About Nikki
I went to my first yoga class in San Franciso many years ago, and although I enjoyed it at the time, it didn’t really take root with me. I was in my early 20’s, and was too busy living and enjoying life in San Fran. However, a few years later I was traveling around India, and felt that I ‘tapped’ into a spirituality that I didn’t even know I had been looking for. I was backpacking around northern India, high up in the Himalayas, talking with lots of different Saddhus (holy men), discussing scriptures, life and yoga. I know, it’s a clichè!
When I returned home to live in Dublin, I found a yoga class that I loved. I instantly felt a connection with the practice, that it filled a gap within me, and I knew that this was the start of a life-long relationship. But it was only when I began to seriously immerse myself in the practice of Ashtanga yoga that I found a style that resonated with my whole self. That challenged and rewarded me. I realized that yoga was becoming more then a mere past time, it was becoming an integral part of my life, and that the next step for me to take was to become a teacher. I completed Paul Dallaghan’s yoga teacher training in Thailand, where my love and respect for the Ashtanga tradition was truly sealed. It was also in Yoga Thailand that I was fortunate enough to study under Sri O.P. Tiwari and start my study of the science of pranayama, which forms an important part of my daily practice.
I was a dedicated and ‘purist’ Ashtanga student and teacher for many years. I studied under many of the top Ashtanga teachers in the world, such as Richard Freeman, Manju Jois, David Swenson, Rolf Naujokat, Peter Sanson, Kino McGregor, Hamish McHendry, Matthew Sweeney, and Dena Kingsburg, and I spent 3 months studying under Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. I still commit to studying with my main teacher, Paul Dallaghan every year.
But as the years have gone on, my practice has changed. I still deeply love and appreciate the ashtanga system. But something changed. I felt I was ‘plateauing’ in my practice. I also was beginning to believe that there are no definite ‘rules’ that should be followed by everyone, regardless of their somatic history. I realised that there were weaknesses and imbalances in my body that an exclusive ashtanga practice had facilitated. I started work with a personal trainer, focusing on strength and mobility work, and bringing balance back into my body. I discovered the joy of lifting weights! I now do gym work at least twice a week and yoga the other days, and find that the more integrated my strength is, the better I feel.
But essentially, I believe that movement and awareness is what matters. Keeping our bodies healthy. Keeping our minds healthy. The connection between the two is undeniable. And the importance of working with the breath as the bridge between the two continues to inspire me.
I am truly grateful for all that this path has given me, the people I have met and the life that I now lead.