About Me

Marie Belle Pérez Rivera, Ph.D., CPT, E-RYT 500 is a powerhouse of a teacher, athlete, artist, writer, community leader, and experience maker. She is a globally recognized yoga teacher, expert in Somatic and Embodiment Practices for Reducing Stress, Developing Resilience, and Healing Trauma, and a Latina health coach, Personal Trainer, and small business owner. Marie Belle is an anthropologist of movement, yoga, mindfulness, personal growth, and critical thinking throughout the United States, Caribbean, Latin America, Spain, and Bali.

Marie Belle has two Bachelor’s degrees from North Carolina State University (Psychology and Communication), a Graduate Certificate (Women’s Studies), a Master’s degree (Biological and Developmental Psychology), and a Doctorate degree (Psychology: Social and Emotional Development) from Virginia Tech with a focus on Women as Active Constructors of Knowledge. She currently offers public yoga classes, workshops, teacher trainings, private and group coaching, and transformational retreats in Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Bali. She also mentors, coaches and offers counsel on an individual basis.

In addition, Marie Belle is the founder of Roots Love Yoga, a Latina woman owned small business, yoga school, and creative multidisciplinary project with the purpose of uniting, educating, and inspiring teachers, artists, movers, intellectuals, women of color, and world travelers. She has been featured in The Washington Post, People are Awesome, Mantra Magazine, Telemundo, Sweat Magazine, Peace Revolution, Active Life DC, and others. Marie Belle currently resides in Georgetown, Texas with her 93-pound Silver Lab, Zion Zeus.

It is an auspicious and profoundly transformative experience to study with Self-Realized Master, Sri Mooji Baba, immerse myself fully in the practice of Ashtanga Yoga with R. Sharath Jois and Richard Freeman, and the Teacher’s Teacher, Sri Dharma Mittra. Developing a deep yoga and meditation practice has completely transformed my movement patterns, communication abilities, and capacity to perceive and offer love.

I am grounded in a daily embodiment practice that consists of mindfulness, calisthenics, yoga, strength training, and gymnastics strength training. I also love being in nature and often train hand balancing, rock climbing, contortion, and dance; all of it is intuitive movement. It's all love. I am happy to offer yoga classes, movement retreats, workshops, and intensives in the United States, Bali, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Mexico, India, Europe, and the Caribbean.

My life calling and practice has led me to travel the world and immerse myself fully in yoga and meditation through villages in south India (Mysore, Lakshmipuram, Goa, Tiruvannamalai, Varkala), mountains of north India (Rishikesh, Dharamsala), Indonesia (Ubud and Canggu, Bali), Portugal (Odemira), and United States (Boulder and The Blue Ridge Mountains), the crisp blue waters in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Isla Mujeres), the busy city streets (New York City and Washington, DC), and the heart of Miami Beach. 

With extensive training as a Psychologist in Social Emotional Development (Ph.D.), Women’s Studies (Graduate Certificate), Somatic Transformation, and mindfulness based emotion management, my classes utilize a keen awareness of the intellectual, emotional, and energetic body to empower those who practice consistently, for a long period of time, with devotion. I offer universal intimacy, full of love, honor, and a sweet mix of playfulness, integrity, and discipline. 

To connect with me, make sure to follow my ongoing journeys via instagram and facebook.

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  • Ph. D. in Developmental and Biological Psychology (focus on emotions and culture) from Virginia Tech University

  • National Association for Sports Medicine (NASM): Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)

  • Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies (women as active constructors of knowledge) from Virginia Tech University

  • Completed coursework for Functional Medicine: Ancestral Nutrition, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Health Coaching, and Business

  • Continuing Education in Somatic Transformation: Trauma, Resilience, and Mindfulness

  • Daily practice of silence, contemplation, breath, mindfulness

  • Annual pilgrimage to immerse myself fully in Self-enquiry

  • Angelic Reiki Levels I and II

  • Magnified Healing Levels I and II

  • Oneness Awakening Blessing Giver

  • M.S. in Psychology (Social Emotional Development) from Virginia Tech University

  • Over 2300 hours of extensive yoga teacher trainings

    • 500- hour certified in Rocket Yoga and Dharma Yoga

    • 200-hour certified in Ashtanga Yoga, Rocket Vinyasa Yoga, Hot Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, and completed 220 hour teacher training in Anusara Yoga

    • 50- hour certified in Yoga Nidra & Embodied Yin

  • B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Communication from North Carolina State University

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