personal healing practices

with coach and teacher Susanna Nicholson

PROCESS: Regular contact, at your chosen frequency, is useful at the start. In the first meeting, we get familiar with each other, discuss priorities for practice, and map out some ideal outcomes. Then I offer a practice and health plan, in written form. Over a few months, we discuss a follow-up plan to help you develop better health and mastery in contemplative practice. (Vedic chant is another traditional healing offering which I'm happy to share with interested students). Then we follow up on your preferred schedule, weekly, monthly or bi-annually.

TRAINING IN BRIEF: I am certified by Duke Integrative Health as a professional coach, a Certified Teacher in mindfulness meditation through UC Berekely's Greater Good Science Center, as a Certified Yoga Therapist by International Association of Yoga Therapists including my training through respected teachers such as Paul Harvey as well as other Krishnamacharya lineage educational foundations. This signifies @1000 hours in traditional-style, closely supervised yoga teacher training over and above 500hr YA teaching certification. I also hold a Level I Somatic Experiencing credential; and certification in compassion-based practices from Nalanda Institute for contemplative psychotherapy.

CURRENT and BACKGROUND :

I currently support clients' lifestyle and behavior change at Mindful Living Space, a private therapy center in Kingston NY. I also teach meditation at Tibet House in NYC.

With the support of Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, I opened the first independent meditation/yoga center inside a Virginia medical center. With a team of clinicians, I also designed and taught the hospital's meditation/yoga program for women's health, cardiac and cancer care.

RESUME/CV HERE

REFLECTING ON FRIENDSHIP, FELLOW-FEELING or "MAITRI"I"

At the heart of contemplative practice, is the question of clarity, of freedom, of presence to the life within us and to life in the world. In this social and environmental crisis, we're called to heal our own suffering within the context of our social and ecological responsibility, and through a developing warmheartedness toward others and ourselves. Also, potentially, we aspire to improve ourselves as part of a project of collective, global, and planetary well-being.

From a spiritual perspective, it's good to heal ourselves and also help our fellow beings live with joy .... so all our minds can settle with a sense of safety, so that we ourselves cultivate gratitude for one other, and move forward with mutual love and respect on a path of awakening. Then, with a clear mind and compassionate heart, we can attend to whatever our common culture and humanity calls us to do, individually and together.

“Mindfulness must be engaged. Once we see that something needs to be done, we must take action. Seeing and action go together. Otherwise, what is the point in seeing?”

– Thich Nhat Hanh

There is no concept of social justice as such in ancient meditation traditions. But there is a drive and aspiration to relieve the suffering of everyday life, especially socially conditioned harm, and to help develop wisdom and compassion in every context possible.