We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Natal recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nicole thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

When I lived in Los Angeles, I worked as a Nurse assistant in triage for five years. It was a brutal career but it taught me several things that have helped me to this day. My experience with the public (who were in various states of nervous system distress) showed me that people just want to feel seen, be heard, and understood. Empathy and validation for their suffering is what patients wanted. This helped me be a better and more empathetic listener and communicator which are key skills when it comes to being a holistic therapist with clients.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Through my own embodied experience of serving thousands of patients over an 11 year nursing career to my own lived experience of trauma, to currently being enrolled in a Colorado based program as a Yoga Therapist in training; I have an expansive capacity to hold space for other people’s darkness too and give tools that will empower them on their wellness journey. I am a Yoga Therapist in training at Inner Peace Yoga Therapy School based in Durango, CO. I am also a Somatic Embodiment practitioner and a 500 hour certified yoga instructor. I offer 1:1 private sessions for clients dealing with things such as the following: grief, anxiety, trauma, depression, PTSD, mood disorders, sleep disorders, chronic or persistent pain, alignment issues, etc. I do an assessment that’s very thorough with my clients and create a yoga therapy treatment plan that will address the client goals for yoga therapy. then, over the course of weeks to months, meet for session via zoom or in person. The tools I use are very integrative and may include somatic awareness, yoga postures, breathing practices, meditations, visualizations, mindset work, yogic philosophy, embodiment, energy, Sound Therapy, and the ancient science of Ayurveda practices.

I named my private practice lighthouse yoga therapy. I hope to be a light on the sea of suffering, guiding those back to their inherent wholeness . The western allopathic model of medicine focuses on the physical dimension and the manifestation of symptoms . Whereas, the eastern philosophy recognizes that we are multidimensional human beings, and can be affected in other dimensions of our being too. It aims to uncover the root cause of disease with ancient wisdom. yoga therapy and Western medicine work together.

I am very dedicated to this work in the holistic wellness practitioner space at a time when mental health is at an all-time low. I’m here to help be a guide to give my clients tools to empower them on their journey in taking responsibility for their mental health and well-being holistically. My desire is for humans to be in their most fully embodied whole state.

I do offer soundbath and yoga nidra meditations ceromonies & workshops in the northern colorado area. I can be found on instagram at: @lighthouse_yoga_therapy. I offer free consultations to book.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2021, I regrettably got the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine and within five days I was dying in the ICU with Septic Shock, weakness, and with an auto immune response that started attacking my blood cells causing me to experience a blood loss. it was the darkest time of my life. By the grace of God, I was saved and brought back to health. as a result of the traumatic experience, I suffered with post traumatic stress and a nervous system stuck in a fighter flight mode, I was grieving and depressed. Fortunately, I received Neurofeedback therapy every week for a year to rewire my brain. That coupled with intentional and extensive self-care practices, I was able to heal and feel fully embodied and restored. Now, I have a deeper knowledge and understanding, which helps me be a better therapist for my clients. sometimes our storms are not meant to be our fortress,They’re meant to be our fuel and thats what being resilient means. Having faith that it will get better.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

My passion is to read books and learn! I love teaching because I love to gain knowledge and share it. I would say out of everything I could recommend, begin with reading the book, “ The power of your subconscious mind” by Dr. Joseph Murphy. learn how to reprogram your mind with new beliefs in order to manifest the life you desire. This has been ongoing embodiment work for myself. understanding what your limiting beliefs are, that are holding you back and reprogramming them is the ultimate game changer for your life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nicolenatal.com/yoga
• Instagram: @lighthouse_yoga_therapy

Image Credits
Geoff Thoma, myself