Meet Nicole Reavy | Mindfulness-Based, Body-Centered, Transpersonal Psychotherapist, Evolutionary Astrologer and Mixed Media Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Reavy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, how do you think about risk?
I would not be were I am without risk taking. I have learned that risk taking and growth are friends. This is one of the primary ingredients to beginning anything new. Risk is necessary to continue to grow in every area of life and career. It is scary and unknown to move forward with things that we have never done before. If you are truly living, then risk is a natural part of being alive. It does require a certain level of trust in yourself. Trusting your instincts and acting on them is a powerful practice. How else does one gain courage? I have learned that fear usually arises when in the company of risk. This does not necessarily mean not to take action. Sometimes, it means just the opposite. It might be telling you to feel the fear and take the leap anyway!

I took the risk of beginning Maitri Healing Arts back in 2014. This was uncomfortable, especially to my mind. I kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong. I had to keep re-connecting to my body and direct experience to continue on my entrepreneurial path. There were a lot of unknowns at that time. The company has grown tremendously in the last decade. This has required ongoing risk taking to expand and grow.

Some of the major risks in life and career that I have taken are as follows; I left my home town, Salt Lake City, to move to Colorado to study contemplative psychology at Naropa University. I did this as a single parent with two young sons. I worked full-time and went to school full-time. I did not know anyone in Colorado and this made the risk even more intense. This was terrifying, and has provided immense opportunities that I would have never imagined! The second most impactful risk was, going back to Naropa to get my master’s degree in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling. I was going through a divorce and working on my master’s degree at the same time. My divorce was complete two days before I graduated. This was a dream come true to finally be a therapist. This was something that I had wanted since I was a teenager. The risks that I am taking now are; writing my first book on theory, research and practices related to how to deepen and improve your connection with your body, integrating astrology and psychology as an evolutionary astrologer and sharing my mixed media art in the world.
I hope that you can find risks that feed your soul’s path and make you feel more alive. May my journey inspire you to take your own leaps into your more aligned life! One of my favorite quotes by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe is, “Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.”

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Maitri Healing Arts was inspired by my education at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Maitri means self-compassion or unconditional friendliness toward yourself. This is the core foundation of my company. It is built on the fundamental practice of self-love and supporting others in this journey. I am proud that this is the root intention for my company. Inspiring clients through somatic therapy, parts-work, mindfulness, EMDR, Evolutionary Astrological counseling and mixed-media art is a great honor. I also offer embodiment groups for women. These are beautiful opportunities to heal in community, deepen your connection with own body and align your life to what you truly want.

It was incredibly challenging to get to where I am today. It required tenacity, discipline, self-companionship, support from others, being dynamic, receptive and a deep internal vision. The vision often felt like my soul pulling my body forward. I overcame these challenges by facing into them, taking one step at a time and cultivating self-compassion. Sometimes, it was literally asking myself what is the next best step. When I was not clear, then I would integrate a pause until I was. I learned not to act in moments where there was not clarity and to act when the clarity arose.

There is a quote by Lucille Ball, “You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world”. This is the message of my brand. It begins with cultivating a friendship with yourself and allowing that to be your foundation. How we treat others is how we treat ourselves. When we practice self-companionship we become kinder to ourselves and we can listen and honor what is true moment-to-moment. This invites a deeper connection with your body, feelings, emotions and an alignment to what you truly want in your life. If we begin to go toward ourselves and what is alive moment-to-moment, we can begin to understand what we need and want to step more fully into our lives.

My invitation is to inspire you to cultivate a friendship with yourself and your body. I invite you to move toward what is uncomfortable and welcome it with curiosity. This can be scary! It takes courage to face into what we avoid. When we do, we can find freedom and liberation. Our minds will tell us different, however, our direct experience will offer us more presence and peace. Remember, that if you are more in your body, you are going to be more present. Your body is wherever it is and the mind can be many places. When you connect with your body, you will naturally be more connected to yourself. This will open the possibility for improved connections with others. Trust me, it is worth the risk! Be kind to yourself and remember this is a practice.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would eat at Uchi in Denver and explore the Denver Art Museum. We would enjoy a concert at Red Rocks and savor the night sky. If it was during open studios, then we would go meet local artists and enjoy various art mediums together. We would also have a spa day at Dragon Tree. After our spa day we would enjoy a lovely dinner at Guard and Grace. We would do some shopping at Ruby Janes, Soul Shine, HR Meininger and Perfect Petal. We would enjoy a picnic at Washington Park and play some frisbee. We would enjoy a hike at Chautauqua and savor a delightful sushi dinner at Japango in Boulder.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My father has always been supportive and believed in me. He was the one that told me that, “I could be anything that I wanted to be”, since I was a young child. When I pursued my Master’s Degree in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Psychotherapy, he was so proud! He continued to remind me to bring balance to my life by also doing my art. He felt that would bring a sense of healing and integration into my life. This has inspired me to do my art work and to bring it out into the world. It is very powerful to have at least one healthy parent, mentor, friend or teacher. It makes a major difference in being able to believe in yourself and move forward with your gifts and talents. I will be forever grateful to my father.

I also want to give a shout out to Naropa University. I would not be the person I am today without my contemplative education, mindfulness community and my peers and mentors. My meditation teacher that has influenced me the most is Dale Asrael. She lives what she teaches and has had a profound impact on my life and how I relate to myself. When I began my journey at Naropa, I committed to my meditation practice on a whole new level. I would not be the person I am today without this experience. It has supported me in the cultivation of a daily meditation practice and increased kindness toward myself and others. This is a gift that keeps on giving.

I also want to acknowledge that books have always made a positive impact on my life. I discovered astrology when I was eleven years old and it has been a incredible support for understanding the cosmos, archetypes and the journey of life. The teacher that has influenced me the most is, Evolutionary Astrologer, Steven Forrest. It is an honor to have such an incredible teacher on the planet. I am so fortunate to be able to learn from him and to to serve my clients in a way that helps them cultivate increased self-awareness and self-compassion.

Website: https://maitrihealingarts.com

Instagram: maitri_healing_art

Facebook: maitrihealingarts

Image Credits
Rain and Jewel