Maria Praeg 

Hello there!

For those of you who are perhaps new comers to The Healing Root, or for those of you who would simply like to know a bit more about the person behind The Healing Root platforms, I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself.

My name is Maria Gaitova Praeg, I was born in South Africa and raised in the hustle and bustle of a small town called Grahamstown (now called Makhanda). Like most small towns, everyone knows everyones business, and the "mall" consisted of a grocery store and a pharmacy.

My dad was a political philosopher and my mom was a dancer, dance choreographer and drama lecturer (I say was because they are no longer working in these capacities). It is certainly safe to say that my childhood was very rich, unusual and interesting.

I have been on an immensely deep and rich journey of Self-discovery and healing. It has enabled me to be here today, in the full intimacy of my own presence and voice. It has been a long journey with lots of shadow work, dark nights of the soul, addiction, pain and at times, deep suffering. But, it has all been necessary and has all, in one way or another, facilitated a deep and true awakening to my most authentic self-energy. This process took me to places of really meeting myself for the first time beyond my mental constructs of who I thought I was and into the dynamism of who I really am. This has all sparked a big appetite for life. And most relevantly, an appetite for sharing and connecting; for bringing forth into the world some of the many healing modalities, techniques, understandings, perspectives and/or practices that have played a pivotal role in my healing. That is one of the primary intentions of this platform and portal. To share and connect and to provide some understanding/solace to anyone who may find it and need it.

There were a handful of blogs that played a big role in my life - they showed me a different way of relating to myself, my journey and to life. And they were quite instrumental in helping me to get out of my small town mind and into a broader world of possibilities and creative expression. It is my hope, that this space can be a sacred and safe place where , together, we explore the nature of human existence, the landscape of subtle energy, deep healing, recipes and other tidbits. A lot of my well-being posts are focused on helping to support reparenting of the self and elucidating the power of self-inquiry and curiosity. And of course, the incredibly rich modalities of Ayurveda and Macrobiotics which were literal life savers for me.

Curiosity is one of my most revered characteristics that a person can have and is one that I actively and consciously try to cultivate more of in my life. I feel that curiosity can be a healing balm for a society that jumps too fast to judgment (of self and other). This curiosity has led me to extraordinary experiences of compassion and connection. I think of it as an attitude, a way of life, a practice.

This curiosity has lead me to many places all around the world, which I am so grateful for. I have met beautiful people all around the globe who have all imprinted nuggets of wisdom into my Soul’s journey. Three of the most influential places I spent extended time in were: Austin, Texas where I became a certified Whole Foods Healing Chef. The second place is Ubud, Bali where I did my 500HR training to be a yoga teacher. The last one was actually my home town, which I returned to in order to heal my own roots. Here, I studied Human Kinetics, Ergonomics & Psychology. Human Kinetics is the study of human science (nutrition, sleep, exercise physiology and biomechanics). This was also a nourishing part of my journey - returning to my home town, living with my parents again and doing a lot of deep inner work alongside them.

I hope this blog inspires you to explore new places and spaces within yourself, to delve deeper into your true nature and find pleasure and wonder in the process of nourishing yourself - emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually. 

I would so love to hear from you, to connect and to chat, to share stories and inspiration so please feel free to drop me an email or leave me a comment. Or, if you would like to collaborate and create some magic drop me a line, too. Let’s support and uplift each other in the digging deeper within. There is so much that goes on and hums underneath the surface of our skin, it’s time to go beyond the habit of mental living (where our entire reality is conceptualised and intellectualised) and into the embodied living (the world of the sensory, the world of the subtle, the world of the delicate and nuanced).

For more of my daily life and more regular musings, follow me on Instagram at: @thehealingroot_

Sending you all much love.

Yours in health and healing,

Maria