We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Macam and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Yoga, meditation, and nature are my steady anchors I rely on to stay balanced. They bring me back to my center, helping me to weave body and mind through each and every breath but life balance is a dance… My yoga and meditation practices are not fixed. Some days I skip my yoga asana practice and some days I skip formal seated meditation. In fact, one of the insights I have uncovered during my exploration of these practices is that mindfulness is not dependent upon form. I can take a walk on the beach , go for a hike, sing, play my harmonium, garden, dance freely in my living room, lie in the grass, and practice mindfulness. It’s all about being fully present both in body and mind. By permitting my needs to shift I honor the fact that ‘life balance’ looks different from day to day — from moment to moment as if it were a mindfulness meditation. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Today I have my own business in Health and Wellness. I essentially had to start all over after leaving a Upper Level Management Role in Fashion and Manufacturing. It definitely is challenging and you have to show up for yourself and your clients. I had to get clarity over who I was, how I wanted to help and what that was going to look like. If you can look at the challenging experiences as lessons to grow and evolve, it makes things more graceful. What makes me different is that the reason I stay so young, vibrant, energetic and healthy is I support my health in wellness in all aspects of my life. Over the past decade, once everyone finds out how old I am, they always wanted to know what I do. At the time of this interview I am just 3 years shy of being 50. I don’t dye my hair, barely any wrinkles. There’s this running joke that I’m a vampire. What are my secrets? The answer is that I have no secrets, only what I would consider strategies, rituals, habits of how I take care and nourish myself. There isn’t one solution, to use a specific facial cream, to take certain dietary supplement, to eat a special diet, to exercise all the time. The answer lies in a myriad of different ways you nourish and take care of yourself. What you eat, where you buy it, how to decrease your toxic load, if you are a good steward of the earth, how you live your life, what you feed your brain, who you surround yourself with. I share all of my personal ways of living of how to stay fit, have fun and feel and look youthful. Everything that I offer this is an entry point into raising your awareness about how you live your life. You are your own answer, I’m just a guide to help you discover this wisdom and knowledge.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite places in Southern California are hands down in nature. That’s what is so special about SoCAL especially Los Angeles because it doesn’t take long to get out there and enjoy Mother Earth. Here’s my list of local must DO’s.

For getting out in nature: Hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains Hot Springs in the neighboring counties, Malibu Beach
For great food: Gjelina,  Gjusta, Woodlands Indian Restaurant. Daikokuya, Din Tai Fung, and Wanderlust Creamery.  For visiting: Farmer’s Markets, Griffith Observatory,  Broad Museum Garden Tour at Getty Villa

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mother is my hero. She was a Farmer’s daughter in the Philippines and lived through World War II as a young child and was told by her father to go to Medical School. They were a very poor family and her childhood was marked by manual labor on the farm and selling at the local Farmer’s Market. During college and medical school she lived with numerous relative’s sleeping on the floor and doing household chores in exchange for rent. After her first daughter, she moved to the USA and is still at 80 years old a Physician works Full – Time. Mom never complained a day in her life. If I had half the resilience as her, I’d be a grateful.

Website: www.nataliemacam.com
Instagram: @nataliemacam
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natalie.macam/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKu3gXGWgVe1IlRxAhPB18A

Image Credits
Photos: Crisanto Santa Ana Live Free Productions, Robert Winston Photography, Jonathan B Gabel Photography, Michael Dubrow Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.