Letting go of fear to learn to fly with Natalia Subiri
From the streets of London to the yoga mat, the story of Natalia Subiri is an inspiring tale of courage and reinvention. For years she lived in the urban, vibrant, alternative, magnetic British capital, but inside her something began to resonate differently: a deep desire to reconnect with her roots, her body, and her truth.
That search—returning to listening to our intuition—reminds us that sometimes life asks us to fly: to fly light, to release fear, and to trust.
In this interview, Natalia invites us into her world—her brave decisions, her vulnerability… and her light. Together we talk about what it means to dare, to fly, to fall… and to rise again.
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Natalia, when you were in London you didn’t want to leave, but there came a moment when you felt you needed a change. What was it like to take that leap, and why did you decide to do it?
I think it was an accumulation of signs. I’d been in London for years, but I felt a deep nostalgia to come back home—to be close to the people who matter most to me in my family. In the end I decided to take the step. I returned to Spain with few expectations, but with the determination to face new challenges. Sometimes you need to confront discomfort and accept uncertainty. Today I’m very happy I made that leap. I feel it was what my intuition was asking of me: to reconnect with my roots, my family, and myself.
Sometimes you need to confront discomfort and accept uncertainty
Practice yoga with Natalia Subiri at @movement_with_nat
Speaking of intuition—how did you first come to acroyoga? Do you remember the moment you flew for the first time?
Yes—at first it started as a game. But little by little I began going to more classes and seeing how far people could go. I was fascinated watching people fly over others, through yoga and acrobatics.
It wasn’t easy at first. Entering acroyoga groups can be intimidating: you think you might not fit in, that you’re in the way, that everyone else is better… you have to face your own insecurities.
But something in me told me to keep going. And slowly, without realizing it, my life became acro, acro, acro… everything revolved around it. I fell in love with that feeling of flying—of trusting, of sharing. It became a very important part of who I am.
That feeling of flying completely captured me.
You have many artistic interests. Do you think your artistic path influences the way you understand and practice yoga? Do you find in yoga a form of creative expression?
Yes, definitely. For me, yoga is also an art of the body in motion. I believe all forms of art are connected. Yoga is very creative, very inspiring. I’ve always been curious to develop things that carry my essence: painting, moving, expressing myself.
Art has always been a refuge—a safe place. And I feel yoga connects completely with that space. It’s creative, inspiring, free. I think everything in my life has been connecting: art, movement, the way I relate to the world and to my own body.
What has it meant to you to be part of an acroyoga community?
For me, community is everything. Feeling part of a group where I can be myself, where we share a common passion, feels truly beautiful. Acroyoga lets you reconnect with what’s playful, with your inner child—with the part of you that wants to play, fly, laugh, get messy, make mistakes without fear.
In class I see doctors, engineers—people with “serious” lives—who suddenly become kids again. That’s wonderful. I love transmitting that energy: let’s play, let’s take off the adult mask, let’s have fun.
And above all, creating a space where people feel safe, supported, included. Because in acroyoga there is always trust: you trust the other person, you trust your body, you trust the process.
In acroyoga there are certain gender roles: man as the base, woman as the flyer. You’ve chosen to break with that. What has that process been like for you?
I’ve always liked flying, because I see it as delicate, acrobatic, feminine. But I started trying as a base, and I realized I could do that too. People would tell me, “You can’t be a base because you’re a woman.” And I’d think: well, I’m going to do it anyway. It’s not about brute strength, but about technique—understanding how your body works, biomechanics, balance.
I’ve been both base and flyer, and that has given me a lot of empathy, a lot of understanding—and above all, a lot of freedom. I hate being told I can’t do something. I prefer to try and discover it for myself. I think removing roles is essential—not only in acroyoga, but in society in general—and helping each person discover themselves, feel that they belong, and have fun regardless of gender, age, or ability.
I think removing roles is essential—not only in acroyoga, but in society in general
Follow Natalia Subiri on Instagram @nsubiri
In your acroyoga classes, what do you try most to transmit to your students?
First, creating community and trust. For me, belonging to a group like that is fundamental: it makes every practice shared. It doesn’t matter who you are—we all share the same passion. In my classes I also emphasize the importance of having fun and letting go of adult seriousness. I want people to become a bit like children again—flying without shame. Leaving behind strict adult roles and recovering that innocence of jumping into the air and trusting someone else.
You can play and express yourself exactly as you are. I work to make my students feel safe and supported. I want them to know it’s okay to laugh at themselves, to explore without pressure. Let’s have fun—take off the mask and let everything go.
I also share the idea of not staying stuck in a “I can’t.” I hate when someone tells you what you aren’t capable of. I’d rather my students try and find out for themselves. If a student doesn’t believe they can do something, I encourage them: “Why not? Let’s try—and adapt it.” Acroyoga is for everyone.
I want people to become a bit like children again—to fly without shame
Speaking of empowerment: do you feel your path in yoga has prepared you to commit to social and environmental causes you care about? How do your values influence your practice?
Absolutely. Yoga has helped me open my eyes to injustice and the lack of empathy in the world. Sometimes we stay in our bubble, disconnected. Personally, I can’t stand by with my arms crossed in the face of what’s happening.
Yoga taught me to be aware: if I see something that feels unjust—even if it’s small—I’ll act within what I can. It hurts me that there are people who seem insensitive to others’ suffering, because we live very disconnected lives.
That’s why I believe yoga’s teachings (love, compassion, awareness) push me to fight for equality and justice. I understand that standing up for the causes I care about is also part of living yoga: it’s defending, with strength, what we believe is right. If through my practice I can inspire others to act with love and courage, then it’s already contributing something truly valuable.
Yoga’s teachings […] push me to fight for equality and justice
Many of your acroyoga gatherings have been outdoors—in parks or even in the jungle. How does nature influence your practice and your life?
I love that contrast: I’m very urban but also very rural. I come from the north of Madrid, with a family that has always been very connected to the countryside and the mountains. For me it’s essential to find those natural spaces where I can recharge. I need to escape the city at least a few days each month: go to the mountains, to the river, travel… that puts me back in contact with my essence.
Nature nourishes and recharges me. When I’m walking in a forest or sitting watching a sunset, I feel I return to my roots and get filled with creative energy. I think that in the lifestyle we live, we sometimes forget what’s essential. Being in nature reminds me to live with less, to be mindful of the impact of our actions. We should all have that connection: it makes us more empathetic toward the environment and toward each other.
Nature inspires humility and wonder in me: it reminds me we’re part of something bigger, and that we need to live with respect for the Earth.
We’re part of something bigger, and we need to live with respect for the Earth.
To finish: what is most important to you, and what message have your loved ones (for example, your grandmother) left you to inspire you to be who you are today?
And speaking of love—my grandmother was the most important person I’ve had. She passed away recently, but she taught me an immense lesson: the most important thing is love. She always did everything with her heart; she gave without holding back. She used to say she had generosity to spare, and she was happy helping others. I think I inherited that, in part.
She achieved her greatest wish: leaving this world knowing she had given everything of herself. My great learning is that: to keep giving love, even when it hurts or when things don’t turn out the way I want. To always do everything with my heart.
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This interview isn’t only about acrobatics or yoga—it’s about something much deeper: the courage to listen to yourself and act accordingly. Natalia’s journey is a reminder that the body holds enormous wisdom: it knows when it’s time to hold, and when it’s time to fly.
Natalia’s story is also a tribute to those who taught us how to love—and a call to transmit that love in everything we do: in our practice, in social struggle, in caring for the planet, and in the way we inhabit our bodies.
Because choosing to fly isn’t only about rising—it’s choosing to live with an open heart, choosing to trust, and choosing to return to yourself, again and again. Thank you, Natalia, for reminding us that freedom begins by letting go of fear and flying—flying high, very high!.
