Nikki Owens, Ph.D., E-RYT500, YACEP

She began her yoga training and practice through the lens of Anusara yoga with Irena Miller, an Ashtanga and Anusara yoga-trained instructor, before receiving her 200-hour yoga teaching certification in a Hatha Yoga Vinyasa-style training program which was rooted in the lineage and traditions of Yogarupa Rod Stryker’s Parayoga; and completed under the tutelage of Lilias Folan, Katy Knowles, and Sheila. She later explored Ashtanga yoga through the It’s Yoga system created by Larry Schultz, which eventually led her to both practice and teach traditional Ashtanga yoga and Ashtanga-influenced vinyasa yoga classes. In addition to completing her first advanced 300-hr level teacher training with Brian Shircliff, a training that focused on yoga philosophy, anatomy, and embodied-somatic yoga praxis, she has also completed a second 300-hour Advanced Teacher Training certification program in Hatha Yoga, Pranayama, and Ashtanga Yoga with Indubala Bhardwaj. She continues her personal daily practice studying under the guidance of authorized Ashtanga yoga teacher Kim Nietch. Nikki is also a practicing Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist, a certification she received through the Himalayan Institute, under the guidance of Kathryn Templeton, a direct student of Ayurveda scholar Dr. Vasant Lad. In addition to working with individual private clients, Nikki integrates her knowledge of Ayurveda in her vinyasa classes, to settle imbalances in the doshas, increase “ojas'' and cultivate prana through various pranayama (breath) practices. Nikki is also a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming© (NLP) practitioner, through Master Teacher Larry Wells, and a Level III student of Healing Touch©. Along with these practices, Nikki has certifications in levels of Movement Intelligence/Bones for Life©, with Cynthia Allen and Brian Shircliff. Nikki’s eclectic, innovative, inspirational, and intuitive teaching style reflects her diverse learning experiences which she believes truly enriches her yoga pedagogy and teacher training philosophy. In addition to her vast yoga instructional experience, Nikki teaches various courses at the collegiate level, including educational psychology. She is currently a brand ambassador for the global athleisure wear company lululemon. Nikki has three children ages 24, 22, and 19.