The Mind Behind Exequor Wellness: Maria Hanford
Maria Hanford is the mind, body, and soul behind Exequor Wellness, with its physical location at 89 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor. Exequor Wellness is the Union Square neighborhood's destination for bringing together community, holistic wellness, and total well-being education in an informative and enriching way for all New Yorkers.
Maria and her team strive to foster Exequor Wellness into a safe and healthy space that distinguishes itself in Union Square. Learn about Maria's journey into wellness and healing and how her background in law and psychology informs her teaching in Exequor Wellness coaching, classes, and future projects.
Interested in learning more about Exequor Wellness? Stop by (where you can hopefully see Maria’s adorable dog, Dex—shown below—who sometimes makes a studio appearance) or check out Exequor Wellness’s website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to learn more about their upcoming classes and events!
Hi Maria, we’d love to learn a little more about your professional [law] background before starting Exequor and the journey that led you to creating this space.
I'm a lawyer. I still have a license. I have to say, about seven years ago, I hit the peak of all the stress of managing the law firm and balancing a family. I had parents who were sick — one had passed away earlier, and I was caring for my mom. Around 2015, I was burning out, and I knew that beforehand, so I decided to slow down in law. I was still very stressed, and I think the years of practicing law and trying to balance everything without any fundamental coping mechanisms. I started on my journey. I knew I couldn't do it alone. I sought many different things — wellness disciplines, modalities, psychiatrists, group therapy, women's groups, yoga, medication, and the gym. I just did everything. It's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It wasn't working because I wasn't giving anything a chance. I still wasn't able to organize my life. I went to an ashram with a friend, and they did many things with sound, music, and yoga. I'd never felt better. I loved it. That's what started me on my journey. I discovered it wasn't one thing that was helpful to me; it was the evolution of a combination of things. I wanted to learn more, so I started my education and training.
What made you choose to start a company in the wellness industry?
Exequor Wellness started exclusively virtual because we were amid COVID. Still, as we moved away from it, I noticed people really wanted to get out, so I created the studio in the neighborhood. I learned after that time on Zoom, like everyone else feels that there is nothing like human touch and breath. Being with another person and connecting on that cellular level where we are present with other vibrating cells, we can't get the full power of that experience over Zoom. Yes, Zoom's brought us together and keeps us going when we can't get outside, but is that my teaching tool of choice? I'd rather be with someone, but we have options if they can't make it. We encourage people to come in because we want to build more wellness in the community.
How do you think Union Square’s particular location and community shapes Exequor Wellness’s identity?
We have something for everyone there and try to appeal to the community. [Union Square] is full of residences; some people have been living here for 70 years, raising families, walking the streets at night—just going to the deli or meeting a friend, this is their community. I feel that every day on the street, that warmth of community. Knowing there's a place to go, even if it's just 30 minutes for afternoon meditation to carve out time for yourself, I mean, that's a fantastic thing to have. We wanted it to be so much like a home that we're in a hundred-year-old building that's very well-maintained, and it has all the characteristics of an apartment. We try to make it comforting that people can just come in. I can't leave out that we have a living room with an exciting library for our clients. What's great about our business model is that you can become a member or come for a class, and then you can hang out with us. Every community should have a wellness community house.
What’s one thing you hope New Yorkers take away from their classes and experience at Exequor?
Exequor Wellness is a place where you will stay because you have the support of others on the same journey. It will help if you find out what wellness disciplines work for you so you can stick to and keep them in your life. You need to take care of your mind, body, and spirit.
What are some longterm goals you have for your work with Exequor and the Union Square community?
We're starting a podcast this fall, and I'd love to have community members come in, from professionals to students.— The podcast is "After All, How Free Do You Want to Be?" The podcast is a deep journey to freeing oneself from self-doubt and low self-esteem. We'll have professors from NYU coming in, authors and people from our area reaching out about their journey with releasing themselves from the bondage of self. We're a teaching institution, so we teach not only classes but also have an Exequor Wellness academy that we'll be launching soon. We're here for you to guide, help, and help you flourish. We're in Union Square, but through our virtual platform and podcast, we want to bring [Exequor] to all neighborhoods and let people know we have their back, mind, body, and spirit.
All photos credit: Maria Hanford