Nicole Starr Bacon is a 200E-RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher), Mindfulness & Meditation Guide, Thai Yoga Bodywork Practitioner, and currently in training to become a Reiki Master, Mindsight Teacher, and a Positive Psychology Based Health & Well-Being Coach. She believes that different healing modalities find you exactly when you need them most. That bittersweet moment in your life when you realize that you are ready to uncover your true self. Nicole’s intuitive spirit led her on that very journey of self-discovery and right into the arms of wellness. She fell head over heels in love instantly (literally).
With a strong desire to deepen her understanding of yoga and how it could coexist in harmony with her Christian beliefs, in April of 2011, Nicole pursued a 200-hour YTT (yoga teacher training). The training focused on the teachings of Hatha Yoga from a Christian perspective. It was then that she realized that there was so much more to this thing called yoga than just the physical asanas (postures.)
Destined not to complete this program forced Nicole to dive deeper into better understanding the true meaning of yoga. In the frustrating process of trying to “perfect” her practice, she realized she was missing the whole point of yoga. She humbly realized that there was no way to ever “perfect” yoga. Yoga is a never-ending practice because every day we, (ourselves, our being, our body) are different and everybody's body is different. Yoga is not just a practice of poses, but a practice of life.
Wanting to expand her training, she left everything behind for a month long intensive YTT in Costa Rica. During this journey she discovered that her Dharma, her destiny, was to enrich the lives of others through yoga. In May of 2012, she completed a YTT program with Jackie Chiodo where she learned about Raja Yoga and the teachings of Pantanjali’s 8-limbs of Yoga.
This was not the end of Nicole’s learning journey, in fact it was just the beginning.
In 2015, Nicole became certified in Thai Yoga Bodywork with Michael Sitzer. In 2016, she studied Yin Yoga with Douglas Johnson and is currently training to be an Ayurvedic Practitioner with Anna Russ. She believes continual education is incredibly important for yoga teachers to offer knowledgeable, safe and accessible classes/ workshops.
From 2014-2016 Nicole opened, owned and operated a successful yoga studio called Bending Branch Yoga. She created a community that felt warm, inviting and safe. During this time, along with her own deteriorating physical/mental heath and well-being she realized other growth and healing modalities complimented her yoga practice. A natural evolution occurs when you turn towards health, healing, growth and self discovery. Yoga assist you on this inward journey and often that's just the first step in planting a seed for a wholehearted, fulfilled life. Embracing this natural progression, Nicole began to supplement her own practice with Reiki, Psychology, Mindfulness, Mindsight and more.
Nicole offers a wide range of services from spiritual Yin, Meditation & Mindfulness sessions to high intense Vinyasa Flows. She also has taught numerous workshops, such as the Full Moon Workshop that embraces the energies of the full moon and an intense Bottoms Up workshop that focuses on how to properly get in and fall out of arm balances and inversions. To complement yoga practices, Nicole also offers a number of Total Wellness services such as Thai Yoga Bodywork and will eventually offer Reiki, Positive Psychology Based Well-Being Coaching, Mindsight Sessions and so much more.
When Nicole is not on the mat, you can find her chasing and snuggling with her young, active, loving boys. They are also often found out hiking trails or camping in the mountains. She is in love with nature and embraces her spiritual side through meditation and meditative hikes.
Becoming a mindful mother was incredibly important to Nicole. This drive to break a generational cycle encouraged her to discover positive parenting approaches which lead her to Dr. Daniel Siegel, his books Whole Brain Child, No Drama Discipline and Mindsight training through the Mindsight Institute.
Let her empower you to discover that balance within you.