Meet the yogis of Ukraine

The women of Yogis of Ukraine are more than survivors—they are leaders, healers, and beacons of hope.

Each of these extraordinary yogis has used Kundalini Yoga to overcome immense trauma and inspire resilience in themselves and those around them.

Click on their names to learn more about their powerful journeys.

(This page is currently being updated with the powerful stories of the Yogis of Ukraine. Not all the links are active yet! Please check back soon as we continue to add more inspiring journeys.)

Стоянова Олеся

Olesia Stoianova

"I want to feel everything: fear, joy, happiness,  and love. And war will not take that away  from me. The war will not take away  my opportunity to live."

Оренчина-Кулага Яна

Yana Orenchyna-Kulaha

"Ukraine is energetically strong, on the one hand. It's young by law but very, very ancient in history. And I think it's like... Oh, I don't know, the new Tibet, perhaps. One with powerful energy..."

Голик Ярослава

Yaroslava Holyk

"I close my eyes, begin to breathe slowly and surround myself with light. I understand that it will happen to me if it’s destined, but I don't want to be afraid anymore."

Анастасія Рубель

Anastasiia Rubel

"But if you, as a yogi, understand that with birth nothing is gained; with death, nothing is lost, when you, as a yogi, understand that you can choose your reactions."

Покотило Дарʼя

Daria Pokotylo

"We believe in justice and that we, the people of  Ukraine, genuinely have the right to be free.  We know this is true, that it should be so."

Місюра Ірина

Iryna Misiura

"Because every such experience, painful and scary,  shows us this contrast between darkness and light.  It teaches us to choose love and light."

Дмитрук Оксана

Oksana Dmytruk

"I serve in the armed forces of Ukraine as a medic on the front lines."

Павел Анна

Anna Pavel

"I just learned to live now and not to put it off for later…"

Криворот Инга

Inga Krivorot

"Women? We women turned out to be  much stronger than we thought we were! The war changed everyone very much. Some people broke, but some people became stronger."

Романова Ольга

Olga Romanova

"To all people on our earth: please be more kind.
Love all that surrounds you—animals, people, your close family. Be peaceful. Be kind. Kind, kind, kind.
And hope peace will be around us."

Чайка Наталя

Natalia Chaika

"I somehow perceive everything differently, everything with a smile."

Ірина Попроцька

Iryna Poprotska

"The war is also within each of us. How much we love and care for ourselves, how safe we feel, and how much we love and respect our families—it all sprouts from a small seed of either love or war.  "

Олена Ткачова

Olena Tkachova

"I will love it all. Every moment, every minute,  every second. I will love all this, everything;  I will enjoy everything that is. This is how instantly  fear can be transformed into love."

Ірина Стоянова

Iryna Stoyanova

"Because the more people think about peace, the faster it will come. And what is the recipe for peace? If we want to change the world, we start with ourselves."

Юлія Черненко

Julia Chernenko

"But physical fear is not as intense as the fear of losing people who are close to you. This is the worst thing for me because the war has already taken many friends from me..."

Владислава Репринцева

Vladyslava Reprintseva

"What is my goal? I want to feel myself. Even more.  To feel my desires. I want to get high... From  everything that happens to me…"

Ольга Поляк

Olga Poliak

"Everything was covered in glass; you are walking on glass, like snow; it creaks and is covered in blood because people who were on the street when the glass fell it cut them.  It was a horrific sight."

Ирина Ситнікова

Iryna Sythnikova

  "I don't think that any human on planet Earth deserves to feel, to see, to experience the things we are experiencing here in Ukraine... how it feels to run from your house... send your husband to die..."

Юлія Заліщук

Yuliia Zahriichuk

"This is probably the main lesson: that we are all in this together."

Тетяна Стрілець

Tetiana Steelets

"My son went to the front. My son, who has never served in the army, on the first day he went to the military registration and enlistment office!  It was a shock for me! I didn’t want him to be killed."

Світлана Купіна

Svitlana Kupina

"Of course, no one knows  who will survive and who won’t."

Олена Гром

Olena Hrom

"I want unconditional love to reign in this world."

Наталя Іщук

Natalia Ishuk

"In the war, you're constantly  worrying about your children."

Марія Шликова

Maria Shlykova

"What is happening now is a time of transition.We are moving from Kali-yuga to Satya-yuga, and this transition is the epoch of awareness; everything is moving into a heart center."

Марі Сімон

Mari Simon

"Because we, like no one else, understand  that there may be no tomorrow."

Маргарита Букацела

Marharyta Bukatsela

"Right now, my eyes can only show tears…"

Ірина Капуста

Iryna Kapusta

"Life has definitely changed. I have changed internally; I feel like a completely different person. I want to say that the war gave me a very strong kick in the ass."