Natalie’s Story

In the winter of 2024, I turned 50.  I didn’t feel bad about it, and I wasn’t dreading it.  I wasn’t looking forward to it either, it was just what it was.  I was obese weighing 212 pounds which is the most I have ever weighed. I was living unhealthy, generally unhappy, and feeling very lost.  I was faced with the reality of my unhealthy lifestyle after being diagnosed with prediabetes, psoriatic arthritis and fatty liver.  I suffer from depression and anxiety and I just seemed to be in a very helpless and hopeless state of mind. 

That summer I was in a very bad state mentally.  I felt like I just needed to get away from everyone.  I found a retreat in the Poconos that was reasonable and close enough that I could drive to.  The retreat was a Mid-Life Women’s Wellness retreat.  It was during this retreat that I was introduced to Ayurveda and Victor, the guest speaker.  This retreat was the start of my journey to getting healthy both physically and mentally. 

On our first consultation call, Victor asked what I was looking for help with.  I told him that I felt like I needed an overhaul in mind, body, and spirit.  He said he could help with that and proceeded to ask me questions to find out my level of commitment and expectations with the process.  In the beginning of us working together, Victor recommended that we meet frequently.  At first, I was concerned about the frequency and how I was going to fit the sessions in with my daily life and work schedule. Victor is very accommodating with appointments and mindful of the time differences of his clients.  Looking back, I wouldn’t have been successful if we hadn’t met as frequently.  Our frequent sessions kept me from slipping back into old patterns that I always ended up slipping back into.  This wasn’t just another diet, it is a lifestyle change that was possible with Victor’s support and guidance. 

August 2024 was a restart for me.  Victor was very real with the health challenges I was going to continue to face if I didn’t change my lifestyle.  He has always been very upfront and real with me while also being compassionate and supportive.  Sometimes I would push back at what he was trying to get me to realize about myself but I know his guidance was only to help me and bring me back to the reality of the situation I was faced with.