THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
OFFICIAL BIO
Born in Kansas and raised in Brazil, Andrena graduated from Columbia University with honors before moving to London to work as a reporter and presenter for BBC World Television. Believing that business is a tool for change, she co-founded a media company that, among others, produced videos for Norman Lear and George Soros.
However, seven countries and six languages later she realized something was missing in her life. Closing her company, she sold her possessions and set off to discover what it was.
For two decades, she worked with somatic therapists, bodyworkers, practitioners of Eastern disciplines, and experts in the fields of consciousness and transpersonal growth. This forms the basis of her S.H.E. program which helps women heal the world by healing themselves.
Her two novels, The Extraordinary Awakening of Annabel Jones and The Magical Reality of Annabel Jones, capture her unusual journey in a fictional narrative form.
My STORY
I'm not in Kansas anymore
Being born in Kansas, it may come as no surprise that I have been searching for home most of my life. Like Dorothy who was swept away from Kansas by a tornado, I was sent at age 14 to live with a Brazilian family in Rio de Janeiro, my own Land of Oz. I eventually returned to the US to graduate cum laude from Columbia University, then crossed the Atlantic to begin a career in media in London. This was the first of my many moves to 7 different countries and learning 6 languages fluently along the way.
In London, I edited in wildlife films, worked as a photojournalist, and eventually became a presenter for BBC World Television. Frustrated by the focus on ‘bad’ news, I co-founded a media production company to highlight social impact, sustainable development and environmental issues around the world. Clients included producer Norman Lear, The International Atomic Energy Agency, the Turkish Foreign Office, and George Soros.
A course correction
Although everything seemed great on paper, I felt an emptiness that I knew indicated something was wrong with how I was living. Selling my possessions, I took a sabbatical to discover what was missing.
What began as a one-year enquiry turned into two decades working closely with somatic therapists, bodyworkers, practitioners of Eastern disciplines, and experts in the fields of consciousness and transpersonal growth.
I gave up living a “normal” life and dedicated my time to digging deeper into what it takes to live a meaningful life as a person, and as a woman.
As part of this journey, for two months every year over fifteen years, I assisted a modern-day shaman whose pioneering methods change lives, including mine.
My first book, The Extraordinary Awakening of Annabel Jones, is a fictionalized account of the first stage of my journey.
Dancing with the Scots
Coming from a dysfunctional family, I created a new family through my love of Scotland and the bagpipes. Transforming a traditional Highland Ball into a bi-annual global phenomenon for hundreds of high-calibre people required creativity, vision, and time. Lots of it. We traveled from Vienna to Venice; Istanbul to Jodhpur and Jaipur in Rajasthan; Scone Palace in Scotland to Florence, and finally Oman. Although I worked with my shamanic teacher, inviting her to Europe for two months a year to help heal others, these multi-million-dollar events became my life.
Finding the answer when least expecting it
The universe has a strange way to remind me of what I am about. After two decades creating international events, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening cancer and had to undergo a series of complex surgeries on my face. At the same time I lost my home, my heart, my family and suffered a significant financial loss through fraud.
When everything seemed hopeless, I found the answer I was searching for. Astounded by how accessible it is, I resolved to focus on sharing this knowledge with others. Closing my event business, I wrote my second book, The Magical Reality of Annabel Jones, to reveal the magic from my mysterious shamanic years.
S.H.E. - guiding women home
I have now created a 6 month program, S.H.E. to share the secrets of mental and emotional wellbeing with others. It’s all part of healing the world, one woman at a time.
