My story

Nataliya Zynovyeva was born in the small city of Alchevsk in Eastern Ukraine. She was raised and educated by a wonderful family of engineers. As a little girl, Nata was fascinated with movement. Her parents, Irina and Alexander, noticed that she was attempting to dance even before she could walk and decided to enroll her in a local dance school. Throughout these early years, she loved dancing as well as writing love stories and poems. It was later in life when she fully realized that this unconditional love from her family set the foundation of who she would eventually become.

After graduating from her local high school with honors, she was awarded a scholarship to study business economics and enterprise at Donbas Mining and Metallurgical University. Upon receiving her diploma, she accepted employment as an economist and analyst at a local construction company. Within a short time, she was approached by a newspaper journalist from Kiev and encouraged to pursue a more artistic career in both writing and modeling. During Nataliya’s six years in Kiev, she professionally modeled for fashion and television.

Yet, Nataliya had a strong inner desire to be involved in charitable activities and to nurture and influence the lives of young people. She joined the Ukraine National Party where she became the head of its youth organization. But her core passion remained centered on the pursuit of understanding the relationship between people and their energetic connections.

She wanted to learn more about these energetic connections, along with finding the answers to the many questions she had. Who was she? Where did she come from? Where do any of us originate from? What is her purpose? From an early age, Nataliya has been researching information that could help guide her on her journey including works from Luisa Hay, Steven Covey, Osho, and many Russian classical writers.

In 2008, Nataliya fell in love with the United States after a visit and made California her home two years later. She began attending classes at Naam Yoga LA in 2013. After her first class, Nataliya was immediately impacted by the positive energy of the instructor and the power of Naam yoga. Within a year she decided to enroll in the Naam Yoga Therapies training program and later earned her Naam Yoga certification. To further her ability to touch others energetically, she also studied and became certified as a Harmonium Healing practitioner.

Soon after, Nataliya was faced with her biggest fear. She lost her mother – her most loving and unconditional supporter, her best friend, her whole world. When her mother left this Earth, her happy world shifted beneath her feet and brought new challenges to her life. Nataliya experienced emotions she had never felt before and began questioning what she believed in and her approach to life itself. She stepped away from practicing and teaching Naam Yoga during this difficult time. Long daily prayers as well the love and support from those close by served as her only refuge, helping to minimize disturbing thoughts, guilt, doubts, and low vibrations.

However, she was not quite ready return to Naam. Struggling with her direction, she spoke with her Master and became inspired to revisit her Naam practice. The next day she went to the beach and committed herself to her practice. Instantaneously she was reminded of the joy and complete happiness that Naam meditation, chanting, and breathwork offered her, silencing all her negative thoughts. The colors of her world were brighter, exactly like the first day she was introduced to Naam yoga. She welcomed back peace in her heart, happiness, and higher vibrations and felt rooted to who she was before. This moment was her testimonial to herself and her practice, bringing her back to her grounding and to her service to others.

All her conscious life she has been searching for her truth. While she has found many answers that she has sought, she still considers herself a student of life, diligently unfolding her own truth layer by layer. Her training has been continuous - working to broaden her own knowledge of Naam yoga, while also having the privilege and joy to serve others in their personal journey.

Nataliya has volunteered as an instructor for her community, adapting her practice to the needs of others. She has worked with senior citizens as well as patients with drug and alcohol addictions. Nataliya has also fundraised for various children’s causes and worked alongside organizations such as Clare’s Foundation and Plan International. Additionally Nataliya has received certification in Healing Women Circles.

Nataliya knows that when a person is loved, they are capable of anything. The same nurture she received as a child flows through her practice, and she strives to offer an energy that leaves her students with a quieter mind, a body more balanced, and a spirit more joyful.