Inspired by the dream of wanting to give her clients 100% in terms of customer service, Maria Brady opened the Ylia Mind and Body Centre in September 2012.
A health spa that offers alternative therapies, Ylia embodies the reality that Maria wanted to achieve. When I walked into the entrance, I instinctively took a deep breath to absorb the relaxing atmosphere. There's the soothing sound and appearance of the water feature, and the offer of comfortable slippers and a cup of tea.
The entrance area at Ylia Mind and Body Centre
A kinesiologist and, in her own words, "a huge stickler for customer service", Maria found in other clinics that she was not been able to focus entirely on her clients due to interruptions and the busyness of centre.
I wanted my clients to realise that they are the most important person, to me, when they are in my centre. I want them to feel relaxed and comfortable. So I followed my heart, and opened Ylia Mind and Body Centre. It is lovely to see people experience that feeling when they walk in the door, and have time to soak in the atmosphere."
Maria's story starts when she was a happy and bubbly 6½ year old who got into trouble at school. Her teacher told her to stand in front of the class and threatened to cut off her tongue if Maria talked or laughed in class. Not wanting to get into more trouble at home, Maria never told her parents, and from then on spent years trying to focus on being a 'good girl'. Her self-esteem faded away, and she lost confidence in herself. Her emotional stress was heightened by reading difficulties, which were subsequently diagnosed as dyspraxia.
Apart from the emotional issues, Maria suffered from rashes, headaches and other issues due to stress. Nevertheless, she finished and left school, started working, got married, fell pregnant, and subsequently ended the very controlling relationship.
Maria Brady
Having begun a counselling course, Maria then discovered kinesiology, and was amazed at her own healing. She completed a kinesiology diploma and worked in a clinic attached to the college where she studied.
There are different kinds of kinesiology, but essentially the therapy uses muscle checking to identify blockages in our body's energy, nervous and physical systems. A kinesiology session involves balancing a person mentally, emotionally and physically, as well as releasing energy blockages.
For those who have never been to a kinesiologist, there is nothing invasive about a session. Maria demonstrates how the muscle checking works, and then she uses a process of muscle checking to determine the root cause of the matter that the client wants to address. It could be a physical pain or an emotional issue. I left the session feeling lighter emotionally, and more able to deal with daily pressures.
Maria says that the best results are found through regular sessions. Using the analogy of a person's body being like a car, she says: "If you wait until it breaks down, then it's really expensive to fix. But it runs smoothly if you do regular servicing and tune-ups. The body is able to deal and cope with more if it is balanced."
Maria doing a treatment
Ylia currently offers kinesiology and reiki, but Maria is on the look-out for other practitioners working with the mind and body, who have the same vision as her.
Maria believes that everyone has experiences for a reason, and that if she hadn't endured her own journey she wouldn't be able to help people the way she is now. "My greatest joy is when I see people have the light bulb moment. When they experience some relief, excitement, no matter what it is about, and it puts a big smile on their face."
