A graduate of the Hotel Management School of Geneva with early years spent in the legal field, my path soon diverged toward a more soulful calling.
I embarked on a profound journey of self-exploration, through diverse life experiences all around the world, yoga, philosophical inquiry, passionate relationships, immersion in nature.
My passions orbit around the mysteries of the human psyche, existentialism, altered states of consciousness, female sexuality, and spirituality.
As a pianist and contemporary dancer, movement and stillness coexist in my expression.
Writing, (articles, poems, essays) has been here all along, since I was a child, as a way to heal, yet especially a way to understand all the things I couldn’t understand without a paper and a pen.
Yoga, especially as it deepened into subtle, Tantric practices, became a transformative portal into my feminine essence, guiding me to shed the limiting cultural imprints of the West and reconnect with true feminine power.
Through years of study and immersion in Asia, I trained in Vinyasa Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Ayurveda (including undergoing Panchakarma in Sri Lanka), and Yoga, alignement & osteopathy. I spent solitary time in the Mexican jungle practicing intense sadhana and participating in shamanic ceremonies. I sat infinite hours with great Masters in satsangs and studied ancient texts like Advaita Vedanta.
My body, once a stranger, became my gold, an alchemical temple shedding the weight of Western noise and forgetting.
A place of infinite answers about the world we live in, about myself.
My work was devoted then to guide women back to their true nature.
Today, I weave all these experiences into my daily practice, a holistic embodiment of wisdom.
All those explorations culminated in writing my first book,
"The Mirror of Yourself", followed by my second book,
"The Wings of Stillness" in 2025.
The Mirror of Yourself
This book stands as a testament to profound self-reflection, encapsulating an inward journey shaped by a myriad of life experiences. I often feel akin to a psychonaut, navigating the depths of my own psyche.
Each chapter unfolds as a progression from suffering to a state of liberated existence, marking a transformative odyssey that I believe will resonate deeply with those engaged in their own personal growth.
Steeped in the realms of psychology and philosophy, I present these insights filtered through my unique lens of experience and expression. Drawing inspiration from the seminal work of Carl Jung, this book is ultimately a heartfelt offering to the world, aimed at fostering tranquility within the human Spirit and nurturing connections among individuals in a society anchored in love and peace.
The Wings of Stillness
What if you could come back to yourself, one breath at a time?
In a world that never stops rushing, The Wings of Stillness is a poetic companion for those who long to slow down, soften, and truly: live.
Through 108 gentle and shining reflections, Ioanna Karolina Benakis invites you to rediscover presence, not as a concept, but as a way of being.
Each page is a door.
Each chapter, a breath.
Each silence, a homecoming.
Whether you are just beginning your journey of mindfulness or deepening a path already walked, this book meets you exactly where you are, with tenderness, beauty, and truth.
Let it be your morning ritual.
Your evening anchor.
Your sacred pause in the noise.
You don’t need to fix anything.
You only need to remember what’s already here.
Because the only real life is the one unfolding now.
