Storyo - Elina Asimbayeva
Shruthi has journeyed alongside Elina as she moved from feeling anxious and weighed down by the challenges of the world to finding acceptance, calm, inner peace and living and contributing from this place.
Shruthi has coached Elina since late 2020, in a personal and organisational capacity. Like many social entrepreneurs, from feeling weighed down by the challenges of the world, guilty, always striving to do more and feeling it's never enough, through journeying with Shruthi, Elina was able to access a level of acceptance, calm and inner peace. She has found freedom from many conditionings and heavy ideas many hold of what it means to “have impact” and “change the world” and is able to navigate her contribution from a place of groundedness and ease whilst still making bold decisions.
Elina has had significant reach with her award-winning, Storyo platform, showcasing stories of women and gender diverse people, is an advocate and educator for inclusive and equitable tech development, and a service designer at Auckland's hospital, whilst continuing to take time to explore her own hobbies and interests such as acting.
In Elina’s words:
"Working with Shruthi has changed my life in so many ways. I remember sitting down with her for our very first session and saying, 'How do I create the capacity for me to do more for the world because I feel like nothing is enough?' I remember a gentle look on her face and question 'Why do you think you are not doing enough?' That's when the journey started.
The extremes of being in your mid-20s alongside constant inner and outer pressure to do more, be more, even when we are operating in a community and contribution-centred world, really weighed on me. I was volunteering, being on committees, working in government, running my own community platform and felt like nothing was enough. Shruthi really helped me by gently asking the right questions, guiding me, centring me and grounding me. What this world really needs is not more burned-out activists but more compassion and joy because this work can be hard.
I call Shruthi my Spiritual Guide, rather than a coach. I have so much more compassion, love and stillness in my life. No impostor syndrome bullshit. The journey is ongoing and I know I will be facing new inner work challenges soon, but I'm just so stoked to have Shruthi in my life to support me. I've talked so much about her, that 4-5 of my bestest friends went to work with her too.”