gabriela gioacchini

I grew up in the heart of Europe, in the Czech Republic (former Czechoslovakia) during the times of repression and Communist era. During these times it was second nature to grow or forage for food; this is simply what people did. Having a vegetable garden with fruit trees and a few chickens was the norm, as well as harvesting abundant berries, herbs and mushrooms in the woods. I don’t remember using much for medication. Folk kitchen and herb remedies were the way to go. Actually, summer assignments during my elementary school years were to harvest and dry herbs that we then turned over to pharmacies! (Guess who won every year with bags and bags of yarrow and Saint John’s wort!). I believe that this is the reason why I incarnated during these times in Czechoslovakia; this lifestyle is simply in sync with my Taurus sun and Cancer moon.

Fast forward to my adult years when life took me over to the foothills of the beautiful Colorado Rockies. I got an accounting job in a family-run business, just in line with my college degree. In this office environment I started noticing a cultural clash and different values: a lot of takeout foods, packaged drinks, pills for those never-ending “office headaches” … I felt a little bit like “Buddy the elf” at first. It was so new and foreign to me.  It felt like I was surrounded by people “out of touch” so to speak.

Nevertheless, I stood my course and stayed true to my values.  I signed up for a nutritional chef course with Bauman College for my love of from-scratch cooking. Based on this course, I started a personal chef business with a focus on special dietary needs. It was amazing to see how my clients got better just eating clean food tailored to their needs. During these times I also started craving a deeper understanding of healing systems. I was brought up in touch with nature on the subconscious level, but I wanted to understand more; I was searching for a system. Well, I discovered more than I was initially looking for in the ancient – especially Eastern – healing systems. I eventually came across the East West School. I went to my first seminar in 2016 and signed up for the program right after. This is where I found my tribe. It has been an amazing journey that just keeps getting better and better. I am very grateful that I am part of this wonderful community.

The Universe keeps on showing me that life can take unexpected twists and turns in different directions. I became a mom last year and life hasn’t settled for me yet on many different levels. Nevertheless, my current goal is to finish this course, keep on deepening my skills with adjunct healing methods like meridian massage and auriculotherapy, and share “our tribal knowledge” with the rest of the world. My ultimate goal, and they say to dream big, is to have a family-run healing hotel: a retreat-based hotel with an herb garden and apothecary with handmade salves, oils and other potions. This would also be a hub for other professionals in the wellness industry such as yoga and qi gong instructors.

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