Yoga | Nutrition | Exercise

IDEAL BODY Do you know how your life will change once you get your ideal body? Let me guess: you will do A LOT of things and be happier and healthier? When I ask my clients to name 5 things they will do, they come up with something like: I’ll fix my schedule, I’ll go swimming, and be more social. Oh seriously? That’s everything you can come up with? You could have done all these things yesterday. Let’s check being happy and healthy. You could be happy today you chose not to. And healthy? Whom are you kidding? If it’s not a matter of life and death human beings don’t change. All the mentioned above is not enough motivation for your brain to change. Transformation and change is very energy consuming activity so you better come up with something more solid than that. That’s why I help my clients to find out their WHY and customize the best HOW for them. When you know your why the weight drops, swipe left and see my clients’ results. Write me a word “why” in the comments and let’s find out your WHY. #onlinefitnesscoach #onlinepersonaltrainer #motivation #weightloss https://www.instagram.com/p/CqazzDkIf6T/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Attended Women’s Health Conference in Jeddah. It was an amazing event, was listening to lectures and presentations about women’s health. Thank you Anna @anna__mudrak for inviting me. I always strive to educate myself, learn more, and upgrade the quality of my service. Especially that I work with pre and post natal women. Pelvic floor recovery and health is very important and is rarely talked about. It appeared that doctors and fitness professionals have some things in common - patients and clients are looking for a quick fix which improves aesthetics but has nothing to do with health. Remember: meaningful results take time. Love you, Iryna #womenshealth #pelvicfloor #pelvichealth #pelvicfloorexercises #womenshealthconference #womenshealthsaudi #postpartum #postpartumfitness (at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpFhYsaogCO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Attended Women’s Health Conference in Jeddah yesterday. It was an amazing event, was listening to lectures and presentations about women’s health. Thank you Doctor Afshan @dr_afshan_qazi for the invitation! I, as a fitness professional always strive to educate myself, learn more, and upgrade the quality of my service. Especially that I work with pre and post natal women. Pelvic floor recovery and health is very important and is rarely talked about. It appeared that doctors and fitness professionals have some things in common - patients and clients are looking for a quick fix which improves aesthetics but has nothing to do with health. Remember: meaningful results take time. Love you, Iryna #womenshealth #pelvicfloor #pelvichealth #pelvicfloorexercises #womenshealthconference #womenshealthsaudi (at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Co1gYEHISWt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

My Education Part 4 In 2016 while I was working as an IT recruiter, I got certified as a fitness instructor in Ukraine, as I felt I needed more instruments to help my yoga clients I worked with. 2017 was by far the hardest year of my life. I knew I wanted to change my life and at first I didn’t have any clarity on how to make it happen. Old ways were not working for me anymore, new ways were unknown. In the beginning of 2018 I got a job offer from Saudi Arabia, and accepted it. It was my first full time position in the fitness industry. It was my first time in Saudi Arabia, I was scared, excited, and happy to embark on this new journey of mine. Since then my life, my career, and my education started shifting towards fitness. In 2018 I completed my nutritional certification, got my Diploma as an Advanced Sports and Exercise Nutritional Advisor. In 2019 I got certified by ACE which stands for American Counsel on Exercise as a personal trainer. For me it’s an honour to be certified as a personal trainer and be able to deliver high quality workouts to my clients to make your lives healthier and happier. I also got my certificate as a Mat Pilates Instructor, which in my opinion is a great tool to use while working with people. It helps to teach people the movement fundamentals both in terms of recovery and performance. During quarantine lock down I have completed Corrective Biomechanics Course to expand and widen my knowledge about the physiological anatomical aspect of the exercises, as my clients claim workouts with me are serving them better than some physiotherapy sessions at hospital. Also during quarantine I have developed and shot 2 extensive fitness courses - one is for beginners and one is to focus on the core and abs. These are 2 online courses are based on the years of experience working with people with the great selection of exercises, and if you remember - I’m a teacher by my first education, so these courses have extensive technique explanation and focus to bring you the best value. I’ll continue talking about my education next week. #onlinefitnesscoach #education #fitnessprofessional https://www.instagram.com/p/Coo-eOQLmmG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

My Education Part 3 What type of yoga do I teach myself? At the moment I teach a yoga mix based on my experience from the teachers I learnt from and based on the needs of my clients. I learnt yoga all over the world. My first encounter with yoga happened in 2010, in Ukraine, Iyengar yoga. In this style of yoga one uses lots of props - objects to help you improve your poses, such as blankets, chairs, belts, block, bolsters, etc. When I moved to Mexico I started practicing vinyasa yoga which is a flow of yoga poses, restorative yoga which is more slow paced and therapeutic, Iyengar yoga and Ashtanga yoga which is a sequence of certain yoga poses done in specific order. I also tried Yin yoga, and Bikram yoga. The type that resonated with me the most were vinyasa and restorative yoga. Once my practice became more deep and committed, I went to India in 2013 and got my 500 hours Yoga Teacher Training certification in Hatha yoga which is a classical one. I was a beautiful experience to learn yoga from its birthplace and to deep dive into its roots, philosophy, and practical aspects of it. I have attended vinyasa yoga, alignment, Iyengar, yoga for runners workshops in Mexico, Europe, and India. When I came back from India I decided to take another teacher training course in Spanish - to learn Western approach and to practice Spanish more to be able to teach yoga in Spanish in Mexico. So, I embarked on another yoga journey with Dharma yoga student TJ Jackson. Dharma Mittra is a Brazilian yoga teacher who lives in New York and who developed his own style, from my perspective a well structured mixture of ashtanga and vinyasa yoga styles. Oh, and of course Kundalini yoga! I practiced Kundalini yoga, too. I’m not certified as a Kundalini yogi however there was a time in my life when for solid 2 years I was a dedicated follower of it. I went to meditations with Guru Dev Singh in Mexico, Harijiwan Singh who came from LA to Mexico to give a gong meditation which was absolutely mind blowing, and I have visited quite a few White Tantras in Mexico and the US. My personal approach in yoga is to be open and learn from every teacher and student who I meet with. #yoga https://www.instagram.com/p/CngpLszLiN4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

When is the best time to hire a personal trainer? Oftentimes when beginners in fitness get gym membership they’re already on the edge of despair. Usually they try to lose weight/gain weight/get fit/fix the pain in the knees, neck, lower back by themselves, it never happens, so gym is the last resort. Money is paid, membership is bought, changes are expected. And here is the most amusing part - changes won’t happen just because I bought a membership. And they won’t happen just because I transported my body to the gym and stayed there wondering around machines for four hours. Changes might not even happened if I go to classes. It’s very frustrating. Like very. Like you paid money and nothing happens. And here is when some beginners tell me - why would I need a personal trainer in the beginning? I will need a personal trainer when I don’t get my results! And my question is - and for how long you were unable to reach your goals and get your results before? What’s the difference between now and then? How long will it take to grasp the technique of the basic exercises for you? How long will it take to figure out how to manage the food? How long will it take to make a decent workout schedule and get first meaningful results? That’s why hiring a personal trainer in the beginning of your training is more efficient, time and money saving. That’s why we learn the alphabet before writing, and we walk before we run. If you already considered the option of hiring a personal trainer in your mind, trust me hiring in the beginning of the your fitness journey is better than waiting for the results not to happen to allow yourself to finally hire a trainer. #onlinefitnesscoach #fitnessbeginner #ksa #saudiarabia #personaltrainerinsaudi #onlinepersonaltrainer (at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnbv--XrRjP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

My Education Part 2 This part will be more of an explanatory one of how I transitioned from office to fitness. 2016 comes and I move from Mexico back to Ukraine, and let me tell you moving countries and continents is challenging. I became too Mexican for Ukraine and obviously I was always a Ukrainian in Mexico. Going back to education, in Ukraine I was working in an office as a personal assistant to CEO first and then as a procurement specialist and an interpreter. In MexicoI had a career shift to a yoga teacher, and when I moved back to Ukraine I wanted to find an office job again. That was a belief from my grandma that runs in my family, she believes governmental office job is the best thing that could possibly happen to you. All the government perks, regulated work hours, all the prestige, and nice view from the window - that’s a job paradise. So, I started looking for an office job. And I found one - of an IT recruiter and was working in the Ukrainian office of one American IT company. It was a bitter sweet feeling. Sweet because I did as my grandma would want to, not governmental however an office one. What was lightening my days up were private yoga sessions I was giving to people. I felt happy when I was training and teaching yoga. I wanted to go deeper into anatomy and other types of exercises to have more instruments to be able to help people. I took fitness instructor certification in 2017. It took me 2 long years to realize that I can’t settle down in Ukraine. I was depressed. I didn’t like the weather. I didn’t like the food. My life was dull. The company was cutting staff, my friend and me got fired on Christmas Eve. I tried to search for a new office job and it just felt wrong. Being yoga teacher in Mexico felt natural and easy, in Ukraine it felt like a downgrade. I knew I wanted to move to a country with a nice climate, and I have made a decision to take job offer from Saudi Arabia and came here in 2018 as a yoga teacher and fitness instructor. Follow for part 3 next week #education #yoga #yogateacher #traveling #careerchange #onlinefitnesscoach #fitnessprofessional https://www.instagram.com/p/CnOUAVxK88w/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Coping strategy This post won’t be easy however I must talk about it. I do hear sometimes people say that there’s no sense and meaning in their life, it became grey, dull, and pointless. For me it’s a huge alarm, and saying to them - look around it’s such a beautiful life you have, it’s going to be fine, is not going to help or work for them because the place where they are right now is very dark and deep. Before saying this out loud they thought about life and they couldn’t find the solution or deal with the current situation emotionally, mentally, financially, or physically. I was there myself. I was thinking life was pointless, and I was thinking that I can’t handle it anymore. I was down emotionally and financially, the worst thing was that my perception of it was too big and not proportional to the size of the problems I was facing. I was in a deep dark place. My coping strategy was to finish it all in one go - no problems, no pain, no suffering, no responsibilities. Very lovely and functional strategy for a 3 year old child. The issue was that I was not 3 years old. The thought about my meaningless life was obstructing me from finding better coping strategies with the current situation. For example, back then I didn’t have a job and needed money, and I was refusing to go for less, meaning I was rejecting lots of opportunities to make money - not as big as I was willing it to be, yet enough to cover my expenses. And of course, this was just adding more to my pain and suffering. Until one day I got help from my yoga teacher, he told me I have to start small. And boom - my coping strategy changed, I agreed to take a small part time job and I made a first step to get out of my deep dark place. If you think there’s no reason for you to live I want you to know you’re trying to apply a coping strategy of a kid. You could avoid problems as a kid by finishing it all - stopping to talk to your parents, threatening them, going away, etc., however as an adult you can find better coping strategies which are functional and effective, and which eventually will bring you to the beautiful life you want. #coping #financialproblems #motivation #inspiration (at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnJWRCfqdk4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

My Education Part 1 Every year I ask myself this question - who am I as a fitness professional, which direction I’m going to, am I evolving? When I start talking about my education I find it important to mention that I have MS in teaching the English language and literature to the Russian speaking people. My second diploma was BS in Business Administration, and I had 3 months to complete it and finish my thesis, I dropped off as it coincided with my moving to Mexico and back then moving to Mexico seemed more important to me. New country challenged me to seek new ways of working, in Ukraine I had only office jobs and as I wasn’t speaking Spanish at the beginning I couldn’t find an office job. Yoga helped me to cope with this challenge and also showed me the way. I started practicing and learning it more and more until in 2013 I got certified as a yoga teacher in India (500 hrs) and then in 2014-2015 certified teacher in Mexico (200hrs) plus started giving yoga classes to people in yoga studios and gyms in Mexico in Spanish. Along with the certificates I’ve visited yoga retreats and workshops all over the world. To name a few - my first retreat was with Guru Dev Singh in Mexico City, it was amazing meditation and deep dive into Kundalini yoga. Satnam Rasayan. Then I visited Florida, USA for White Tantra, India for singing meditation retreat, Colombia, Italy, Indonesia, and of course Mexico. I’ve been to gong meditation courses, aerial yoga, yoga healing courses, vinyasa yoga, Iyengar yoga, therapeutic yoga, aerial yoga, alignment yoga, yoga for runners workshops, etc. Follow for part 2 next week 😊 #education #yoga #yogateacher #traveling #careerchange #onlinefitnesscoach #fitnessprofessional #yogainstructor https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm_orl0rPEW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

3 major mistakes people do when they want to change 1. Changing everything instead of changing one thing and implementing the change gradually. The first job of our brain is survival, and if you put too much challenge on yourself your brain will go into survival mode and fight you not to change because change will be perceived as a thread. 2. Assuming your plan will work. It might not. Ask yourself - is your plan going to work on your worst day or your worst week or you made your plan for ideal circumstances? 3. Waiting for the perfect moment to implement your ideal plan. Waiting for the next day, next week, next year to start. Waiting for the perfect hour. Let me tell you there’s no major difference between starting at 6am on the 1st of January and 6pm on the 2nd of January. And it goes back to number one - any hour any day is ok, as long as you start to change with one thing at a time. #change #changetips #motivationtips #inspiration #howtochange #motivation #onlinefitnesscoach #onlinepersonaltrainer #personaltrainerinsaudi #saudiarabia #changemanagement #changeyourlife #newyear #newyearnewyou #newyearnewme #newyeargoals #newyearresolution #newyearresolutions (at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm3YItBqah9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

2022 2022 is coming to its end and it’s time to look back, reflect, and move on into 2023. I’d like to share with you 3 things that I learnt this year: 1. Family. Before my family was something like air - it was always there for me and I couldn’t imagine my life without it. More than 4 months without being able to talk to my mom, few horrible days when my sister was exiting Ukraine without any connection and Internet made me value my family much more. 2. Appreciation. I appreciate the peaceful sky above my head, I appreciate my work, my team, people I work with, my clients, appreciate being able to make myself a cup of coffee in the morning, to live in a hot climate which I love, to be able to go to the sea here in Jeddah. I appreciate everyone of you reading my posts and following me. I appreciate being alive. 3. Money. If there is a problem which could be solved with money - it’s not a problem, it’s an expense. How was 2022 for you? #2022 #newyear #newyearnewme https://www.instagram.com/p/CmqWesMqhgn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

The problem is the food The biggest challenge of them all while loosing weight is the food. Cutting the food is the most painful and intolerable process. Food is the guilty please, it’s legal, it’s fast to get, and pretty quick to get high on from the first bite. And I totally get it when people have resistance to cutting food, it’s uncomfortable, annoying, and painful, it’s like taking that last resort of pleasure which was delivering you the joy of life and you want to cut it out. However, if you struggle with food and you don’t know where to start - start with looking into your day, start paying more attention to the hours where you have the most spikes of hunger/overeating/binging. Usually we don’t have problem with food 24/7, if you will analyse your day you will notice that there are few hours in a day when you tend to eat more than you should. Find these hours, see the time of the day when they occur, and based on that information try to solve the problem. When the problem is not 24 hours, but 1 or 2 or 3 hours, it’s easier to be dealt with. Personally I sometimes struggle with binge eating after work, especially if I had a stressful or busy day, and food makes me relax more. I know - I need to find a solution for 1,5 - 2 hours after work, it’s when the urge to binge is very strong. Now I’m trying to make myself camomile tea after work, so sipping nice warm tea with a bit of honey is indeed relaxing my brain and my body. I’ll update you how it goes. Now tell me which are the hours when you struggle the most during the day? Let’s find a solution together. #food #foodproblem #binge #bingeeating #losingweight #onlinefitnesscoach #onlinepersonaltrainer #saudiarabia #ksa #personaltrainerinsaudi (at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmYhtxfLG2j/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

20 kg in 8 months That’s too long! Can I lose 20 kg in 1 month? No, ok, then 2 months max? Not with me, babes. I’m the coach who helps you to lose your weight gradually and what is more important educates and works with you to sustain it. And yes that is the actual result of one of my clients. She dropped 20 kg in 8 months. At some point of her life she decided she wanted to change her weight, as her work implies long standing hours, so she had lower back pain, knee pain, and was getting tired fast, plus she didn’t like her reflection in the mirror, which was making her feel very sad and frustrated. She came to me me, I made a nutrition program for her and her journey has begun. The way I work with nutrition - I don’t cut everything you eat and divide food into “good” and “bad”, I educate you about controlling your portions and knowing the amount of food you should eat to be able to lose, maintain, or to gain weight. And making healthier choices, of course. I also added exercises and training 3 times per week. My client was very consistent and committed to the nutrition and training program. Sometimes her weight fluctuated and moved 1 or 2 kg up and that were the hardest and most challenging moments for her - how come, I’m following the program and the weight spikes up. And that is absolutely normal when you’re on your weightloss journey. Smooth transition and integration of the exercises into her life also was a game changer. 2 years after, my client maintains her weight. She is active, loves her reflection in the mirror, and she also loves to move her body and do the exercises. She knows the amount of food she should eat, and if she has a family gathering on the weekend she enjoys her food, and next day goes back on track. Do you want to lose weight? Let me know your current weight and I will tell you how many calories you should eat per day to start loosing weight. #weightloss #weightlossjourney #onlinefitnesscoach #onlinepersonaltrainer (at Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmYcAfXq7dz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Can you give any advice to do the split quickly I was asked yesterday. Yep, I’ve got few pieces of advice for you. Everything is a skill. Every skill needs effort, time, and consistency. Some people master some skills better, even though you both invest the same amount of time and effort. For instance, when you want to master programming and codes you might start with googling “any advice to learn SQL code in 2 weeks” and you might even find some highly promising videos which might give you a lot of hope about being a guru of SQL in 2 weeks. After 2 weeks typically you do realise learning to code might take longer and you need to be more serious about your goal. Why do you need it for? For a hobby? To impress your friends? To add to your CV and progress in your career? When the reason is solid enough like adding this skill to your CV, progressing, and making more money, then you’d google specialised institutions and organisations which can give you good quality education and certification afterwards. Which usually takes longer than 2 weeks. Same goes for fitness skills. Do you really need that split? Or basic mobility exercises would benefit you way better than the split? How the split could bring value to your life? Is this goal clear, are you motivated enough to start pursuing and mastering this skill, investing your time and effort? This is where I as a fitness professional can give you a good quality advice, help you figure out your goals, and guide you towards them. And surely the option of embarking on a thrilling journey named “Spilt in 2 weeks” sponsored by Google is always there. #onlinefitnesscoach #onlinepersonaltrainer #splitin2weeks #split #fitnessskills #motivation #fitnessgoals #personaltrainerinsaudi #saudiarabia #jeddah (at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckn_gI4q678/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Hike in Taif, was wonderful. Just watching the trees, the mountains, the sky, the beauty, and serenity of nature was soul soothing. #hike #hikinginsaudi #hikinginsaudiarabia #mountainsinsaudiarabia #mountains #rocks #nature #natureinsaudi #onlinefitnesscoach #onlinepersonaltrainer #personaltrainerinsaudi #taif #taifsaudiarabia #neverstopexploring (at Al Shifa) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cklb95KKBQb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s too late Yesterday one of my clients asked me how and when did I start my fitness career, and I told him that I started with yoga and became deeply interested in learning and practicing it not until I was 28. And he told me - it’s too late, right? And I couldn’t help myself but laugh. It’s never too late. Too late for what? The guy doesn’t know that I’m starting to drive when I’m 39. I went to one of the driving schools in Jeddah, took theory and practice hours, took my exam, passed, got my driving license, and staring to drive only now. There are thousands of things on my mind - to get to know the roads, to be able to drive through roundabouts, to practice more, to feel the joy of doing as much groceries as I want without worrying and getting stressed about waiting for the taxis, or about how I’m going to carry the heavy stuff, that I can drive now and try new places because before I couldn’t be bothered to deal with some of the taxi drivers (the majority of them is great, however some are pure emotional damage), and many more. There are all kinds of thoughts on my mind except it’s too late. It’s just the right time for me, and if you want it it’s just the right time for you, too 👍 #justtherighttime (at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjSLt26L_Jp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

How I know someone is an ideal client The person is ready to commit. If you’re not ready to do your part, and take accountability, my advice - you’re not ready for online coaching. When you start new job, you don’t expect to sit at home and then to get your salary in the end of the month, right? Same goes for online coaching - even if you paid for the services it doesn’t mean muscles will build themselves overnight or I put some magic curse on you to help you get rid of the fat, you’ll have to do your part. Cooperative. Guys, I swear, sometimes people text me just to prove me I’m wrong, or tell me they know better. Like recently 81kg guy tried to convince me he eats 1500 calories per day, trains heavily 4-5 per week, and it’s his maintenance amount. Babe, I eat 1700 calories and I’m 57kg, you wouldn’t have survived on that amount of calories and energy with your 81kg. However, if you say so and you believe in it god bless you. Don’t text me if you don’t trust me, you question me, or believe that you have all the right answers, there’s plenty of fish in the sea, I’m not your fish obviously. Knows what he/she wants. When the person knows what he/she wants, consider it 90% accomplished. There’s nothing worse than a wondering client who has a vague idea and a shaky will. That’s why when you’re beginning your fitness journey - focus on one thing at a time, and then when you’ll master and integrate that into your life, go to the next one. If this week you want to drop fat, and the week after to build muscle, and after 7 days into your training program you’re bothered by cellulite on your inner thighs - I’m sorry I can’t help. One goal at a time. Know what you want. Need professional help in defining you’re goals, integrating new routines, and getting your dream body? I’m here to help. #idealclient #clientcoach #relationship #personaltraineronline #onlinefitnesscoach (at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci7TnBsLpfF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=