Women In Wellness: Maiya Keeling of Pillar On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Practice Graditude — Becoming aware of the goodness that exists around you does wonders. Being able to write down the things for which we are grateful shifts the focus from what you are lacking to what you possess.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Maiya Keeling, Pillar National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach.
Maiya Keeling is a Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine, and a nationally board certified helath and wellness coach (NBC-HWC) through the National Board of Medical Examiners. She earned a BS in Exercise Sport Science from Elon University and then went on to pursue a MS in Clinical Exercise Physiology from the University of North Carolina- Charlotte upon completing her service in the military. Maiya is passionate about using her skills and experience to serve the community and encourage others to lead healthy lives.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I grew up just north of Chicago and from the time I was little, I knew I wanted to be in the medical field. In highschool I gravitated towards the health sciences. In college I developed a passion for health and wellness and really discovered the benefits of exercising consistently. In the military, I spent most of my time working in the hospital setting and saw first hand in the patients I cared for the consequences of living an unhealthy lifestyle. Treating patients with chronic disease inspired me to set my focus on prevention. I wanted to be able to educate people about lifestyle modification and the power that comes from being one’s own health advocate. My love for exercise and my skills in health coaching allow me to create space for people to share what stands in the way of achieving their health goals. We work together to make a plan to move forward towards wellness.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
In my role as a health coach I work with individuals whom have lost their joy in life and feel stuck in their health due to chronic disease and pain. One indivual I worked with was referred by the doctor to manage hypertension, weight, pain and a host of other ailments. Upon meeting with that individual, I learned that what mattered most was bowling. Meeting the individual exactly where they were in our coaching sessions allowed them the opportunity to focus on what it would take to return to bowling. In just a few sessions, this individal had lost weight, lowered blood pressure and had reported feeling more joy in life. What’s more, they were able to return to bowling and even made it to the national championship that year! It reinforced the fact that in order for life change to take place, one has to do their own discovery and find their own motivation instead of being handed an order to change.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I was first starting, I underestimated the power of silence. It’s often uncomfortable to sit in silence- especially for an extrovert like me! Learning to become comfortable in silence affords the individual I’m working with the opportunity to sit with their own thoughts. It allows me to truly listen and engage instead of trying to fill the space with my voice or attempt to “fix” a problem. I’ve come to recognize what’s being said through facial expressions and body language even when no words are spoken.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
The work I do as a health coach impacts people on a deep and personal level. Those whom have lost joy or feel they have lost control come to a place where they feel empowered to make changes. These changes allow them to become better versions of themselves, and in many cases it gives them the confidence to do things they have never tried before. I’ve seen generations within a family expericnce change through the small steps made by one individal. They discover the courage to break cycles of disordered eating, disease, tobacco use and more!
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
Tweak 1 -Practice self care
Learn to be a little selfish. It’s said that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Examine what is needed to “fill” you up so you can then pour out to others.
Tweak 2- Look For opportunities to move
Discover where, when and how you can move your body during the day. Maybe it looks like salsa dancing while brushing your teeth , or maybe doing swats or arm cirlces while waiting on the microwave to heat your food.
Tweak 3- Breathe!
Don’t underestimate the power of your breath. You can decrease stress levels and blood pressure with a few intentional deep breaths.
Tweak 4- See food as fuel
Change the way you think about food by recognizing it either does something for FOR or To you.
Tweak 5- Practice Graditude
Becoming aware of the goodness that exists around you does wonders. Being able to write down the things for which we are grateful shifts the focus from what you are lacking to what you possess.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I believe that focusing on self-care as a movement will have the greatest impact on our overall wellness as a people. We have to acknowledge all that we have been through in the past couple of years, and the impact it has had on our mental, emotional and physical health. Most people don’t know how to care for themselves or be kind to themselves. It’s hard to have compassion for others when you can’t show yourself compassion. Learning to practice self care shows others it is ok to do so as well.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- I wish someone would have told me that you can’t help someone who doesn’t want help. I can’t care more about someone’s health than they do. I can’t do the work for them, nor should I try.
- People know what to do. As a coach, I don’t need to give them the answers and they don’t need me to fix them. Self discovery is a powerful tool!
- Those closest to you will believe in you and invest in you. Knowing your worth is key and you don’t need to discount yourself.
- In order to make the biggest impact sometimes you have to make your own way. I spent many hours over many years doing what I loved by helping people but not feeling fulfilled professionally. Instead of waiting for advancement opportunites working for someone else I decided to take a leap of faith and create something of my own.
- You don’t have to be good at everything! I’ve learned my strengths and weaknesses professionally over the years. If I want to be successful I have to also recognize when I need to outsource a task or project so that I can free up time and energy to do what I do best.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
The topic of mental health is dearest to me right now. I have seen close friends, family members and patients really struggle through the current events of the pandemic, racial tension, political divides and more. Distigmatizing therapy and mental health services will take time but it is very much necessary. It all circles back to self care and learning that it’s ok to say we are not ok!
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Stay connected with me through www.withpillar.com and instagram.com/withpillar
Thank you for these fantastic insights!
Women In Wellness: Maiya Keeling of Pillar On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.