Eclosion: The Moment I Begin to Fly
How a tiny Santa Monica studio & hair braids became the cocoon where I healed, unraveled, and remembered who I really am.
The other day on my way to work, I was listening to a podcast episode where physicist Dr. Theresa Bullard described the 7 Steps of Alchemy in the Personal Transformation Process. She used a metaphor of a caterpillar going through the chrysalis stage—when the butterfly is just about to leave the cocoon—and honestly? I’d say I’m there right now.
From Skull Saws to Soul Work
My academic journey kicked off with an epiphany at 21, inside a coronary center, studying the musculoskeletal system in my Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy class. There was an autopsy happening to the left of us, and—of course, in true Natasha fashion—I broke the rules and went to watch.
I witnessed something few people outside the biomedical world ever do: a woman using giant machinery to saw open a man’s skull to examine his brain. When the skull cap came off, she reached in and gently lifted the brain into her hands.
She just… held it.
The entire universe of this man was in her hands.
I was starstruck, dude.
I turned to my instructor, John, and said, “I WANT TO DO THAT.”
And John, unfazed, said, “Well, you’ll have to go to medical school.”
And I replied, “Okay. I will. Watch me.”
So I enrolled in community college the following spring, and my obsession with the human body officially began.
Seven Years, One Big Question
For the next seven years, I studied as a pre-med Human Biology major— learning the human body down to the anatomical, biochemical, and physiological blueprint. Every organ. Every muscle. Every function of everything in the body.
During COVID, my first year at USC, I was memorizing every molecular structure in the Krebs cycle. I could tell you which micronutrients were absorbed where, what enzymes broke down what. Later, at UCLA in their accelerated 1% MECN program, advanced pathophysiology felt like a weekly firehose of information. But honestly? Nothing topped Dr. Donvan’s Muscle Physiology course back in my junior year at USC. That class was pure academic trauma (in a good way?).
After finishing all the coursework needed to become a glorified drug dealer in the healthcare system, I sat there thinking:
Is this really it?
Is this all there is to understanding the human body?
It couldn’t be.
It isn’t.
Exit Stage Left
So what did I do?
I stuck it to the man, said “smell ya later losers”, and made my dramatic exit from UCLA. Not to rebel—but to truly understand the human body.
At first, I thought I knew enough to open a wellness center in East LA. I wanted to offer underserved communities access to pain relief and knowledge on how to live with less suffering.
But the universe was like:
“Nah bro. Your ego’s still too big. You’ve got lessons to learn.”
And OMG, did the rollercoaster begin. (Still on it, btw.)
Books, Breakdowns & The Big Reframe
I took a big step back from the crowd and turned inward.
I read hundreds of books. Took niche courses. Sat with mentors. Explored other cultural perspectives on healing and the body. I experimented.
And what I learned?
Western medicine is wildly outdated.
They hand students a rigid framework and call it "health." But behind the scenes, it’s slow, reductive, and honestly? A little embarrassing.
I’m working on curating Natashafascia’s Book List Collection (needs a spicier name), but here are a few titles that changed how I see the body—and existence itself:
Power vs. Force (and more) by Dr. David Hawkins
This man’s work should be mandatory in any serious bio-science program. I’ve read four of his books: Power vs. Force, The Eye of the I, Healing & Recovery, and The Discovery of the Presence of God. I’m currently working through Letting Go. There are no words strong enough to explain how much these books shifted me.
The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot
Holy moly guacamole.
This book blew Dr. Joe Dispenza’s work out of the water. The research citations alone sent me on a PubMed rabbit hole—and yes, the science checks out. It’s just not taught in our institutions because... drugs = money = capitalism, amirite?
Seth Speaks by Jane Roberts
This one has a soft spot in my heart. Maybe because someone special recommended it, maybe because it’s an actual channeled text in book form. Either way, it cracked my worldview wide open.
The Science Girl Who Dipped Into Woo
Beyond books, I did something very un-Natashafascia and dipped my toe into astrology and numerology. If you knew me pre-2023, you’d know I was a hardcore "science-is-king" kinda girl.
But wow—I’m glad I opened my mind.
I got readings from two highly sought-after professionals, and the veil was lifted. They read me like a damn book. Not in a vague, generalized way—but in a “holy shit, how do you know that?” kind of way.
Numerology especially gave me something I didn’t expect: hope.
It helped me remember who I am. Not who the world told me to be—but Natasha, at her soul level.
And more importantly, how I’m meant to help others who feel lost in theirs.
Welcome to My Eclosion
So here I am, sitting in my chaotic Santa Monica studio, surrounded by half-packed boxes, typing this between apartment tours.
This tiny space became my cocoon— a place where I unraveled, deconstructed, and slowly pieced myself back together. A sanctuary where I cried, prayed, studied, screamed, danced, journaled, healed, and found my voice again, alone. Without an audience.
It became my refuge—a sacred space where I began healing from the pain of my upbringing: the pain, the dysfunction, the poverty, the chaos, the silence, and the stories I once believed defined me. But now, I’m preparing to leave—not out of fear, but because something bigger is calling.
I am entering my Eclosion Phase—the moment the butterfly emerges from the cocoon.
A rebirth. A return. A remembering.
And no—I’m not Natasha Teresa Skidmore anymore.
I am Natasha Teresa Skymore.
It’s time for me to stretch my wings and practice flying now—just like the little, funkedylic butterfly I’ve become.