Speaker Biography

 Natalie Chandra Saunders, BA(Hons), LicAc is a writer, translator, and educator specialising in the fields of acupuncture and East Asian medicine. After completing her secondary education, she began work as a pharmacy technician, gaining a National Vocational Qualification in Pharmacy Services and a solid understanding of biomedicine. However, she quickly became disillusioned with the pharmaceutical industry and decided to pursue a more holistic career. She enrolled at the College of Traditional Acupuncture in her hometown of Leamington Spa, UK, graduating with an honours degree in Traditional Acupuncture in 2007. Natalie set up her practice in Birmingham, concurrently working as a volunteer acupuncturist for Freshwinds, a charity offering therapies to people living with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses. Between 2011 and 2014, she also acted as Regional Group Coordinator (West Midlands) for the British Acupuncture Council. In 2012, Natalie won a scholarship to study traditional Chinese medicine at Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine in Harbin, China. During her studies, she fell in love with Chinese culture and in 2014 she returned to the country on a more long-term basis. She lived in the northern coastal city of Dalian for over two years, self-studying herbal medicine, dietary therapy, and Mandarin. It was during this period that she discovered her passion for writing and completed her first book, The Qi of Tea, a treatise on the history and use of tea in traditional Chinese medicine. On returning to the UK, she began working closely with Katherine Berry at TreatingWomen.com, and the concept for Menopause: A Comprehensive Guide for Practitioners was born. Natalie has a special interest in menopause and healthy ageing, particularly the concept of yangsheng, or “nourishing life.” She currently lives in rural Wales where she works as a freelance writer and menopause coach, offering in-person and online consultations to people around the world.