The Light Within You Is Stronger Than Any Darkness You Feel – An Interview with Natalie Namaste

What if the heaviness you’ve been carrying isn’t something to fix, but something to gently turn toward?

If you’ve ever felt spiritually aware yet still struggled with looping thoughts, sudden waves of sadness, or the quiet pressure to “hold it all together,” you’ll see yourself in Natalie Namaste’s journey. She knows what it’s like to feel both connected and disconnected at the same time—to sense the light, yet still wrestle with the dark. Instead of escaping her emotions, she chose to sit with them. And in doing so, everything began to change.

In this conversation, Natalie shares how facing depression dissolved its grip, how emotions move through the body like the four elements, and why the present moment may be the safest place you’ve never fully allowed yourself to rest. If you’re awakening, healing, or simply longing to feel lighter and more at peace, this story is an invitation back to yourself.

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Before we dive into you and all the great things that you’re doing in the world, I love to ask healers like yourself—what is going on in the world? When you take a bird’s-eye view of what’s unfolding, and as you tap into your guides and the angels, what do you sense is happening right now on our planet?

Natalie Namaste: It is wild. I’ve got the Arcturians and the angels here, and lately I’ve been channeling them as a oneness field because they’re both equally high frequency. So I’m just going to surrender and see what they bring through.

What I’m sensing for this year is that time is definitely speeding up. I’m sure everyone is feeling that—but in a new way. Time has been accelerating for a while, yet what feels different now is that we’re moving beyond where the mind is comfortable being in the known.

The mind—and we can call it the ego, though I don’t like to say the ego is bad because it’s amazing—is what allows us to have this human, separate experience. It’s not the ego itself, but the patterns within it that we are dissolving so we can become clearer, open, and connected.

For years, humanity has operated on patterns that read the past to predict the future. At the root of that is a feeling that we are not safe. There’s been a collective belief that we must control every aspect of life to create safety. From the moment we’re born, there’s this sense inside—almost like something is missing. Many people feel they’re missing “home” and want to go back somewhere. They search for it.

But it’s been here all along.

We are inside it. We go nowhere. Consciousness, God, love, oneness, Source—it is here. We are it. We are expressions of it. And right now, we are going through a massive remembrance of that truth.

In 2025, during the year of the Wooden Snake, there was a great shedding of layers. We were opening our minds to understand spiritual knowledge intellectually. We were watching podcasts, reading books, and learning and learning. And that was necessary. We needed that foundation.

Now we’re moving into the Fire Horse.

When the element of fire is in balance, it is transformative. It burns and clears patterns at a faster rate, so we don’t remain stuck in looping cycles of mind and emotion. That’s powerful. This year, we can break big cycles. Fire also brings strength, sovereignty, and self-belief. We begin to trust ourselves more. We stand up for ourselves.

What I’m sensing is that if we can stay balanced, we’ll see truth exposed. There are expanded intelligences—what some call aliens or star families—that have been hidden from us. They are connecting with more and more people. So many are seeing UFOs and ships, receiving downloads, and experiencing massive expansions. This is part of the awakening.

The Arcturians and the angels are saying that our senses are evolving. We’re used to closing our eyes in meditation and “seeing.” But some people tell me, “Natalie, I’m not seeing anything anymore.” And I tell them, yes—because something is shifting. You’re no longer relying on vision alone. Hearing, knowing, sensing—this is the new seeing.

There is so much available to us.

With the fire energy, there are rapid shifts and a change in dynamics. It feels like we are moving away from relying on a very small group of people to run countries and systems. We are remembering that we are the creators. We are powerful beings. And as we reclaim our power and light, there will be a shift.

Of course, with that comes the continued crumbling of old structures. It can feel chaotic, but it is divine perfection. It is happening so that the new human—which is really the ancient human, the beings of Atlantis and Lemuria—can be here physically. We are remembering our light bodies. We are remembering that we are multidimensional.

And there is so much beauty in that remembrance.

That said, fire must be balanced. When it becomes excessive, it can lead to burnout—burning yourself or burning others. If you feel agitated, fearful, anxious, or worried, that may be excess fire.

The power is in the pause.

When we are unconscious—clouded in mind—we react to our environment, which creates lower-frequency waves. But when we become conscious, when we pause and breathe, when we choose to come into the heart, we can act intentionally rather than react unconsciously.

This is a huge opportunity this year.

The horse energy is wild, free, wise, and strong. In balance, it reminds us of our personal power and inner strength. This is not a year to move slowly. It feels like a quantum leap year—a year when big changes happen fast.

It feels incredibly powerful.

Thank you so much for sharing that. We went in-depth into your own story of awakening to consciousness and mindfulness in our previous conversation, but if someone is just meeting you for the first time, how would you describe who you are, what you do, and how long you’ve been doing it? 

Natalie Namaste: Yes… who am I?

I am from the heart. I’ve dedicated myself, with strong intention, to dissolving patterns of ego so I can be a pure, clear channel. When I feel the ego trying to push or control, I stop. I don’t channel from that frequency. I pause.

In my community, I only channel when I’m in flow—when I feel the messages moving through clearly and cleanly—and I trust them. That allows me to be a pure channel for the 120 angels I’ve worked with since I was a little girl, and, more recently, for the Arcturians as well.

As you clear old patterns, you naturally become higher frequency. That’s really the work.

If others were to describe me, they’d probably say I’m very loving and able to hold a lot of space. I dissolve the sense of separateness. When I’m guiding groups, I feel all of us in oneness. There’s a lot of love.

These days, I’m offering more group sessions, and I’m witnessing profound experiences—people seeing light in huge ways, expanding rapidly. I feel like I’m a gentle guide, yet there is power and strength in what comes through because the messages are important.

I have suffered. And because I’ve dissolved that sense of separation, I feel the pain of others deeply. But I truly believe we don’t need to suffer. I’ve taken myself out of suffering, and I’m here to teach and guide others to do the same—to find inner peace and remember the light that they are.

I love teaching. I love speaking about this.

I teach courses, including Reiki. I align deeply with Reiki because “Rei” is universal and “Ki” is energy, and that is the foundation of everything. We all channel Reiki to some degree. When someone feels curiosity about it, it often means they’re ready to be attuned to it.

It’s a beautiful lineage that comes from Mikao Usui, who rediscovered Reiki in Japan in the late 1800s. It’s been passed down through generations. Each person who is attuned brings their own essence into it and begins working with the energy to heal themselves, mentally first, which is most important.

The mind is often the root of the chaos we create. As mental patterns soften, emotional blockages stored in the body can dissolve. And then the physical body can recalibrate and return to its natural state of harmony.

Ultimately, I feel I’m a facilitator—reminding others of what is already present in the field so they can access more of their own magnificence.

You seem so spiritual, Natalie. And I’m thinking, is this person always this spiritual? Give me the behind-the-scenes—who is Natalie day in and day out? Do you stub your toe and drop the F-bomb, or what’s happening over there?

Natalie Namaste: Yes.

The way I experience life is that I’m not trying to be spiritual. I simply remember that my primary essence is spirit—and I’m having a human experience.

And I fully love being human.

I’ll enjoy a glass of wine or a slice of pizza. I love laughing with my friends. I do love spiritual practices—yoga, sound healing, all of that—but it’s just part of my life, not something separate.

I also love traveling. I love experiencing other cultures, other people. I don’t have two personalities. I don’t flip a switch. I just am.

When we meet at the New Living Expo, you’ll see—I’m this angelic essence, and I’m also funny. I can be silly. I love to laugh. I genuinely enjoy being human.

It takes a lot of light to condense into physical form. And I fully embrace the experience of being Natalie.

I know there was a season of life where you weren’t enjoying life to the extent that you are now. I’m curious about your own journey through depression. How did it enter your life? Was there a rough patch? Was it just your propensity? And how did you navigate through it?

Natalie Namaste: Sometimes people see me in the light and assume it’s always been this way. But it’s been hard. It’s taken effort. It’s taken deep awareness to arrive here.

I was born to two beautiful parents. My dad was my rock. My mom, though, struggled deeply—she had bipolar disorder and depression. As a child, I was constantly reading the room. Was she going to shout? Was I safe? Would I get into trouble?

That’s actually where many of my abilities developed—reading energy. So there’s a part of me that feels genuine gratitude. Through many ups and downs with her, I can now say I truly love her and appreciate the lessons she has taught me. But it was hard.

I grew up in South Africa and spent the first 23 years of my life there. My dad encouraged us to explore the world. And honestly, I needed to leave. I moved out at 17, lived on my own, worked, and carried this internal pressure to create order and safety. When life feels unstable, you try to control your environment. I became a perfectionist—overextending, trying to be good enough. That’s exhausting.

In my twenties and early thirties, I worked on superyachts—these beautiful boats owned by very wealthy people. At first, it felt glamorous and exciting. You’re living in close quarters with crew members, traveling the world. I was even channeling messages for people like Jennifer Lopez. On the outside, it looked incredible.

But inside, something felt dark and heavy.

When I was alone, I would cry. I felt hollow. I remember saying, “I just want to go home. This isn’t home.” I felt false, like I was pretending. There was a split inside me—I could still channel and connect, but there was also a deep disconnect.

I entered a relationship with someone who didn’t like physical touch. That rejection surfaced all the unworthiness and emptiness that had been living inside me. I went into full-blown depression. Nothing excited me. I just functioned.

I knew I needed something radical, so I went to a ten-day Vipassana silent retreat. That experience saved me.

On day five, sitting in meditation with 80 people, the darkness in my mind said, “If you don’t get through this, you can just go to a hotel room and hang yourself.” I had experienced suicidal thoughts before, but this time, they were fully present. I was shaking and crying. The teachers took me aside and supported me.

When I could speak, I asked them, “Will I ever hear this voice again?”

They said, “Once you face the darkness, it dissolves. If you don’t face it, it lives inside you. You faced it.”

And I can honestly say I’ve never had depression again. I still experience sadness, happiness, all emotions—but depression, that ongoing heaviness, dissolved.

Later, after leaving the yachting industry, I actually just knew one day, “Now is your time. No more.” I left, went to Costa Rica, became a yoga teacher at 33—the healing and light that had been muffled began streaming back.

But there was still residue.

Every Monday, without fail, I would feel a deep sadness—like the weight of the world. By Tuesday or Wednesday, it would lift. I was still channeling, teaching, helping others—and I often felt better while channeling, but I knew I couldn’t lean on that. I had to face what remained.

Instead of analyzing it spiritually or psychically, an inner voice said, “Don’t try to pinpoint it. Just be with the sensation in your body. No mind involvement.”

So I sat on the sofa and cried. I told my husband, “Just leave me. I’m embodying sadness right now.”

And I fully allowed it.

What happened next was profound. It wasn’t just healing—it was another layer of awakening. I dissolved even the identity of “Natalie the healer.” There was a sense of the separate self dissolving. It was like there was no narrator in the mind. No dialogue. Just stillness. No “me”—only awareness.

Even in the physical, things mirrored that dissolution—my Instagram disappeared, my email stopped working. It was as if the structures of identity were dissolving.

After integrating that experience, I made a promise to myself: I’m not going back to sleep. By “sleep,” I mean believing every egoic thought or emotional wave. For the past year and a half, I’ve been living in that awareness—awake to my patterns, awake to when the mind tries to pull me in.

And something shifted.

Before, I resisted difficult emotions. If sadness appeared, I wanted to escape it. But when I fully sat with it, I realized: the light that I am is stronger than any emotion.

Now, I feel more excited about being human than ever before. I can sit through any emotion. I don’t need to escape it.

It’s hard. But it’s powerful.

And truly—that’s all we have to do.

Very powerful. I’m curious about the experience of emotions and how they might tie into the four elements as well. Do you see those connections?

Natalie Namaste: Absolutely.

After that more recent awakening, I felt called to return to Vipassana—another ten-day silent retreat. Yes, ten full days of silence. You sit in meditation for about ten and a half hours a day. No eye contact. No phone. No pen and paper. Just you and your mind.

The first few days were hard. I thought, “I’ve been living in awareness. This will be easy.” But the mind is still the mind. Even with more spaciousness, it wanted to move, talk, and go everywhere. It wasn’t as painful as before—more frustration than suffering—but still very active. Eventually, it settled into presence.

Then I had a powerful experience called bhanga—dissolution. This retreat focused heavily on sitting through physical pain. Goenka teaches that pain in the body is due to past lives and belief patterns stored there. When the mind becomes present and stops creating new karma, old patterns rise to the surface. It often gets more intense before it gets lighter.

And it did.

So much surfaced and dissolved. Eventually, my body felt like it completely dissolved. But the teaching is clear: don’t attach to pleasant sensations and don’t resist unpleasant ones. Just accept whatever arises. Acceptance is love. Love dissolves everything.

During one of the discourses, Goenka spoke about the deeper experience Buddha entered, though he never fully describes it. After a profound meditation, I went back to my room, and something shifted.

I began to see—truly see—that every nanosecond, subatomic particles are being born and dying. And with each burst, the four elements arise: fire, air, water, and earth. I could observe these elements moving inside my body.

At that time, my dog was dying. One morning, I woke up, and the first thought was fear: “She’s going to die. I won’t see her again.” As I observed, I saw fear as cold air trapped in the body. Just cold air.

Then the body’s intelligence brought fire. Most people would call that anxiety. My solar plexus ignited. My heart pounded like a panic attack. I started sweating—fire and air activating water. But instead of labeling it, I simply watched.

I noticed a trapped ball of energy in my lower belly—accumulated fear from years of similar thoughts. As I held awareness there, the trapped air began to release—through burping, through the body’s natural processes. Air is moving out.

Air corresponds to fear, doubt, low self-esteem—that cold, light, unstable quality.

Then I became curious about water. Water is sorrow. When we feel like victims, when depression sets in, it’s often cold air mixed with dense earth, combined with trapped water. That’s when it feels heavy and stuck.

As I allowed sorrow to move through me, tears came—an alchemy of release. I felt the bloating in my belly reduce as the water element moved out. Even simple bodily functions became sacred—the body releasing through its own intelligence.

Then there’s Earth.

Earth gives us structure. It helps us feel stable and secure. But in excess, it creates attachment—to people, to outcomes, to environments. “You need to do this so I feel safe.” That’s Earth out of balance.

As I felt into my bones and the structure of my body, memories surfaced from childhood—moments of feeling unsupported, like the ground was falling away. As I held awareness, I felt heaviness in my shoulders and neck dissolve and move out.

And this is the beauty of it: the elements are always moving in waves. Subatomic particles are constantly arising and dissolving. The law of nature is this too shall pass.

Suffering happens when we mentally attach to the wave—when we resist it or cling to it. But when we simply observe, the body’s intelligence knows how to restore balance.

That’s the magic.

When we maintain awareness and allow nature to do its work, the elements recalibrate themselves.

What I’m hearing from several of these experiences is not fighting what we’re experiencing—not saying, “This shouldn’t be happening.” I’m hearing you talk about raising awareness, staying aware of the emotions as they come, receiving them, and allowing them to dissipate. Is that correct?

Natalie Namaste: Absolutely.

So, as people are experiencing this—maybe challenges with a partner, a child, a job, a physical illness, or just feeling like there’s a cloud over them—what practical wisdom can you share? What encouragement would you give them based on these principles from your own life?

Natalie Namaste: Yes. Many people have heard this before, but it’s the absolute truth—and I love that it rhymes: the way for healing is through the feeling.

When you’re going through something big, honor it. Be tender, gentle, loving with yourself. Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” ask, “Where in my body am I experiencing this?”

Your body is intelligent. It’s always trying to restore balance. So if there’s tightness in your throat, pain in your shoulder, digestive discomfort—bring your awareness there. Breathe into that space. Be present with it.

As you soften and bring loving attention to that area, the body’s intelligence gains space to auto-correct. Don’t pressure yourself to make it happen quickly. Think of all the lifetimes you’ve lived—most people drawn to this conversation are old souls. There are many layers.

Just hold space for yourself.

When the mind is looping, come into the body. The body is the portal to presence. And presence is where the light holds you. The light exists here, in this moment—not in the past or the future.

Meditate into the sensation. Even if you do it once, something will shift. Then do it again. And again. Each time, a little more dissolves. Over time, the emotion and the mind lose their grip on you. Spaciousness opens.

And in that spaciousness, you connect to your soul, your expanded wisdom, your angels, your guides. It’s a powerful uncovering.

You’ve mentioned light several times. In this present moment, you say there is light. Do you see light? What is the role of light? How can light help us? Walk me through that.

Natalie Namaste: The words that come are, “Let there be light.” And then there was light—and everything was created at once. First, there is oneness, Source. Then the Source creates light.

From what I understand, light and mind are intimately connected. The most expanded version of light is mind—and vice versa. Light is intelligence. It imagines itself into experience. It holds the original codes from that first moment when separation arose from oneness.

We are sparks of that light.

In oneness, there is stillness. But for oneness to experience itself, there must be movement—an object and a subject. So a spark arises. That spark is energy. Movement. Color.

Each of us carries a frequency—often reflected in the colors we’re drawn to. You might notice the colors in your room, in your clothes. For me, it’s blue, because I resonate strongly with the throat chakra. Part of my soul’s purpose is to use my voice to share wisdom.

Light is pure and transparent. It is the original coding of our essence. We are light bodies—souls condensed into physical form. Light holds information.

I see light as sparks—violet, blue, white. That’s how angels show themselves to me. If you look up at the sky on a bright day, you can see tiny flickers—sparks of light. Everything is made of light condensed into form. Everything comes from light, returns to light, and is light.

Colors carry frequency and relate to soul purpose. For example:

Green corresponds to the heart chakra. If you’re drawn to green, relationships may be your greatest teachers. You may be learning balance, love, and connection.

Pink is compassion. It’s softness, empathy, and sensitivity. Those drawn to pink often don’t just hear others—they feel them.

Light is our origin and our return. And when we come into presence, we reconnect with that original light that we are.

What about orange?

Natalie Namaste: Oh, orange is creative. Orange is intuitive. It holds that expansive, imaginative energy, as far out as you can imagine, is what you can create.

If you’re drawn to orange, you’re likely one of the creators here. You probably don’t just stick to one job or one path. You take on multiple projects, different themes. You want to build, birth, and bring new things into the world.

That’s the energy of orange—creative life force. Does that resonate?

Oh yeah, of course. I love orange. What about black? What would you say about people who love black?

Natalie Namaste: Black is all the colors at once. It’s everything—and nothing—simultaneously.

It’s the container of all possibilities. It represents the unknown, the emptiness, the spaciousness where anything can arise. When someone is drawn to black, it often means they’re comfortable in the mystery. They’re willing to live in the unknown.

It’s powerful.

It suggests you’re open to ideas that come from far beyond the collective human field—ideas that feel cosmic, expansive—rather than just recycling what’s already here.

Black isn’t dark in the negative sense. It’s vast. It’s the womb of creation.

Well, I like black and orange. Those are my colors. I don’t really wear much orange, but I wear a lot of black. And culturally, black is often seen as dark—even in spiritual spaces. So I appreciate your interpretation of color. Now tell me—how can people get involved with you and your community? I know you have a monthly channeling group.

Natalie Namaste: Yes! Every 11th of the month, I host a group channeling and meditation. It’s centered on the energy of 11—the vibration of oneness—and it costs $11 to join.

It’s a 30-minute session, but it’s incredibly potent. I’m honestly blown away by what’s happening in these gatherings. People are deeply embodying and feeling the light that they are. I receive messages afterward saying, “I had full-body goosebumps the entire time,” or “I had a pain that’s completely gone.”

It feels magical.

What I love most is that it’s collaborative. I’ve always believed we don’t have to do this alone. So I often invite other spiritual teachers to contribute—perhaps they offer a meditation or a channeling. Together, we create this beautiful, deep field of energy.

Every single person who joins is an essential piece of the frequency we’re creating together. It feels like a loving community gathering in universal sound and light.

So it’s on the 11th of the month, $11, and 30 minutes—very accessible. If people want to join, what’s the best way to stay informed and sign up?

Natalie Namaste: There are two main ways.

First is my YouTube channel—and I really see it as a community. I share channelings, energy updates, and reminders about upcoming offerings, including the 11th group sessions and other courses.

Second is my website, NatalieNamaste.com. If you go to the Book Now page, you’ll see all current offerings, including the 11th group channeling.

There’s also a free meditation on the homepage. When someone signs up for that, they’re automatically part of my email community. I send gentle reminders about upcoming sessions, Reiki courses, and other workshops.

For example, I’m teaching an Angels and Intuition workshop on May 21st, which feels like another beautiful expansion of light.

There are different ways to connect, and I always encourage people to feel into what resonates most for them.

I love that. Beautiful. And for people who don’t know, although you’re from South Africa, you now live in Nicaragua. And you have a retreat coming up next door in Costa Rica. Tell me about this Costa Rica retreat in November 2026.

Natalie Namaste: I am so looking forward to it because it has come from the depth of my heart—and from the angels and the Arcturians. Together, we’re holding this incredible space.

The retreat is called Returning to Source. The intention is that everyone who comes has a direct experience of who they truly are.

It’s taking place at Blue Spirit in Costa Rica—where the ocean meets the jungle. The land there has a powerful vibration. It’s the same venue where Lee Harris used to host his retreats before expanding into the U.S., and that’s how I first learned about it. The frequency of that place is so supportive—you feel completely held by nature.

And then you’re held by me, the angels, and the Arcturians.

There will be live channelings, Q&A sessions, and a sacred seven-night journey together. I have a few surprises planned that I’m very excited about—experiences designed to help people dissolve what they’re not so they can return to Source and directly feel the incredible light that they are.

There are still spaces available. The ocean-facing rooms have already sold out, but there are many accommodation options—including more budget-friendly choices like tents. The food is nourishing, high-vibrational, straight from the earth. Everything about the venue supports the process.

It’s going to be deeply transformative.

Natalie, I’d love to close by giving you an opportunity to offer a word of encouragement to someone on the spiritual path—maybe they’re waking up to their intuitive gifts. Still, they’re struggling with heaviness or looping thoughts. What would you say to them today?

Natalie Namaste: The light that you are is so beautiful and bright. It is the infinite you. And it’s always here, holding the human version of you that you’re experiencing right now.

You are deeply supported. You are not alone—especially in the darkest moments. Often, those moments are the doorway to your greatest breakthroughs.

Keep going.

Hope is powerful. Hope is a spark of light inside of you that carries you through the dark tunnel. And then one day you remember, “Oh… I can breathe. I can get through this.”

One of your greatest resources is always with you—your breath. Breathe light into the cells of your body. Breathe out the heaviness. Let it dissipate. It will release.

When you remember the light that you are, you will naturally dissolve what you are not. And in that remembering, you’ll feel the expansion. The peace. The love.

Thank you so much, Natalie, for being with us today. It’s great to be with you.

Natalie Namaste: This has been so, so special. Thank you, David.