Nikki Velasquez, The Mountain Top Medium

12/20/2025

Grief at the holidays is a heightened, exaggerated pain. The holidays expect so much from us, and can feel so draining. It can make a person in grief want to isolate as a normal response.

Allow yourself to feel your grief, and move through it knowing that your loved ones are closer than ever. They share all the same nostalgia for the memories you’ve made together. They encircle us in their love, and whisper to us:

“I know you miss me. I know it breaks your heart. But I am right here next to you, and not missing anything. We will be together again, I promise. But for now, live your life. Love the people who are here. Know that I am only just in the next room. I have not left you, and I am not gone from you.
Focus on the present. Look fondly on the past. Remember that it is only a brief moment until we will all be together again, so be present to your life. That is how to move forward, by being present to the people here who love us the most.”

🤍

12/16/2025

It can be easy to lose focus of the stillness and beauty inherent to this season. I’ll be sharing a series of short meditative exercises in the coming days to help. These are also what I do for myself. 🫶🏼

No matter what stress, grief or pain we may be feeling, we can take a quiet moment to sit alone, close our eyes and mindfully acknowledge any emotional discomfort or pain we are carrying. To not push it aside to avoid it but allow ourselves to hold genuine space for it. When we are able to hold and acknowledge our pain, we see it serves as a guide in how to hold ourselves more closely.

You may find as you open yourself to it that you need to cry or grieve. Let it out.

Lovingly give attention and awareness to any emotional or physical discomfort blockages you are carrying. Let it know you are here to clear your energy to receive healing light and the pure essence of what is holy. Breathe that healing in as you exhale what you’ve been holding onto.

This is how we empty the vessel, so to speak, and again open ourselves to the healing and peace of the season. Focus on what really matters, and the rest becomes background noise.

Hold your pain to release it, and make room to let love and joy in more fully.

🤍💫

11/02/2025

Thank you for all the birthday wishes! I appreciate them more than I can say. I spent it with my favorite people, foods, nature, music, and kicked off my bday Friday by getting up at 4:30 to do a radio spot. 😊

I know I’m not on here much— I did make make a mindful and deliberate choice to reduce my screen time last year and have stuck to it. I have focused any down time I have on meditation and prayer, focused energy on the life occuring around me in the moment, and what I consider the ministry of my work (unpaid).

I have quietly over the past three years been consulting for free on missing person and pet cases across the country. I’m happy to say that some of these have been rescues and not recoveries. I can’t do many given my regular workload but I’m happy to help how I can. I have also continued my practice of offering complementary readings to people as much as I can, almost always focusing on parents who have lost children. They are my priority.

I am blessed beyond measure. Yeah, my 53 yo body has aches and pains, many from perimenopause, and chronic hormonal migraines have become part of my life the past three years. My mom got em at this age too. It is what it is. I’m upright and healthy. So I focus on that. 🥰

I pour into my children daily, and they are both doing really well! I advocate for my son on the spectrum like it’s my job. Cause it is. ❤️ Both making honor roll, both coming into their own.

As for me, I am in love with a man who is my very best friend and soulmate on every conceivable level. I have never been loved or knew how to love like this. We will celebrate 2 years next Thursday.

Life is not easy for any of us, but man, it is good. I pinch myself as I welcome people almost weekly into my studio who have specifically traveled across the country to see me and be read in person. Not because they couldn’t do zoom (which I also do many of) but because they want an experience in person.

I pinch myself, I thank God, I humble myself and remind myself yet again to never get too big for my britches, as my Mamaw would say. I have an ability I hold sacred, and I use it daily. Both paid, and unpaid. To help, and to heal.

I tell my clients how I almost became a hospice chaplain in my 30s, but I realized I’m probably too unconventional and I definitely swear too much. But God uses each of us to help in a myriad ways. I just work for the street team, y’all.

🙏🏼🤍😊

Much love to all! New stuff in the works, coming soon. 🥰😘

09/17/2025

Every year at the end of the growing season, some of my outdoor plants begin to let go. It’s a profound reminder to let go and release with grace what no longer serves us. That change is happening, and we don’t have to fight it but just flow with it.

After a few days away this weekend I came back to see my 2 blooming daisies starting to go right alongside the growth of 2 new ones. One in bloom, one small, new and tightly in its bud. New life.

When grief happens upon us, whether at the micro level of our individual lives or at the macro level of our collective lives as a country, it can feel overwhelmingly devastating. Violence, bigotry, ideological divisiveness and hatred run rampant and seem to be playing on repeat. As hard as it is to find any common ground amongst people who disagree with one another, it is much harder to maintain faith and hope in the process of feeling like the world is crumbling around us.

No matter what you think you believe or understand to be true, or what “side” you land on, we are all grieving. That’s a common ground we all have. A side we are all familiar with.
So let’s start there.

It can be tempting to let anger, fear, hatred, bigotry and prejudice take over. These are all the heaviest of energies. They can become addictive as we let them settle in. They feel like power in a time when we are all scared and feeling powerless.

We insist upon our own ideologies as the truth. But if we look a bit deeper, we can also acknowledge that our own truth is always subjective. Because it is ours alone.

I don’t have to agree with a person’s ideology or beliefs to stay in my peace. As long as communication can be established and maintained with healthy parameters, I can hear what another person believes to be true.

Some may become inexplicably angry reading this. Some may use the comments to direct that anger at me. I have learned a secret: comments on social media, good or bad, do not belong to us. Even when they’re directed at us. They belong to the author. We can appreciate the love given. We can release the rest.

For me, I know It’s not mine to take in and integrate. Any of it, really. It’s not my business. I know who I am. I know what I am here to do. And I will not allow that lower level s**t into my energetic space.

As a professional healer for 30 years, whether in clinical settings or holistic, this is the skill I utilize to sustain. And it’s something we must all do now to sustain, no matter what your vocation.

From 2020 to now, we are all burnt out on keeping the faith. Another commonality amongst every single one of us. The hits keep coming. It’s a scary time. We feel powerless and desperate for a glimmer of hope.

So what do we do?

We keep it simple.

We love the people we hold dear harder, for all those who have lost their own too soon to violence of any kind.

We treat ourselves kindly and gently, knowing it’s a hard time for everyone. We do our best to treat others kindly and gently, knowing it’s a hard time for everyone.

We use our energy and words wisely.

We take breaks. We take breaths. We repeat.
We remember to breathe fresh air.
We remember to just breathe.

We do acts of love and gratitude right in our little corner of the world, even if it doesn’t feel far reaching. We do them again. And again.

We use our love to sustain ourselves and those we love, but strangers too. We accept that we can’t help/reach/be understood by everyone and we don’t have to. All we have to do is return to grace, daily. Starting within ourselves, and extending outward.

Take a deep breath, loves. We got this. God is not done with us. Not by a long shot. Love wins. But first, our very stubborn and hard headed human selves are being called to learn higher lessons.

Sam Cooke said it once, and said it best.

It's been a long
A long time coming, but I know
A change gon' come
Oh yes, it will

Go blast this legend of a song in your car today. Sing it with the windows open. We don’t care if you’re in tune or in key. We just want to hear your voice.

Love you all.

Nik

🤍🙏🏼

09/07/2025

People always ask how they can know if something is a sign from spirit. My answer is that if it resonates with your innermost knowing, you can trust it. Trust your own intuition, loves. It’s your spiritual compass and guidance available at any time.

This lil guy hung out all morning during my outdoor meditation and even landed on my pug Faith at one point. Who then tried to eat him but is thankfully too slow. 😂

I recorded this to send to a friend of mine while I was cleaning my kitchen a little while ago. The words in the sermon I was listening to stood out to me as I watched it.

Sending this energy your way today, too. 🤍🙏🏼🥰

08/28/2025

Be in this world, but not of it.

Not an easy task in this world today.

We are inundated by negativity and pain splashed across newsfeeds on screens. We absorb and take in what we are constantly exposed to. By doing so, it becomes part of us. It takes up residence in our psyches and in our hearts.

Reality is not just what you can feel and touch. The reality of spirit is not what this world is focused on—a world that often feels grounded in greed, power and ignoring the pain and cries of humankind and the very earth we inhabit.

It is up to us to ground ourselves daily in the reality of God. Of light. Of Creator, Spirit, Univeral Energy, whatever name you have for that which animates and unites us. I call it by the name of God. I don’t believe this energy cares as much what you call it as long as you call upon it. Daily.

Find your light. You need not look far, love. You are made of the light that created you. It is your birthright, and it is your refuge. It is found within. It is found in nature. It is found in church. It is found in family and friends. It is found in animals. It is found in community.

When you feel yourself being drawn in to the energy so prevalent in this world of negativity and sorrow, of anger and hatred, mindfully return to it. You are safe in the light. Nothing of this earth can pe*****te it. You are bigger than your physical reality.

Remember who you are. You are not this body. You are not your intellect and mind. You are the breath of God inhabiting the physical being for a relatively short time. Don’t spend all your precious life force and energy on the chaos and pain of this world. Allow yourself refuge from it.

This is how we keep our peace. We must return to it daily, again and again. And not forget that the light that created us, the light that will eventually call us home again—this is the very same light that sustains us. It is not found outside of you. It lives within.

Let yourself get quiet. Give yourself that gift. Tune out from the chatter of this world, so that you can tune in. Return to source, loves. Daily. It’s the map you’re looking for. And it’s been there quietly, daily, waiting in the background for you to come home to it.

Let it be your refuge and strength from this world. The light of God is upon us. It has not left or abandoned us. But we must turn our eyes towards it. Again and again.

Peace be with you, loves.

🙏🏼 🤍

08/14/2025

Important—Please be aware that I never reach out to people EVER or friend anyone. Anyone messaging you or leaving comments on your posts is not me.
Anyone sending you what you see below is not from me. There are a few imposter accounts that make fake pages posing as me. I’m doing my best to get them removed and I contact fb regularly.

***Please note the blue checkmark next to my name on this page—it indicates authenticity that this is my actual page.***

I do not and have never reached out to anyone to solicit. We continue to attempt to get the imposter ones removed as they pop up. Please delete and don’t engage with it.

Love to all! Xoxo

07/18/2025

Nature heals. Place yourself there, and see what happens. Tune out the noise of this world. The discord and the dissonance. What feeds your soul and spirit is not found there.

It’s found within, and without.
It’s found in every piece of light you are lucky enough to find. And the best part is, all you have to do is open your eyes.

😘❤️

06/02/2025

Energy is a language all its own, and it’s up to us to become fluent. We are all born intuitive beings as our birthright, and we discern the vibration of emotional, spiritual and physical energy constantly. Learning to separate and when needed transmute your own energy from others is key when you are an empathic person, particularly if you work in any type of helping field.

People ask me often how I’ve stayed in my career as a clinician in hospice for a decade, a therapist, and a full time Medium the past ten years. 29 years of being a professional helper and healer, clinically and holistically. Isn’t it sad? Depressing? And my answer is always the same: I’m able to have done this work and keep my balance because I learned to set boundaries. I don’t take on my patients or client’s energy. And if I need to cleanse, I do.

When you enter a space, you have the option of absorbing what’s present or letting it pass. You can set the energetic tone yourself; you are not beholden to whatever you walk into to be what sticks. And if you’re too tired, not feeling great, etc- you can remove yourself and protect your energy. In person, online, anywhere. And if you can’t remove yourself physically, you then consciously do not absorb what’s being put down. Like a bassline laying a foundation for a song, I’m talking about that invisible undercurrent we all feel pulsating through us and interweaving with those around us.

You decide how you vibrate. And when we mindfully bring our highest energy into a space, the cleanest, lightest and purest we have to offer, we uplift not only ourselves but everyone around us. We set a new tone.

Let’s do more of that.

😘🥰

05/09/2025

A sweet Mother’s Day group reading 💕

A few months ago a friend asked if I would come speak on grief and loss at the studio where she teaches Pilates and Barre. She mentioned that many people in a women’s group she runs were grieving mothers and grandmothers, and thought they really needed it.

I told her I’d accept donations for this but did not need to be paid, this would be a love offering to those attending her group. I also told her I’d like to stay anonymous until I arrived, to surprise them.

When I walked in yesterday, a few of the women recognized me and got really excited, which was so sweet! We went into a studio yoga room and all sat down together. After introducing myself I took us through a guided meditation to get them ready to receive. I’d told my friend that I wasn’t coming to do readings. But I also knew damn well that spirit wasn’t going to listen to me when given an opportunity to connect with loved ones. 😊🤍

As I spoke, I could feel several energies lining up and the familiar bubbling up of anxiety I get when I know I HAVE TO read for someone. And I also knew who I had with me first, because they’d come through to me earlier that morning.

“So y’all. I came here to take you through meditative grief work exercises, and speak on healing, but spirit has other ideas, as always. I felt a few females in spirit together this morning as I was drying my hair and I knew they were coming today. They showed me multiple cancer passings, one of breast/uterine. Who is this for? I also get lower, colon or pancreas.”

A young woman to my left began to cry. “My sister had uterine cancer,” she said. “She and my mom have both passed. My mom died from colon cancer.” I went on to read for her for a few minutes.

Suddenly I was drawn to the other side of the room. “This is an older female, a maternal figure. I’d put this as a grandmother.”

A young woman raised her hand to me, tears in her eyes.

I turned toward her and the energy present. “This is a grandmother who would be like a second mom to you. Very emotionally close. This is a maternal grandmother, your mom’s mom. She’s very close to her, also. She very proudly shows me three generations of girls, calls you “her girls.” Does that make sense to you?”

The young woman cried. “Yes, it does. All of it.”

“Ok, I’m with you, then.” I focused in and continued.

“She’s showing me difficulty with lower region; walking, pain. She says that your mom and you were her caregivers, and that she lived either with you or you with her. She also shows me she’s very independent and did not want to live together but she also gives such gratitude, because she couldn’t do it without you.”

“Yes,” responded the woman. “She had a colonoscopy bag, a catheter and used a walker. And we had to talk her into moving in with us, she didn’t want to! My mom and I took care of her.”

“She’s also showing me being very pious, religious. She likes my wooden rosary bracelet with the cross I’m wearing. She shows me Catholicism and hands you rosary beads. Do you have her rosary beads at home, or were you just holding them?”

“I have them under my pillow at home,” she responded.

“She says she prays without ceasing, covers the family in prayer, just as she did when she was here.”

“She shows me being with your grandfather,” I
said. The young woman responded that he is very sick.

“Ok. Sweetheart, I can sense him in both realms. One foot here, one foot there. I felt this a lot when I worked in hospice. I don’t predict death. That’s between a soul and God. Not my business. But I will say that he is in the final stretch. She says you know that, though.”

The young woman nodded, tears on her cheeks.

“She shows me sitting with him. Next to his hospital bed. He’s hospitalized, correct?” She nodded again. “He’s aware of her,” I said. “I don’t know if he has said that or not, but he is! She’s comforting him, and waiting to take him home with her.”

“You tell her that she and her mom don’t need to be sad,” her grandmother said gently. “We’ll all be together again further down the road. And when grandpa gets here, he and I are going to dance. Just like we did at our wedding.”

I ended up giving 4 readings, 3 from mothers to daughters and a granddaughter.

05/09/2025

I’m so comforted by the energy this man is bringing to our country and our world. It’s so reminiscent of Pope Francis—almost a continuation, at a time when our world needs it most. It makes sense to me that these two were dear friends in this lifetime: they share the same energy of down to earth, accessible spirituality, compassion and inclusivity for all. His words bring light to a dark period in our timeline, and a reminder that God is still in control, light will prevail, and love always wins.

God bless us all moving forward, unified by our connectivity and that which unites and does not divide: love.

05/07/2025

I had the pleasure of doing a reading for the woman who runs this program a few years back. The power of animal assisted therapy is just unmatched. If you are local to NEPA and have a child aged 6-14 struggling with grief or trauma, I recommend that you check this program out for them as an additional tool for their healing. ❤️‍🩹🙏🏼

Good morning and Happy Monday! Our online referrals for Care Farming (Children's Grief Camp) open April 1. To learn more about this remarkable farm-based program, please click below. ⤵️⤵️⤵️

https://hillsidefarms.org/care-farming