Nicole Riviere came to Los Angeles in 1997 to pursue a professional dance career in the entertainment industry. In 2000, she took up a regular yoga practice for exercise and panic disorder, something she suffered with for several years after a trip to China on a dance job. The practice helped her to trust the flow and calm her racing mind. Over the years, she began to feel that yoga was much more than physical, and the benefits of focus, softness, flexibility and strength provided tools for life. Yoga became a spiritual practice, and in 2009, Nicole completed her Yoga Alliance accredited teaching certification at Rising Lotus Yoga and began teaching.

In 2011, Nicole studied with Maty Ezraty, the original founder of YogaWorks; and fell in love with Maty’s emphasis on alignment as a means to find focus, healing and strength. Then, in 2012, while stepping away from her 13 year dance career, Nicole found her teacher and mentor, Annie Carpenter; and completed her second teacher training and a mentorship with Annie. She continues to train with Annie, and is deeply grateful for her discipline, love and guidance.