Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Taylor.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My journey started at the age 3 years old when my mother enrolled me in dance classes. I was trained in various forms of dance such as Ballet, Tap, Modern, African and Afro-Caribbean Folk. Dance has played a major role in building my character in terms of discipline, confidence and creativity. Throughout my training as a dancer, dance started to become an escape from stressors of daily life. It allowed me the ability to bring to life an idea into motion, but it also allowed me to learn more things about myself. One major thing that I learned is that I had a passion for helping others. This lead to me to furthering my education and I obtained a Bachelors degree in Sociology and a Masters degree in professional counseling. I spent several years counseling and enjoyed it; however, as I continued to learn more about myself as a woman I started to examine what I wanted my life to look and feel like, I yearned for something deeper. This meant taking a hard look at myself and removing anything that didn’t bring me peace, safety, joy, happiness and overall wellness.. This also meant investigating new things that could assist me on my journey. This is when I discovered Yoga. I decided to take a yoga class and that day changed my life!!! I remember leaving that class with a euphoric feeling. It was something that I had never felt before. I began taking as many classes as I could with different instructors from different modalities of yoga. I began to feel lighter, happier, grounded, healthier and more intuitive. This lead me to tap in more to my Afro-Caribbean heritage (Trinidad & Tobago)in regards to holistic living. After a couple of years of taking classes I began to realize that yoga spaces did not have a lot of people that looked like me. I then started to research more about different modalities of yoga and stumbled upon Kemetic Yoga.. That was a game changer!! I decided to get certified in Kemetic yoga. I moved to Raleigh, NC in January 2020 from Connecticut and then the pandemic happened. The pandemic provided space for me to delve deeper into my personal journey of wellness and development. I then became a certified personal trainer. My personal journey and healing has become my evolution which has allowed me to infuse holistic practices, dance and fitness to inspire and empower others.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely was not a smooth road. Some struggles were unlearning things I learned in the past to learn new things. We are often taught things as children and encouraged to never question them. As I continue to evolve and become as a person I have learned that it is ok to challenge norms. Another struggle was moving to Raleigh NC and finding community in Raleigh. Even though I spent many years as a dancer performing on stage, I am still shy. I had to come out of my shell and network. What motivated me is knowing the sacrifices my family made coming to America from the Caribbean. If they could make the transition, so, could I.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a certified Kemetic yoga instructor, certified personal trainer, nutritionist, certified yoni steam facilitator and motivational speaker. I provide guidance, empowerment and inspiration on holistic living journey. I also host women empowerment events. What sets me apart from the rest is my “why”. My “why” is literally in my name Nicole. Nicole is Greek for “victory of the people”. This means being of service to myself first ensuring my cup is always full to be of service of others. My work never comes from an empty or half full cup. My service comes from overflow.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is knowing that what I do is generational. One day when I was having a conversation with my 85 year old grandmother she stared crying. When I asked her why she was crying, She stated that her mother was a healer in her village and she could not understand how I intuitively gravitated to alternative and holistic ways of living. This is confirmation that I am on the right path on my journey. In addition, what makes me happy is hearing others tell me how transformative their experience has been taking my sessions or events.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.divineinu.com
- Instagram: @divineinu
- Facebook: Divinely Made, LLC
