The Makaranda Method

Eleanor Hooper is a relationship therapist and the founder of The Makaranda Method. In college, Eleanor co-facilitated a course called, “California Wilderness: Philosophy, Religion and Eco-Psychology,” with the Sierra Institute. During this nature immersion, she traveled with a group of 12 to five different wilderness areas in California, sleeping under the stars for over 60 consecutive days. The first day, everyone was asked to come up with a “trail name”.

At that time, Eleanor had been practicing yoga for a few years and was experiencing profound shifts in her life. The Science of Yoga by William J. Broad supported her understanding of how she was changing by diving into the principles and history of yoga. She learned that the first yoga journal ever published was called The Makaranda of Yoga, which translates to the “Nectar of Yoga.”

As a yoga practitioner, and a lover of honey, bees, birds and nature, the name Makaranda (or Maka, for short) was perfect. Over the years, Eleanor developed a deep connection to the concept of nectar and how it is fundamental to the existence of nature’s eco-system.

With a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, Eleanor created a private practice and works with clients to access their “nectar”. She works with adult individuals, couples and groups all over the world, seeking to transform their embodied practice of what it means to be present. In presence, we can tap into the boundless flow of love, ease and wholeness that is inherent in nature, just as it is within us all.