Author Archives: Nicole

So You want to be tough You want to be rebellious You want to be a badass Then show your heart to everyone … EVERYONE Here’s to a calm, enlivened and love-filled 2016. Warmly, Nicole Passion. Peace. Purpose.

Start close in… to yourself Leave it to the exquisite David Whyte to capture in poetry what one of the central goals of my work as a somatic psychotherapist is. He says you have got to listen and follow your own voice first in order to not get entangled with someone else’s… well, everything. People come to me to explore and rewire their felt sense of themselves and the way they think. Often their rough ideas about who they are and the corresponding “body state” is completely gunked up by external factors (people, technology, traffic). Start to clear the pathway … Continued

What it means to be human: “Flawed and Fabulous” This poem by author Courtney Walsh made my day sparkle. May it brighten yours. Dear Human: You’ve got it all wrong. You didn’t come here to master unconditional love. That is where you came from and where you’ll return. You came here to learn personal love. Universal love. Messy love. Sweaty love. Crazy love. Broken love. Whole love. Infused with divinity. Lived through the grace of stumbling. Demonstrated through the beauty of…messing up. Often. You didn’t come here to be perfect. You already are. You came here to be gorgeously human. … Continued

Discovering the Greatest Within Your Own Life in Order to Find the Greatest All Around You During my years as a newspaper photojournalist each day was one great picture hunt after another. This was particularly true when the news was scarce, and it was up to our department to scour the neighborhoods for interesting and meaningful visual moments. Each one of the staff members had a idea of what greatness looked like visually, and strove to capture this on film – yes this was before the digital age. We each had unique visions, but had one common goal: to inspire … Continued

Experiencing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary What do a bunch of dogs sniffing each others’ butts and the poem Mindful by Mary Oliver have in common? Oliver’s poem is all about paying attention to and being moved by the small, perhaps, quiet occurrences of every day life. And, dogs? Well, they appear to me as the grand masters of mindfulness, and taking in the ordinary as absolutely extraordinary. Take the photograph of these hounds relishing in the common and important experience of sniffing each others’ butts. Add onto that the photographer’s (that would be me) moment of delight in watching … Continued

Discovering Hidden Treasure The following gem of a poem by author Derek Walcott literally fell out of a folder that I was going through in a mission to declutter my filing cabinet. I couldn’t help but smile as I read it, recalling how earlier on that same day, I had placed a tiny replica of a treasure chest next to the chair in which I begin my sessions with clients as a somatic psychotherapist.

Look Towards The Future Rather Than The Past How is it that a simple text message, sent by a good friend and containing a wise quote can crack open a dark mood like when a cute dog sits on your feet? Well, maybe it’s not quite as good as a the weight of a chubby black lab pup, but one of the things that I enjoy most about modern technology (i.e. the smart phone) is the choices it provides me to quickly resource and regulate my nervous system when life bonks me over the head unexpectedly. This gem from the … Continued

The Healing Power of Play I do not think I have ever refused an invitation when the opportunity to engage in some good old-fashioned play is up for grabs. Take the above moment between Arlo the dog, a grandmaster of play, and myself hanging upside down from a swing. Many of my clients are so busy keeping their heads above water on a daily basis, that they lose touch with the impact of what just five solid minutes of play can have on the body, mind and spirit. One of my roles (and personal super powers) is to remind them … Continued

Standing In Any One Place For Too Long For those of you who are fans of rocker Nick Cave, here is a phrase from his song Jesus of the Moon that gave me a moment for pause this morning: ‘Cause people often talk about being scared of change But for me I’m more afraid of things staying the same ‘Cause the game is never won By standing in any one place for too long And, this amazing musician is playing live at the Warfield in San Francisco tonight, and tomorrow night. Check him out, and ROCK ON. Warmly, Nicole Passion. … Continued

Keeping The Channel Open Inspired by my yearly ritual of seeing the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater (a must see if you are asking me), enjoy these wise words for the day by renowned American modern dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham. “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action. and because there is only one you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good … Continued