By Family Flavours
Photography by Anastasia Casey
Makeup by Sarah Saman, Beauty Consultant
As the first child to a family of four, Lina Nuqul received a lot of attention, love and care. Every picture her father took of her had a special expression of appreciation with poetic words written on the back, which she treasures until this day. Her mama would also sing to her every night, which later would inspire the young Lina to become a professional singer.
The budding years
In her primary years, Lina did well at school, with both parents faithfully attending parent-teachers’ meetings. “Singing was my favourite class and I also took part in a lot of plays,” she recalls fondly. At home, the proud parents would ask the young Lina to play the piano and dance ballet for their guests.
During her teen years, however, Lina rebelled against rules and high expectations. “I turned into a rebellious teenager who wanted to enjoy her freedom,” she says.
Today
It is hard to believe that this composed woman with flair and a joie de vivre once suffered from severe anxiety. At the age of 21, Lina began experiencing panic attacks, which continued for 30 more years, resulting in multiple phobias.
Lina discloses. This helped partially, but her physician advised her that as long as she was stressed and unhappy, her condition would persist.
The path to healing
Five years down the road, she decided that she needed to free herself from medication and adopt a different path to healing from within. This is when her transformation began.
“This required a change in my lifestyle, eating habits, daily exercise, following my passions and more,” reveals Lina.
The mother of two embarked on a long, challenging journey. Reading self-help books inspired her; she learned and practised different meditation techniques and joined spiritual retreats in Jordan and abroad.
Today, the grandmother of three grandsons uses her talent to express herself and empower others: “I hope to inspire others to believe in themselves and to pursue their dreams,” says Lina.
Music
The vibrant Lina of today composes and sings her own songs in several languages. Her songs carry messages and values. Her music also syncs with the ballroom and Latin dancing she loves. So far, she has produced four albums and several singles.
Her music paved the way for her to become a motivational speaker and a certified transformational facilitator to empower women. In a candid interview, Lina speaks about how she sees herself today:
The Liberating Agent
As part of her graduation as a holistic healer in 2009, she wrote a thesis The Liberating Agent charting her life journey and the tools she used for healing. Lina turned her thesis into a book which will be launched this coming April, in the hopes of helping others.
“I want others suffering from anxiety to know that they are not alone and that they can overcome it.” The book is a tool to help family and friends better understand what an anxious person is going through.
The need to share
Lina has been sharing her experiences during inspirational talks, which “in themselves are liberating, as speaking about one’s issues to others frees one and lessens the suffering.” She strongly stresses that it is vital for everyone to feel heard and understood.
Gaining more confidence the more she spoke and shared, Lina started posting short motivational talks on her social media channels about anxiety, women, men and relationships, highlighting values and life skills.
Empowering women
Her thirst for knowledge took Lina into the world of feminine power, which she studied for several years to become a certified transformational facilitator to empower women. “Empowering women is about awakening feminine powers from within,” she says.
Being emotional, intuitive and going on an unknown path are all examples of feminine powers.
Equality and justice
So where is Lina Nuqul heading? She embarked on an initiative to give equal rights to Christian women in the laws of inheritance. “My initiative is already on the path of fruition,” she says.
Another cause she is championing is Alzheimer’s, a subject dear to her heart as her late father suffered from it. She is a founding member of Al ‘Oun for Alzheimer’s Patients Care Association to raise awareness and support caregivers.
Final words? “I am helping other women embark on their own path of self-actualisation. Every time I impact another person or a group of people, I become more fulfilled and empowered to pursue my own journey further.”
