to concentrate. Maritza loves to use parks, the National Harbor and other forms of being in nature for self-care and mindfulness practice. One of her favorite things to do is walk through nature, as an appreciation and mindfulness hike.

Maritza is the Director of Social and Emotional Wellness at Living Classrooms Foundation, where she has designed programming for youth using leadership development in a sports setting and cultivating healthy choices as a lifestyle. Maritza Co-Founded a non-profit in Baltimore, the Alliance for Community Teachers and Schools, where she developed leaders through schools, guiding parents and teachers to use each other as resources. Maritza earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus with a focus on community organizing. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Hispanic Studies from the College of William and Mary.

Maritza is a mami, wife and wanna-be farmer. One day she’ll have the space to grow all the food and flowers, host restorative wellness retreats and invite you over for some peace.