We recently connected with Nicole Martel and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, thanks for joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

A significant defining moment in my life that affected the trajectory of my career was more in the beginning regarding my education choices. I was in my early 20’s (I’m 52 now), and it relates to the sudden loss of my brother and best friend. It speaks to the mysterious, and strange alchemy that can occur when we experience challenges. There is a transformation and a redirect possible, which can turn lead into gold.

A bit of back story… things were pretty rocky for us growing up. Without going into details, I will simply say that “survival mode” and coping was what I knew to get by. I learned early on that it wasn’t safe to be myself, so I looked for cues and followed my parents’ expectations of how to be. I lost myself, and simply thought I was a “nice” person because I expressed through people pleasing and fawning for approval and to fit in. I didn’t realize at the time that these were trauma responses to compensate for not feeling safe or enough.
My parents said that worry and discipline were their ways to show love, so I received a lot of messaging that said “life was dangerous, and you had to work hard and perform well to survive, be loved, and accepted”. Needless to say, I lived with a lot of fear, and it didn’t feel safe to live from my heart.

All that said, I was blessed with an amazing brother who was by my side as we navigated our interesting up-bringing. We loved and supported one another and thankfully I have many happy memories with him. We were 13 months apart in age and many people thought we were twins when we were young. He was a light in the darkness, and showed me that laughter, play, and love were possible even during challenging times. We had each other’s backs and even though we were different, we were very close. He grew up to be a man of courage, heart, kindness, honesty, and radical authenticity. I was proud of him, and in awe of how he showed up in life even with all the challenges he faced.

Unfortunately, his life was cut short due to a car accident. He was 21, I was 22 at the time. When he passed, I unraveled and spiraled into depression. For about a year, I barely coped and went through the motions of life. However, losing him rattled my “cage” in a new way, and after a while something so deep within me shook free. I saw things differently. Life was short, and I wasn’t going to waste it. It was like my brother had left me a gift of his courage and free-spiritedness. I realized that I had a say in how I wanted my life to go. This was where I began to learn that everything begins and changes with a choice, and then taking a different action.
So, I took a break from college, and travelled through Southeast Asia for a couple months. When I returned, I changed my major from what my dad had talked me into studying to Counseling Psychology because I wanted greater understanding of how we operate in this human experience. This was the beginning of new doors opening to many explorations, discoveries, and opportunities both personally and for my career. I slowly but surely began to express my heart and experience who I was, how it felt to be free to be me, and the honor of holding space for others to do the same for themselves.

Losing my brother was a defining moment, because he gave me the opportunity to find myself. So much grace came from that experience, even though it was one of the most difficult things I have ever gone through. It opened me up to Life more fully, and how I view and experience our precious time here on this planet. I discovered the power of choice from honoring what felt true for me, and allowed my heartfelt curiosity to guide my way. Forgiveness, trust, healing, authenticity, compassion, passion, purpose, love, and a sense of freedom are all golden elements that came into the forefront for me, and I consciously tend to them every day.
I have had many other “defining moments” along my journey, but this one helps me remember to be open and receptive to the grace and gifts that are possible when we least expect them.
I can’t image what my life would be like if I hadn’t changed majors in college. I am truly grateful for the alchemy that occurred during this heavy, “lead-filled” experience of grief, loss, and despair, that because I gave myself the space to listen, rest, heal, explore, and BE, the transformation of a greater loving truth and path became possible. The real gold nuggets in life!

Nicole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As far as my background and training, I hold a B.A. and M.A. in Counseling and Spiritual Psychology, and I am a trained Life and Wellness Coach, Trauma Resolution Specialist, Holistic Health Practitioner, Certified Transformational Breathwork Facilitator, Reiki Master, Certified Yoga Teacher, and Certified Laughter Yoga Leader. I also teach various forms of meditation, and work with people to clear the doubts or challenges they feel they have around being able to truly meditate and enjoy the grace and benefits of a meditation practice in their lives.

I am a perpetual student of life, and I am fascinated by all the intricate nuances that create and affect our development and experiences.

A keystone of my work work is to support and guide people into healthy emotional integration and nervous system regulation, optimizing overall well-being. Fostering a safe, relaxed space, and compassionately exploring together what feels right for them through various modalities, processes, somatic practices, and nature connection.

I am the Founder of HappiNature and for more than twenty years I have worked with clients in wellness centers, clinics, businesses, and corporations offering individual and group sessions, classes and programs. ‘

What I am grateful for in what I offer people is how comprehensively and holistically we can work, addressing so many essential aspects for greater overall well-being on many levels. We come to better understand and integrate the intersections of our physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects, and can directly experience an exquisite harmonization that is nourishing the wholeness of our life experience. They all weave together to create this synergy where life can flow more easily.

And permeating it all, there is an innate, loving intelligence, our True Nature, that is alive within us that we can learn to tune into, which guides and supports us in powerful ways.
At the heart of it, we are remembering how to belong to ourselves again.

I find that in our modern world it’s easy for us to lose the experience of our true selves and to know and live from our healthy, natural rhythms. We are pulled by our “to-do’ lists, obligations, habits, and numerous distractions that tend to exhaust us, so we fall prey to coping mechanisms to keep our heads above water. Given the amount of stress we are all under, our nervous systems become easily dis-regulated, and most people don’t know how to regulate their system from the “flight/fight/freeze/fawn” state back to the parasympathetic state of “rest and digest”. Some of us, me included, were born dis-regulated due to early trauma, and go years being so accustomed to the sympathetic state of flight/fight that we don’t even realize we are living under the hormones of stress continually. We may think it’s “normal”, and even find a comfort in its familiarity, which is why it can be a tender process to build capacity for a greater sense of peace and liberation in our bodies. For years, I was doing many wonderful healing and calming processes, but if my nervous system couldn’t regulate, I wasn’t able to receive the full benefit of these modalities.
Therefore, I have a healthy respect, and my heart goes out to people because I understand what it’s like to be sincerely making the effort to heal and live in healthy ways yet wasn’t experiencing the benefits I had hoped for. Therefore, I like to teach people early on how to tell if their nervous systems are dis-regulated, and how to bring themselves back into a state of balance and regulation. It is often a process, as it was for me, but it can be a game changer.

It’s the same with our breath patterns. We can learn and practice all of these great breathing techniques, but if we are operating with certain subconscious, restricted breath patterns we are spinning our wheels and not receiving what we need from our own breath, let alone anything we do to feel better or enhance our lives. This is why when I work with people, I like to start by building a foundation of support so that they are able to receive genuine and deep benefits from our sessions and their lives. Therefore, early on in working together I usually do a Breath Analysis, which tells us so much of what a person is dealing with and how best to support them. As my breath mentor, Judith Kravitz states: “As your breath flows, so your life goes.”

Additionally, a specific heart passion of mine I love to share with people that has been so transformative for both me and my clients is nature connection. We are nature, and so re-establishing our awareness and connection of our true nature and the rhythms of the natural world are the most fundamental and important elements when it comes to being fully healthy, happy, and fulfilled on a deep level. Our nervous systems are already wired with the circuitry for nature connection, so when we consciously spend time in nature we synchronize with a level of innate well-being and experience of wholeness that can’t be found anywhere else. I love sharing simple, fun, and effective nature connection practices that can easily be incorporated into peoples’ lives. Through these practices, you can deepen your sensory and intuitive awareness and experience, creating true peace and a thriving nature.
These practices are different than just going for a walk or working out in nature. Cultivating a level of conscious presence and attunement is what makes all the difference in our state of being. Even scientific research is catching up and showing that nature connection is essential for greater health, nervous system regulation, clarity, calm, deeper sleep, creativity, and feeling grounded and free.

This has also led to a shift in my focus for my business, where I have expanded to include supporting people that are experiencing eco-anxiety, eco-stress, eco-grief, and/or solastalgia given what we are witnessing on our planet. This is a very personal experience for me as well, for I have also been navigating how to “be” with our current eco-challenges in healthy, honoring, and beneficial ways. I have a deep empathy and reverence for these experiences, and find the journey is unique for each of us. It is multi-faceted and dynamic. It is both a tending to our inner landscape, as well as an outer tending through various actions and ways of being. Subtle activism can also be a sacred path for healing and alchemy that contributes both to our own well-being and agency as well as the wellbeing of all life on Earth. It can feel like a “coming home” on a very deep, full level. In addition, I have found that healing within community makes all the difference. I had done a great deal of personal healing work in this regard, but sharing and being seen and held within a loving community was incredibly vulnerable, yet profoundly powerful in ways like no other. When we feel ready, sharing within a circle of other hearts who also care deeply is a potent opportunity for healing and transformation for us and the collective.

There are many shifts that have taken place for me when it comes to this “eco-dance” of these intense times. There is healing, transformation, and awakening that are possible for those of us who are feeling the pain of our planet. Everyone is feeling it in their own way, yet we can share in how we care for ourselves and one another. That said, I have discovered that “PAIN” can be a “Powerful Awakening Invitation Now” for those of us who feel ready for a new path and a New Earth. The distress we feel within the chaos of these times can be mitigated if we realize that it may be a part of a natural process of shifting from one dimension to another. The choices we make determine our experience. Even surrounded by despair and confusion, a strange opportunity is opening. It is possible to ride the waves of change through these periods with humor, grace, growth, and extraordinary compassion, and love. The power to do this does not come from the outside. It comes from the inside, yet we can trust we already have what we need.

A willingness to change perspectives can make all the difference. For example, the shift from the urgency of “saving the Earth” to cooperating and collaborating with her in authentic and sincere ways. It’s a huge shift in distinction that moves from a sense of burn-out to a more nurturing and nourishing way of being, both inside and out. Yet, the timelines that feel respectful and honoring of our experience are very unique to each person’s growth and path.

Thankfully, along this journey, I have discovered, learned, and experienced numerous possibilities and opportunities for support, healing, agency, freedom, connection, communion, inspiration, and empowerment. Whether it be inward processes, tree & bird sits, movement in nature, art through nature, energy practices, and countless others, there is magic within the natural world just waiting to guide us if we are patient, present, and open. I am excited to be able to share more fully all that has been a blessing in my life and for others.

That said, when I work with people, we address fundamental key elements that are often contributing to any struggle, suffering or challenge, establishing a baseline for well-being that can then expand and grow. Ironically, everything in our life can be utilized in a way that it fosters our transformation and healing as opposed to thwarting it. Through our sessions we embark on a grand adventure, which can be very liberating and rewarding when we are willing to open ourselves up to new possibilities. This process can be positive, playful, and powerful. We already are what we are looking for, and so it can be an opportunity to bring to life our true nature and heart’s deepest callings and grace.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

If you had asked me this question years ago, I would say “no”, I would not have chosen this same profession. Given my love for animals and nature, there was a time that I questioned my choice, wondering if I should have gone into wildlife biology, forestry, botany, etc… A field more directly linked with nature that I thought honored my desire to truly connect and contribute to the harmony, health, and well being of the natural world. For much of my life I have been an environmentalist, and an advocate for nature and the earth, and so I wanted my career to be in service to our amazing planet we all call home.

Don’t get me wrong, I love working with my fellow humans, yet for a long while, before it was an actual term, I was feeling nature deprived, or what they now call Nature Deficit Disorder. I didn’t even realize that’s what it was, I simply felt like something was off or missing. I wanted deeper and greater connection, and I wanted to serve the nature and wildlife that I loved so dearly. Therefore, I questioned my path of working as a Life & Wellness Coach, etc..
I also found it ironic that here I was helping people with their wellness, sometimes with cleanses, healthy eating, nutrition, and life style, yet our planet was becoming so toxic that you could eat healthy and do cleanses till the cows come home, but if we are surrounded by a toxic world those things would have little benefit. So, for a while I felt frustrated that I wasn’t making the difference I had hoped.
However, the path I am on progressed so organically, and was also fueled by my love, curiosity and appreciation of human nature, and my own quest for true health, well-being, freedom, purpose, and joy. The turning point for me, where I could clearly say a whole-hearted “YES” to my profession was a shift on many levels, including spiritually with how I perceive and experience Life itself. I have been blessed with some awakenings as to who I truly am, who we all are at a core level of being. I came home to my true nature so to speak, beyond mere personality identifications, which is helping me trust in the big picture. My tag line for my business: “Stay True to Your Nature” is now a compass reminding me of what really matters in life. Trusting in who we all are fundamentally, and how I relate to life is key. And also for me to be true to that which brings me joy. I have re-established my connection to my true nature, as well as developed a deeper relationship with the natural world that surrounds us. The nature connection practices that I have learned, and many that I have developed are an integral part of my daily life and the work that I share. I love seeing the power of nature transform peoples’ lives through its wisdom and grace in ways I never could have imagined.
It was the missing piece for me, and also for many others I work with.
Therefore, things have come full circle for me, and I am truly grateful, honored, and enjoy what I do. I realize the profound contribution our healing and reconnection within ourselves makes to the natural world. We are all connected, and when we heal ourselves, we share healing with all of life. In my humble opinion, there is nothing more important than this, and our remembering that we ARE nature, and consciously attuning to ourselves and the nature around us is what will foster greater care and responsibility for how we live in harmony on this beautiful planet that is our shared home.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Well, given the times we are in, I feel that everyone on the planet is discovering a resilience in one way or another they didn’t know they had. I am inspired every day seeing people courageously stepping forward for positive change and goodwill for themselves and the greater good.

If I was to share anything from my journey it would be that change, transformation, and healing are always possible… no matter what we may “think”.
For example, even as I got older, and was learning all of these empowering tools, I remember feeling very trapped in my thoughts and fears because I noticed that I couldn’t seem to change them even when I wanted to.
With all the inner work I had been doing I became aware of so much, and realized how ingrained my perceptual thought patterns of negativity and fear really were. It seemed impossible to change. I felt like a hypocrite, and I wasn’t sure what was best. I could have simply blamed my parents for this programming, but instead I diligently dove into all that I was learning (and unlearning), and with practice and surrender to my true nature I was able to shift my challenging mental programs from negative to more positive, loving, and solution-oriented perspectives, thinking, and ways of being.
I highlight this particular aspect because I feel like this is at the heart of any real resilience story. The “story” or narrative we have running inside of us defines our experience. I went from so much negative self-talk, shaming, loathing, and fear-based default thinking to one of radical compassion, care, trust, and greater ease of being. I didn’t give up, and was literally changing the neuro-connections in my brain and body. Now, instead of automatic thoughts of negativity and fear, I more naturally experience and can more easily shift to an openness of love and what is possible. This goes beyond just “positive thinking” and affirmations, it’s the intention, heart, and state of consciousness that creates the shift.
Therefore, I share this for others who may be struggling, given most of us at one time or another can relate to being haunted by our thoughts and how we respond to circumstances. We can create a stress response in our bodies with thought alone. So, a huge demonstration of resilience is to trek the journey from our heads to our hearts, which can take great courage and fortitude when we are coming from such strong cultural conditioning and stresses. We all experience loss, pain, fear, doubt, and heartache, so learning how to properly care and tend to ourselves for greater resilience, love, freedom, and empowerment is essential these days.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.happinature.com
• Youtube: Nicole Martel