Hey! I’m Mary Jelkovsky
My mission is to empower YOU to love yourself unconditionally.
I know what it’s like to look in the mirror and hate the reflection.
I’ve felt the pain of never feeling thin enough, pretty enough, successful enough...
I’ve heard that voice inside my head constantly whispering that something is missing.
And I’ve tried to fill that void with restrictive diets, endless exercise, and trying to achieve “the perfect body.”
Through my book, podcast, and worldwide retreats, I have created a community of womxn who are breaking down unrealistic beauty standards to embrace themselves exactly as they are.
It wasn’t so long ago that I too felt completely broken, lost and out of control.
So, I set out to share my story on Instagram at @maryscupofteaa in hopes to connect with other womxn and inspire them to accept themselves exactly as they are. Today, Mary’s Cup of Tea has connected with millions of womxn around the world.
This chronic feeling of ’never good enough’ combined with diet culture and beauty standards are a toxic mix, and they led me right into an 8-year battle with an eating disorder.
… and that voice you are hearing? The one whispering that something is missing - that’s your soul begging you to stop trying to be somebody else.
After a long road to recovery, I finally started listening to that voice and realized that in order to truly love ourselves, we have to start taking up SPACE in this world, both physically and energetically.
Join us on this self-love journey.
mary
lots of love,
my fav quotes
" One day you will believe that the love you give is also the love you deserve."
- Alexandra Elle
"How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you."
- Rupi Kaur
"You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens."
- Louise L. Hay
"Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
- Brené Brown
so need this!
My go-to self-love playlist
Over 250+ songs that will sing to your soul and inspire self-love. Drop me your email and I’ll send it on over!
Here is a pick-me-up for the days you need it.
fuel your soul
Umm … Mary, you forgot to tell us, what is in that cup of tea?!
I’ll do you one better, here are a feW
fun facts
about me!
Most of my time is spent sitting in the busiest cafe I can find, connecting with people both online and in-person. Hence why I started hosting self-love retreats!
I LOOOVE PEOPLE! … AND, IF YOU CAN’T TELL - I AM A TALKER.
01.
So, when I played ‘house’ with other kids, they would only let me be the dog. Easy, right? All I had to say was “woof”, BUT in Russian, dogs say «гаф» (pronounced “gaff”). Then, kids ended up making fun of me for that! Poor, little Mary. Jokes on them though … now I talk for a living!! 🤗
My first language is Russian and in pre-school, I barely knew English.
02.
and learning more about new cultures and the places I visit. Bali has a special place in my heart because it’s where I found a lot of my healing and hosted one of my first retreats! Next on the bucket list is Japan, Peru, and Tanzania!
I love traveling
03.
She’s ten years younger than me but is the most creative, confident person I know. I even have her name tattooed on my arm!
My little sister, Ilana, is my biggest inspiration, my best friend, and the one who kept me going during my difficult times.
04.
I live in Phoenix, Arizona with my boyfriend and fur-baby, Mr. Goose (a rescue Pittie)!
05.
I like green tea too, but be warned ... the caffeine will have me bouncing off the walls after two cups!!
As for my cup of tea - I love a cup of good ol’ earl grey (the Russian in me).
06.
Here is a glimpse of
The road to healing is not always easy. It means choosing faith in yourself over fear of the unknown.
Being a first generation American, I always felt the need to perform and achieve from a young age.
adolesant years
2013
By age 16, I was consumed by disordered eating and an obsession with exercise. Shortly after, I began competing in bikini fitness competitions.
After freaking out on my mom for buying me a “calorie-packed mocha”, she responded in a way that changed my life forever
MOVING TO CANADA
2015
I quit competing, quit dieting and moved to Canada to start fresh. This ended up being the very beginning of a life-long healing journey.
My little sister Ilana is 10 years younger than me, but she is an incredible model of self-confidence and continues to be my biggest inspiration
love you ilana
obsessed
with exercise
MARY's CUP OF TEA IS BORN
2017
After healing my mind, body and spirit it became my mission to share my story and inspire people around the world to love themselves. Mary’s Cup of Tea was born.
TEDX TALK
2019
I began speaking publicly and quickly realized that I LOVE connecting and creating spaces where womxn can begin their healing journey. Watch my TEDX Talk "Our bodies are not an image".
Enter Retreats by Mary! After years of isolating myself, I realized that community is a key component in healing. Now, I strive to create a community of like-minded women who are on the same self-love journey.
community
is key
I believe self-love should be accessible to everyone. So, I started a self-love podcast to spread confidence and body-image healing around the world!
My experience in life coaching quickly blossomed into Beyond Body, an online self-love course. I was able to reach so many incredible women that I decided ...
REtreats by mary
2019
… to write a book!! The Gift of Self Love is my heart and soul. Written like a letter to a close friend, this inspiring and interactive self-love workbook is everything my younger self needed.
WROTE A BOOK
2020
radiant and confident
A few of my favorite things
I have recorded over 50 episodes covering all you need to know about self love, confidence and putting an end to your battles with body image.
Short on time? I saved you a little work by picking my top three favs! Kick up your feet and get comfy!
subscribe on itunes
follow on spotify
055:
How to Fall in Love with Yourself
01.
the podcast
What is self-love? Most people think of self-love all wrong. Mary explains what love really is and how you can truly fall in love with yourself.
055:
Tips for Bad Body-Image Days
Bad body-image days happen to all of us, so it’s important that we learn how to handle them with self-compassion. Tune in to hear practical tips for those negative body-image days.
055:
5 Questions to Ask Yourself for More Self-Love
These are questions that will help you create more peace, joy, and (self) love in your life.
You already know that I love people, travelling and collective healing.
So it won’t be a surprise that going abroad with you and a group of retreat sisters is the dream for me. Here are a few of my most treasured retreat moments!
02.
retreat memories
learn more about retreats by mary
core values
Our values are the driving force behind every step we take.
in everything we do
Whatever you are going through, you do not have to go through it alone. At Mary’s Cup of Tea we aim to create a positive community of womxn who are all on a similar self-love journey.
community
Brene Brown defines connection as “the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”
Connection
Compassion is contagious. The more we are compassionate towards ourselves, the more compassion we have to give to others. We care deeply about every single person we encounter.
Compassion
Everyone belongs here, including you. We respect, appreciate, and celebrate all races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and any other identities. So come as you are, we love you already.
Inclusivity
Integrity. We do our best to be integrous to our core values at all times, whether it’s posting something on social media or putting together a transformational self-love retreat. If at any point we make a mistake, we will own up to it and fix it with integrity.
Integrity
Mary is a captivating speaker whose story has been featured in places like TEDx, Teen Vogue and Health Magazine. She’s led thousands of women on their journey to healing body-image struggles and finding true self-love through her book, social media, online workshops, and worldwide self-love retreats.
Mary is the author of The Gift of Self Love, a workbook to help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself. And her podcast, Mary’s Cup of Tea, is the top self-love podcast in the world.
