hello, I am so glad you are here!
I am an educator, scholar-practitioner, artist, healer, and forever student. my slow healing journey and curiosity about the nervous system paved my path to continue to learn and experience holistic transformative healing.
Currently, I work as a university professor, and in the past, I worked as a special educator, community street theater artist, and community health, and education worker. transformative learning/justice through weaving in contemplative practices had been the foundation of my work. currently, I am studying to be a chaplain to deepen my ability to cultivate a s.l.o.w. presence in the world.
with humility, I add that I am acknowledged for compassion-driven and insightful training facilitation regionally (Portland, Oregon), nationally, and internationally.
I integrate modalities based on contemplative somatic psychology and practices, interpersonal neurobiology, somatic katha (story), and expressive movement arts (theater and dance). As I walk my path, I take refuge in :
my body’s wisdom on pain, joy, healing;
wisdom of uncertainty, grief, death, and transition,
wisdom of open-mindedness, synchronicity, and impermanence
to co-create a space for holistic liberation and healing.
where do I come from? my journey so far…
I come from India, the land of mysticism, science, and devotion.
i grew up in a household where service, love, and care were the quintessential foundation of our existence. my grandparents gave me the wisdom of deep love and care. my parents showed me the joy of service, and my sister taught me devotion. I feel fortunate to be married to my husband who brings the key essence of deep honesty, respect, and love. additionally, all my extended family members, elders, friends, and students add to my journey of healing and deep love. I am grateful to receive these precepts that underpin my vow to service and healing.
I carry stories of deep sorrow, displacement, hope, liberation, and silence.
I have met educators, healers, meditation guides, and artists who paved my path as a post-trauma healer, educator, retreat and workshop facilitator, and artist. I have trained under the guidance of the masters of somatic healing, interpersonal neurobiology, somatic psychology, Indian classical dance- Bharatnatyam, theater of the oppressed, qualitative research- ethnodrama, and chaplaincy work.
every step in learning, lead me to holistic liberation, transformative justice, and a deeper understanding of my purpose. I am deeply grateful to all the teachers who appeared on my path. some teachers came as an experience of trauma, abuse, and pain. others came to hold, lift, and chaperone to go within.
my journey on a curvy trail of healing taught me that healing is a transformative learning process that comes from:
deep attention, acknowledgment, acceptance, and a deeper alignment between the inner and the outer world.
holding a grieving space to honor the process of loss, helplessness, anger, and pain.
and understanding our nervous system and the creative gifts of our body and mind.
my grandma used to say, “Wounded people wound others and compassion is the only way through hurt, disagreement, and pain.”
learning to heal starts from within and it slowly becomes a transformative justice for a community. my more than two decades of variety of training have offered me the skills and tools to hold workshops on transformative learning/justice and healing trauma. at the same time, before every class I facilitate, every workshop I offer, and every sacred individual session I hold, I let go of all that I know. I start afresh. pause. listen to my ancestor’s voice. I let the intention to honor the moment, people, and place lead my way.
I developed a slow presence as a framework to gradually walk the path of holistic liberation. slow presence supports in understanding our abilities to sit without knowing the path and take refuge in the body. I am here to support, hold, lift, and accompany you in your explorations. additionally, I am here to offer group workshops on transformative justice and small group retreats for deeper healing. please check the upcoming offerings.
I invite you to explore slow presence with me!
doctor. nneera malhotra
(jindo- compassionate way)
What People Are Saying
“I think I had a bit of skepticism that this kind of deep somatic work could happen as effectively online as in person, but Neera's clarity of mind and open heart surged right through the computer and showed me how this powerful healing work can absolutely adapt to the online format. This gave me a lot of hope for how embodied healing modalities can take root and grow in our modern technological era. There was even an additional benefit to doing this work in my own private space, and neera helped me connect with the life of my living space and create that same container of holding that carried on well beyond our session. I highly, highly recommend embarking on this journey into embodied knowing and re-patterning with neera.”
—anonymous
“After being released, I was still doing many destructive things to cover up the pain I was feeling inside that was caused by not being able to fully connect to myself in the body I was in until Neera’s class saved my life.”
— student
“ neera is a true healer. Her ability to stay so present, connected, observant, and attuned with me during our online session is something I haven't experienced in other online healing spaces. Even despite the distance and screens between us, she masterfully picked up on subtle cues that I didn't even realize I was giving and mirrored them back to me.”
— anonymous
“dr.m stresses the teachings that come from within oneself and from outside, both of which can be deepened through contemplation and somatic awareness. This is an unconventional educational model, but one which is affirming and beneficial to all of us, especially as a foundation for my educational journey.”
— student
I was not expecting a deep transformation within a short span of this workshop.
—workshop attendee
certificates & training
Somatic Experience Practitioner (SEP™)
Zen Chaplaincy (student)
cert. Interpersonal Neurobiology
cert. trauma-informed care
cert. suicide prevention and intervention skills/ care
300 hrs Yoga teacher training/ trauma-informed yoga
Doctorate in Education
M.S. Adult Education
M.S. Special Education- neurodiversity
theater of the oppressed
classical Indian dance
“ our soul always find its way home, all we need to do is to listen to our body’s sensations, attend to the longings, be open to what may arrive, and receive it all in wonder ”
mission: liberate mind and heart through SLOW Presence.
vision: facilitate healing and holistic presence through practices and education.
values: liberation, creativity, compassionate presence, equity, and social justice