Thinking, Naturally with somatic depth coach & artist Antonia Dolhaine | Personal evolution based on principles of nature

An essayistic conversation between Rachelle and Antonia

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I met Antonia via Instagram, where her work first caught my eye—because it is very, very good. From the subject matter she handles to the eloquence with which she articulates it, to the beautiful visuals—not to mention her taste in fashion and music, which is fab—when encountering her “content” I was always struck by that little spark that says, This is special. While we could have interviewed Antonia, as we’ve been doing with others we admire here, I wanted something more in-depth, longer, more intimate, and that’s because what I wanted most of all was to talk more with Antonia.

So, we decided to begin a conversation in essay-ish form. It’s something between an interview and a pen-pal-ish exchange wherein we have been dialoging in writing. (She’s also an excellent writer, which you’ll see below.) The medium has proved perfect for showcasing her way of thinking, and it’s been a pleasure for me to mind-meld with someone of such great insight.

This is part one of a series that will continue as long as it does. I know you’ll enjoy our journey into the depths of body and nature, mental and psychic, heart and beyond.

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Meet Antonia Dolhaine

Antonia Dolhaine is a somatic depth coach based in Vancouver, Canada (and writes the Substack

SpaceUnknown

). She specializes in supporting high-performing creatives and entrepreneurs to cultivate profound personal, professional, and relational fulfillment by harmonizing their relationships to their inner and outer worlds. Her work draws on her creative background as a performing artist with the likes of Cirque du Soleil, extensive clinical supervision and training in the fields of somatics, depth psychology, and Internal Family Systems, as well as the organic intelligence of the natural world. Insatiably curious and a life-long learner, Antonia’s commitment is to walk, if not dance, her talk.

Our prompt: Nature is the ultimate designer: eliminating personal, professional, and relational friction and supporting evolution by aligning with the foundational organizing principles of the universe (fractals, spirals, symmetries, and waves) instead of working against them (aligning with decay).

Antonia: Hello! I’m thrilled to delve deeper into the topics of Nature and plant wisdom with you. As a herbalist, you primarily work with plant wisdom on a literal, material level with your clients, while I work with it on a more subtle level in my depth coaching practice. There’s often a misconception, especially among ambitious, action-oriented individuals, that living by Nature’s principles means sacrificing their momentum. However, I haven’t found this to be true at all. In my personal and professional experience, designing our lives according to the foundational organizing patterns of the Universe actually increases momentum. It’s the attempt to override Nature’s rhythms that creates inefficiencies and friction, slowing us down. As an ambitious do-er yourself, I’m curious about your thoughts and experiences on this.