I began training with Morena right before a breast cancer diagnosis. Through surgeries and chemo, she supported me with patience and care, and when I returned, she gave me modified training that helped me heal and grow at the same time. Morena’s approach is real, raw, and deeply supportive. I am stronger, more aligned, and more hopeful than ever.

Leoa

Professora of Capoeira, BJJ practicioner, Yoga teacher, mother

After almost a year of training with Morena, I feel more stable, strong, aware, and capable. My posture, breath control, and ability to move and train without pain have all improved. Her unique combination of unconventional weight training, breathwork, body mechanics, and self-awareness is a true game changer. It has been an honor to grow with her and the community she is creating.

Sara C. (Fominha)

Professora of Capoeira, RSM coach & mother

I began working with Morena during my second trimester of pregnancy. Her guidance in alignment, breathing, movement, and mindset kept me pain-free and empowered throughout. She showed me how to honor my changing body and taught me to hold space for myself with love and without judgment.

Josemar (Maracuja)

Capoeira practicioner, tennis player, dancer, musician, mother

Morena is the first trainer who has truly researched Lyme disease and trained my body in a way which was healing vs damaging. I suffer from Chronic Lyme disease. I used to be an incredibly active Capoeirista and around 10 years ago I had to stop Capoeira due to an ACL surgery that my body just didn't seem to recover from. The reality is that my body's inability to recover had to do with the Lyme disease and it's erosion of my body function. It took training with Morena, who took the initiative to understand what was going on with my body and what were realistic expectations for my body. Whenever I work with Morena I feel supported and most importantly seen, heard and encouraged to do my best vs comparing myself to others. Morena is a true genius at moving the body in an empowering, loving way.

Leila Laura

Capoeira practicioner, salsa dancer, mother (diagnosed with Lyme disease)

Morena has been such an integral part of my journey in jiu-jitsu and building strength. It’s clear she has a deep background and an incredibly observant eye when giving feedback, planning her classes, and guiding her students. Her experience in Capoeira, jiu-jitsu, and her life as a dedicated mother all contribute to her wealth of knowledge and compassion. I had been dealing with chronic shoulder and upper back pain with limited mobility. Within just a few weeks of starting her program, the pain disappeared and my mobility improved. I feel stronger, more confident, and I thoroughly enjoy the work we are all doing together. I’ve already learned so much about my body, movement, and how to prevent injury. I’m so grateful I made the leap into her program—it’s truly one of the best gifts I’ve ever given myself.

Lora (Coração)

Capoeira practicioner, Bjj practicioner, mother

Before training with Morena I felt disconnected and weak, especially since my work is mostly sitting down in front of a computer most of my day. After working with her I felt that so much strong in my practice and took on a couple of obstacle runs where I felt confident in my strength to get through them.

Carlos Monte

Capoeira practicioner

Instrutor of Capoeira Morena awakened me to the power of breathwork. It completely transformed my balance, strength, and control in training. I now have the tools to take my movements to the next level.

Julia L (Faisca)

Capoeira Instructor

Before training with Morena, chronic pain from Capoeira left me feeling weak and stuck. Within months, the tightness and pain in my hips and legs were gone. After a year, I feel stronger, more mobile, grounded, and free in my body. I even enjoy lifting weights now—something I never thought I’d say! Morena transformed my perspective on aging, healing, and what’s possible.

Fernanda

Dancer & capoeira practicioner

Before joining RSM, I lived with constant joint pain and stiffness and had stopped training martial arts because of it. Now I feel stronger, grounded, and pain-free enough to walk barefoot again! I’ve learned how to move in ways that protect my back and body. This has been a life-changing, empowering experience—I recommend it to everyone.

Amy Barsky (Corvo)

Capoeira practicioner, & mother

I came to Morena right after injuring my collarbone. I felt better after our first session and was back to training within days with tools to keep myself safer. What I learned from her will serve me for a lifetime.

Paulo Illias

Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt & processional competitior

With Rooted Strength Method, I became aware of how body and breath are connected. This created a foundation upon which all my other fitness goals were built. Strength training was difficult yet I pushed through the challenges I faced with steady breath and steady encouragement from Morena. She cheered me on while pushing me to discover my body's potential. Like the breath work I studied, I immediately applied the knowledge I learned from lifting in my outdoor gardening projects. Whether I was moving bags of soil or digging holes, my muscles knew how to move in a safe and efficient way. As a runner, I adopted the technique of nose breathing which had an enormously positive effect on my runs and especially on my recovery. With each exercise I learned, I built up my knowledge of human anatomy and slowly improved my ability to isolate certain muscles. I trained with more confidence than ever because I knew which muscles I was focusing on and knew how to engage my entire body in supporting them. It felt great to feel confident! I started my journey of learning the RSM wanting to understand why my body moves the way it does. As I progressed, I discovered ways to tap into my balance in order to add fluidity to my movements.

Carrie Dragoni

Instructor of Capoeira & runner