Meet Natalia Cavaliere

 

We recently connected with Natalia Cavaliere and have shared our conversation below.

Natalia, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?

The term self-care is very loaded, and we often think it needs to look a certain way, like taking a bubble bath and drinking tea, but I think self-care is anything that helps keep you connected to your highest self, and that’s going to look different at different points in your life, it’ll look different depending on your week or your day… there’s no right or wrong way to do self-care. And that perspective itself has been part of my self-care routine. I realized that sometimes self-care is saying “no” to plans, people, places, and things, and sometimes it’s saying “yes”. Sometimes, self-care is taking a day off, and other times, it’s charging forward. I’ve built a sense of trust in myself to move intuitively so that every day has some sense of self-care within it, even in the smallest ways.

The most consistent form of self-care I have is my morning routine. I wake up and meditate and/or do a physical yoga practice every morning, depending on how I’m feeling, and I pull at least one oracle or Tarot card to connect with my guides. From there, I make myself a healthy breakfast and move on to the most important task of the day. Starting my day this way instead of rushing out the door or being glued to my phone has helped immensely in shaping the way the rest of my day unfolds, which, of course, has a ripple effect. Engaging with spiritual, energetic, and physical hygiene and care allows me to be more of a clean slate for the happenings of whatever is next. My mind and my heart are more open, and I can take on any obstacles with more clarity and ease. I also tend to tap into creative ideas in the morning when I meditate, which is incredibly helpful for my business and yoga classes.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

About 8 years ago, I started practicing yoga and had a vision for owning a yoga studio named “Your Journey Yoga” one day. This inspiration came from the personal realization that everyone’s yoga journey is unique, just as their journey through life is. Our bodies have different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses; we all crave different forms of movement and move at our own pace (both literally and figuratively). I wanted to highlight that through a yoga business someday, and that is the seed that brought Your Journey Yoga to life last year.

While I don’t have an in-person studio yet, I do have a multitude of platforms online where I offer yoga classes, guided meditations, multi-day series, tarot and oracle readings, spiritual advice, and more. You can currently find free content on YouTube, Spotify, and Insight Timer, as well as premium content on my website (yourjourneyyoga.com). I teach in person at a studio on the Western Slope of Colorado and collaborate on multiple events in the spring and summer with other local entrepreneurs and businesses.

I decided to dive into the online world because I know that our lives don’t always unfold in ways that allow us to show up to an event or a studio, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to practice. Sometimes, we have five minutes; sometimes, we have an hour. I wanted to create accessible, effective practices for anyone to practice anywhere, and that is what I continue to do with this brand.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Curiosity, intuition, and discernment have been incredibly impactful on my journey thus far. It is curiosity that drove me to learn more about yoga, and intuition that led me to start teaching and build my business. And, as someone who is very skilled at listening to the heart, discernment has been a challenging but helpful addition to my skillset; it allows me to take things at face value, make authentic and aligned decisions, stay connected to my values, and act with integrity while still following those intuitive whispers.

Having curiosity as a thread both early on in your journey as well as through every other moment of it will help keep expectations at bay. Whether it’s expectations of self, others, circumstances, etc. Start getting comfortable with the fact that all you can do is be yourself, share who you are, and take each moment as it comes, and create some space for curiosity about what’s yet to come. It’s okay to not know exactly what’s ahead. It’s also okay, and somewhat inevitable, that you’re going to evolve as a person through this process. Cultivate some curiosity for who you might become as you continue to build whatever you’re creating. Get curious about how you might grow and succeed in ways you could’ve never imagined.

Intuition and discernment are like muscles. We’re all capable of utilizing these skills, but it can take some practice. Intuition comes through in different ways for everyone. To work with intuition, I recommend mind-body connection practices like yoga and meditation (I know… I’m biased… but really). Make enough space in your routine to be still, quiet, and fully present with yourself. So often, we don’t feel intuitive because we aren’t slowing down enough to tune in.
Discernment is a practice of self-trust and really goes hand in hand with intuition. How often do you say “yes” when you want to say “no?” How often do you engage with things and people that leave you feeling depleted, drained, confused, and disconnected? Start paying attention to the ways you disconnect from your values and what’s true for you, and without insisting shame upon yourself, take it as an opportunity to redirect your decision or choose differently next time. We are always in the presence of infinite opportunities to learn more about ourselves.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, I give myself permission to take a break. Sometimes that’s an hour or so, sometimes that’s a day, sometimes that’s a week. I have learned the hard way that I don’t create well when I’m overwhelmed and have too much on my plate. If I create from a place of franticness, disconnection, or stress, that is the kind of content I will put out. I would rather give my mind and body a chance to relax than put out content that isn’t clear, heart-centered, or helpful. I have to ask myself sometimes, “Why are you creating this? What do you want your viewers to get from it/feel from it?” Sometimes, this question alone allows for a good enough break from whatever is overwhelming me, and sometimes, it reminds me that what I want is for my viewers and students to remember how important it is to be authentic and to take care of themselves so it is my responsibility to do the same.

There are a few things I find helpful to remember:
1) If you want to continue doing what you’re doing, you need to rest and take care of yourself. Moving at a sustainable pace ensures that you’ll be more capable of continuing to do what you love.
2) The world isn’t going to end if you aren’t “productive” every day; but to further this, it might be helpful to get clear on what “productivity” means to you. What narratives do you have attached to productivity? Is it action-focused? Does it allow space for rest?

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