Meet the Author of I AM Mantra
I AM Mantra began on Twitter in 2009, based on a personal practice I had started 10 years earlier. Since its beginning, I have chosen to stay mostly behind the scenes and let the mantras speak for themselves with the intention to be of the greatest benefit to those who receive and engage the daily mantras.
For many years I have dreamed and visioned expanding I AM Mantra’s offerings to be of greater support to our Community and I knew this would require me to step out from behind the curtain and become more visible.
After some big life experiences and with all that is occurring in the world and seeing so many people going through such big personal transformations, I realize that now is the time for me to expand the offerings of I AM Mantra to be of greater support and assistance during this unprecedented time of personal and collective change.
There is much to come that I intend and hope will be of benefit to you. For now, I wanted to say “Aloha”, “G-day” and “Hello” and introduce myself.
Firstly, before I begin, let me start with my GRATITUDE for YOU.
Thank you for creating a moment to read this and thank you for your engagement of I AM Mantra. May the daily mantras and all the offerings to come be assistive and supportive to you and your personal journey of empowerment and liberation.
Ok, so here goes, a little about me…
I was born in Brisbane, Australia. Growing up as an “Aussie” girl I developed a great love for nature. I spent many hours swimming, walking on the beach, camping in pristine nature areas with my family, and spending a lot of time outside.
At a young age, while I was riding the bus home from school, I looked out the window and heard the words “heaven on earth”.
It felt like a deep calling in my soul for something greater to be experienced on this precious living planet. I didn’t understand this at the time, all I knew was that I felt a deep longing within me to experience a world that was more loving, peaceful, happy, and free.
I first learned about meditation, reincarnation, and mantra when I was around 8 through a TV show based on a Chinese legend and story of the “Great Monkey King”.
I received my first training in meditation and emotional awareness techniques through the Brisbane Relaxation Center when I was 11.
When I was 14, I traveled to China with my Brother to visit our Mother who was studying Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. These weeks in China, including traveling to Inner Mongolia, going to temples, seeing massive Buddha statues, and experiencing the very different life that was being lived by the Chinese people (at the time) opened up my understanding of reality and what normal life looked like.
My parent’s separation when I was 12, and all that occurred before and as a result of this significant change in my life, catalyzed a period of deep personal growth and self-discovery.
Then in 1989, I was introduced to the “I AM” mantra through Shirley Maclaine’s book, “Out on a Limb” (thanks to my Mama).
I was also introduced to the world of crystals for healing, Reiki as energy medicine and the wisdom of our Unlimited Nature through channeled material like Ramtha and other sources. During this time my concepts of Self and what life was about continued to expand.
In 1990, now 19, I sold most of my belongings and left Australia to travel the world in search of “God”, the meaning of Divinity, and to explore the Human Potential.
And if I am fully honest, I was following a boy to Europe.
The boy and I never worked out but the experience led me to a Meditation Center founded in the lineage of Swami Muktananda where I lived and studied for three and a half years.
Here at this “Ashram” I was introduced to a formal practice of meditation, pranayama (breathwork), yoga, chanting, and consciousness studies, and was given my first mantra by a 30+ year Transcendental Meditation Teacher.
It was during my studies at this Center that I was introduced to the “I AM” mantra in its Sanskrit version of “Hamsa”; “I AM That” and So Ham; “I AM”.
Over the next three and a half years I immersed myself in Meditation and Divinity studies including the study of different meditation practices, the Chakras and energy systems of the body, Kundalini, and Chi practices, and the practice of Seva (meaning ‘selfless service’) in devotion to the Divine or a Higher Purpose/Power.
I shaved my head twice (yes I really did this and it was liberating) in the pursuit of living a Sannyasin lifestyle and with the desire to release all personal identities and support my True Nature to be realized and embodied.
Over these years, I lived a monk-style existence, waking before dawn usually for morning practices and dedicating each day to deepening my understanding of, and connection to, the Divinity that lives within each of us.
It was there that I realized that…
God lives within each of us waiting to be remembered and embodied. As we remember our true nature we not only change ourselves but we transform the world we are connected to.
In 1994, now aged 23, I left the Meditation Center to return to Australia and integrate all I had learned back into “normal life”.
In 1999, the first seeds of what is now I AM Mantra was born.
As a result of some health issues brought on by stress and exhaustion, I took a 6-month sabbatical to reflect, replenish, and reset my life.
I started writing positive affirmations and statements on my bathroom mirror in lipstick and eyeliner and put post-it notes with positive I AM statements around my bedroom, on the fridge, and on the dashboard of my car.
My intention was to surround myself with reminders that would assist me to transform my inner reality and thus transform my external reality and my experience of life.
This time of reflection led to my study of Visual and Fine Arts for 3 years. It was here that I rediscovered my artistic and creative energy and my childhood joy of art as a form of self-expression, healing, and awakening.
In 2003, I met James Twyman, internationally renowned "Peace Troubadour" known for drawing millions of people together in prayer to positively influence crises throughout the world.
Graduation day during the Seminary for Spiritual Peacemaking
Soon after, James invited me to work with him, and I traveled to the United States to assist him with his non-profit peace-focused organization. I managed various aspects of his business, including the organization and management of events, retreats, and online programs, and mentorship around the concepts of “Spiritual Peacemaking”.
I became a leading Spiritual Coach and Spiritual Mentor within the program.
During this time I had the joy of coaching students from all around the world through the two-year program and was involved in ten retreats alongside James, as Retreat Organizer, Spiritual Coach, and Spiritual Mentor.
During these years I dedicated myself to personal growth and assisting others.
I co-hosted multiple events with a focus on the raising of human consciousness, including global peace vigils using sound and mantra for healing, and had the privilege to host events with thought-leaders and luminaries including Arun Gandhi (grandson of Mahatma Gandhi), Barbara Marx Hubbard, Agnes Baker Pilgrim, Oren Lyons, and Ina May Gaskin.
I also developed my first online course, which had over 100 people participate, which is pretty amazing as this was in 2008 before online courses were a big thing.
In 2009, I AM Mantra was born. Based on my own personal practice that began 10 years earlier, I set up I AM Mantra on Twitter and began posting daily mantras.
I AM Mantra has now grown to have over 250,000+ followers across 80+ countries. With over 12 Million views monthly, I AM Mantra is shared daily via Email, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
In 2004, I met my husband. We connected at a Peace Vigil in Southern Oregon and began our relationship about 6 months later, and were married in a beautiful beach ceremony on the Oregon Coast in 2005. We shared 17 precious years together with tremendous growth and expansion. We shared everything from love, to work, to co-creations. (We ran our own digital consulting firm and worked with big-name luminaries and organizations. We often laughed this was our Clark Kent and Lois Lane job, as we both had much greater soul passions and purposes.)
I assisted him with the development, management, and growth of his music career and we toured together and did events together (in-person and online), including sound meditations and events with music and mantra. He was foundational in helping me launch I AM Mantra and assisted me in the development of this website and launching my daily emails in 2018.
While we have completed our relationship, I am eternally grateful for the deep love we shared and all that we co-created together. I am richer from our relationship and gained so many lessons, insights, and experiences that now live within me and have become part of my greater Soul path and that can be assistive to others as they navigate the experience of intimate relating.
We also shared 12 years with a very beautiful “dog” named Simba. He taught me the meaning of open-hearted love, joy, play, and deep devotion.
I have continued to study and immerse myself in what I like to call the study of “living wisdom”, including the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, Gary Zukav, and Linda Francis and most recently the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza.
I have had the joy of meeting Eckhart Tolle in person (I’ll have to do a future blog post just about this experience and share the photo!). And I have had the privilege of knowing Gary Zukav (author of “Seat of the Soul” and long-time guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show), and his partner Linda Francis, since 2007, and have learnt so much from them both that has been foundational to my path.
My study and life experience includes, Breathwork and Mindfulness practices, Meditation and Visualization, Mantra and positive affirmations, Heart-coherence practices based on the Heart-Math technique, Compassionate Listening, and Communication, Emotional Awareness Practices, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Nervous system regulation techniques, including working with the vagus nerve to assist with greater balance and harmony in the body and mind, Anxiety and Stress Management, Journaling practices, Relationships and Communication Tools, and Art and creative techniques to assist with healing.
I listen and follow my inner guidance very deeply. In 2022 it became clear that it was time to expand the offerings of I AM Mantra beyond the daily mantras to assist and support others to navigate these very transformational and evolutionary times.
The first of these offerings is Living Wisdom Coaching.
We are in an unprecedented time of personal and collective change.
I believe we can each benefit from having a conscious support system in our lives, especially at this time.
This is not just about having friendships. We can benefit from having spiritual partners, mentors, and soul guides to support, reflect and assist us in breaking free of struggle, limitation and moving into our greater loving, empowered, joyous and Unlimited Self.
Thank you for creating a moment to read and learn more about “my story”.
Thank you for being part of the I AM Mantra global community.
I AM grateful for you and hope that you will continue to receive benefit from the daily mantras and also the other offerings that are currently being developed.
For now, I invite you to join me for a free consultation and see how Living Wisdom Coaching can assist, support, and be of benefit to you.
Big Love,
Nikita 💕