For 35 years, I lived for everyone else. Trying to fulfill my parents’ immigrant expectations. Trying to be the kind of brown girl I was surrounded by, the ones who knew just what they wanted. I tried to fit in and be accepted by them even though my heart wanted something vastly different.

My heart wanted to get lost in the big wide world, traveling, writing, reading my way through it. I dabbled in being myself once in a while, but all around me, others were doing the heteropatriarchal thing. I saw no one like me, so little by little, I gave in.

I married the “perfect” brown husband, the man of my parents’ dream, and worked on my writing. I told myself this was good enough.

But my soul protested, withered, lay on its deathbed before I finally listened.

After a lifetime of doing the exact right Brown Girl duties, I began to do all the Brown Girl Don’t You Dares. I divorced. Started from scratch. This time, I did things my way.

I came out, came in to my truer and truer self.

I created my path, petrified and certain and lost and exhilarated.

I messed up over and over. Doubted myself over and over. But I knew I was being guided. Towards the something more I’d always known was there, was right for me. Was right in front of me, if only I’d listen.

At 35, I began to listen. Trust. Create my own unique path where none existed.

I had no queer South Asian role models growing up.

I moved to Oakland, California, where for the first time, I saw people like me. People who’d always felt different, but in Oakland, different was good. I met queer folks, brown and black folks, artists and activists.

I was gifted to work with healers and guides. Beautiful black and brown and indigenous folks who came in the form of grief doulas and sound healers and energy workers, indigenous wisdom holders and reiki practitioners. As they healed me, they guided me to heal others. I built my own healing practice one trusting-step-off-a-cliff-only-to-be-held-by-guides step at a time. It has taken many forms over the years: yoga, meditation, energy work.

A few years ago, I moved back to Canada to be with my partner, and we foster a queer brown love that is so aligned, so transformative, it speaks volumes of the power of healing and authentic living.

Today, I am grounding in authenticity coaching and creativity coaching, though elements of the somatic and spiritual are infused in my offers still. Are my anchor always. I offer 1:1 sessions and I love offering group workshops, in person and online. I know that much of the healing comes from being in community with aligned folks.

trainings

Wayfinder Life Coaching Training, Martha Beck Institute, 2023

Roots. Wounds. Words. Writer in Residence, 2024

Reiki Level II, 2018

Reiki Level I, 2017

Spiritual Justice Immersion, 2017

Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher Training, 2016

500 HR YTT, 2016