I discovered Ayurveda by chance. In 2009, after making the difficult decision to end my 19-year marriage, I traveled to Sedona, Arizona for a spa vacation at a beautiful resort. Not having any idea what it was, I decided to get an Ayurvedic consult. Ayurveda, I learned, is a centuries-old mind-body health system guided by the principle that the body and mind are inextricably connected. The mind has the power to heal and transform the body. My experience at the spa was so powerful that I decided to study Ayurveda. In 2011, I attained the Perfect Health Ayurvedic Lifestyle Certification from The Chopra Institute.

 

The Search for Balance

When I returned home from the Ayurvedic certification, I created a different environment for myself and my twin daughters. I modeled my new lifestyle and yoga practice. I returned to the corporate world rejuvenated and created a healthier space for myself.

 

However, my job grew increasingly demanding and stressful. I required weekly massage and acupuncture on the weekends and strict adherence to my yoga practice just to keep some semblance of balance and sanity. I was burned-out and tired. I would wake up in the morning full of dread. After a while, the weekend of acupuncture and massage only got me through Wednesdays; I felt myself falling apart by the end of the week. Finding myself overwhelmed and in a place of utter exhaustion, I signed up for a Chopra Meditation retreat in search of peace and stillness.

 

Meditation Intimidation

I was intimidated. Though I had adopted many of the Ayurvedic lifestyle principles, I was still a Type A Senior Vice President of a health system. I didn’t know if someone like me could really adhere to a routine meditation practice. I felt that I was too analytical, too busy, too much of a “multi-tasker” to be successful at it. The very thought of meditating for 3-4 hours a day sounded torturous. I couldn’t remember the last time I had kept my body—much less my mind—still for that many hours a day.

 

I arrived at the retreat with low expectations, but from the first day, it was a transformative experience. It surprised me to discover my own vulnerability, other people’s compassion, and the power of group meditation and the collective soul. Meditation caused a fundamental shift in my level of consciousness. On the last day of the retreat, I awoke a different person. I found the stillness that I had been searching for. I felt a profound connection to Self and to the universe. I returned to my job with more energy, balance, and a sense of peace that wasn’t there before.

 

It Took a Car Accident
My newfound energy, balance, and peace were challenged every day by the corporate environment. Still, I remained on the hamster wheel, working 60-70 hours per week while trying to be a good mother to my children and maintain a mind-body-spirit practice. This time, it wasn’t a retreat but a car accident that brought stillness. In 2012, I sustained a concussion when my car was struck by another vehicle. I was forced to take a leave of absence from my job and undergo six weeks of “brain” rest.

 

I practiced yoga and meditation more than ever before during this rest period, and rediscovered the joy of stillness. I came to this realization: I had been so busy serving others that I had neglected to care for myself. I knew then that my purpose was to help others in the corporate world to create a life of balance, choose self-care over burnout, and rediscover purpose in their personal and professional lives.

Today, I serve as a consultant, combining Ayurvedic principles, Essential Leadership skills, and proven change methods to assist individuals and organizations through periods of transition and transformation.