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About me

Hiya! My name is Maria del Pilar Rivera, but I’ve been called Pili since I was a little girl. I’m a Wellness Coach.


I’m originally from Peru. Yes, deepest darkest Peru like Paddington Bear. I currently live in a small town in the north of England. 


I work with people who are feeling stressed out and show them how they can create well-being habits so they can live healthy and happy lives instead. 
 

Through a kind and loving approach, I teach them how to consciously respond more and react less when discomfort arises.

Pili wearing a red sweater and smiley face. She is also wearing brown-framed glasses.

I believe that we never stop learning.

Pile of books with a mug on top with a little heart coming from the string that goes with the tea bag

Let me share with you a bit of my varied academic background:

  • Fourth -and final- year of the Masters in Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses at Bangor University in Wales, UK.

  • Level 1 Sleep, Stress management, and Recovery Coaching Certification by Precision Nutrition (PN).

  • Health Coaching programme and the Emotional Eating course from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN).

  • Radical Forgiveness Coaching Programme.

  • Licensed Spiritual Practitioner of Centers of Spiritual Living (CSL).

  • Bachelor in Economics and Masters in Finance in Peru.

Let me tell you a little bit about my personal story.

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I studied a Bachelors degree in Economics and a Masters in Finance in Peru. I worked in the banking industry for 15 years.

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I used to live submerged in Excel spreadsheets, conference calls and many meetings. Don’t get me wrong. I loved my job, but I was a perfectionist which meant: staying after hours at the office.

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I didn’t realise at the time that keeping up this pace of work was taking a toll in both my health and personal life. Bad food choices, not enough hours of sleep and terrible headaches caused by stress. Oh! And I was also experiencing a really bad mood.

Pili Incaterra Urubamba.jpeg

Until I said: “Enough is enough”.

I was still working while I was studying, so what I was feeling was burnout. When I graduated from the Masters in Finance, I was both physically and mentally exhausted. That’s when I realised that I needed a change and my search began.

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First, I started attending some Buddhist meditation sessions. Then I enrolled in a Mindfulness programme and after that in a Radical Forgiveness course. I noticed that gradually my life was changing. I started reading many spirituality and self-help books.

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I attended many courses and workshops, which helped me look deep inside myself and became more familiar with my inner patterns. I participated in Mindfulness and Yoga retreats in Cusco and the Peruvian jungle.

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Then I realised that I wanted to teach others what I had learnt. That’s when I started my training in Health Coaching and Emotional Eating at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I also studied Mujer Holistica’s Meditation Teacher course. I later completed the Science of Mind courses to become a Licensed Spiritual Practitioner of Centers of Spiritual Living (CSL).

How does my life look like today?

I’m a full-time mum and a part-time Masters student. I've currently studying the fourth year of the Masters in Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses at Bangor University in Wales. I live with my family in the north of England and I have a Mindfulness practice that supports me on how to live a more conscious life, especially with the challenges of motherhood and life in general.

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I never imagined that quitting my job in investment banking would make me feel so happy and accomplished. I found my life’s purpose: To help people that feel exhausted and stressed out, who have forgot that we have come to this world to be happy.

Pili smiling in Bangor University. She is wearing a dark jacket, a colourful scarf and brown-framed glasses

Katherine, UK

"I’ve listened to Mindfulness classes before, and struggled to follow the cues. Pili’s class was simple but so effective! She has such a soothing and trusting voice, I naturally followed, and did completely relax."

I would love to help you reach your goals while connecting with a sense of inner calm. It could be through coaching sessions, Mindfulness programmes, Radical Forgiveness courses or other tools. If you would like more information, send me a message here.

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