Never, could I ever have imagined my soul’s true purpose while I was growing up in a middle to low income area of the Bronx, NY, during the 1960’s & 70’s.
As the 4th child of 5, also the only girl in the family; a younger brother came along 3 yrs later, there were of course many lessons to be learned. My Dad was of second generation Italian heritage, and my stay at home Mom, was of Irish-German descent. We were blessed to have 2 maternal Aunts who lived next door, and acted as our champions during times of inevitable conflict or distress, even easing us through many financially bereft times.
It was a constant race to get someone’s attention, trying to out best each other amongst heaps of sibling rivalry. Having failed the tests of physical prowess, and “combat,” my attention by middle school age, became more focused on intellectual pursuits. I was grateful to have two dear & loyal friends in the neighborhood that attended the same Catholic Grammar School.
Running around and inventing games to play in the streets of the Bronx, provided lots of fun and challenge, but occasional trips from the elevated trains through the dark midtown Manhattan tunnels to shop on 34th Street or attend museums or theatre were really exciting forays. But by no mistake, a city neighborhood has its dangers and adventures. We hung out on the street corners, playing Boom boxes with Rock music, and worked part time to make money to support ourselves.
As fun as it might have been there were inevitable fights and rumbles, not to mention a deeply ingrained drug culture, and so it was truly a blessing to be selected to attend the Bronx High School of Science: an academically select school for grooming students to be professionals. There I thrived on the Biological and Chemical sciences which gave a solid foundation for studies towards my short range goal of becoming a Medical Laboratory Technologist. College studies in that field were completed at the C.W Post Campus on Long Island. That had been a bit of a culture shock coming from a NYC raised childhood, but in my senior year It was quite exciting to be training, and then working, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in Lenox Hill Hospital.
The year of post College graduation, a dear friend who was a world class traveler coaxed me to go on an overseas sojourn to both Egypt & Greece. Vacations abroad were not something that I’d experienced coming from more humble roots and a large family, so it was a great thrill to finally reach Cairo, Egypt and the Great Pyramids at Giza. At that time they were easily accessible and had the opportunity to climb to the chamber of Cheops, then sneeze all the way down to many blessings of strangers in all different languages!
While gazing at the Sphinx, previously only seen in my junior encyclopedia, I felt timelessness itself upon me. A camel ride across ancient sands and a trip down the Nile river by native boat made it unforgettable. But the visit to the millennia old yet well preserved chambers under the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, reported to be the first Physician of ancient Egypt, is what sent chills running up my spine.
After several years of Lab Tech employment, and the trip to Egypt, I felt empowered to train as a Doctor. After all, I was the lady who constantly gave advice, solicited or not, to all my friends in college. I completed Osteopathic Medical training in Long Island, in June of 1991, just a few miles down the road from NYIT. The Humanistic and Holistic views of Osteopathic training opened new ways of understanding how to help people create their own wellness, besides offering full Generalist Medical training + licensure.
The studies of Pharmacology and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (eg: myofascial release) are still important cornerstones to this day in my own Medical Practice, over 26 yrs later. Yet of all the various specialty rotations and clerkships, it was Primary Care Medicine that struck the most resonant chord in me. I was accepted into Residency in this specialty, in Poughkeepsie NY year 1 post grad, then spent another 2 years at Albany Medical Center. It was in an ER that I met my husband, but we only agreed to date a few weeks. A few weeks turned into a few months and then were married by our 2 year anniversary. We settled into a cozy home in Greene County, NY.
A year afterward, at age 37, I had my first and only much beloved child.
The demands of a busy Rural Practice along with Motherhood, and life’s inevitable stressors led to burnout. I earnestly sought relief from Chanting Mantras and meditation, as per the legacy of Paramahansa Yogananda. His Book, An Autobiography of a Yogi, had been a constant companion during my early Residency years.
It was during that type of meditation that my 8th Chakra burst open to reveal much clarity, hope, excitement and courage. Ultimately I was led to a local teacher Vasiliki, who taught Reiki attunements and practice, with weekly classes in Spirituality I became part of a whole Sisterhood of like minded individuals. It was the Chi Gong training she taught us and the Sacred Sweat Lodges that catapulted my connection to my own True nature over the course of many years.
On an arduous trip to PERU (with a small group, ) and the sacred mountains thereof, my Vision quest was fulfilled. My connection was forged to the Indigenous ways and the tradition of using one’s song voice to transmit healing vibes, which is something that remains sacred to me.
Fast forward to 2019, I realized this heartfelt vocalization in a group makes it even a more powerful force for healing. This voice is one that I’d discovered in the corridor of the Temple of Asclepius with a large group of Spiritualists, as we toned and chanted for Peace.
My commitment through these transformative experiences, has been to inspire others, in both small & in more profound ways, to take charge of their lives, integrate and release traumas, & get free of limited thinking, so they may discover their uniqueness, and inner radiance, thus restoring sense of enjoyment for life.
It is to this theme that I dedicate my life with much joy !
“A healer is someone who seeks to be the light that she wishes she had, in her own darkest moments.”
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Veronica Tugaleva
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