As a kid growing up in an orthodox Jewish community, I saw how religion influenced every aspect of life. Belief gave people faith, strength and a sense of belonging. It also dictated our daily lives: when we ate and prayed, what we could wear, when we should work – almost everything had its basis in religion. There was also a sense of freedom in my upbringing – sunny days spent outdoors, laughing and playing with friends. But this wasn’t enough for me – still I realized true freedom has to be defined for oneself.

During this time, terrorism was a daily reality in Israel. People close to me were killed and the possibility of violence was a constant presence. Supposedly everyday acts like going to school or shopping for clothes were all tainted by risk. As a result, I came to an early understanding that life is short and precious.

So, from a young age, I was certain of two things: that I wanted to make the most of my life, and to do that, I would need to take control of my own life, actively shaping every aspect of it for myself. In order to make this change I needed to reconfigure every element of my life, from my beliefs, to how I dressed, to how I interacted with others.

While this was not easy, as the years went by, I learned that we can define ourselves, and shape our own set of values. I saw how we can actively choose how we position ourselves in the world and who we surround ourselves with. I came to see that this was what freedom really meant: the ability to choose your own life, to tell your own story.

As a student, I studied art history and film. I wanted to move people by showing different aspects of human life. While I still find great pleasure in film, and in all art, I realized that I needed something more personal, more face-to-face for my own practice. I wanted to touch people’s lives directly, to be able to speak to them, and to listen.

Over the last fifteen years I’ve amassed a wealth of professional experience from numerous forms of body-work. I’ve successfully coached hundreds of clients in various countries. Being a part of their growth and development brings me great happiness and satisfaction.

I’ve experienced firsthand how we can change almost any given situation if we choose to do so and it is a great source of satisfaction to now help others do the same. I work with people to help them identify habits, fears, pains and emotions that can be limiting. Once identified, I work to turn all of these into energy and power, to use them as a force of change.

Once we know how to stop what limits us, we will be able to live the life we want to lead.

-Rivka Halbershtadt