my story

Growing up in Kyrgyzstan, I’ve learnt that one needs to work really hard in order to do well in life. In 2008, I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move to the UK to pursue my Master’s degree at the University of Durham, thanks to the unwavering support of my parents, who sacrificed everything to get me here. In the middle of the financial crisis, I landed a prestigious role at one of the largest corporations - a dream come true. Though highly rewarding, I always felt something was missing inside and I didn’t belong there. Finally, it took a toll on my health and in 2015 I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition, associated with compromised thyroid hormone production. I felt extremely fatigued, depressed, and lost. I felt like my body let me down, and the prognosis of life long synthetic hormones and suboptimal health was scary. I was told there is nothing I can do and I was just one of 1% population who gets it. The rebel in me refused to believe this - I thought, surely, there must be another way. Since then, I’ve learnt that our bodies are resilient yet fragile when neglected. Given the right approach we can nurture ourselves to vibrant health. We cannot expect a plant to flourish when deprived of nutrient dense soil and pure water. Our bodies are very similar and what we feed it is extremely important hence the saying “You are what you eat”. I don’t follow any popular trends or diets but rather focus on delving into root causes and using food as a medicine, combined with health promoting lifestyle interventions.

In hindsight, my chronic condition is the best thing that ever happened to me as it taught me more about myself than I ever imagined. My body communicated when I couldn’t say “No”. This journey led me to understand the role of the Mind and how our subconscious programming might be contributing to the condition. I’ve seen tremendous personal benefits of Breathwork and Sound Bath practices on my life and have since trained and qualified in both. I am currently based in London and find joy in slower living, exploring Nature with my 4-year old boy and my husband.