Hi, I’m Uma

I'm a Grief Companion who guides women who want to honor their grief instead of hiding it. Grief comes in all forms and shapes: the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a body that feels broken, the shedding of an old role/identity, an empty nest, retirement, a difficult diagnosis...

When this happens, something fundamental within us shifts and urges us to start living as the person we were born to be.

I was born and raised in southern India but relocated to suburban Chicago with my husband and daughter in 2008. We call Chicago home now.

My Story

Weeks after we moved from Southern India, my 68-year-old mother was diagnosed with cancer. She died eight months after her diagnosis. I felt the first tremors of something shifting when she was diagnosed. Her death was my personal shattering.

My life crumbled. The person I used to be no longer made sense. Who am I? Why did I come here? What am I meant to do? These questions kept me awake night after night.

I felt the urgency of how everything could change in one moment. It drove me to focus on my passions and purpose and create my legacy. This is the work I feel called to do with grieving women today.

But we can't know who we are and what we're here to do when we've lived most of our lives trying to be like someone else. The successful ones, the smart ones, and the special ones.

We can't live our purpose if we're hiding behind our emotions. If we believe that to feel is to be weak.

We need to go back to the drawing board and get in touch with the part of ourselves that really, truly knows who we came here to be.

To know your purpose, you have to know YOU. How has your loss changed you? What matters now? What are your values? What do you care about? What keeps you up at 3 A.M.?

Your purpose is the most authentic expression of YOU.

This is the work I had to do. Now I help other women like you.

My Values

My top three values are Simplicity, Spaciousness, and Self-Expression. They guide the way I live, work, teach, and Be.

Simplicity: I'm always asking the question "How can this be simple?" Can I create, teach, pray, and live in a way that feels simple and delicious? Simplicity and ease help me live and work in ways that feel sustainable to me.

Spaciousness: My calendar needs a lot of white space. I like room to move, breathe, stretch, and simply BE. When we have spaciousness we embrace slow living. The deepest healing happens when we're intentional and slow.

Self-Expression: I'm a writer, mentor, and teacher. Self-expression is my air. It's how I show up and create magic. I'll often find myself saying things to my clients I didn't even know I knew -- but it's often what they most need to hear.

What I Believe

• Cultivating a connection with the sacred creates ease on this human journey.
• Listening is love. Everyone simply wants to tell their story and be listened to.
• We're not broken; we're wounded. All wounds heal.
• There's no greater gift we give to ourselves than the gift of authentic living.
• A slow, mindful, and intentional life creates everything we need in perfect time.
• Sensitivity is a beautiful thing. To feel deeply is to bless everything you touch.

What I'm Trained in

• Certification in Teaching & Training from Cambridge University, U.K.
• Certified Dream (Passions) Coach
• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
• Intergenerational Family Trauma
• Grief, Loss, And Recovery
• Human Design
• Story Mentoring (memoir)

I blend Grief work, Human Design, and Soul Calling to offer you ways to work with me. My work is deeply spiritual in nature. This does not mean "religious." It simply means my work is a right fit for those who feel a connection to the Sacred, whether that is a specific spiritual path, a tree in their backyard, a lake or river, or a deceased grandmother...

You are worthy of moving beyond your loss, finding, and living your purpose -- no matter what you've lived through in your past.