Maya
“Being a woman is a power! A power to inspire, empower and bring everyone up with us!”
Maya is passionate about taking a holistic approach to wellbeing. This journey began after her parent’s divorce, an unexpected and heartbreaking experience. After this, she began focusing all her energy on supporting her mom and sister, but became further disconnected from herself along the way. Then she discovered the gym, which became her therapy and later her passion. Now as a Registered Clinical Counsellor and a Wellness Coach, Maya is dedicated to supporting others to reconnect with themselves by focusing on all aspects of wellness - from exercise, to sleep quality and more. Maya is an empath, who leads by listening, and has dedicated her career to transforming the lives of others. This is her story.
P: Please introduce yourself.
M: Hi! I'm Maya Bhogal. I am from Vancouver, BC Canada and work in mental health. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor and a Wellness Coach. I love supporting individuals with their wellness and mental health and I believe in a very holistic approach that involves daily lifestyle choices and routines!
P: Describe or define yourself in your own words.
M: I am mostly an introvert and people are shocked to know this when they meet me. I really enjoy independent time alone and hermitting but can also be open to a good hang out or weekend away with my close circle. I love balance and have worked hard to find a harmony of all things in my life. Rest and relaxation have become as important to me as work and fitness. I believe that finding a sweet spot in all of these areas have really helped ground me as an individual.
P: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
M: My willingness to empathize with others and do my best to put myself in others' shoes. I think this goes hand in hand with the work that I do. From a young age, I have always been a listener and wanted to help with people's concerns and issues. As I got older, I realized that I needed to lean into this ability more and through doing that, I found my career trajectory.
P: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
M: I have experienced a few obstacles over the years that have lead me to where I am today, and definitely made me stronger. My parents split up and divorced in my early 20's and this really shifted the story of my life. Growing up in a South Asian family, divorce was frowned upon and not necessarily something that happened often. I never expected this to be a reality in my own family.
I struggled to come to terms with this new reality and what life was going to look like. Because I am an introvert, I internalized a lot of my feelings while trying to be strong for my family and supporting my Mom and Sister. I met with many Therapist's over the years in the hopes of processing this new reality but I struggled to feel connected. I started working in a Gym while finishing up my Undergrad and absolutely loved it. I found myself staying in the gym after work and working out for hours on end. I realized that this was my strongest coping mechanism, and it allowed me to be in my own thoughts and process this major life change. The gym helped me immensely. I later went on to compete in bikini bodybuilding competitions because I realized the gym had saved me and gave me another outlook at life. Things didn't have to be so dark and difficult. The gym was always there no matter what. Competing was an amazing journey and gave me confidence even outside of the gym.
I went back to school to pursue my Master's in Counselling and am now a Clinical Counsellor and Wellness Coach. Going through the life change of having my family split up gave me an opportunity to reflect inwards. I realized how connected the mind and the body are, and this is the lens that I use with my Counselling Clients and Wellness Coaching Clients. We aim to look at things like sleep quality, movement and overall stress management and this is how we find that perfect harmony of Wellness. Through the gym, I found my perfect harmony of Wellness and finally, found myself some therapists that align with my mental health goals.
P: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
M: Never doubt your ability and always trust your intuition. Negative experiences in our lives will shape us but that does not ever determine our abilities. Intuition is always your guide.
P: What does being a woman mean to you?
M: Being a woman is a power! A power to inspire, empower and bring everyone up with us!