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

Hi Nathalie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was diagnosed with a gynecological condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome when I was 17, which led me down a path of irregular periods, acne, weight gain, and the fear of infertility. When I made the decision to not take birth control for my condition, I decided to pursue natural medicine and spiritual healing. I moved to India at age 21 and lived there for 5 years studying Vedanta Philosophy and Ayurveda. I learned how to heal my body from the inside out. I then discovered Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture and ultimately healing my PCOS. I then pursued a Masters and Phd in Chinese Medicine specializing in Womens health. My business has been a mission to offer the same healing to women. Women deserve another option other than birth control and surgery to heal gynecological problems. My business is dedicated to helping women find that option.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Growing up in a world where herbal medicine, nutrition and Acupuncture was pretty much non-existent, it took a lot for me to develop the conviction that these complementary medicine tools are not only helpful, but life saving. I had to move away from my own bias against the ‘woo-woo’ and start to learn about the science of these thousand year old traditions. I had to believe in myself, my own experience, and give up other peoples judgements. It is easy to choose the conventional path, and for a while, I thought about going to Medical School. But, I realized my mission is to serve people with traditional medicine, herbal medicine, Acupuncture, Nutrition and alternative healing. I had to believe in myself and trust my path.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would for sure go to the canyons of Malibu and Topanga to hike, hike and hike more. Followed by a home cooked medicinal dinner by yours truly.

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 success really stems from the learnings I acquired while studying at the Vedanta Academy in India. I spent 5 years at the Vedanta Academy, waking up every day at 4:15am, to studying Vedic Philosophy. I was able to learn deep philosophy from a true master on how to govern the anxieties of the mind and direct my life toward productivity, peace, and love.

Website: nathalievitality.com

Instagram: @nathalievitality

Linkedin: Nathalie Shapiro

Facebook: Nathalie Shapiro

Yelp: Nathalie Vitality Acupuncture

Image Credits
Sinead Studio

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.