Hello.

I’m Nicole (she/her). I teach people to slow down.

I tried my first yoga class at a YMCA when I was 24 years old. It was also my last for almost a decade. Fortunately, yoga found me again. My life-changing connection to yoga and meditation truly began in my mid-30s during a particularly potent time of grief, cross-country travels, and seeking to counterbalance the freneticism of urban living.

My teaching journey began in San Francisco in 2013. I completed both my 200-hour and 500-hour Yoga Teaching Certifications at the former (and beloved) Yoga Tree San Francisco. I am deeply fortunate to have studied with many gifted and passionate teachers, among them Judith Hanson Lasater, Darren Main, Harvey Deutch, Britt Fohrman, Brenna Geehan, Sean Haleen, and Darcy Lyon. I am currently studying with Robin Rothenberg at Essential Yoga Therapy towards a yoga therapy certification (est. Spring 2025).

Drawn to the myriad of transformational, psychophysical benefits of yoga, I currently focus on Restorative and gentle modalities, with movement inspiration from the realms of physical therapy, Feldenkrais, massage, sports medicine, and therapeutic yoga. The space I hold is warm, compassionate, and supportive; I create and hold a container for students to be who, what, and where they are. 

Originally from the Midwest, I called San Francisco's eclectic Haight Ashbury neighborhood home for 13 adventure-filled years (2003-2016), before moving to Seattle, Washington. I worked on the management team and taught public yoga classes at Seattle Yoga Arts (2016-2022) until their closure. I now teach weekly group classes, private clients, special events, retreats, and Restorative yoga teacher trainings.

When I’m not studying, practicing, or teaching yoga, I still enjoy part-time work in my first career as graphic designer and photographer. I’m also the proud auntie to seven “niblings”, and lover of my “fur babies” – with a big love for the big outdoors. I also founded a menopause empowerment group in 2020 (called the Pause Pod), and continue to be a proud advocate for menopause awareness and education.

Certifications

• E-RYT 500: Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (through Yoga Alliance)

• Relax and Renew® Advanced Trainer (with Judith Hanson Lasater)

• YACEP®: Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider

• Certified Personal Trainer through NASM, since 2020

• Level I Reiki Practitioner (via Ewa Litauer)

Other Training

• Essential Yoga Therapy Applications Program – in progress, expected certification 2025

• Essential Yoga Therapy Foundations Program (300+ hrs with Robin Rothenberg) – 2023

• Basic Principles of Somatic Experiencing® – 2020

• Yoga Therapy Essentials (with Phoenix Rising) – 2020

• Practicing Justice in Yoga (with RW Alves) – 2020

• Trauma-Informed Yoga (with Bianca Raffety) – 2018

• The Neurobiology of Yoga (with Denise Benitez) – 2016

• 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training (through Yoga Tree San Francisco) – 2013-2015

• Advanced Core Studies (with Sean Haleen, Stacey Rosenbery, & Jason Bowman) – 2015

• Relax & Renew®: Learning to Teach Restorative Yoga (with Judith Lasater) – 2015

• The Four Desires: The Yoga of Fulfillment (with Rod Stryker) – 2015

• Yoga for Cancer Therapy (with Ingrid Yang) – 2015

• Feminine Powers, Feminine Practice (with Britt Fohrman) – 2014

• Yoga Therapeutics Level 1 (with Harvey Deutch) – 2014

• Advanced Anatomy (with Harvey Deutch) – 2014

• Alchemy of Transformation: Yoga, Psychology, & Art (with Darcy Lyon) – 2013

• 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (through Yoga Tree San Francisco) – 2013

Portrait photo by Marilyn Isaac Photography