Maritza Diaz is a communicator, motivator, do-gooder and the founder of Little Giant Life. Little Giant Life was created to help you live your giant life. Whatever your dream is, it’s Maritza’s hope to give you the extra nudge needed to make them come true.

Maritza’s very personal journey of healing her mind and body began on January 23, 2017. She had a long-awaited surgery in her abdomen area, which left her immobile for a period of time. As a former professional dancer, a dance veteran of 20 years, and RYT Yoga Instructor, not being able to move her body in a way that she was used to was incredibly difficult.

After the surgery she was completely in a fog. She had to slow down in a way that she had never done before, and the range of difficult emotions that followed is what really changed Maritza’s life. She experienced deep and strange emotions, she was second guessing everything, and these past emotions had her remembering past trauma and painful memories. With her research, she began to see that it was normal for most people to experience past memories of pain. This experience left her questioning everything.

While still recovering from surgery, and now dealing with the range of emotions that came with that, she was faced with a decision - either listen to her body or ignore all of the emotions that went along with it. She decided to stop, observe, heal, and ask herself why these heavy emotions were showing up. It was the first time in her life that she decided she wanted to stop, and so she did. As Maritza shares, because she decided to tune into her body, because she closed her eyes and she listened, she felt free. For the first time her heart took over. She embraced it and she gave in. This was an important distinction for her. It wasn’t that she was giving up, rather, she was giving in to what her mind and body really needed, and it felt absolutely wonderful.

Martiza’s reflections on what it meant to not move her body, to truly slow down, and to listen to the cues her body was giving her will remind you of just how important it is to take the time to tune in and listen. When we tune into our body we can begin to live more fully in the present. Her words on the sense of calm that surrounded her, and how that time allowed her to observe herself, her surroundings, and her life - will encourage you to take this time for stillness too. As Maritza shares, it’s through this process that everything around her became brighter. She could hear better, see better, and she came out of the fog she was living in. Today, she looks back at this time with fondness, and she now knows she is so much stronger than she ever thought. Maritza’s wish is for you too to know how worthy you are of this time, and to cherish these moments of slowing down, to be more present, and to observe, connect, and tune in.

“For the first time in my life I decided I wanted to stop, and so I did. Because I tuned into my body, because I closed my eyes and I listened, I just felt free. Then, my heart took over. I embraced it, I gave in. Instead of saying I gave up, I gave in - and it felt absolutely wonderful.”

— Maritza Diaz

Tune in on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7bZHrtjAzbksbLWNaak1NM

Tune in on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-of-inspiring-joy/id1510488632

To learn more about Maritza and her work with Little Giant Life, visit her website www.littlegiantlife.com and you can find her on Instagram @littlegiantlife. Plus, Maritza will be offering free and low-cost meditations, coming soon!

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.