Offerings
Ways to engage through private guidance, ongoing practice, and immersive retreats.
Private Sessions
EMDR Mentoring with Nichola
It is helpful to have guides on our spiritual journey. Nichola has walked the path of inquiry, study and devotion. Trained as an Ayurvedic Practitioner, an EMDR Coach, (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a psychotherapy for addressing trauma and negative patterns), and as a Pastoral Care minister, she weaves these modalities together with practicality to gently guide you on your path of wellbeing.
$50 per session
One complimentary session per year with Garden of Self Expression Annual Membership
Personalized Practice Set with Siddhi
A personalized set designed for you.
With Siddhi's decades of experience and strong intuition, she knows how to create a personalized set to help reach your goals. A 21 day commitment of self practice is required.
All sessions will be arranged and paid directly to Siddhi.
$100 Personalized Practice Set with Siddhi (consists of 2 sessions)
One personalized practice set per year included with Garden of Self Expression Annual Membership
Contact Siddhi directly for details and registration
Group Gatherings
Bridging The Gap &
Saturday Morning Women's Sangha
Saturday Mornings: 7:45am - 8:45am PT Online
Do join us for Saturday morning Bridging The Gap & Women’s Morning Sangha.
We will begin gathering collectively and promptly at 7:45am for the discourse of the day followed by group discussion on the discourse topic. Meant to Bridge the Gap between theory and practice in our personal lives, this additional time on Saturday mornings is for sharing and reflecting in real time.
Following the discourse and discussion, our Saturday Morning Sangha practices begin. The sangha, a global community of women who meet weekly online and throughout the year at in-person retreats, uses the Saturday morning gathering to challenge mental constructs, move the body gently, activate the breath, and utilize mudra and mantra practices.
Open and welcoming to all women, all ages, drop in and explore what it means to live from a place of consciousness, compassion, creativity and friendship.
$15 per session (drop-in)
Free with Garden of Self Expression Annual Membership
Members are automatically added and receive the Zoom link 1 hour before each gathering. Non-members may join by completing a one-time registration below to receive the Zoom link. Shared Wisdom will invoice $15 per session attended.
I Am Presence
March Spring Equinox - Autumn Equinox with Nichola
12 sessions - 1 hour each
All sessions recorded
A Six month journey into the practice of Self Awareness and Presence
with Nichola. There is a rhythm to the practice and embodiment of self awareness. It begins as a discipline and blossoms into a being-ness. This state of being-ness gives rise to Personal Liberation. There are no adequate words to describe Liberation. Liberation releases one from the talons of fear, judgment, and untruth. It is the ultimate state of personal freedom. We will gather online twice monthly for guidance, discussion, and micro practices.
This course is full
Embodying Shakti
Autumn Equinox 2026 - 2027 with Nichola
Embodying Shakti means waking up the primal, dynamic, and sacred feminine energy within your body and daily life. It is the living pulse behind all creation, emotion, intuition, and transformation. Rather than seeking power outside yourself, embodiment is the active recognition of the vital force already moving through your breath, movement, and presence.
It can be advantageous to use a guide to locate unmarked territory. Over centuries cultures have utilized deity devotion, symbols, rituals and sadhana as portals into the mystery of Shakti.
Our group will be a very small gathering of devotees with the aim to activate, integrate, and intensify Shakti within their heart. We will travel this path together over the year, installing and anchoring Shakti through several modalities of devotion across cultures.
We will begin our monthly Zoom calls with a short communal Puja, which you will incorporate into your daily practice. Following the puja we will delve into practices to activate and strengthen our experience of Shakti as well as exploration for the historical attitudes and embodiment of Shakti throughout diverse cultures, finishing the gathering with individual sharing/observations, if inspired to do so.
This is an experiential process not intellectual.
We will begin on the Autumn Equinox in September 2026 and continue until the same in 2027. This year-long practice is the foundation for stepping into this internal orientation.
This offering is full
I Am Presence and Embodying Shakti are currently full. If you’re interested in participating in a future offering, please share your information below and select the course that interests you.
Metta Meditation
Join us on Monday mornings from 7:30-8am for a guided heart-centered meditation practice. Based on the Buddhist meditation of Metta or Loving Kindness, this practice encourages us to cultivate love and compassion for ourselves, for one another, and for the wider world.
At a time when heart intelligence is essential, this practice offers a grounding pause at the start of the week—inviting presence, connection, and care to ripple outward.
Led in rotation by five of our Teacher/Sangha Network Mentors.
Open to All — No Charge
Garden of Self Expression members will be automatically added and receive the Zoom link 1 hour before each gathering.
All others register onetime for weekly zoom links below.
Inform & Inspire
Six books each year, shared in thoughtful conversation.
A book is a device to ignite the imagination. In our book group, the solitary act of reading becomes a shared experience as we gather to reflect, observe, and discuss together. We read six books a year to inspire and inform.
As we read, we share musings and book observations as well as timing and Zoom links for our gatherings on our What’s App group.
Our current selection:
Whistler by Ann Patchett
Open to All — No Charge
To join our book club and receive communications, use the WhatsApp group link below.
Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation
A 21-Day Practice for Brain Health & Inner Clarity with Siddhi Ma
2026 Dates TBA
Throughout the day, our minds work tirelessly—thinking, planning, creating, remembering, and responding at a pace unprecedented in human history. It’s no wonder that stress, mental overwhelm, and cognitive fatigue have become so common. Our brains carry so much for us, and they thrive when given moments of intentional rest and renewal.
Dates TBA
To be notified when the next series is scheduled, please contact Siddhi
Mary Oliver Inspiration
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
— Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver's poetry gently calls us back to what matters most: presence, wonder, and the sacredness of everyday life. Her words encourage us to listen deeply, embrace the beauty around us, and live with greater awareness and gratitude.
Join our WhatsApp group for near-daily Mary Oliver inspirations and reflections.
Retreats & Pilgrimages
Details such as the schedule, preparation information, and what to bring will be emailed to registered participants prior to the retreats.
The Quiet Authority of Experience
1 Day Regional Retreat for Women:
— June 6th, 2026, 9am-4pm @ Center for Spiritual Living, Tahoe, CA
— August 8th, 2026 @ Yoga Loft, Palo Alto, CA
There is a form of authority that does not push, prove, or perform. It is born of experience—lived, reflected upon, and integrated. It arises quietly, from having lived fully, loved deeply, lost honestly, and allowing life to shape wisdom. As the years of active caretaking and outer striving soften, many women find themselves at a threshold. Roles fall away. Time opens. A deeper question emerges: How do I now stand in my life?
This retreat invites women to consciously inhabit the Quiet Authority of Experience—the natural authority that emerges as wisdom, discernment, compassion, and presence.
Exploration/Movement/Breathwork/Revelation
What We Will Explore:
• Experience as a source of authority and trust
• The difference between knowledge and embodied wisdom
• Mentoring as offering rather than instruction
• Guiding without fixing, rescuing, or self-erasure
• Compassion grounded in discernment and self-respect
• Vitality as Presence and Aliveness
Full day retreat / Lunch included
$300 per event
OR $270 for The Garden of Self Expression Membership
Register by date and location
AUGUST 8TH - PALO ALTO, CA
The Quiet Way Back To Wholeness
This is not simply a day away.
It is an invitation to come home to yourself.
If something in you is saying yes, listen.
Reserve your place and give yourself one precious day to pause, receive, and rediscover the quiet way back to wholeness.
1 Day Regional Healing Retreat for Women:
Saturday, December 12th, 2026 - Pescadero, CA
When Trust Becomes Healing
What becomes possible when you no longer have to hold everything together?
Trust is one of the foundations of a life fully lived. It allows us to soften, to receive, to love, to listen inwardly—and to meet ourselves and our lives with greater openness. Trust can become a doorway to healing.
This one-day retreat is an invitation to step away from the demands of everyday life and enter a space of stillness, connection, exploration, and renewal.
With the Pacific Ocean as our backdrop, we will spend a full day exploring the many dimensions of TRUST—through body, mind, spirit, movement, ritual, reflection, and deeply personal healing work.
Come as you are.
Bring what is asking to be seen, felt, released, or renewed.
And give yourself permission to receive.
A Day Created For You
This intimate retreat is intentionally limited to seven participants, creating space for meaningful connection, individual attention, and a deeply personal experience.
Throughout the day, you will participate in group movement, ritual, reflection, and exploration of trust—alongside three private healing sessions, each offering a different doorway into greater awareness and wholeness.
Your Private Healing Sessions
TAROT & INTUITIVE GUIDANCE · Mary
Mary’s journey with tarot began as a young adult, inspired by her mother, who read tea leaves. When Mary received her first tarot deck, she immediately felt a deep resonance with it and with her continuing spiritual journey.
For more than 30 years, she has experienced tarot as a powerful yet gentle tool for looking more deeply into the questions and circumstances of our lives. Her readings are not about predicting the future. Rather, they offer perspective, insight, and guidance—inviting you to understand your experiences with greater awareness and self-compassion.
BODYWORK · Jake
Jake’s passion for bodywork began at a young age through receiving healing work from members of his family, who eventually passed their techniques on to him. His approach focuses on creating greater symmetry and harmony within the body and its relationship to gravity. Through specific techniques, he works with posture, fascia, muscular tension, and adhesions to support greater ease and alignment. Jake also brings his love of therapeutic massage into his work, creating sessions that are both deeply restorative and beautifully relaxing.
SOUND & VIBRATIONAL HEALING · Lydia Hwang
Lydia works with sound and vibrational modalities including Aura_soma color therapy and flower essences to support the recalibration of body, mind, and spirit. Each session begins with an intuitive exploration of the etheric, emotional, and mental energy fields, followed by a personalized treatment with tuning forks and sound journey along with color and flower essences guided around your individual needs. Her work invites you into a space of deep listening, subtle awareness, and energetic renewal—supporting the release of stagnant patterns and the restoration of balance.
In-Between Sessions
Together, we will explore:
-
What does it mean to truly trust ourselves?
-
Where in our lives have we stopped trusting?
-
What happens in the body when we feel safe enough to soften?
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Can trust be restored after disappointment, loss, or betrayal?
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How might trust transform the way we meet ourselves, others, and life?
Through movement, meditation, ritual, conversation, silence, and personal healing, we will create a space where something within you can become quieter—and perhaps something deeper can finally be heard.
Your Day Includes
A full day of retreat · Group practices & ritual · Lunch · Three private healing sessions · Time for reflection & connection · The beauty and spaciousness of the Pacific coast
Open to all women.
Space is intentionally limited to 7 participants.
Investment
$1100 or 10% discount for Members of The Garden of Self Expression (select during registration)
Retreats
Cyprus Meets Istanbul & Rumi's Konya
Stepping Out of Familiarity
Meeting Myself in the Unknown
2027 Annual Shared Wisdom Pilgrimage
In the Footsteps of Rumi
This journey will take us from Cyprus to Istanbul and Konya, in the footsteps of Rumi. Come not only as a seeker of the sacred, but as a pilgrim willing to step beyond the familiar and discover yourself anew.
Our journey begins in Cyprus, immersed in the wisdom of Mother Earth, Sacred Sea, and Majestic Mountain. From there, we travel to Istanbul and Konya, the home of Rumi and the annual Mystic Music Festival.
Together, we will explore sacred sites, experience the richness of Turkish culture, and deepen our connection to ourselves, one another, and the wisdom traditions that continue to inspire seekers around the world.
Mid-September 2027
Limited to 9 Women
Join our Retreat Updates List to receive announcements, dates, and registration information.
EMDR Mentoring with Nichola
It is helpful to have guides on our spiritual journey. Nichola has walked the path of inquiry, study and devotion. Trained as an Ayurvedic Practitioner, an EMDR Coach, (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a psychotherapy for addressing trauma and negative patterns), and as a Pastoral Care minister, she weaves these modalities together with practicality to gently guide you on your path of wellbeing.
$50 per session
Retreats & Pilgrimages
Details such as the schedule, preparation information, and what to bring will be emailed to registered participants prior to the retreats.
The Quiet Authority of Experience
1 Day Regional Retreat for Women:
— June 6th, 2026 @ Center for Spiritual Living, Tahoe, CA
— August 8th, 2026 @ Yoga Loft, Palo Alto, CA
There is a form of authority that does not push, prove, or perform. It is born of experience—lived, reflected upon, and integrated. It arises quietly, from having lived fully, loved deeply, lost honestly, and allowing life to shape wisdom. As the years of active caretaking and outer striving soften, many women find themselves at a threshold. Roles fall away. Time opens. A deeper question emerges: How do I now stand in my life?
This retreat invites women to consciously inhabit the Quiet Authority of Experience—the natural authority that emerges as wisdom, discernment, compassion, and presence.
Exploration/Movement/Breathwork/Revelation
What We Will Explore:
• Experience as a source of authority and trust
• The difference between knowledge and embodied wisdom
• Mentoring as offering rather than instruction
• Guiding without fixing, rescuing, or self-erasure
• Compassion grounded in discernment and self-respect
• Vitality as Presence and Aliveness
Full day retreat / Lunch included
$300 per event
OR $270 for The Garden of Self Expression Membership
Register by date and location
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