Danielle Nicholas
MIEA Trainer
Montana State University
My name is Danielle Nicholas. I live in Bozeman, MT. I went through MIEA training in the illustrious spring of 2020.
Outside of teaching MIEA curriculum to young adults, I teach for and helped start a non-profit called Montana Mindfulness Project. We aim to bring mindfulness to youth, young adults, and those that support them. I have a somatic coaching business (sometimes involving equines) and I am adjunct faculty at Montana State University. Last, but certainly not least, I am a solo mamma of a teenage daughter- thank goodness for my mindfulness practice! 😉 My beautiful daughter is also one of my best teachers.
What brought you to your mindfulness practice?
I was a religious studies major at Brown University many moons ago with a focus on Buddhism and Hinduism. I started my mindfulness and meditation journey back when I was an undergraduate and so really believe in bringing these skills to young people in an approachable and accessible way.
Why the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults?
I was teaching mindfulness to young adults before I became trained at the MIEA. I was bringing in various things from my own experience, teaching, and training but it was MIEA that really presented a curriculum that is peer-reviewed and progresses in a logical way. Our university is beginning to do more and more with mindfulness (yay!) and I am so grateful to be able to approach administration with a solid secular curriculum that can be taught stand-alone or within an academic course.
What is your favorite part of teaching MIEA?
I love how well it works! Seriously. MIEA has tested the curriculum with thousands of students and it has stood the test of time. I really enjoy watching the transformation students make as they slow down and begin to discover their habitual patterns. They are put in the drivers of whether they want to change these habits or not. I love seeing young people be able to be comfortable sitting with themselves even for a few minutes instead of feeling the need to grab their phone.
Why did you decide to become a MIEA trainer?
I really do believe in and trust the curriculum. Having been on university faculty for the last decade, I see the struggles that young adults are having, especially coming out of covid. It is a challenging world they are inheriting. I feel the more we really take a look at this messy business of being human the better. I want to give other’s the skills to take these dives with the young adults in their lives.