History
From a very young age, Nicole has been fascinated with movement. She started dancing at the age of three and gymnastics at the age of five. She continued studying dance and gymnastics intensively throughout her elementary and high school years. It was when Nicole moved from Southern to Northern California to attend UC Berkeley for her undergraduate degree that she discovered her love of yoga. While attending college, she took yoga classes to balance her busy schedule of academics, dance, and cheerleading. Nicole was definitely hooked!
After college, Nicole moved to New York to study for her MFA in Dance at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. This was where she truly fell in love with yoga and Pilates. Both, yoga and Pilates were required classes at NYU. Nicole was so thankful for these two great exercise techniques that taught her how to appropriately move her body and quiet her mind. Nicole began to take yoga and Pilates more seriously due to a dance injury that left her back a mess. A doctor told Nicole that in order to heal she needed to cut back on the rigorous dancing and continue daily yoga and Pilates. She never looked back.
The summer after graduating from NYU, Nicole took her first yoga certification at the beautiful White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, California. This wonderful training piqued her interest to continue studying anatomy, yoga, and eventually Pilates. Nicole’s next few years were dedicated to teaching yoga and Pilates, attending yoga workshops, finishing her STOTT Pilates certification, and completing a college anatomy class. After concluding her Pilates studies, Nicole took an additional 200-hour yoga teacher training with Yoga Works. Nicole is so thankful for all these invaluable trainings.
In 2006, Nicole, her brother, and sister-n-law opened Sagrada Wellness- a majestic retreat center in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Mexico holds a special place in Nicole's heart, and she is so grateful to have started a retreat center in such a historic colonial town. Just this year, Sagrada Wellness has branched to its newest location in beautiful San Luis Obispo, California. Nicole's brother is the architect, her sister-n-law the acupuncturist, and Nicole the yoga and Pilates teacher. Together they wanted to create a holistic space that fuses their three specialties, while offering retreaters an opportunity to recharge and reconnect with nature. For more information on Sagrada Wellness Mexico and California please go to the website at www.sagradawellness.com.
Nicole balances her time between teaching elementary school kids dance with the Los Angeles Unified School District, teaching private Yoga and Pilates classes, and her newest addition CINCH Fitness classes. Throughout the year, she leads yoga and Pilates retreats in San Luis Obispo, California.
Philosophy
Yoga and Pilates are two of my favorite movement modalities. I find that both yoga and Pilates balance each other and bring calm to our busy lives. To me, yoga moves beyond exercise and offers people a chance to connect with their more spiritual side. Yoga is about movement (asana), breath (pranayama), and union of the mind and body. I love how yoga gives me a chance to clear my mind, relax my nervous system, and rejuvenate my body. My classes are challenging with their vigorous asana flow, yet nurturing as students are able to find inner stillness and a sense of peace. I teach a vinyasa style yoga class that links yoga postures (asanas) with the breath. Inspired by my mentor teacher Annie Carpenter, I strive to teach safe classes that simultaneously leave students invigorated and deeply relaxed. In my classes, I encourage students to intelligently move towards their edge and a place of self-inquiry.
Related to yoga, Pilates is a safe and informed way to strengthen one’s body. Pilates is about toning the core and extremities, in order to bring our bodies back to ideal alignment. Too often, work leaves our backs feeling tight and sensitive. In Pilates class, I give you the tools to learn how to stabilize the muscles around the lower back. This leaves your body feeling elongated, toned, and properly aligned.
I am passionate about teaching and offering guidance to students of all abilities. My classes benefit all levels, as I offer modifications and props to help students find proper alignment. Come join me on a retreat or take a private lesson! Let me help you achieve the body you always wanted. Look great, get grounded, and feel rejuvenated.