Women We Admire - Natalie Matias

Our Women We Admire series is our way of supporting and sharing the stories of incredible women whose values match ours. Today, meet Natalie Matias.

Natalie Matias is a Mindfulness Coach + Consultant, Tkaronto, Canada

Tell us about yourself.  What first inspired you to start your business or go into the field? 

I believe my inspiration came from a tapestry of experiences and conditions that directed me on this path. I will say that the deep-knowing to take the leap became more evident every time I held space for a meditation circle that my best friends and I started called the Peace Warriors. 

My lifelong healing journey began when I lost my mother at 13 years old. In my youth, I engaged in self-soothing and breathing practices through the form of Qi-gong to cope. 

I rediscovered meditation after attending a weekend retreat that reunited me to an intimate space of feeling at home within myself. Once I connected to this sacred place, I wanted to deepen that practice and also be able to hold space for others to discover "home" within.  

Fast forward to today, my days are filled with holding community circles (including the Peace Warriors), workplace meditations, and mentoring BIPOC facilitators to find their voice in being a meditation guide. 

What motivates you?

Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice, and from my perspective, a gift—a true blessing of meeting each moment with intention, without judgment and attachment. 

Being present in each moment deepens my connection and develops my compassion for the self, others, and my environment. 

This present moment of awareness also invites a childlike wonder and a place of curiosity, motivating me in how I want to show up personally and professionally. Mindfulness connects me on a deeper level to my values and purposeful living and acts as an internal compass for motivation.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve learned from your industry?

“Get to know yourself.” Get intimate with the person behind all the thoughts, plans, and achievements. 

I love meditation so much because I've discovered liberation and freedom of the heart. In a silent place, you can really get to know yourself, and in that place, there is the only truth. Doubts and worries can't co-exist with your truth. 

Getting to know myself has been a gift in embracing and celebrating my uniqueness, learning how to set boundaries that uphold my self-worth, and intuitively knowing I am not on the "right" path, but I am on MY path.

What’s your greatest accomplishment? 

That's a big question. But, I believe my GREATEST accomplishment so far has been the one thing that has challenged me the most, and it is to let LOVE IN.... pure love, spiritual love, forgiving love, radical love, self-love, otherly love, radiant love, infinite love. My hopes live in the energy of this love and the many ways it can continue to blossom in my personal and professional life.

What are your top three favorite Province Apothecary products and why?

Hands down, I love the Invigorating + Balance Toner to prep the skin; I use it on all my makeup clients (I also am a Makeup Artist). I am also obsessed with the Moisturizing Oil Cleanser + Make Up Remover and use it daily. And when I am in full spa mode at home, I love the Regenerating Exfoliator + Resurface Mask.

What would you like skincare lovers to know?

I believe our skin and its present condition hold wisdom. Having experience with a broad range of ongoing skin conditions from eczema, psoriasis, and cold sores, I have learned these conditions flare when my stress levels are high. So now, when I detect the first signs of skin problems, I consider from a holistic perspective what could be the mix of factors contributing to what is happening on the surface level.

www.nataliematias.com

IG: natalie.matias