Tuning into your sensations can reveal unmet needs and guide you toward greater clarity, authenticity, and balance.
When you commit to your authenticity and well-being, the path can be bumpy. But holding space for yourself, just as you are, is well worth the trouble. It’s the only way to truly offer yourself and your gifts to the world with clarity, honesty, and integrity.

When we attempt to give of ourselves from a place of unmet needs or unconscious reactivity, we risk falling into patterns of covert extraction, expecting unspoken reciprocity for our efforts. We may find that our interactions leave us feeling hollow, or out of sync. The only way to avoid this is to get real about where we are (metaphorically), what we require, and what we can offer. This is authenticity, and authenticity calls for radical clarity. Although it may feel more acceptable to give attention to how we serve, it is only once we recognize our own needs in these dynamics that we can fully harmonize our intent with our actions in the world. 

But, how do we figure out what those needs are in the first place?

The key to illuminating our needs often lies in mindfully observing our feelings and sensations. Attuned to those cues, they become rich sources of information. Like a trail of breadcrumbs, they point us on the path home to our deepest needs. 

We all learn differently, so feel free to read more about this week's practice below and/or enjoy this quick video guide.

Feelings as Signals, Not Commands

Many of us automatically (and a bit mindlessly) immediately act based on what we "feel." However, feelings and sensations aren’t orders; they’re signals of our needs and values. Feelings and sensations say, “Hey, look here!” Negative sensations and feelings communicate a threat to, or perhaps neglect of, our needs. Our comfortable and pleasurable emotions signal to us that, at some level, needs are being met. 

Of course, it's all a bit more complex than this simple explanation, with many interwoven layers of experience and interpretation. There are times, too, when immediate reactivity is called for instead of thoughtful investigation. However, this doesn’t change the immense value derived from the regular practice of paying attention to our present-moment experience and seeking to understand the deeper layers attached to it.

Our human needs are largely universal and non-negotiable. If ignored, they’ll find expression in unconscious ways, often causing dissonance in our lives. Seeking authenticity means getting curious, exploring what lies beneath our auto-pilot reactions, and honoring our core needs with intention, clarity, and compassion.

One Mindful Minute Practice: Finding Center

This practice combines somatic movement, breathwork, and mindful observation to help you reconnect with your center.

1. Find a Comfortable Position: Sit or stand with your back supported against a wall. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.

2. Begin with Breath: Take slow, intentional breaths. Notice any sensations or emotions that arise without judgment, then return to the breath.

3. Add Exploration of Gentle Spinal Movements:

   • Flexion and Extension- Letting your breath lead the movement, explore inhaling to extend the spine, and exhaling to curl into flexion. Repeat for several rounds. Notice the sensations and feelings that arise.

   • Rotation- Inhale to center, exhale, and rotate gently to one side. Inhale back to the center and exhale to the other side. Repeat as feels good to you. Again, feel and notice.

4. Transition to Stillness: When you are ready, return to a neutral position. Observe the sensations and emotions present in your body.

5. If Overwhelmed: If your body sensations, thoughts, memories, or emotions become overwhelming, return to simple breath awareness. Re-orient yourself to the sensation of the ground beneath you and, opening your eyes, notice the details of the room you are in.

6. Closing: Place a hand over your heart, offering yourself and all beings compassion.

Reflection: After you finish, consider journaling. Recall the sensations and emotions that arose in your practice. What needs or values might your feelings and sensations have been pointing toward?

To support your practice, I’ve included a link for a free downloadable reference sheet of universal feelings/sensations, needs, and values.

 Download

May you stay centered, compassionate, and authentically aligned.

With Love,
Nichole 

Upcoming Offerings

Silks + Sound + Reiki - Moonlit Serenade

Embrace Your Inner Light

Jan. 17th, 6:30-8:30 pm $49

Sigh and sway beneath the symbolic glow of a full moon.

This workshop combines gentle somatic movement in the silks with soothing sound baths and Reiki energy. Be enveloped in a serene, moonlit environment cradled by soft candlelight, meditative chanting, and hypnotic Northern Lights projections. Invite deep reflection, renewal, and energetic alignment for the New Year.

Here’s what awaits you:

• Somatic Movement with Yoga Silks 
• Crystal Bowl Sound Bath and Chanting
• Reiki and Relaxation Massage 
• Soothing Multi-Sensory Journey 
  
  

The New Year's Revolution Workshop

Lead Your Life With Clarity, Power, Self-Trust, and LOVE
February 9,  11 am - 1 pm  $55

🔥 Sovereignty Begins Within. Align, Embody, and Thrive in 2025. 🔥

The New Year’s Revolution Workshop isn’t about setting resolutions you’ll forget by February. It’s about reclaiming your power, connecting with your inner wisdom, and aligning your actions with what truly matters to your spirit.

Join me for a transformational 2-hour experience where you'll break free from external validation, leadership, and goal-chasing and learn how to step into the year ahead with clarity, power, self-trust, and love.

💥 What to Expect:
✨ Somatic Embodiment Practices to ground and awaken your body’s wisdom.
✨ Guided Reflective Workshopping to uncover your personal patterns and truths.
✨ Tools for Tapping Into Your Intuition and aligning your actions to move forward with purpose and efficacy.

🌿 Create Your Personalized "Sovereignty Map" 🌿
A powerful take-home tool to help you:
✅ Identify your core values.
✅ Recognize your intuitive signals.
✅ Map out aligned actions for the year ahead.

This isn’t just about what you want to achieve—it’s about who you are and how you want to show up.

➡️ Reserve your spot today and step into 2025 with confidence, connection, and deep personal alignment.

More Than a Certification... A Movement.

Join us in February for our 250-hour Yoga Teacher Plus+ Training! 

Are you ready to live authentically, embrace your purpose, and sustainably offer your unique gifts? Are you ready to stop waiting for others to save you and instead be the change? The Embodiment Academy invites you to join us on a collective journey of transformation that goes far beyond traditional yoga teacher training and includes 11 high-quality, professional certifications to empower you as a leader, healer, and changemaker... in your own life and in the world!

Learn More