Lydia Picoli
"My intention in each class is to create space for you to connect with, come home to, root in, live from, and empower your true self.”
Lydia’s Bio
About
Clients call her “a wise, old soul” for a reason. Lydia is a holistic integrative facilitator for conscious living with over half a decade of experience and training, including writing and presenting on quantum physics and spirituality at academic conferences. Bringing diverse wisdom and practices to meet you where you are, Lydia guides you to discover your unique path and empower yourself through the guidance of your own wisdom. As a Master’s candidate in Psychology with a concentration in Spirituality Mind Body at Teacher’s College Columbia University, philosopher (BA), Reiki II healer, meditation leader, certified yoga instructor (RYT 200), women’s and moon circle facilitator, mentor and coach, priestess-in-training, retreat leader, host of the As It Goes podcast, and creator of all RE SELF content, this life-changing wisdom radiates from Lydia’s soul. Lydia's intention in each class is to create space for you to connect with, come home to, root in, live from, and empower your true self. As such, she sees her teaching style as an intuitive collaboration with what each person brings to the space, offers, and needs. Lydia fuses an intentional mix of music, postures, and nourishing meditation (uniquely influenced by her philosophic, spiritual, and reiki background) to center within so that you radiate throughout your life off of your mat.
Journey
Lydia’s journey to live her life deeply, fully, and authentically was fueled by her thirst for truth. Exposed to philosophies and practices at the age of twelve that sparked a knowing within her and changed her life, she has been on a journey of uncovering the truths of life ever since.
After surviving and recovering from an abusive relationship in high school and an eating disorder, Lydia feels a deep empathy and drive to empower women in their independence, healing intergenerational trauma, and breaking cycles of abuse, violence, and unhealthy relationships with self and others so that we are liberated and free, living the lives we are meant to live. As a women’s circle facilitator, she cherishes the empowering bonds of sisterhood nourished during circle. All of which led Lydia to experience and know the divine nature in herself and all living beings. She is committed to living from and as this truth, empowering all to remember the divine nature of all things.
Practice
Driven by the knowing that a full, great life is a string of well-lived, well-enjoyed moments and days, Lydia incorporates her “soul food” into each day through the valued freedom of connection with her body, soul, and Source.
In the morning, she meditates with a bit of breathwork right when she rises, thanking Source for the blessings in her life and appreciating interconnection through her cup of Yogi green tea. She takes a walk amongst the trees with her Italian Greyhound, Noor, to reconnect with Mother Earth - a little spiritual and philosophic reading to ground her perspective for the day and to align her with her truth, finished with joyful movement, music, and yoga. She usually finishes with a sauna, steam, dance party for one, or all of the above.
During the evenings, Lydia winds down with the sun and tunes into this sacred time by creating a dim-lit environment in her home, while having some Arogya relaxing tea. As she cooks, she blesses Reiki over every meal/drink to bless and infuse her food with Source energy, and offers gratitude for the people that grew her food, transported it, packed it, sold it - to connect with and appreciate the whole chain. She winds down with a bath, stargazing in awe while Noor does his thing, some yoga if she needs to release stagnant energy, reading in bed, journaling, gratitude, reflecting on the synchronicities and old patterns that surfaced in her day, and a daily examen.
Mission
Lydia’s mission is to empower authentic and conscious living one person at a time in order to actualize and flourish in our full potential as individuals and as a society. She is committed to living her hand-made life fully and to her endless evolution, both of which fuel her ability to actualize her purpose.
Inspiration
Lydia’s openness to connect with life deeply enables her to receive inspiration anywhere and everywhere, especially through connecting with Mother Earth, art, film, literature, music, documentaries, philosophies, history, discussion, travel and global connection.
Some of her greatest inspirations and teachers include: Buddha | Mahatma Gandhi | Albert Einstein | Thich Nhat Hanh | Henry David Thoreau | Jane Austen | Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés | Vandana Shiva | Arundhati Roy | Georgia O’Keeffe | Gloria Steinem
Currently reading: The Heroine’s Journey by Maureen Murdock
Currently exploring: The Feminine from C.G. Jung, and archetypes such as Wild Woman, The Mother, and the divine feminine (The Goddess & Dark Goddess), to Ancient Egypt, and the history of “witches” (wise women) - how their oppression (and murder) across Europe and the U.S. contributes to engrained cultural female oppression today and what it looks like to right this wrong, one woman at a time.
More Info
Website RESELF.me
Podcast As It Goes
Instagram @reself.ing