Well hey there,
I'm Nicole Ocean,
Loved ones call me Nikki.
Welcome to my little corner of Insight Timer,
Where recovery is real,
Personal,
And it's definitely not always sunshine,
Rainbows,
And butterflies.
If you've ever felt like healing should come with a manual,
Or at least a cozy blanket and a good cat nap,
You're in good company here.
I've walked my own recovery journey for a long time,
And I want to spell the T on what's been helpful and not so helpful for me,
In hopes that I can help others.
I promise that you will experience real talk from me,
Including all the messy middle parts that no one really prepares you for.
I've learned that recovery doesn't look like what most of us think it is,
Or what we've been promised.
It's not a perfectly curated vision board,
It's more like a messy fridge magnet collection,
Where things fall off sometimes,
And that's totally okay,
You just stick them back on and keep going.
I'm sure you've heard that recovery doesn't happen in a straight line,
It's not about doing everything right,
And it's definitely not about becoming some perfectly healed version of yourself,
Who glows 24-7 and drinks green juice at sunrise.
If that's you,
Congratulations,
You're basically a unicorn.
Here,
We do things differently.
We breathe.
We meditate.
We laugh a little,
When we can,
And sometimes at ourselves.
We create.
We support and encourage one another.
We keep it real.
Along your journey with me,
We learn to make peace with the imperfect moments,
Because that's where healing actually happens,
In the cracks,
Between the coffee spills,
The forgotten to-do's,
And the oops,
I forgot to meditate days.
Around here,
We're all aspiring imperfectionists,
Learning to show up,
One honest vulnerable breath at a time.
Now I want to share a little bit about me.
I'm a trauma-informed peer recovery guide,
A retired executive,
And a former certified real estate instructor and coach,
And I bring my whole heart and lived experience to this work.
As someone who is disabled and neurodivergent,
I weave mindfulness,
Creativity,
Inclusivity,
And compassion into everything I share.
I'm also in long-term recovery myself.
I've been through treatment programs,
And my journey includes healing from and living with an eating disorder,
Chronic illness,
OCD,
Cancer and domestic violence survivorship,
And complex trauma.
All of these experiences have shaped me into the gentle,
Trauma-informed guide that I try to be for myself and others who are walking their own paths of recovery,
Healing,
And renewal.
Here,
In this space,
You'll find meditations,
Gentle talks,
Live hangouts,
Inspiring courses,
And honest reflections,
All designed to help you reconnect and come home to yourself,
One breath at a time,
One smile at a time,
And perhaps one good cry at a time.
It's all accepted here,
And I hope that you will feel safe with me and in our community.
There will be no judgment,
No pressure,
Just a place to land,
To feel seen,
To learn,
And to remember that you're not alone in this.
So,
As we close,
Let's take a breath together.
A slow,
Deep breath in through your nose,
And let it out through your mouth.
Even if it sounds awkward or shaky,
That's imperfectly perfect,
Because so are you,
Right here,
Right now,
And that's a beautiful thing.
I hope that you feel that you're in exactly the right place and where you need to be,
Because I'm really honored that you're here,
And I look forward to more of this.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to this.
Great work today.
Take care.
Until next time.
