Alena Shtripkina

I had 2 car accidents (in 2010 and in 2011). That’s why I started having serious problems with my back. I was 22 years old, and I had difficulty to get up from my bed, it was painful to walk. Doctors were saying that some vertebrae had been dislocated, so I needed a spine surgery to put them into a proper position.

After 2 craniocerebral injuries I started having intracranial pressure problems and constant migraines. I’d also had troubles with the thyroid gland since my childhood, and in October 2013 I was diagnosed a thyroid cyst of 1.2 cm. I was offered to make a biopsy, but I refused.


I realised, that I couldn’t live like that any more, but doctors, on their part, couldn’t offer me anything else, but operations. I fell into despair, I was deeply depressed. At that time (in 2013) I was working at a school of dance and yoga, where I met this Man, with a capital “M”. Edurad Gatalskiy, like a ray of light, appeared in my life the moment I almost lost hope, that I would ever be able to live without pain. Softly and painlessly he worked on my spine and put the vertebrae back to their places. He explained to me, what exercises I needed to do to avoid the intervertebral disks dislocation. By that moment I had been smoking for 10 years.

Eduard made me realise, that smoking kills the body, and does not bring any pleasure. So I just quit smoking. It took me time to get used to the fact, that I had made the first step towards the healthy living. Later Eduard told me about Qigong and Taijiquan classes. He explained to me, why they were so necessary and important. I’m in his group since February of 2015.

After half a year of regular practicing I could notice some progress, I decided to go to see a doctor, as I had some pain in the left lobe of the thyroid. I was terrified waiting for my turn, I was praying for the thyroid cyst not to be enlarged more, while the doctor was making the ultrasound scan. The doctor could not detect it and said that the thyroid looked much better. The doctor was shocked, having compared the results of the ultrasound with the previous ones. She rechecked them 2 times. The diagnosis was changed and I was crying with happiness. My back was not sore either.

I do the “Tree” posture every day. Even though I am able to keep it for only 10 minutes, I can see the result. I do the exercises by myself every morning, when there are no classes. I do “Snake”, “Crocodile” (exercises for the spine) and “Tree” posture. I consider the “Tree” to be the base of everything, but it will not be as effective without the set of exercises “Eight Section Silk Brocade”, and some other breathing exercises, that allow to clear and store energy, as well as exercises that allow us to work on the joints.

Regular practicing helped me to restore my health and to realise, that it needs to be taken care of. I don’t take pills, I don’t smoke, I revised my eating habits, I almost don’t get ill any more, I easily wake up at 5 in the morning, and I’m happy every day, no matter if it rains or if it’s sunny, if it’s winter or if it’s summer. Just in half a year my career went up, and I’ve changed both on the outside and inside.

About me:

I was an active child. My parents were developing my talents, that’s why I was attending various classes: 5 years of musical school (piano, sol-fa) and of school of dance (classical dance, ballroom dance, Russian folk dance, waltz, tango), art and craft studio, technical studies.

I was also attending chess classes for a long time, and I won the 2nd category at the regional tournament in 2003. Music had always been inspiring me, and I threw myself into art. First I was performing at school discos and in the Central Culture Center, and after graduating from school I decided that I wanted more. I was studying at a College (Smolensk Industrial Economic College, I got a degree in Jurisprudence) and I was organising events in parks and summer dance spaces, later clubs and open –airs. But, unfortunately, I had to switch to a different kind of activity.