About Monika
From a very young age, Monika exhibited an innate passion for the arts—dance, music, and performance. Her ancestral Colombian roots & upbringing in the vibrant Bay Area of California infused her life with a rich tapestry of influences. Playing the piano, drums, singing, and dancing were not just hobbies; they were family traditions that echoed with the rhythms of her latin heritage. Her parents regularly hosted family gatherings filled with live music and endless salsa dancing, creating an environment where celebration and creativity flourished.
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Yet, Monika's interests extended beyond the arts. Her father, a tennis player, introduced her to the world of fitness. From an early age, she delved into tennis, gymnastics, and dance, marveling at the human body's ability to contort and perform incredible feats. Her curiosity about the body's mechanics only deepened when, during her teenage years, she faced a knee injury that required extensive physical therapy. This experience ignited her fascination with anatomy, physiology, and the human body's incredible capacity for healing.
During a pivotal moment in her life, at the age of 16, Monika found herself in a harrowing bus crash in Colombia, tragically losing her mother and grandfather. Her own life was miraculously spared as she had offered her seat to her mother. Before this devastating loss, Monika had relocated to Miami with her mother and despite her loss, she decided to stay there to finish high school, forging a path towards resilience and self-discovery. This experience carved out a new purpose, trust and commitment to living each day to her fullest.
College brought another monumental moment when Monika took an introductory nutrition class. Instantly, she felt a profound connection, sensing that she had discovered her calling. She embarked on a journey to become a fitness instructor and personal trainer while pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Dietetics & Nutrition. Her goal was clear—to help others unlock their bodies' full potential and find the path to healing.
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After graduating, Monika's career took off as she worked in hospitals, weight loss centers, gyms, and eating disorder clinics. In 2015, she ventured into entrepreneurship, opening her first business—a smoothie and acai bowl shop within a bustling Brickell fitness studio. Here, she hosted wellness events, mini festivals, and became a beacon for holistic health and well-being.
In 2016, Monika was sought out to become a PUMA sponsored athlete, partnering with one of the world’s biggest names in fitness while creating online nutrition cleanses and courses. However, despite her success, she struggled with mysterious health issues, leading her to question the root cause. Despite the consistent nutrition and fitness routine, it was in 2019 that she made a life-changing discovery—her breast implants were causing harm to her body. She insisted on having them removed as soon as possible and embarked on a journey of deep self-healing, exploring practices like extended water fasting which lead her to simultaneously co-creating and launching the LunaFast program to cleanse and rejuvenate her body while beginning to coach hundreds of others in the process.
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Post-explant, Monika's passion for music, which had always been a part of her life, resurfaced with newfound intensity. Mantras, medicine music, and the gentle strumming of instruments became her healing allies and companions, aligning her with a deeper ancestral calling to lean back into this gift.
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In 2020 after practicing Kundalini yoga for nearly 7 years Monika had enrolled to become a certified Kundalini teacher that Summer in Bali, but due to the pandemic she was rerouted to Tulum, Mexico, where she decided to make Tulum her home.
Here, she has deepened her practice and studies in music, plants, and sacred Mayan traditions. Today, Monika's based in Mexico where she offers cosmic sound journeys, cacao ceremonies, private retreats and remote nutrition coaching for clients all around the world. She enjoys sharing her journey speaking on stages, facilitating in festivals and intimate gatherings to spread the importance of self-love, embodiment and holistic wellness.
