Courage to Become | Inez Natalia
“I believe there’s no other love and connection can be more powerful than the one between parent and child. That’s the foundation for all relationships. The emotional blueprint for how we see the world. Raising a kind, strong, resilient, and loving child is rooted in the parent-child connection. And it starts from the inner connection within the parents.”
A quick note about The Courage to Become Series and today’s, featured woman.
Hi! Catia here. I am delighted to bring you Season 4 of The Courage to Become! I ask women I admire to share a behind the scenes view of their becoming. We often see the result but aren’t privy to the through, to the transformation. And the through is where all the magic happens. The story you are about to read will buoy you with hope. Being a woman is not easy, but damn, if it can be magical. There are inspirational women everywhere and Inez is one of them.
Inez and I met through Dr. Shefali’s Conscious Coaching Institute, and it was friendship at first sight! Inez is wise and loving and so smart! She’s beautiful and kind and willing to sit and listen with her whole heart. She truly is an angel and transformative. I’m lucky to call her a friend! Please welcome, Inez.
Inez Natalia of Inner Mother Power
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
I'm the Founder of Inner Mother Power and a certified Conscious (Re)Parenting Coach.
Inner Mother Power is a movement. She’s me, she’s you, she’s all the women who are brave to say “Nope, no more!” to the deep-seeded cultural conditioning of a mother, and instead, start reconnecting to their deep inner knowing.
The conditioned role of a mother is colored with fear, over worry, anxiety, and control…While the true Inner Mother Power is wise, knowing, trusting, listening, connecting, nurturing authenticity, guiding, empowering, and liberating..
In Inner Mother Power, We believe when a mother liberates herself, she also liberates her children’s children. We envision a world where more mothers can show up daily following their innate knowing, peace, wisdom, and power, so they can be wise guides to their children for the rest of their lives. And that’s what drives us, showing up, every single day.
I help mothers reconnect with their inner power, break the reactivity-shame-guilt cycle, so they can access inner peace & joy in parenting.
I'm also an accidental author and an Entrepreneur.
What was one thing you always dreamt of doing, were afraid to do, but did anyway?
Tough question!
My life has been always about "feeling scared, but I did it anyway" - writing and publishing a book, starting a podcast, becoming a conscious parenting coach, moving my whole life to a foreign country to lead an international NGO, and now THIS: being an Entrepreneur
But NONE of them was a life-long dream.
It's funny how these "dreams" just keep unfolding in a mysterious way. Every step of the way. Not a grand vision, but a tiny cue from the benevolent universe: just take this one courageous step. A leap of faith.
How did it feel getting started?
I still remember the first time I heard about Conscious Parenting.
And how it finally all makes sense to me. It gave me all the answers I need...
Growing up, I understand how all parents always want the best for their children. But despite their best intentions, inevitable wounds are created and the connection is obstructed. The confusion is real. As if parents and children speak different languages.
And now, I understand why and how this happens. Even to those parents who swore they'd raise their children differently.
I believe there’s no other love and connection can be more powerful than the one between parent and child. That’s the foundation for all relationships. The emotional blueprint for how we see the world. Raising a kind, strong, resilient, and loving child is rooted in the parent-child connection. And it starts from the inner connection within the parents.
Being a Conscious (re)Parenting Coach, as a non-parent, was very doubting at first.
The continuous inner chatter:
"Who am I?" "I'm not yet a mother, they won't trust me" "I shouldn't share on my own childhood experience, it would hurt my parents."
But then, the calling was so strong, loud, and clear, I couldn't resist.
Everything points to the same direction: to turn my pain into a gift. Embarking on this journey of healing and evolution, while supporting others to do the same. To give the opportunity for parents and children, to have the sacred connection that they deserve.
For parents to heal and break free, for children to grow up authentically, to be their own person.
To heal the world, one parent, one child at a time.
Tell us about some of the obstacles you faced when you got started?
The mental chatter, being so hard on myself, past traumas, continuous self-doubt, having too much fun with work and deprioritized self-care.
Which living person do you most admire?
Michelle Obama
What is your most marked characteristic?
Gentle compassion, courage, deep, empathy, self-awareness, Resilience
What is your motto? A message that motivates you or helps you along?
"Everything happens, perfectly, the way it's supposed to be" - Srikumar Rao
You are enough, as you are. As enough as you've been, and as enough as you will be.
Everything you're looking for is already within you.
What are some things you are proud to have accomplished?:
* Being a country director of an international NGO abroad at the age of 23
* Learning how to ride a bicycle at the age of 25! and nailed it
* Packed my bag and moved my whole life to Bali which led me to
* Wrote & published a book at the age of 26 and met my life, love, and growth partner
* Co-created the highest-rated online parenting course with Dr. Shefali, helped thousands of parents healing their relationship with their children.
* Started a podcast,
* Became a conscious (re)parenting coach,
* Being an Entrepreneur
* Started Inner Mother Power
What keeps you going when you feel like you are knee-deep in mud?
Going back to my breath. To honor all feelings, to allow, hold safe space for me, like how I can hold safe space for others.
To remember every single thing is impermanent. Both joy and pain. Enter the present moment fully.
Go to nature, to reconnect to the inner source, the boundless, limitless power within.
And to take just ONE baby step.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to women who are about to embark on the journey you are on?
Follow where joy and faith lead you to.
Take that one clumsy baby step. Every single day.
And just play with it. There's magic in it all.
What is one piece of advice you would give your 20 year old self?
Take that adventure. Follow where courage is.
Try something new, fail more, fail early. Embrace mistakes.
Play. Remember to always Play.
Hi! I'm Inez
I've always wanted to be a mom. The kind of mom who isn’t only a parent, but a best friend to the kid. Gilmore Girls was one of my all-time favorite series. My ultimate fantasy of an ideal parent-child relationship.
Oh, I wish it could be that simple.
Growing up, I understood that all parents always want the best for their children. But despite their best intentions, inevitable wounds are created and the connection is obstructed. The confusion is real. As if parents and children speak different languages.
I believe there’s no other love and connection can be more powerful than the one between parent and child. That’s the foundation for all relationships. The emotional blueprint for how we see the world. Raising a kind, strong, resilient, and loving child is rooted in the parent-child connection. And it starts from the inner connection within the parents.
This is what brought me into conscious parenting, where I found the answer I was looking for.
I'm here to support your growth journey
I know how hard parenting is, and for this reason, I am in awe of your courage to embark on a process of change and transformation.
I was trained and certified by Dr. Shefali in her Conscious Coaching Institute. Oprah has endorsed her approach as revolutionary and life-changing. Integrating Eastern philosophy and Western psychology, conscious parenting changes people's lives - now and for generations to come.
Trained in her methodology, I help individuals, couples, and parents to renew their connection with both themselves and their children. I guide parents to see their generational patterns, to heal their inner children, and to re-parent themselves. With compassion and joy, I bring back the power to the parents.
I truly believe everyone has all the answers within and there’s nothing to fix. You just need a safe space to be awakened.
You can reach out and connect with Inez on her website, her podcast - Start Here to Connect
Inez offers a Free Community, Safe Space for Evolving Moms, and a [Free Practical Guidebook] Get 5 Free Tools to Turn Parenting Chaos into Inner Peace, download now:
She’s also teaching and coaching on Facebook and Instagram!
Hi friend!
Welcome to Bright Light.
I'm Catia, a woman, wife, mama, sister, friend, daughter -- you know -- I wear a million hats just like you.
Here at Bright Light, I help parents worldwide enjoy their lives and enjoy their kids.
Family life can be beautiful, but it's not easy. A day in a family can be filled with heartache, guilt, hugs, crying, laughing, and rushing from one place to another.
I help parents create the home life they've always wanted and an environment that feels good for everyone. I teach parents how to strengthen their marriages and relationships with their children.
I believe in the power of parents and families to support and encourage each family member and then take that energy and make the world a better place.
You have the strength to break behavioral patterns, heal intergenerational trauma, and nurture your family in the way you have always wanted to.
To each session, I bring my training as a Certified Conscious Coach, my graduate studies in Marriage and Family Therapy, and my decade-long career as an author and keynote speaker. My approach is multi-cultural, grounded in research and my own experience as the mama of two young girls.
If I could choose ten words that best describe me, I would say: honest, welcoming, giving, curious, loving, earnest, empathetic, spiritual, playful, and sassy. Let's add: adventurous. That's 11.
Nice to meet you!
Want to start feeling really good but not sure where to start? Jump on into our virtual classroom (complimentary of course!) and get a guide on how to walk with confidence and joy! You are divine. You are magic. I look forward to serving you!
Monthly Wisdom Guide
Curious about what a session with me is like? Want to just kind of get a little sampler? I would too! Coaching is a big investment. Also think, how long have you been burdened with THIS and how great would it feel to be liberated from that weigh on your heart, that dark cloud following you around.
Click here to read in depth testimonials from clients.
Shine your brightest,
Courage to Become | Rachel Duffy
When I finally, and against all odds pulled through, I heard the call of the universe to stop and reevaluate my life. The universe was calling on me to step into a more authentic version of myself, to heal, to become. I was given a second chance, a chance to be my own hero, to save myself by stepping out of victimhood and claiming my life.
A quick note about The Courage to Become Series and today’s, featured woman.
Hi! Catia here. I am delighted to bring you Season 4 of The Courage to Become! I ask women I admire to share a behind the scenes view of their becoming. We often see the result but aren’t privy to the through, to the transformation. And the through is where all the magic happens. The story you are about to read will buoy you with hope. Being a woman is not easy, but damn, if it can be magical. There are inspirational women everywhere and Rachel is one of them.
Rachel and I are sisters. I am truly lucky to call her friend. We studied together with Dr. Shefali Tsabary - and got to know each other in New York at our graduation. I absolutely respect and admire her. She is strong and smart and giving. Anyone who works with her is absolutely blessed. She’s so so wise. Enjoy her story of becoming.
Rachel Duffy from Sagacity Lab
When I was 20 years old, I got diagnosed with Crohn’s disease after 2 long years of elusive symptoms and multiple hospital visits all resulting in “we can’t find anything wrong with you, are you under unusual stress?”.
On one hand, it was a relief to receive a diagnosis, because it meant I would get treatment and it validated that my pain wasn’t “all in my head”, but at the same time, it put me on a path of self-denial, shame, anger, and resistance.
You see, Crohn’s disease is a chronic, genetic, autoimmune disease that affects the GI tract. One of its hallmark symptoms is severe abdominal cramps and diarrhea. As a young, attractive and otherwise healthy woman, I felt shame that I had a chronic disease (chronic diseases are for “old people”) and even more shame because it was a “bathroom” disease that I didn’t want to talk about with my friends. I did as many 20-year-olds do, and while I took my medications as prescribed, I otherwise ignored the fact that this was part of my life. I pretended like everything was normal and continued on through Law School, had a successful career as a litigator, moved with my ex-husband across the world, did a career pivot into business, etc. On the outside, I was living a super successful, enviable life. On the inside, I was angry and bitter. This entire time, more than a decade since my diagnosis, I had been harboring rage and self-pity. Why did I get this? Why did my body betray me like this? Why me?
It wasn't until 2004, when I turned 31, that my methods of denial had finally caught up with me.
Coupled with the slow disintegration of my first marriage, my symptoms became increasingly worse, uncontrolled by any medication, and led me to surgery for bowel resection in January of 2004. Little did I know that this “straightforward” procedure would snowball into 4 more back to back surgeries, extensive time in ICU, an induced weeks-long coma, complication after complication, and almost 10 months of hospitalization.
When I finally, and against all odds pulled through, I heard the call of the universe to stop and reevaluate my life. The universe was calling on me to step into a more authentic version of myself, to heal, to become. I was given a second chance, a chance to be my own hero, to save myself by stepping out of victimhood and claiming my life.
I divorced my first husband and eventually started to date a man who later on became my husband and father of my 3 kids. He was instrumental in helping me heal from my self-loathing, self-denial, internal shame, and rage that I had been carrying around with me all those years.
He was the first person who really “saw” me and it was through his eyes that I was able to see myself, to accept that Crohn’s was a part of me just like brown hair was a part of me. To step out of the mindset that I was so unlucky to have gotten this in the first place, to realize it wasn’t good or bad, it just was.
Fast forward 15 years, I am now 47. I’ve had Crohn’s disease longer than I have not. I do not wish I never had it, I do not pray for a cure (beyond my prayer that every disease be cured), I do not feel anger or hurt recounting the past, I feel completely neutral about it, and I embrace it and love this part of myself like I love other parts of myself.
Sometimes you need someone to help you become yourself. I am lucky my husband came into my life at the right time, put me on a path to healing and acceptance. For that, I will forever be grateful.
He inspired me to step further into my true self by becoming a teacher and coach. I left the corporate world and became certified as a Conscious Parenting Coach. I now help my clients go through some of the transformations I went through: to accept themselves, reveal their true parts and integrate them instead of burying them under layers of shame, self-loathing, and denial. This in turn allows them to live their highest potential as human beings, parents, or executive leaders.
More about Rachel:
I’ve walked the path you’re walking now. I’ve been frustrated in my career and pivoted (more than once!), I’ve been in a marriage that didn’t work and gotten a divorce, I’ve repressed my true self so much that it manifested in physical symptoms, I’ve been stuck on the precipice of change for decades without finding the courage or the way to forge through.
Why? Because I followed the script, plan, blueprint, expectation, pattern that was laid before me and had been passed on for generations in my family. Because I had been so severed from my true essence and spirit, that I had no idea how to speak my truth or what it was. Because I was so attached to how I labeled myself and how others saw me that I could only lead from a place of ego. Because I did not feel worthy.
So what about you? Do you ever feel you are not at your personal best when you parent? Do you have the sense you could be suffering less and enjoying more, but just can’t figure out how to do that? Do you know you could be leading your company in a much more effective way, but haven’t found the right path yet?
I have good news. This is where you start to shift the outdated paradigm you’ve been working from. The blueprint you’ve been following which isn’t aligned with your true self.
Backed by experience as a family law litigator and mediator, coupled with organizational and leadership skills that emerged in the military, I have devoted my professional life to injecting consciousness in all relationships. Understanding human interaction and promoting the success of children and adults has always been my passion.
As a family law litigator, I observed how our own upbringing affects us even as adults, and gets in the way of our personal and professional relationships, making it nearly impossible to resolve conflict in mutually beneficial ways. Facing challenges that every parent faces, I had to develop wisdom, clarity, and examine my own motivations and agenda that was getting in the way of parenting with sagacity. It was here that I made a commitment to consciousness and to change.
Deepening my studies, I became a certified Conscious Parenting coach studying under Dr. Shefali Tsabary, a world-renowned clinical psychologist & pioneer of Conscious Parenting, and launched my private practice.
I took my combined multidisciplinary skills and applied them both in the personal setting, with families, as well as in the corporate setting, with leaders and executives.
If you need a nudge in the right direction, someone to help you awaken into your fullest potential, someone to help you make the quantum leap you’ve been waiting to take - I’m your girl.
When I’m not working, I enjoy yoga, travel, and a strong shot of Turkish coffee. You’ll often find me spending time with my family, which consists of my husband, three children, and a beloved puppy.
-Rachel Duffy
To connect with Rachel find her here:
www.sagacitylab.com // Facebook // Instagram // Linked In
Hi friend!
Welcome to Bright Light.
I'm Catia, a woman, wife, mama, sister, friend, daughter -- you know -- I wear a million hats just like you.
Here at Bright Light, I help parents worldwide enjoy their lives and enjoy their kids.
Family life can be beautiful, but it's not easy. A day in a family can be filled with heartache, guilt, hugs, crying, laughing, and rushing from one place to another.
I help parents create the home life they've always wanted and an environment that feels good for everyone. I teach parents how to strengthen their marriages and relationships with their children.
I believe in the power of parents and families to support and encourage each family member and then take that energy and make the world a better place.
You have the strength to break behavioral patterns, heal intergenerational trauma, and nurture your family in the way you have always wanted to.
To each session, I bring my training as a Certified Conscious Coach, my graduate studies in Marriage and Family Therapy, and my decade-long career as an author and keynote speaker. My approach is multi-cultural, grounded in research and my own experience as the mama of two young girls.
If I could choose ten words that best describe me, I would say: honest, welcoming, giving, curious, loving, earnest, empathetic, spiritual, playful, and sassy. Let's add: adventurous. That's 11.
Nice to meet you!
Want to start feeling really good but not sure where to start? Jump on into our virtual classroom (complimentary of course!) and get a guide on how to walk with confidence and joy! You are divine. You are magic. I look forward to serving you!