Women In Wellness: Natalie Holbrook On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Money does not equal happiness. We hear this all the time, but when you begin as an entrepreneur, the hunger for stability and security is at its peak in order to survive. I’ve noticed in the coaching space the mass influence of sharing income, which can be empowering, and can also spark comparison and competition, and a tone of “you haven’t made it if you’re not making x amount of dollars.” One of my early business coaches lived in this influence, and my first year I was encouraged to do whatever it took to make x amount of money. I did, and filled up my schedule so much that yes, I was making my goal income, but my life felt completely unbalanced. What equates to happiness now for me is freedom, purpose, and daily play in all that I do, regardless of how much money I have!
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Natalie Holbrook.
It all came to her on a ritualistic beach walk in Los Angeles at a time where loneliness was encapsulating her human experience. As she listened to an astrology podcast explaining Pisces energy, she felt a jolt of resonance. She rushed home, found out how to pull her chart and saw that her Jupiter, the planet of expansion, sat right there in Pisces in the 8th house, the energy of mysticism, transformation, death and rebirth. It was in that moment that she remembered her fullest expression, her passion, her calling. It was all sitting there in her astrological chart.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
As an Astrologer, people are always surprised when I share that I was raised in the Mormon religion, not a typical path for a lover of the stars and the cosmic realm of the esoteric to hatch from! I look back at my journey of religion with so much gratitude, as it solidified my relationship to trusting in a force of life that was more powerful than myself, that I have the ability to co-create with. Before changing my career path to become an Astrologer, I lived a polar opposite lifestyle: I was a music and nightlife journalist in Las Vegas, interviewing top DJs and artists, and working in event production for Heineken. At 25 years old and in this environment, you can imagine the lifestyle! I ended up with mysterious gut issues, chronic stress, and such physical pain that my body shut down, and forced me to leave that world. I moved back to the Bay Area in Northern California where I was raised and took time to heal with acupuncture treatments, and a wise medicine man, Dr. Lau, changed my life. It was through this darkness that I saw the light, and I learned how to slow down, listen to my body, and gain deeper self-awareness.
I was opened to a path of spirituality through the portal of the physical body, which is many of our first steps into taking more bold self-responsibility. I took some time to travel abroad, and went on to work in technology, then went back to school to get a masters degree in Nutrition, which I didn’t complete because during that period is when, what I like to say, I “remembered Astrology.” I was working as a Health Coach in Los Angeles, and experiencing heart-wrenching loneliness as I was blazing a new career path. I was walking on the beach one day listening to a podcast that explained the Pisces energy is one that is here to explore loneliness. I resonated and knew I needed to learn Astrology and how this could help me understand myself! The teacher quickly appeared; I learned all I needed to know in a three-month period. It felt as if someone hit the “reactivate” button on me. Over the next few months, I incorporated Astrology into my health coaching work, and soon was getting solely booked out for Astrology. Now this is my world: Teaching Astrology, conducting group programs, giving readings and hosting retreats (and this summer Astrology Camp!) to help individuals understand themselves and their purpose on the deepest level.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
One of my favorite stories is about the long and winding road it took me to get to my career! My journey is a testament that you never know what is waiting for you, that magic is real, and to listen to your intuition, above all.
After my time spent healing and getting past my own version of Leaving Las Vegas, which had left me feeling jaded and confused, I took a pause from working to fall in love with the world again. I took time to travel and live in Spain and South America for 18 months, and upon returning went back to school to study nutrition. I was convinced I finally found my path. A few months later, a friend and I went to India for a meditation and seva (service) retreat. While meditating for hours a day in an ashram in Bangalore, I kept hearing a voice whisper, “move to San Francisco, work in technology!” “No way,” I thought. “I’m on my path!” But sure enough when I returned, that was the only thing to do that felt right. A bit begrudgingly, I went to find work in the hustling and competitive start-up world, and it ended up changing my life.
I learned the core foundations I needed to run my own business: business development, marketing, sales, events. My biggest takeaway was to follow these promptings, even if in the moment they make no sense, because down the line, you’ll understand why it all unfolded as it was meant to.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first began my business, my eyes were bigger than my nervous system! I first began coaching individuals on a 1:1 basis, and when I launched my first coaching program, took on 23 clients. This was an insane amount of people to be helping and holding space for! Unfortunately, my self-care was the first thing that went out the window, as I had overbooked myself and quickly experienced burnout. This was an incredible lesson in realizing the necessity in prioritizing my physical, mental and emotional wellbeing first, and that I cannot work from an empty cup. Now, my morning routine, healthy meals, and daily movement are non-negotiable!
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
As an Astrologer and Spiritual Coach, my mission is to bring realization, empowerment, and validation through self-recognition by the language of the stars. Astrology helps one to see why they are the way they are, and the path that their soul chose to experience in this lifetime. It guides us to understand our needs, our desires, our dreams, and the best ways to go about making those things happen. It offers an ability to have untethered compassion for ourselves and another. I teach how to understand Astrology in learning to work with the planets in the here and now, so we can comprehend what transit (a planetary movement), or phase of life we’re currently in, and how to best navigate it. Astrology grants peace of mind, confidence in one’s path, and motivation to pursue what you know you came here for.
When we can understand and fuel the true nature of ourselves, and deeply love ourselves, we can show up as our highest selves, and spread that love to others.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
Learn about your Moon Sign. Our Moon in Astrology represents our greatest needs, emotions, and how we process stress. Each sign and element needs something different, and when we learn these, it’s a game changer! Fire sign moons need physical exercise, to be seen and freedom. Earth moons need lots of sleep, to connect to nature, and to feel secure stability. Air moons need communication, meditation to clear their monkey mind and a change of scene. Water moons need to release their emotions, be fully heard, and a creative outlet. You may ask, “but don’t we all need these things?” Of course, but we can get more specific based on our personal chart on what works best for us individually. Try it out! Pull your chart at risewithnatalie.com
Find out what type of morning routine works best for you. The morning is known as the most important time of the day, and I believe it! How we tend to ourselves shapes the whole day. So find what you love and what gets you excited to wake up. Maybe you pray, meditate, pull oracle cards, journal, drink water, walk or exercise, do something to ensure you’re taking care of your mind, body and spirit first and foremost.
Learn how to navigate the transits in Astrology. When you know what’s occurring Astrologically for you, everything makes sense, and we can omit the perplexing state of “why is this happening to me!!” The transits are what is going on in the sky and you can read how it’s affecting your personal chart and expect certain areas to change or challenges to grow through. It gifts us an acceptance of knowing this too shall pass, and that there’s a great learning to receive with it.
Look for, or be a miracle, every day. There are two phrases I say aloud to the Universe every morning: “show me a miracle or let me be a miracle for someone today.” When we are on the lookout for magic, it appears! This can be anything, from a synchronicity in a thought coming to life, or asking for a sign to see a specific number or animal, and then seeing it, or having the opportunity to speak or meet someone new. You can always be the miracle in another’s day by smiling, giving a compliment, surprising the person behind you in line by buying their tea or coffee, etc. Make life a fun experiment and watch how you feel in return.
Learn your purposes in Astrology: Your rising sign, North Node and Saturn. The science of Astrology gives us insight into what we’re here to become, step into and master. The rising sign, also known as the Ascendant, shows us what we’re here to rise up to and how others perceive us. Our North Node displays the energies our soul wants to move towards, and Saturn shows us where we MUST work extra hard to achieve our greatest desires. When you learn which sign and house these placements live in, it gives you a better understanding of what direction to go, and why things may feel challenging at times. When I learned these, it all began to make sense and I now know my compass is unshakable. My hope is for everyone who desires to learn these things to do so, and step into living out their greatest purposes while on Earth.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Bringing Astrology into schools and the workplace is a dream of mine. Astrology teaches us our natural gifts and talents, and where we may be more prone to display the negative or, what is called the shadow sides of a sign. If this was widespread in schools, kids could focus on developing the qualities that they’re born with and celebrated for them. It would wipe out the confusion and torment so many experience when searching for their purpose or to get their needs met. It would help others to understand each other more. In the workplace this is an excellent tool for understanding the needs of team members, how they operate and communicate, and how to best work together harmoniously.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Money does not equal happiness. We hear this all the time, but when you begin as an entrepreneur, the hunger for stability and security is at its peak in order to survive. I’ve noticed in the coaching space the mass influence of sharing income, which can be empowering, and can also spark comparison and competition, and a tone of “you haven’t made it if you’re not making x amount of dollars.” One of my early business coaches lived in this influence, and my first year I was encouraged to do whatever it took to make x amount of money. I did, and filled up my schedule so much that yes, I was making my goal income, but my life felt completely unbalanced. What equates to happiness now for me is freedom, purpose, and daily play in all that I do, regardless of how much money I have!
Self-preservation first. In order to better serve in our roles, we must first serve ourselves wholly. If I am not well-rested, meditating, energized by revitalizing food and partaking in daily movement, I’m like a walking zombie on autopilot. We need to also preserve our happiness and joy outside of work, like nurturing relationships, developing our own hobbies and talents, spending time in nature, and being involved in our communities. When we are well-rounded, we can bring more to the table, and end our day with more satisfaction.
Time Management: This is everything! Get clear on where you’re spending your time, and what the purpose behind that is. Is it making you money? Is it for marketing? Is it healthy for your mindset? Give yourself deadlines and a time frame to do something within, and if you need to, get someone else (like an assistant or another entrepreneurial friend) to hold you accountable. Do this with radical self-integrity, don’t let yourself down by incomplete projects, or staying up to the wee hours to finish work.
Ask for help. We are not meant to do it all alone! Humans are social creatures, with needs for connection! It can be very easy to isolate or keep our heads down when we have lots of work or big goals, but it is through our relationships that our dreams can become a reality. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, advice, or outsource to free up your time. People are willing to help you, and many of them are also looking for something bigger than themselves to be a part of.
Slow down. You can do it all at, just not at once. I’m a big idea person, and admittedly thrive when lots is going on in my life. But this took a toll. When I realized that I don’t have to try to accomplish everything at the same time, it was a huge sigh of relief. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. There is time. Give yourself goals that are doable and be realistic on what’s possible for you to accomplish, while still maintaining a happy life outside of your achievements.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Mental health lives so dearly to my heart, as it’s something that I’ve had to tend to for myself from a young age. As someone who dealt with depression and suicide ideation during my teenage years, I am so relieved to see that mental health and the perception of therapy, coaches, and getting to the root of many of our issues are being surfaced, reconsidered and widely discussed with alternative solutions to former offerings.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Follow me over on Instagram @risewithnatalie, tune into my podcast, The Cosmic Earth Podcast, join my community on Patreon (patreon.com/risewithnatalie) to get exclusive Astrology insight, videos and personalized questions answered each month, or pull your own birth chart on my website, risewithnatalie.com.
Thank you for these fantastic insights!
Women In Wellness: Natalie Holbrook On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.