

What if strength wasn't something you built -
but something you re-membered?
Summer 2026: A 10-Day Introduction
Planting the Seeds of a Life Long Practice
With Dr. Mark Romano, ND & Marika Baxter, PT
10 days of guided practice in Sheng Zhen Healing Qigong, Realization Process,
and Integrative Somatic exploration.
Create the conditions in which life can flourish.
Restoring relationship with yourself, with others, and with the living world.
Many of us have been taught to think of strength as pushing harder, achieving more, and overcoming limitations. We've learned to measure strength by what we can lift, endure, control, or accomplish.
Rooted Strength offers a different perspective.
A tree does not become strong by forcing itself to grow. Its strength emerges from the depth and breadth of its roots. Beneath the surface, a vast network forms—connecting, communicating, adapting, and responding to changing conditions.
Human beings are no different.
Drawing from Naturopathic Medicine, Holistic Physical Therapy, Qigong, Realization Process, and contemplative embodiment practices, this program offers a path toward what we might call regenerative embodiment—a way of living that continually restores relationship within ourselves, with others and with the natural world. Rooted Strength is an invitation to cultivate the inner conditions that allow resilience, vitality, and coherence to emerge naturally. To inhabit ourselves more fully and participate more deeply in life.
Strength is not the absence of vulnerability. It is the presence of relationship.
Over six weeks, we explore how to reconnect with the ground beneath our feet, the rhythms within our body, the intelligence of our fascia and nervous system, and the deeper continuity that exists between ourselves, others, and the living world.
Together we cultivate a different kind of strength—
not by becoming something else, but by removing the barriers that keep our
original nature from participating fully in life.
Why Rooted Strength?
We live in a culture that often pulls us away from ourselves.
We are saturated with information yet the disconnection from the rhythm of our bodies and the natural world keep us caught between exhaustion and striving.
We live in a culture that teaches us how to manage ourselves.
Yet there is a growing recognition that health is about more than fixing symptoms or optimizing performance.
We long for practices that help us feel:
Grounded
Present
Connected
Alive
Rooted Strength emerged from this need.
Rather than asking, "How do I become stronger?"
We begin asking:
How do I become more rooted?
How do I develop a relationship with my body that supports me throughout a lifetime?
How do I live in a way that nourishes every part of my being so all parts of me belong?
How do I remain connected to myself while participating fully in life?
These questions become increasingly important as we navigate change, stress, aging, uncertainty, and the demands of modern life.
Timing & Logistics
Rooted Strength is a 6 week journey from July 13th through August 21st.
Weekly Rhythm
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Twice a week, participants will receive recorded guided practices delivered online so you can engage at a time that works best for you.
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Practices will include Qigong, Realization Process, and guidance through movement and contemplation inspired by our backgrounds in Naturopathy and Physical Therapy.
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Recordings will be released on our private portal Monday and Friday
Week 1 — Re-membering the Ground
Feet • Earth • Stability • Presence
Returning to support.
Exploring the feet, posture, breath, dantien, and the relationship between body and Earth.
Week 2 — Re-membering Rhythm
Breath • Movement • Rest • Seasons
Discovering that health is rhythmic.
Returning to our natural rhythm through practicing contract/relax, inhale/exhale, giving and receiving
Week 3 — Re-membering Feeling
Fascia • Emotion • Internal State
Our internal state shapes how we move and relate.
Exploring how the body continuously communicates through releasing holding patterns and listening through movement and stillness.
Week 4 — Re-membering Wholeness
Continuity • Presence • Coherence
Deepening contact with the body as a unified field.
Experiencing movement as an invitation to remember our original state of inner coherence.
Week 5 — Re-membering Relationship
Self • Others • Environment
Moving beyond individual embodiment and exploring connection.
Exploring the interconnectedness of relationship with others and the natural world.
Week 6 — Re-membering the Way
Integration • Longevity • Daily Life
How do we live this as a way of being - what are we cultivating over a lifetime?
Investment: $295
How to Register
To reserve your place or to ask a question,
email info@barefootlivingarts.org or marika@mb1wellness.com
Online registration coming soon.


Rooted Strength is a practice of listening rather than forcing.
Cultivating rather than conquering. Participating rather than controlling.
The invitation is not to become someone new.
It is about remembering by re-membering.
By bringing the many parts of ourselves back into relationship we experience ourselves again as a living whole.
Strength is no longer something we chase,
but the natural expression of a life deeply rooted within itself.
Who This Is For:
This program is for people who:
• Want to feel more connected to their body and inner experience
• Are seeking practical tools for resilience, embodiment, and self-awareness
• Feel drawn to a holistic approach that integrates movement, meditation, breath, and embodied inquiry
• Want to develop greater stability without becoming rigid
• Long for more ease, presence, and connection in everyday life
• Are curious about Qigong, Realization Process, fascia, nervous system health, or contemplative movement practices
• Sense there is a deeper way of living than constant striving, fixing, or self-improvement
• Want to cultivate a sustainable relationship with their health and wellbeing over time
Whether you are a healthcare practitioner, movement professional, lifelong learner, or simply someone longing to feel more at home within yourself, this work offers a pathway inward.
Who This Is Not For:
This program may not be the best fit if you are looking for:
• A high-intensity fitness program
• A quick fix or symptom elimination strategy
• Techniques designed primarily to increase productivity or performance
• A rigid system with prescribed outcomes
• An approach based on pushing, forcing, or overcoming yourself
• A purely intellectual learning experience without personal practice
Investment: $295
How to Register
To reserve your place or to ask a question,
email info@barefootlivingarts.org or marika@mb1wellness.com
Online registration coming soon.
