Today, as I guided a group through a Loving Kindness Meditation—extending benevolent wishes such as “May all beings be at peace. May all beings be safe. May all beings live with ease”—one participant shared that she struggled with this practice.

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She said, “That’s not the world we are living in.”

I acknowledged her truth. I too am aware of the world we inhabit, fractured by conflict and pain. Yet this practice is not about denying reality—it is about opening to another one. It is about holding a vision: a world where people feel safe, at peace, and at ease within themselves.

I then shared my own story.
As a refugee, I faced the darkness of humanity at a very young age.
I felt the sting of injustice.
I carried anger—anger at those who had caused destruction not only in my life, but in the lives of thousands.

As an adult woman, I remember watching images on TV: people in Baku, Azerbaijan smiling and having fun smiling at an outdoor concert. I felt the weight of betrayal. How could they live so lightly while we suffered so deeply?

It took time to recognize that my anger was keeping me from happiness.
To allow myself joy meant I had to heal, and to forgive.
And that felt unbearable—because war leaves a child with immense scars:
a loss of safety,
a loss of belonging,
a loss of trust in humanity.

Yet deep within, my soul whispered: true freedom cannot come without letting go.​
Forgiveness did not mean excusing what happened.
It meant loosening the chains that trapped me in my past.

Still, fear resisted: “If I forgive, am I letting them off the hook? What about justice? What if it happens again?”​
Those voices were strong—
but the call of my soul was stronger.

My healing journey became not only about my own wounds,
but also the wounds of my ancestors—
those marked by genocide and exile.

And I came to see:
when we commit to the deep work of reconciliation,
peace begins to ripple.

First within us,
then through our families,
then into the lineages behind us,
and the generations before us.

If millions of us—and eventually billions—were to take this inner journey,
peace would no longer be a distant hope.
It would become the ground we stand upon.
War would fade into antiquity—
remembered only as a relic of an unevolved past.

This is my why.
The work I do is rooted in helping others discover their own inner peace—
and in that discovery,
to rediscover themselves.

This is not just my personal journey. It is the seed from which this company was born—the vision that peace is possible when we begin within.

If you feel ready to release the weight, fears and pressure of your past, so you can experience greater fulfillment and peace in your life, take a look at my 3-Month Coaching Program “Coming Home” and reach out if it’s calling you. I’d be happy to support you!

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Be well.

Warmly,

Gayane Kulikyan