Siri (she/her)

I have lived many lives. I have felt purposeful and directionless, traditional and queer, rigid and adaptable. Growing up, a loved one would remind me that it’s not about what I’ve done. It’s about how I tell my story and what it has meant to me.

My name is Siri Chillara. In 2018, I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease and co-infections after more than ten years of illness. Much of my time during those last couple of years was spent lying down in dark rooms, and if I did move around, I would have no recollection of getting from point A to point B. I am painfully aware that my experience is not unique.

In the midst of disability and shuffling from provider to provider in search of a diagnosis, I earned an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. I became an urban farmer, built restaurant tech, developed alternative energy solutions in countries experiencing geo-political conflict, and contributed to environmental policy at state and national levels. What kept me going was the memory that just two generations back my grandmother had been married at age 14. I felt I must persist.

By sheer luck and chance, I was connected with Voyce Durling-Jones Sensei Dai Shihan (“Master Teacher of Teachers”) in 2019 who took me in as her last Hoshindo patient. Over the next couple of years, I recovered and reached complete remission in 2022. I also had an incredible medical doctor and other wellness practitioners in my corner, the support of my family, and a community that had my back. In my experience, healing isn’t possible without a team.

As I regained health and vitality, I was inspired to co-found a holistic healthcare startup. From my own chronic illness journey, I saw that traditional healthcare got it right during an emergency but otherwise left millennials and Gen Zs like myself clueless about managing long-term wellness, especially in a post-pandemic environment. I am proud to be in the < 2% group of women globally who have fundraised more than $1M in venture capital.

Voyce left her physical body in 2022 as I returned to mine. The next couple of years in my life would be marked by tremendous loss, grief, and transformation. Yet seemingly accompanying me on my journey was the honey bee, a witness. Wherever I went there she was. I only thought of Voyce. Her personal stories were a lesson about the interconnectedness of all living beings, like as a child attending the many Cherokee celebrations honoring horses, the majestic companions of the Cherokee people. “As above, so below” Voyce would remind me, teaching me that the bees connect the physical and spiritual, the microcosm and macrocosm.

It has been my honor to continue the Hoshindo lineage of the Americas under the tutelage of Lisa Bartosiewicz Sensei, student of Voyce Sensei. Our work has centered ritual, reciprocity, and respect for the patient and the bees, a relationship that teaches me every day how to be kinder, gentler, and more present. In 2025, I graduated with my board-certification in Hoshindo and am privileged to offer Hoshindo in New York City and the tri-state area.

Hadō has been several years in the making. Along the way, I have been earning my national paramedic licensure to provide the highest level of care in the pre-hospital environment. It has been an honor to support and advocate for my patients across the care continuum.

Thank you for being a part of my journey.

Credentials/Training

National Registered Paramedic (anticipated August 2026)

Hoshindo Ryoho, Hoshindo Institute of the Americas

New York State Emergency Medical Technician

National Registered Emergency Medical Technician

American Heart Association Basic Life Support

Reiki I & Reiki II, Reno Apitherapy

Bachelor of Science Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester