From the minute you meet Dr. Maria, you get the feeling you’re in the company of a longtime friend. Her warmth and ease of nature are immediately welcoming, and her down-to-earth attitude, along with an unexpectedly big laugh, belie her impressive background and accreditations.
Ruscombe welcomes Dr. Maria Talton, our newest practitioner to join the community. She brings with her 30+ years of experience in clinical mind/body therapies and holds a Doctorate in Ayurvedic Health as well as a Masters in Clinical Aromatherapy. Her studies in Kathmandu led her to become a Master Reiki Practitioner. Additionally, Maria is a Certified Surgical Technologist, Labor Doula and a Master Herbalist, and did we mention she’s a licensed esthetician?
Dr. Talton believes not only in helping to alleviate her patients’ physical concerns, but their emotional and psychosomatic pain as well, promoting relaxation and healing though gentle touch, with each treatment carefully tailored to the dynamic needs of the individual.
She also makes custom teas, tinctures, oils, soaps, and skin treatments, now available at Ruscombe, and we caught up with her one evening while she was about to prepare some of her herbal products to ask her a few questions.
RM: You’ve worked in both western and eastern or holistic/traditional healthcare spaces. Why did you choose to center your practice at Ruscombe?
MT: We have been educating the masses about holistic and natural wellness for a while. We actually found out about Ruscombe through a client, and when I met the staff and came to visit, I felt immense energy and overwhelming peace. It was then that I knew that I longed for a holistic community with a sense of family.
I enjoy being around different practitioners of like minds and modalities. It gives me a yearning to continue learning, and the peace I feel here is unmatched… Ruscombe has decades of HEALING energy soaked into the walls themselves, it’s a kind of energy you don’t find just anywhere. It’s also absolutely gorgeous! The energy here starts at the driveway with the beautiful grounds and it’s in every brick. It just radiates peace here, there’s no place I’d rather be.
RM: What led you to your path of holistic wellness, particularly Ayurveda?
MT: My path of holistic wellness is one of family heritage. My parents were both of Native American descent, they lived holistically. I however wasn’t really sold on herbs and holistic wellness until I trained in Kathmandu many years later. It was then that I really took the dive into traditional Chinese and Indian Medicine. Now, I incorporate western and Ayurvedic medicine into my practice for what I see as a truly “whole-istic” approach to health for myself and my clients.
RM: You are a very busy woman! When you do have time to yourself, what brings you joy, what do you do for fun?
MT: I love to make jewelry. I love designs and color, and making jewelry is calming and peaceful to me.
RM: OK, last one, what are you currently listening to?
MT: I love to listen to Sadhguru on YouTube!
Dr. Talton will be offering a $10 Working with Herbs Make and Take class at Ruscombe on February 4th from 1:00-3:30pm, more details on her website sonjasecrets.com. She is currently accepting new clients, and you can learn more about her practice, services and natural product line by visiting sonjasecrets.com, or reach her directly at sonjagotsecrets@gmail.com or 240-285-9597.