What early signs in your childhood indicated that you wanted to change your reality?
From early childhood, I felt that reality could be created anew. I didn’t know how to do it technically, but I very clearly noticed: what I felt inside was reflected in the outside world. If I felt fear, events around me unfolded in a way that confirmed that fear. But if I perceived anxiety as a task and dared to move through it, new opportunities opened up. This feeling — that my inner state determined the surrounding reality — lived in me since childhood, even though I couldn’t explain it scientifically back then.
I grew up in a small town — Makiivka, in the Donetsk region. Everything around me was built on the usual scenarios of adults: stability, predictability, limitations. But inside me, there was always a voice: your life can be different if you decide so yourself. Since childhood, I had vivid dreams: I helped people, opened hearts, saw myself in London, imagined my future family and husband. These images were like signposts of the future. And step by step, as I grew older, I saw how dreams came closer to reality.
Can you describe a moment during your relocation to Kyiv when you realized the need for a new beginning?
The turning point was the war of 2014. I saw shelling, destroyed houses, death, and fear with my own eyes. That was the moment when I sharply felt: there is no choice. Either accept it and disappear along with that reality, or save myself and create a new life. Under the sound of shelling, my family and I decided to move to Kyiv.
I was 21 at the time. Everything started from zero: a new city, new people, a completely different rhythm. And I realized that my old life had ended. It was frightening and at the same time liberating: now I was no longer obliged to repeat someone else’s scenarios. I could go my own way, creating new lines of the future. Kyiv became the symbolic beginning of my new story, and from that moment on, I never allowed myself to give up.
How did your past life experiences and relationships shape you as a person?
My past experiences and relationships became a school of freedom of choice for me. Through mistakes, pain, disappointments, and searching for myself, I came to understand: love begins with love for yourself, and strength comes from respecting your own values. When you lack inner support, you become vulnerable in relationships and dependent on the outside world. But when you have a clear connection with your values, it becomes easier to build harmonious relationships with others and with yourself.
I learned to look at the past not as a burden but as a resource. It showed me: everything begins inside. Values are the foundation on which personality is built. If you feel them, if you follow them, life becomes easier, clearer, and filled with meaning.
What triggered your commitment to health and fitness, and how has your perception of body image changed over time?
From the very beginning, it was not about aesthetics or trying to fit into someone’s ideal. The starting point was the thirst for energy. I realized that through food and lifestyle, it’s possible not just to “look better” but to truly regulate my energy, my performance, and my inner state. Any transition to a new level — whether professional, moral, or spiritual — requires expanded resources: emotional, mental, and physical. For me, the physical space is that very foundation: the body as the home for the soul, the instrument that supports my dreams and goals.
I adjusted my relationship with food and exercise: I stopped living in a mode of fighting my body and shifted to a mode of cooperation with it. Now I am “connected” to my body — I track signals, respect rhythms, keep my hormones balanced through nutrition, routine, and movement. An important realization also came from the fact that emotions, programs, and traumas are stored not only in the mind — they remain in the body. I am an advocate of the integrative approach: you must work with all layers — physical, psychological, and energetic — then the results are stable and deep.
Over time, workouts and nutrition stopped being just tools for shape — they became a way of living better: more energy, joy of movement, and inner freedom. I stopped measuring my form by centimeters; now I measure it by how much my body supports my plans, inspires me, and gives me the resources to realize my dreams.
How did you find the right balance in fitness and nutrition after going through extremes?
Balance came to me through mistakes and serious consequences of extremes. I went through strict diets, excessive training, eating disorders — there were nervous breakdowns, hormonal fluctuations, and even cessation of menstruation. This became a point of no return: either I change my approach, or I risk my health.
The path to balance was painful but very clear — only through experience and recovery. I stopped seeing nutrition as a “payment for shape” and began to view it as a way of respecting my body. Training stopped being punishment and became a ritual of joy in movement — strength exercises, stretching, walking, breathing practice, and recovery. It was important to learn to listen to signals: when the body says “enough,” — you must be able to stop; when it asks for energy — give it good food and rest.
Now my philosophy is simple: nutrition and exercise are not rules or prohibitions but a system of care. True strength lies in moderation, in the ability to combine effort and recovery. This gives not only a beautiful shape but also hormonal stability, emotional resilience, and a sense of joy in one’s own life.
What main beliefs and misconceptions did you have to face on your way to a healthier “self”?
The main belief I destroyed within myself was: love and success must be earned. I lived for a long time with the logic “do more — you’ll be worth more,” until I realized: a person’s value is not measured by the number of actions. It shows in who you are and how much of what you do is for the benefit of yourself and the world. In my professional practice — as a psychologist, hypnotherapist, and coach — I see every day how destiny changes when the inner state changes. It is essentially a law of the universe: transformation begins within and only then grows outward.
I stepped out of several misconceptions. The first — about scarcity: as if there were too few resources, opportunities, or love. In reality, the world is abundant, but access to abundance opens through self-worth and choice. The second — about control: I tried to control everything and burned out. Now I act from trust in myself and the process, not from anxious “I must do it urgently and perfectly.” The third — about the body: earlier, I treated my body as a project that needed to be “fixed.” Now it is my ally and the home of my soul. When the foundation shifts — from external evaluation to inner values — health, stability, and lightness appear.
Which of your personal transformations influenced your relationships with friends and partners?
Environment is the foundation. It directly shapes your state, behavioral patterns, and belief in yourself. When I began to change, my circle of communication also changed. Those who were around me out of habit gradually left. Their place was taken by people of growth — free, respectful, honest, with similar values. Our relationships became deeper and lighter; there was more mutual support and space for openness.
We joke and call ourselves a “pride” — because each is strong on their own, but together we become even more resilient. I am an external support for my circle, and my circle is support for me. It is an equal exchange: support, boundaries, respect for each other’s choices, and joy in one another’s success. In such relationships, you don’t need to prove your worth — it is seen and acknowledged.
What does it mean for you to have a healthy relationship with yourself, and how does it manifest in life?
A healthy relationship with yourself means listening to your heart, not other people’s expectations. It is a daily dialogue: “What do I feel? What is truly important to me? How can I support myself today?” It is a practice of self-respect: saying “yes” to what nourishes me and “no” to what destroys me. It is a connection with the body: I listen to its signals, honor rhythms, take care of sleep, nutrition, movement, and recovery.
The manifestations are simple yet very tangible: I set boundaries without guilt, choose projects based on values, leave space in my schedule for silence and creativity, and celebrate small victories. And one more rule that I live by and that protects me: love yourself the way you love the world, and love the world the way you love yourself. When this reciprocity is tuned within, external life becomes more harmonious.
How did embracing your feminine energy contribute to self-acceptance and personal growth?
Feminine energy is sacred to me. By embracing it, I stopped fighting and allowed myself gentle strength. This is not weakness — it is a sensual, steady power born from a deep connection with myself. I stopped living through constant “pushing through” and shifted to the cycle: effort — and recovery, action — and acceptance, structure — and intuition.
This balance gave me more clarity, creativity, and vibrant presence — in both relationships and work. Gentle strength makes productivity sustainable, and results — natural. It is about the right to be yourself, to take your place without proof, and to act from wholeness rather than from lack.
Has your attitude toward money changed after your transformation? How do you approach work and success now?
Previously, my path to finances went through overload and exhaustion, through racing and fear of loss. After deep inner work, everything changed. Money became an instrument of freedom and creativity, not a measure of my worth. I build projects that bring real value, and finances come as a natural result of that value.
My clients often say they are drawn to my energy — to the support and clarity that I radiate. I set pricing out of respect for my work and results, not out of fear. I choose partnerships based on values, leave space for growth and rest. As a result, I live in abundance and balance: when you follow your mission and act for the good of yourself, your family, your clients, and the world, resources arrive on time.
How have your inner changes affected your financial well-being?
Inside us, there are often parts with different goals: one is afraid, another dreams. My work is to reconcile them so that fear does not block movement. When I worked through my programs and cognitive distortions, aligned my relationship with my body and values, my entire “financial picture” changed. Support and clear boundaries appeared — along with quality decisions: which projects to take, how to negotiate, how to value my work.
Income grew, opportunities expanded, and money stopped being a source of stress and became a mirror of my inner wholeness. When there is order inside, bigger deals fall into place outside, “your” clients come through recommendations, and decisions are made calmly and precisely.
If you were to outline three key steps for a person who wants to change their reality, what would they be?
Step one — honestly admit: the way things are now, you don’t want it anymore. Call things by their names, see the price of the status quo, and take responsibility for the choice.
Step two — create contrast: describe in detail how you want to see yourself and your life in the best scenario for you. Write down values, states, daily practices, environment, work, health — as if it is already being lived.
Step three — act here and now. Small real steps launch big changes: 20 minutes a day for the body, 20 — for development, 20 — for a dream project. 30 days in a row — and the foundation shifts; 90 days — and a new trajectory is formed.
How do you connect relationships, finances, and personal growth into a single system of life?
I live by the “wheel of well-being” system: health, relationships, finances, creativity/career, and inner world — all are interconnected and nourish one another. I plan my year through values: I choose 2–3 key focuses for the season so as not to scatter my energy, and I synchronize my calendar with them. On a daily level, these are simple anchors: morning rituals for body and psyche, “dates” with myself and loved ones scheduled in, an energy budget for tasks, a window for creativity and recovery, weekly financial reviews.
It’s important to acknowledge cyclicality: it is impossible to be at your maximum in all areas at the same time. But if each area gets its share of attention at the right period, over several years a sustainable balance is built. Love fuels projects, projects expand opportunities for family and spiritual growth — and so the cycle continues, spiraling upward.
What advice would you give to someone who feels stuck in an old reality, wants change, but is afraid?
Stop waiting for the perfect moment — it’s already within you. Take one small but real step. First — honesty: what exactly doesn’t suit you. Next — the desired vision: how you live in the best scenario for yourself. And then — cut the “elephant” into pieces: daily short actions that can be done starting today.
Fear decreases in motion. Give yourself 30 days of small steps — you will see the first shifts. In a year, you will be living in a different configuration; in three years — in a new reality. And if needed, lean on your environment and professionals — support does not need to be “earned,” it can be asked for.
Remember: magic is already among us — it weaves itself into every step, every thought, and gradually becomes your reality. Love yourself at every stage of the journey — it is from this love that the courage to act is born.
CREDITS:
Model: Valeriia Shatska @valeriya.shatskaya
Photographer: Michael Fedorak @michael_fedorak
Video: Roman Homitskiy @homitskyyy
Hair: Mariia Zalizniak @mary.tsyhylyk
Make-up: Maria Sova @maria_sova
Style: Ilia Homeniuk @iliahomeniuk
Production Producer: Pavlova Sofiia @pavlovasofff
PR: Firebird PR Agency @firebirdpragency
Brands Jewelry: Bulgari,Cartier
Dress: @monetre.official
Cape and Skirt: @balykina
Blue jacket, jeans, Shoes: @lesilla @helenmarlengroup @josephfashion @magdabutrym
Jacket & jeans: @josephfasion @helenmarlengroup
Shoes: @lesilla @magdabutrym
Producer : Pankratova Yuliia @juliya.official_official