Born in Washington D.C. to Ethiopian parents, Helina has always demonstrated an interest in the arts. With the encouragement of her high school art teacher, Helina entered several national art and writing competitions and was awarded at divisional levels. She decided to pursue her talent in art and attended Temple University's Tyler School of Art, later transferring to Morgan State University. Helina obtained her BA in Fine Arts in December 2005.

While in college, Helina explored yoga, Reiki, and other holistic healing modalities. She attended Yama Studio's teacher training program and received her teacher certification in June 2006. Helina is also certified in Y.O.G.A. for Youth, Reiki, and Kemetic Yoga. She has started and taught yoga and meditation classes and also sees clients for private classes.

Helina has shown her fine art at galleries, museums, and festivals, including the Eubie Blake Cultural Center in Baltimore, the World Space Center in Washington, DC, and Casa Frela Gallery in New York City. She has had artist residencies with Baltimore City Schools through Baltimore Office of Promotion and Arts, the Maryland VA Medical Healthcare System and the Creative Alliance. She currently facilitates visual and healing arts workshops in schools, studios, community housing projects, and other sites. In addition, Helina works as a freelance graphic design artist for both non-profit organizations, artist venues, and major coorporations.

Helina's work as a community artist, visual artist, and healing artist continues to grow. She is most inspired by human issues and her spiritual yoga path.