Selection Stories
Food habits have always been one of the most important things for me, yet I still end up eating junk most of the time. Nutrition has always fascinated me, and after having conversations on this topic with people from India and Pakistan, I wanted to explore a fresh perspective from London. That’s when I discovered Lakota.
Lakota blends fitness, nutrition, and spirituality into one holistic approach. With two psychology degrees, multiple fitness and nutrition qualifications, years of bodybuilding, and circus experience, she has also created a guide to help people find the spiritual path that resonates with them. Her perspective shows how the mind, body, and spirit are deeply interconnected, making her insights both practical and inspiring.
So, let’s dive into the conversation!
Q1: You have a psychology background and experience in fitness, nutrition, and circus — how did these different paths come together for you?
Lakota: Honestly, I didn’t set out with a grand plan. It unfolded as life happened. I was actually working in Law with a legal background when I started doing Psychology and it was just a topic of interest for me. The thing is, my life was so busy working a corporate job all day then going to night school to study. I started doing exercise videos in my bedroom about a year into my degree just so my body would not be so achy from the 16+ hours of sitting I was doing every day. And it completely changed me and helped me manage my chronic depression by giving me stability, structure, and a way to regulate my mind. Circus came shortly after, I was always looking for new fitness classes to try and I found a ‘Join the Circus for a Day’ experience and it was so fun and everything I had wanted to do as a child. After I finished my first degree in Psychology I decided that circus was what I wanted to do with my life so I did all the professional courses I could and for a little while, circus was actually my whole life. Eventually, all these strands wove together. I realized they weren’t separate paths at all — they were different doorways into the same thing: understanding the human experience and how to live fully in your body, mind, and spirit.
Q2: Was there a defining moment where you realized spirituality, body, and mind are all interconnected?
Lakota: Yes. In my early 20s, I had a panic attack that cracked something open for me. I suddenly saw how disconnected I was — my mind was running the show, my body felt like a stranger, and my spirit was just… missing. That experience started me on a journey of trying to reconnect the three. Over time, through fitness, meditation, and therapy, I experienced firsthand that you can’t separate them. If the body is neglected, the mind suffers. If the spirit is ignored, both body and mind feel hollow. They rise and fall together.
Q3: If someone feels stuck in life (mentally, physically, spiritually), what’s the first small step they can take?
Lakota: Breathe. That’s the simplest reset available to everyone, anywhere, right now. Slow, conscious breathing grounds you in the present and opens a crack of space where you can make a different choice. From there, move your body in some way — even a five-minute walk. Then reflect — write down one thing you want to change. Small, consistent actions compound into transformation.
Q4: What is the meaning of nutrition in very simple terms?
Lakota: Nutrition is just giving your body what it needs to function well. Nothing fancy. It’s fuel, but also information — food tells your body how to feel and operate.
Q5: How much water do you consciously drink every day?
Lakota: I aim for about 2–3 liters, but I pay more attention to how my body feels than hitting a strict number. Hydration shows up in energy, focus, even mood — you know when you’re off. I am not even conscious of how much water I drink, I drink when I’m thirsty, but my one litre bottle gets filled up 4 to 5 times a day, so maybe I drink more actually.
Q6: What’s one nutrition advice you’d give your younger self?
Lakota: Don’t chase extremes. I used to believe there was one “perfect” way of eating. The truth is: balance matters more than any diet label. I’d tell my younger self — keep it simple, eat clean most of the time, and trust your body.
Q7: What are 3 simple and sustainable habits that even a busy person can start with today?
Lakota:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Move daily — it doesn’t need to be a gym workout, even stretching counts.
Create one non-negotiable “pause” in your day — a walk without your phone, a meditation, or even just three deep breaths before bed.
Q8: What role does food play beyond physical health — can it affect energy and emotions?
Lakota: Completely. Food impacts neurotransmitters, hormones, gut health — all of which affect mood and energy. For example, too much sugar can make you crash and feel anxious. Clean food, on the other hand, gives mental clarity, steadiness, and even deeper access to calm states. In a way, food can either quiet or cloud your inner world. Pay attention to your dreams, they are often telling you what is going on with you. If you dream of dirty places, garbage, oceans and tsunamis of dirty water, violence, trying unsuccessfully to clean something up, that usually has something to do with what you ate the night before. If you have been eating clean foods, your dreams will be blissful.
Q9: Many people think spirituality = religion. Do you agree?
Lakota: Not at all. Practices like meditation, breathwork, or yoga can be part of any religion, but they’re not inherently religious. To me, spirituality is your relationship with yourself, with others, and how you show up in the world. It’s how you live, not what label you wear.
Q10: Do you believe all paths lead to the same truth, or are they very different?
Lakota: I think the essence is the same — everyone is trying to find connection, peace, and meaning. But the paths look different depending on culture, upbringing, and personality. It’s like climbing the same mountain from different sides.
Q11: What is your biggest realization in life so far?
Lakota: That meaning isn’t something you find “out there.” It’s something you create. There’s no universal purpose stamped on life — but there is your personal purpose, which unfolds as you heal, grow, and contribute.
———–Thank You———