Meet the Founders of Natura
Embark on a whimsical journey where herbal magic meets everyday wonders. Nestled in the heart of Amherst, NH, we are more than just a store—we are a community sanctuary dedicated to your health and well-being. Allow us to introduce ourselves: we are Jon and Nancy Mitchell, the passionate duo behind this herbal wonderland. We both grew up in the region and have a deep love for the local communities we serve.
-
Nancy Mitchell, our spirited founder and store manager, embarked on her natural products journey in the mid-90s. Armed with the wisdom of a Reiki Master Teacher and the passion of an amateur herbalist, Nancy ventured to sunny California, where she thrived as a Natural Living Manager for Wild Oats Markets. She was a part of a team that opened two large stores for the chain. It was here where she dove deep into the world of herbs, nutritional supplements, and holistic health. From herbalism to Ayurveda, Nancy’s path has been enriched by inspiring connections and endless learning.
After spreading her wings in California, Nancy returned to the East Coast, bringing her expertise to Vermont’s Healthy Living Market. She wore many hats as a member of the management team, all while nurturing her passion for helping others. Her journey continued, after the birth of her daughter, as she took a different path that allowed her more time to be a mom. She earned an M.Ed. and Waldorf Teaching Certification and spent a couple decades serving families and young children in the area while taking breaks to continue in the natural products industry as a natural products broker, a Bioenergetic Health Coach, and, most recently, as an integral team member at a natural pharmacy on the NH Seacoast.
Today, Nancy is completing her training as a Clinical Herbalist and she channels her extensive experience into Natura. With a heart full of passion and a vision to inspire, she is the guardian of all realms at Natura curating a beautiful collection of high-quality natural products and gifts. She strives to cultivate an atmosphere that is soothing to the senses and nourishing to the body, mind, and spirit.
nancy@naturarealms.com
-
Jon Mitchell, co-owner and behind the scenes financial wizard. Although he holds a full-time position with another company, he spends nights and weekends split between managing our books and doing property improvement videos on his tractor. His love for spreadsheets comes close to rivaling his love for his fire pit and his beautiful gardens.
Together, we are a dynamic duo dedicated to creating a holistic and enriching shopping experience for you. At Natura, we blend our love for natural health with our commitment to community, offering you a unique space to explore, learn, and thrive. Come visit us! We can’t wait to share our sanctuary of botanical delights with you!
jon@naturarealms.com
Aleksa
-
Meet Aleksa, our Brand Strategist and Sanctum Guardian here at Natura. She offers 1-on-1 Quantum healing sessions and spreads her magic in our store through social media and retail styling.
Aleksa is a gifted Quantum healer and guide for women who are ready to return to their truth, clear the noise, and live in deep alignment with their soul’s original rhythm.
Her work is born from the space between worlds—between sound and silence, between what’s visible and what’s hidden. She moves through the subtle layers of the emotional, physical, energetic, and spiritual body with profound precision—not to fix what’s broken, but to gently draw out what has long been buried and guide it back into remembrance.
Aleksa is a mirror for the soul—reflecting the unspoken, the sacred, and the long-forgotten. She listens beyond the words. She hears the echoes. And from that hollow, she weaves back truth.
As the founder of Sovereign Spirit, she offers a sanctuary for those ready to reclaim their power, restore their body’s wisdom, and walk with embodied clarity. Her presence is both grounding and catalytic—activating healing that is immediate, soul-led, and lasting.
She is also the creator of Temple + Thread, a lifestyle brand born from ancestral wisdom, where she handcrafts and sells nourishing tallow products that support elemental living and body reverence.
Her gift is not in adding more, but in helping you shed what was never yours, so the essence of who you are can rise—clear, whole, and sovereign.
aleksa@naturarealms.com
Koren
-
As a young girl, growing up in the woods of Maine, Koren Wentworth knew she was meant to help others heal. When other kids were making mud pies, she was grinding plants with rocks and making “plant medicines”. She always had an innate knowing that the Earth provides the medicine for people's ills. As an adult, Koren has dedicated much of her time to learning nutrition, herbalism, and energy healing.
Koren graduated from the American College of Healthcare Sciences with a degree in holistic nutrition with a specialization in herbalism. Prior to that she became certified through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition as a holistic health coach and received her Reiki Master-Teacher certification. She then went on to become a Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist®.
Koren started her journey with Natura because of her love for helping people find lasting wellness. In the store, she enjoys helping customers and hearing their stories. In her consultations, she believes that healing is a lifelong journey that requires patience and gentleness. She holds space for her clients and teaches them how to bring health and balance back into their lives through nutrition, stress reduction, exercise and other modalities. Teaching her clients the tools they need so they can continue to heal themselves for years to come.
In her free time, Koren enjoys gardening, crocheting, plant identification and wildcrafting, hiking, bush crafting, basket weaving, and spending time with her husband, two children, and three cats.
koren@naturarealms.com
Madeleine
-
Madeleine is an intuitive wellness guide, Reiki Master, and yoga teacher with a passion for helping women reconnect with their body’s natural wisdom. Her wellness journey began with a deep love of movement, leading her to complete her 200-hour yoga certification in 2017. Since then, she’s been guiding students on the mat and exploring how intentional living can bring more balance and ease to daily life.
Her path expanded into energy work with Reiki Master training, where she witnessed the body’s innate ability to heal when given the right space and support. In 2022, Madeleine became a certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, with additional training in detoxification and hormone health. Having navigated her own challenges with restrictive diets and hormone imbalances, she knows firsthand the power of nourishment and the importance of listening to the body’s unique rhythms.
In 2024, she founded Wholistic Ritual, a space where health coaching, Reiki, and yoga come together to support healing on every level. Through this work, Madeleine helps clients create sustainable rituals, reconnect with themselves, and cultivate balance in body, mind, and spirit.
Alongside her private practice, she serves as Assistant Store Manager at Natura Apothecary, where she’s grateful to support the community in discovering natural, holistic ways of caring for themselves. Whether she’s guiding a yoga class, holding space for a reiki session, or coaching someone through a wellness reset, Madeleine’s approach is intuitive, supportive, and grounded in the belief that we are all our own greatest healers.
madeleine@naturarealms.com