Hello! I’m a Seattle yoga teacher with a goal of helping you move well and feel good in your own skin.
To me, a yoga practice is a personal exploration of our own bodies and minds. While the Seattle yoga scene is vast and diverse in style, I focus on the fundamental principles of anatomy and kinesiology, providing tools and techniques for anyone–from any experience or tradition–to build a personal yoga practice.
With tremendous respect for the tradition, my aim is to make yoga relevant, irreverent, and accessible. When it comes to the yoga postures, there may be no “right” or “better” ways, but I strongly believe in learning in a way that you can enjoy yoga for a long time. As they say on the back of those large trucks: safety is my priority.
My focus is working with injuries and injury prevention, both on and off the yoga mat, specifically from running, soccer, and rock climbing. I am dedicated to yoga beyond its athletic allure, and am drawn to the subtle work of Pranayama and the Therapeutic applications of Restorative Yoga to balance out our active lifestyle, and to counter all sources of stress that’s inevitable in our modern world.
My intention, in the yoga class and elsewhere, is to communicate clearly and concisely. I believe that a sense of humor is a very serious thing. My approach is detailed in Style & Philosophy.
I currently teach at Village Green Yoga, Stone Gardens Climbing Gym, and Taj Yoga, which was voted Best Seattle yoga studio on Citysearch in 2008 and 2009. I favor a smaller group teaching environment, where each student can receive close attention and personal instruction.
I have been doing yoga for over 10 years, and received my 200-Hour Certification from Pacific Yoga Teacher Training and Advanced Studies, a well-rounded and highly-regarded Seattle yoga training program in Asana, Anatomy, Pranayama, Sanskrit, and studies of ancient Yoga Philosophy. I’m currently pursuing my 500-Hour Certification.
Always a student, I continue to learn with a daily practice, apprenticing, studying with senior Seattle yoga teachers Theresa Elliott and Kathryn Payne, and taking workshops with other traveling teachers. I also have the privilege of having Anusara-inspired teacher Jean Massimo as my teaching mentor.
I have an enormous curiosity for the anatomy, physiology, and psychology of the human body, and am highly influenced by the anatomical precision and writings of Judith Hanson Lasater. I’m a student of Vipassana Meditation and the teachings of Shinzen Young and Pema Chödrön.
On this website, in addition to my teaching and training information, you’ll find articles I’ve written based on my experience, such as How To Choose a Yoga Teacher Training. In my yoga blog, you’ll find my “reports from the field” on the wide world of yoga, including Seattle yoga news and events. My aim is to record my journey as a yoga teacher, entrepreneur, and student, discovering the art of teaching, the business of yoga, and the trials, tribulations, and joy of being on this Path.
I received a Bachelor of Art in International Business and Bachelor of Science in Informatics from the University of Washington in 2005. I am fluent in Vietnamese, and thanks to a year of living in France, I’ve learned to say non merci when offered a plate of roquefort cheese and mais oui! to joie de vivre.
In addition to yoga, my life long quest is learning how to whistle. When not on the yoga mat, you can find me doing graphic and web design, playing soccer, and climbing on rock faces around the Puget Sound and beyond. You’ll also find me on Twitter as @yogageekgirl and Facebook: Yoga Geek Girl – Yoga with Nikki Chau .
“May our study together be filled with light.” – Yoga Student Teacher Prayer
