About Me
Hi! I’m Toral
And I believe you have tremendous wisdom and capacity to create change in your world.
I also understand that sometimes we need a sounding board, a thought partner, an advocate, or someone to gently challenge our old patterns so that we can show up fully and take action intentionally.
I became a professional coach and meditation teacher to do just that – support amazing changemakers in becoming more effective and confident in how they lead themselves and those who depend on them.
After spending over 20 years leading teams, large projects, and coalitions I realized that my life’s work is to advance change by supporting and partnering with others on their journey. I have become the advocate I always needed but never had.
Now, I work with a select number of leaders to help them envision their future and level up their impact by learning more about…themselves!
This is done by connecting with habits, thoughts, values, signals from the body, and so much more. This understanding offers a strong foundation for navigating uncertainty, exploring complexity, and making intentional decisions with curiosity and clarity. With a deeper awareness of their internal world, my clients can confidently choose how they want to show up and relate to the external world around them.
I would be honored to partner with you! Schedule an exploratory session with me today.
”Life is not a straight line – each moment is an opportunity to begin again. With a spirit of kindness and curiosity we can bear witness to and support our own (and others’) unfolding.”
– TLJ
Want to know a bit more about me?
Beginnings
I was born in the suburbs of Chicago to immigrant parents from Gujarat, India. My life was and is filled with a beautiful (and sometimes confusing) mixture of traditions, values, and expectations. I lost my father when I was a young girl and continue to navigate the grief I carry every day.
For as long as I can remember, I have been driven to advocate, partner, and connect. I have always been committed to helping others be the change they want to see in the world while doing the same for myself.
Education & Training
I studied Biological Conservation, Environmental Studies and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and spent nearly two decades educating communities about sustainability as well as shaping and lobbying for producer responsibility legislation. After burning out from this work, I began my pivot into personal and professional development; weaving together my interest in internal/external systems and commitment to transformational change. It is from this place of intersectionality that I support my clients – environmental and social justice leaders, scientists, healers, advocates and educators.
Governor Jim Doyle Signs Act 50, Wisconsin’s Electronic Waste Recycling Bill, on October 23, 2009.
I am a Certified Professional Coach through the University of Wisconsin-Madison and am a credentialed Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation. My work is informed by evidence-based modalities such as embodied transformation, positive psychology, strengths based coaching, cognitive behavioral coaching, and mindfulness-based stress reduction.
I have received Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher training through the UW Health Mindfulness Program and continue to receive training through the Center of Mindfulness at the University of California San Diego.
Mindfulness & Meditation
A major throughline of my adult life has been my meditation practice. I connected with Vipassana practices as a refuge during a period of difficulty and transition in my late-twenties. Today, nearly 20 years later, they serve as a foundation for how I meet my life. I also find delight in sharing these practices with others and teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as well as offer other mindfulness-based practices to my clients and community. I am particularly interested in sharing these practices with underrepresented communities.
The Sum of Me
I am a mother, daughter, sister, auntie, wife, and ally. I am queer, feminist, and an environmentalist. I am deeply committed to anti-racism and decolonizing how I show up in the world. With a great deal of compassion, curiosity, and courage I continue to explore and evolve my relationship with these identities and practices. It is with this spirit that I partner with others interested in connecting with their own complexity and intersectionality.
Delights
I relish moments of joy and delight! My family and I love to play board games, enjoy the outdoors (hiking, camping, and kayaking), surround ourselves with music, savor delicious and nourishing food, celebrate life milestones over many days, and have picnics in the middle of the living room just for fun. Laughter and connection fuel me up!