Exclusive Interview with Danielle Maggraff: World Leader in Somatic Healing & Transformation
Best Holistic Life Magazine: Danielle, can you share what inspired you to start your journey in the
healing arts, somatic therapy and healing your relationship with money?
Danielle Maggraf: Yes! After experiencing childhood trauma at 13, I was always drawn to the healing
arts—anything body/mind. I found myself searching for meaning and looking for signs. In 2011, I
found myself in the midst of a divorce with two babies under two years old. I was educated (Master’s
degree) and did everything I was ‘supposed’ to do. I consider myself a ‘master manifestor,’ but as I
manifested food stamps, multiple car repossessions, a failed marriage, and eventually homelessness, I
realized that no matter what I “did,” I always seemed to be spinning in self-doubt and low
self-esteem, which always resulted in poverty. It was like some invisible programming was running,
but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Money always seemed to be the result of me operating from this
trauma and drama that kept me spinning the same results over and over, no matter how much
mindset work or manifesting work I did. So, the journey began of understanding how money was
connected to my own mind/body/subconscious and how to heal it. I remember standing in the
hallway of my parents’ retirement home, over 800 miles away from anyone or anything I knew, and
having this lightning bolt moment—I thought and decided in that moment, “This ends with me.” I was
referring to the low self-worth and shame that I carried, which kept me spinning in poverty and pain,
and I refused to pass it down to my babies.
Best Holistic Life Magazine: Your story includes pivotal moments of profound transformation. How did
these experiences shape your approach to coaching and healing?
Danielle Maggraf: I believe that we are all organized exactly as we needed to be to survive. Nothing is
wrong with us! We don’t need to break down barriers and chisel away blocks within ourselves to get
where we want to go. This kind of thinking reinforces the idea that something is wrong with us—that
another person can heal us and knows better than we do. This is our shame, the belief that “something is
wrong with me.” I carried that for a very long time. The truth is that we are perfectly wired for exactly
what we need at the time. That wiring may no longer work to get us where we want to go, so we
require learning a new way that feels safe in our bodies while supporting our success. I see everyone in
their power and I am only a guide to help point out patterns and wires that may have gotten crossed in
their past. When we repair these wires, we can actually create entirely new ways of moving in the world.
We see ourselves and the world differently, and we then have the space to make great changes with who
we are, not what we do
Best Holistic Life Magazine: What does leading with devotion rather than duty mean to you, and how do
you incorporate this philosophy into your work?
Danielle Maggraf: Most of the women that I work with come from patterns and paradigms of “should,”
“being the good girl,” and “have to’s.” Their identity, voice, and power were never really theirs to begin
with, so they have operated from a place of duty and are supposed to’s. We are sold this idea that if we do
everything “right,” we will have success and pleasure. Unfortunately, most of these women only feel
overwhelmed, confused, and burned out when they arrive at this elusive place of ‘getting there’—house,
kids, career, etc. The joy, happiness, and pleasure are missing. The first question is, “What’s wrong with
me?!” This activates a feeling of shame, which we then have to hide because society says I should be
grateful, not dissatisfied! Being in devotion means reclaiming and restoring the very foundation of who
we are and how we operate in our body, business, and life. It’s rejecting anything that degrades our
divinity and wholeness and using our own inner GPS of feelings, intuitions, and nudges of desire to lead
and choose.
Best Holistic Life Magazine: Can you elaborate on the concept of turning daily operations into sacred
rituals?
Danielle Maggraf: Yes! I’ve never been big on systems, schedules, or daily operations, and I know
that those are all ways to improve effectiveness and efficiency toward success. I like to weave all of
myself into every part of my business so that it is a true reflection of me, not a diluted version saved
for when I get on stage or get featured on a cover. Every part of my business is a sacred ritual infused
with the devotion and energy of the magic and momentum of receiving and creating. When I have
my weekly team meeting, for instance, it’s not a box I check; it’s an opportunity to collaborate and
create, brainstorm, intuit, and imagine while ensuring we are operating at the highest service for all
involved. It becomes an opportunity to BE with all the joy of the service we are providing and the
community we are cultivating, which can be felt by my clients and beyond. It’s an energetic standard,
and it is felt by everyone in my community.
Best Holistic Life Magazine: How did your personal struggles with financial hardship influence your
perspective on wealth and abundance?
Danielle Maggraf: This is a big question! In short, it has influenced EVERYTHING! Every part of my
thinking, feeling, and perspective is marked by the contrast of what was. When I finally understood that
money is my teacher, and that it is as much a sacred tool as any other medium. Everything changed. I
realized that I projected my emotional debt, which included unworthiness and deep shame, onto money,
resulting in a lack of money, poverty, and never feeling enough. I not only had to work on myself to stop
operating from these wounds, but I also had to learn to access my own wisdom and practice deep faith. I
once heard a story about blind faith, which is the faith most people have when they aren’t being called to
stretch into the unknown—when their lives aren’t at risk, and when they aren’t faced with the actual
death of ego or their very lives. True faith is trusting in the unknown no matter what. When it comes to
money, most people ride the collective wave of despair and money depression. They preach or teach
abundance or desperately want to believe in abundance being available to all of us but don’t embody or
practice it. I remember thinking if I succeed as a young single mom and use my faith to completely trust
and devote my life to Spirit, it will be enough proof for people to believe—because if I can do it, anyone
can do it. And that’s what I have done and continue to do.
Best Holistic Life Magazine: You emphasize the importance of creating space for success and growth.
Can you explain how this principle applies to both personal and professional life?
Danielle Maggraf: Oooooo, I love this question. All things magical and mystical happen when we
create space. Your body has so much information to share with you, but it is only at rest that we can
receive it. There is so much power in prioritizing rest and space for daydreaming, imagination, and
being in the vision of the life you desire to create. When you work out a muscle, it doesn’t get
stronger in the action; it gets stronger in the rest, in the in-between. We are trained to not allow time
or space for the in-between, and we become machines pumping out content for results.
Results-driven production is not a success. Rest, receiving, and creating a life from the space, knowing
you deserve to rest is how you reclaim your power for prosperity, and that is how you have the
capacity to grow beyond your wildest dreams.
Best Holistic Life Magazine: What role does somatic therapy play in your practice, and how did it
contribute to your healing journey?
Danielle Maggraf: I had done manifesting and mindset and money work for years, and I would have
these spells of success followed by months or years of nothing. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing
wrong. It was when I was at my lowest point that I remembered a quote I had heard a million times
before by Napoleon Hill: “Opportunity comes from temporary misfortune and defeat.” Well, I can tell you
that sleeping on my massage table because I was homeless was definitely misfortune and definitely
defeat, so if Hill was right, then there had to be an opportunity present if I could only just see it. I
remember that night I found words that matched what I was feeling—safety, fight/flight, polyvagal
theory, trauma—and I had this awakening throughout my entire body. THIS was the missing piece after
years of energy work, shamanic journeys, healing sessions, therapy, and group therapy. I felt I had found
the missing puzzle piece. Within 24 hours, I was enrolled in a certification program, and it has changed
my life, my business, my body, and my money! By not retelling the story, which is what I did for many,
many years in traditional talk therapy, I was able to allow my body to tell the story through sensations,
visions, colors, temperature, and emotions. It was absolutely incredible. It expanded my consciousness of
being! In mindset work, we’re often taught to chase our thoughts and control them—that always proved
so challenging for me and my clients agree!
Best Holistic Life Magazine: How do you help your clients activate their wealth energy and transform
their inner wisdom into external success?
Danielle Maggraf: My singular job and purpose with my clients is to have them be so aligned with their
own voices—the voices of Soul, Body, and Mind—that they can distinguish which is which and be able to
make decisions and take action from the part of them that will get them the result they desire. Most
women have given away their power, identity, and voice in exchange for safety. Undoing that
conditioning and those paradigms takes time, but it is not about giving them more information to
consume. It is about guiding them inward into their own wisdom, which will bring about limitless wealth.
When you take action based on fear, supposed to’s, or shoulds, it comes from a place of focus on the end
result—for most, this is money. I redirect and help recalibrate and reorganize them to tap into their
subconscious so they focus on the process, not the end result. By doing this, they are able to give
themselves permission for more pleasure, which creates a high vibration and allows them to be open
enough to RECEIVE more.
Best Holistic Life Magazine: You mention a vision of past life as a high priestess. How has this influenced
your work and spiritual practices?
Danielle Maggraf: This is a really wild story! When my daughter was 9 months old (over 15 years ago), I
was invited by my then-therapist to have a shamanic journey session as I was in the deep end of my
healing journey at the time. It was a pretty cool session, and one of the visions he saw was me as a High
Priestess hiding in a dark cave with my baby as all the townspeople searched to kill both me and my
baby. I had run many temples as a Priestess (a female priest) and would facilitate these safe and sacred
spaces for women to gather in the mystery of the sacred feminine. I took the experience with a grain of
salt. In 2014, I decided to become certified as a Women’s Group Facilitator in the lineage of The Red
Tent.
I ran many successful women’s circles for many years, never giving that shamanic session a
thought. In 2021, I was introduced to a woman who does Akashic records. I was drawn to have a session
with her. As we settled into my first session, she “opened the record” and started to share what she
saw—me as a High Priestess in a cave hiding for my life with my baby! She shared so much more on my
teachings of helping women to create wealth, prosperity, and more riches through the sacred feminine!
These two practitioners and the sessions are on opposite coasts and were over a decade apart. I now
accept and embody my role as a modern-day Priestess as part of my own lineage and purpose in this
lifetime!
Best Holistic Life Magazine: Fashion seems to be a significant aspect of your life. How do you integrate
your love for fashion into your holistic practice?
Danielle Maggraf: Ha! I love fashion! Most people don’t know this, but I was going to go to FIT in NYC
and changed my mind at the last minute. I think it was because I was intimidated and went the “safe
route” instead. Honestly, for many years, I have worked on my insides. Now, especially having just
turned 50 this year, I feel it’s time to have my outsides match my insides! It’s fun and playful and brings
me so much joy to look and feel good in clothes that represent me inside and out—so essentially, it’s
what I do with my clients but with fashion! We are here (on this planet) to find joy and play in it, and it
gets to look like whatever we want it to! Fashion, for me, is the transmission and 3D equivalent of
radiance, fun, creative design, play, and expression.
Sometimes we throw on a crown for a photoshoot
and it’s way over the top and goddess-like. Other times, I’m in black lace and can feel my inner fiery
goddess Kali ignite! Fashion is a way to be fully expressed. If you’ve ever watched “Who Wore It Best,”
or the “Worst Dressed List,” you know that people have an opinion. To be able to fully embody your
inner wild woman and wear her proudly, fully self-expressed in clothes, garments, and accessories, is
to be BOLDLY self-expressed out loud. It’s a reclamation of sorts, but instead of carrying a picket sign, I
adorn myself in sequins, glitter, and gold!
Best Holistic Life Magazine: What advice would you give to someone feeling stuck and overwhelmed by
societal pressures and ‘shoulds’?
Danielle Maggraf: Ah, the million-dollar question. We will always rub up against pressure when it is
coming from outside of us. Think of the word “pressure.” Someone else’s ideas and beliefs are pressing
on you, and your body is saying something else—maybe your body is a hell no, or maybe your body is
uncomfortable. There is a sense of, “If I don’t do it, I won’t be safe.” This is an underlying feeling for so
many! I say your body does not speak in maybes! So, the answer is in your body! You need to learn her
language. This will enable you to gain the skills to listen and take action based on your truth, not
someone else’s old beliefs.
If you operate from old trauma or drama, you are operating either from a
way that you have learned will keep you safe or from a story that has become a big part of your own
self-image that is probably not even your authentic self. It’s time to un-school yourself from what is yours
and what is another’s. You can begin to meditate to still the mind and body, walk in nature to move
through thoughts that need processing, or seek out a skilled somatic therapist or coach who can help
teach you the difference of your own voices so you know what’s coming from within you and what’s
being pressed on you.
Best Holistic Life Magazine: How has your journey through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
impacted your career and coaching methods?
Danielle Maggraf: Oh gosh, that feels like a lifetime ago! IIN was my introduction to coaching. I
sold my wedding rings, and because Spirit has a great sense of humor, I received the exact
amount of money I needed to pay for that certification. I didn’t know what coaching was, but
everything about it resonated through my body. It was like I had come home to a part of myself,
and it felt like PURPOSE! Like this is it! Obviously, I drifted a long way from talking about
nutrition and health, but I credit IIN for opening up a door to a world that has literally changed
my life and the lives of my children, not to mention the thousands of women I have worked with
over the years. I had done so well in that first year that I was asked to come back to teach in
their extended master’s course. I was a recurring teacher for years. It was an honor and a sign I
was on the right track!
Best Holistic Life Magazine: You speak about the superpower of hoop earrings. Can you share more
about this unique belief and its significance to you?
Danielle Maggraf: So much juicy fun in the history of hoops! Hoop earrings actually date back to
originating in Africa, although the oldest pair was found in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) among the
Sumerians. For some civilizations, they were intended to protect the wearer. Hoops represent status,
wealth, and spirituality. I’ve always worn hoops, always loved hoops, and for whatever reason, they make
me feel at home in myself. Maybe I have past life ties to wearing them, but all I know is hoops make
everything better! You can wear sweats, throw on a pair of hoops, and look amazing!
Best Holistic Life Magazine: As a leader in your field, what future goals or projects are you excited to
pursue?
Danielle Maggraf: I am excited to share that my first book will be coming out in September
2025—this has been a long time coming. I have been working on it for years and we finally have an
official date! My future goals include relaunching a product line that had to be put on the back
burner a few years ago, which will actually support deep embodiment to help integrate the very
feelings we all want to feel—prosperous, wealthy, fulfilled, calm, safe, and grounded in deep trust
within our own wisdom. I have been traveling to speak on so many stages, and it feels so amazing to
be asked! I would love to do more of that! I also have a deep desire to start a non-profit for single
mothers. They are the least funded and most impoverished demographic, and they are raising our
future generations. This has been a long-time dream, and I am excited to make it a reality.
- Connect with Danielle Marggraf:
- Read more from VIP Executive Contributor Danielle Marggraf.