An interview with Nica Bautista!
Welcome back! We love having you here back with us at Pilgrim. Tell us, what do you love about Brisbane?
Thank you! I love so many things about Brisbane. After six months of solo travel in the Philippines and visiting relatives, it feels so good to be home.
Here are the things I’ve missed and love the most:
- My loved ones – so many of my favourite people live in Brisbane and it’s so good to be home with my family, partner and friends.
- COFFEE. I’m sure most Aussies will relate to missing coffee whilst travelling. We are so lucky to have an incredible coffee culture and Brisbane has some amazing local cafes. My favourites are Kiki (our next door neighbour here in Fish Lane) and Salt in Newstead.
- The Yoga Community! I am so blessed to have so many supportive peers, clients and students. I jumped back into teaching the week after I got back and caught up with a few clients. My heart was so full with the amount of hugs and well wishes I received after seeing students back in the studio.
How did your Yoga journey start?
I get asked this question a lot and the first thing I think about is 19 year old me, dreaming of the day when I would ‘ride my bike to the markets and eat green beans like Yoga people do’. You can tell that I had been spending too much time on Tumblr, browsing the hashtag #fitspo, not too long before Instagram became a thing back in 2011.
I quickly learnt that Yoga was so much more than eating healthy and being environmentally conscious. After struggling to keep up with one of my mum’s yoga and pilates DVDs, I decided to give the local gym a go. In my first ever yoga class, I couldn’t stay focused and I remember my arms being so sore the next day from the ‘push up things’ and actually felt my triceps for the first time in my life! While traditional yoga classes initially left me unfocused, Body Balance by Les Mills had me hooked. Body Balance is a mix of yoga, tai chi and pilates paired with amazing playlists that kept me focused until I built up the skills to stay focused on my own. This was the perfect gateway into Yoga and I eventually tried hot yoga a couple of years later.
Around the same time, I began learning about self-development and spirituality, finding that these intertwined seamlessly with my new found yoga practice. From that point on, yoga became more than just physical exercise—it became a journey of self-discovery, awareness and growth that continues to enrich my life to this day.
What drew you to Yoga and teaching?
My journey into teaching yoga was deeply rooted in my own transformative experience with Body Balance. The first time I tried it, I felt empowered, strong and deeply connected to my body in a way I had never experienced before. It was liberating and I knew instantly that I wanted others to feel that same sense of freedom and excitement.
I’ve always been passionate about sharing things with others, so when I discovered the profound impact of feeling empowered in my body, I felt compelled to share it with as many people as possible. While I initially began teaching as a Body Balance instructor, I kept up my yoga practice on the side.
Despite my growing passion for yoga, I initially hesitated to become a yoga teacher. I struggled with feelings of self-doubt, believing that I wasn’t good enough or knowledgeable enough about yoga philosophy. Remember how I used to think yoga teachers had to ride bikes everywhere and eat only greens? Those misconceptions fed my insecurity. 21 year old me would be losing her mind if she knew where we ended up!
As I continued to delve deeper into my practice, I realised that yoga was about so much more. It was about self-discovery, growth and embracing the journey as it unfolds. I taught Body Balance throughout Uni and even while I was working full time in Sales and Marketing. I’d say I entered the Brisbane Yoga scene in 2019 when I started teaching yoga teachers about digital marketing and met some amazing teachers. Eventually, I felt a pull to undertake this journey myself, leveraging my marketing skills to build my own yoga and reiki business.
One of the greatest gifts yoga has given me is a heightened sense of awareness—a tool that has guided me through even the darkest of days. My own yoga teachers, many of whom are now my peers, played a significant role in helping me see the bigger picture when things felt bleak.
It’s this deep connection to self and others that keeps me coming back to teaching every time. Now, I’m passionate about helping people discover what lights them up and finding the courage to pursue those passions, using yoga, reiki and mindfulness as tools to gain clarity and purpose.
There’s so many beautiful values within Yoga, which one’s stand out to you the most?
There are so many good ones but the one I personally feel the most connected to is self-awareness.
In the 8 limbs of yoga, self-awareness is known as Svadhyaya (Self-Study). It involves observing and understanding oneself on deeper levels, uncovering our strengths, weaknesses and patterns of behaviour. Through self-awareness, we embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, gaining insights that lead to greater clarity, authenticity, and transformation.
I think of awareness as the rock that is thrown into the pond that creates the ripple effects. When we bring awareness to different parts of ourselves and our lives, it triggers us to broaden our perspective which then creates a ripple effect and a holistic view of ourselves and the world around us – it essentially encourages you to go inwards in order to go outwards.
This process of inner exploration not only helps us understand ourselves better but also improves our relationships, work and how we interact with the world. It has helped me in so many different situations. Though circumstances may change, the process of cultivating awareness and gaining clarity remains constant.
As I mentioned earlier, I have a passion for sharing knowledge with others. Since learning how to use self awareness and self discovery to gain clarity in different areas of my life, I created a 1:1 program to help others do the same. The Inner Spark Roadmap is a journey of self discovery to uncover passions that light you up from the inside out while gaining the courage to pursue them wholeheartedly.
What do you love about teaching and what do you aim, hope for, in giving within your classes?
My biggest hope as a teacher is that people feel safe to be themselves. I aim to create an environment where individuals can embrace their authenticity without fear of judgement or comparison. When students step into my class, I want them to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, knowing that they are valued just as they are.
Seeing students feel empowered is truly inspiring – it’s one of my favourite things to witness. You can literally see it in their face and in their eyes. Whether it’s staying steady in a balance posture, experiencing a pose for the first time or simply allowing themselves to take a moment to breathe, it’s incredibly fulfilling to see.
I love connecting with people and being a yoga teacher gives me the opportunity to meet some incredible humans. Having experienced jobs where people are often stressed, irritated or constantly complaining about non life threatening issues, I cherish the positive energy and uplifting atmosphere of a yoga class. It’s very rare to leave a yoga session feeling down or dissatisfied. I adore the post-yoga high and the rush of endorphins that come with it. Witnessing students leave class with smiles on their faces and a sense of inner peace is incredibly rewarding and fuels my passion for teaching
Any favourite artists, playlists that are your-go-to for practising Yoga, Meditation…?
I take a lot of pride from curating my playlists – it must have been the influence of Les Mills and the way they curate their playlists for their programs.
Pilgrim is such a vibe and the right music can elevate the entire experience. While I don’t have a particular favourite artist, I do gravitate towards a certain style of music. Think deep bass lines, rhythmic drum patterns and a primal sound that you can feel deep into your core. I’m drawn to genres like deep tribal/tribal house, organica, world fusion as well as island beats like Polynesian reggae, soca and dancehall, as they create an immersive and primal atmosphere ideal for movement practices.
You’ll often find this vibe in most of my classes with all of my playlists available on Spotify.
Here are some of my favourites I’ve made:
60min Root Chakra Self Enquiry
Favourite meditation & relaxation playlists:
Any new goals, aspirations for your next era here in Brisbane?
Life has been a whirlwind since returning to Brisbane, but I’m excited for what’s ahead. I’ve got plans of hosting a retreat down in Byron Bay this year and an island-hopping yoga adventure in the Philippines next year if all goes well! Additionally, I’ll be offering Reiki treatments again in the coming months.
Being a typical Aries, I have future ambitions of introducing adaptive yoga programs into special needs schools and disability support programs. I’m passionate about making yoga more accessible to individuals with disabilities and I believe these initiatives can provide invaluable support and enrichment to our communities.
You’ll find all of my events and offerings on my instagram.
And lastly, What do you love about Pilgrim?
Pilgrim will always hold a special place in my heart and I had the absolute honour of being part of the team that brought it to life. I’m incredibly grateful to Paul for inviting me along for the ride. From witnessing an office space be transformed into our hot studio, to naming our classes like the ones we know and love: Pilgrim Warrior, Sunday Roast, Reboot & Restore and Vinyl Vinyasa to the ones that had their moment in the spotlight like Buttooties Yes! and Pilgrim Primal.
I adore the evolution of Pilgrim and its unique personality – I can’t believe we recently celebrated Pilgrim’s 3rd birthday! It may sound a bit odd to say a yoga studio has a personality, but Pilgrim does. It’s like that friend who always shows up at every turn of life and somehow knows exactly what you need.
Whether it’s offering a much needed warm hug and a gentle embrace or providing a bit of a push to challenge you to be your best self, Pilgrim feels like it’s there for every part of your journey. It’s that fun-loving friend you can unleash your inner child and just be silly with!
I certainly feel that way, and I’m grateful to be part of a diverse, supportive and wholesome community.
An interview with Nica Bautista!
Welcome back! We love having you here back with us at Pilgrim. Tell us, what do you love about Brisbane?
Thank you! I love so many things about Brisbane. After six months of solo travel in the Philippines and visiting relatives, it feels so good to be home.
Here are the things I’ve missed and love the most:
- My loved ones – so many of my favourite people live in Brisbane and it’s so good to be home with my family, partner and friends.
- COFFEE. I’m sure most Aussies will relate to missing coffee whilst travelling. We are so lucky to have an incredible coffee culture and Brisbane has some amazing local cafes. My favourites are Kiki (our next door neighbour here in Fish Lane) and Salt in Newstead.
- The Yoga Community! I am so blessed to have so many supportive peers, clients and students. I jumped back into teaching the week after I got back and caught up with a few clients. My heart was so full with the amount of hugs and well wishes I received after seeing students back in the studio.
How did your Yoga journey start?
I get asked this question a lot and the first thing I think about is 19 year old me, dreaming of the day when I would ‘ride my bike to the markets and eat green beans like Yoga people do’. You can tell that I had been spending too much time on Tumblr, browsing the hashtag #fitspo, not too long before Instagram became a thing back in 2011.
I quickly learnt that Yoga was so much more than eating healthy and being environmentally conscious. After struggling to keep up with one of my mum’s yoga and pilates DVDs, I decided to give the local gym a go. In my first ever yoga class, I couldn’t stay focused and I remember my arms being so sore the next day from the ‘push up things’ and actually felt my triceps for the first time in my life! While traditional yoga classes initially left me unfocused, Body Balance by Les Mills had me hooked. Body Balance is a mix of yoga, tai chi and pilates paired with amazing playlists that kept me focused until I built up the skills to stay focused on my own. This was the perfect gateway into Yoga and I eventually tried hot yoga a couple of years later.
Around the same time, I began learning about self-development and spirituality, finding that these intertwined seamlessly with my new found yoga practice. From that point on, yoga became more than just physical exercise—it became a journey of self-discovery, awareness and growth that continues to enrich my life to this day.
What drew you to Yoga and teaching?
My journey into teaching yoga was deeply rooted in my own transformative experience with Body Balance. The first time I tried it, I felt empowered, strong and deeply connected to my body in a way I had never experienced before. It was liberating and I knew instantly that I wanted others to feel that same sense of freedom and excitement.
I’ve always been passionate about sharing things with others, so when I discovered the profound impact of feeling empowered in my body, I felt compelled to share it with as many people as possible. While I initially began teaching as a Body Balance instructor, I kept up my yoga practice on the side.
Despite my growing passion for yoga, I initially hesitated to become a yoga teacher. I struggled with feelings of self-doubt, believing that I wasn’t good enough or knowledgeable enough about yoga philosophy. Remember how I used to think yoga teachers had to ride bikes everywhere and eat only greens? Those misconceptions fed my insecurity. 21 year old me would be losing her mind if she knew where we ended up!
As I continued to delve deeper into my practice, I realised that yoga was about so much more. It was about self-discovery, growth and embracing the journey as it unfolds. I taught Body Balance throughout Uni and even while I was working full time in Sales and Marketing. I’d say I entered the Brisbane Yoga scene in 2019 when I started teaching yoga teachers about digital marketing and met some amazing teachers. Eventually, I felt a pull to undertake this journey myself, leveraging my marketing skills to build my own yoga and reiki business.
One of the greatest gifts yoga has given me is a heightened sense of awareness—a tool that has guided me through even the darkest of days. My own yoga teachers, many of whom are now my peers, played a significant role in helping me see the bigger picture when things felt bleak.
It’s this deep connection to self and others that keeps me coming back to teaching every time. Now, I’m passionate about helping people discover what lights them up and finding the courage to pursue those passions, using yoga, reiki and mindfulness as tools to gain clarity and purpose.
There’s so many beautiful values within Yoga, which one’s stand out to you the most?
There are so many good ones but the one I personally feel the most connected to is self-awareness.
In the 8 limbs of yoga, self-awareness is known as Svadhyaya (Self-Study). It involves observing and understanding oneself on deeper levels, uncovering our strengths, weaknesses and patterns of behaviour. Through self-awareness, we embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, gaining insights that lead to greater clarity, authenticity, and transformation.
I think of awareness as the rock that is thrown into the pond that creates the ripple effects. When we bring awareness to different parts of ourselves and our lives, it triggers us to broaden our perspective which then creates a ripple effect and a holistic view of ourselves and the world around us – it essentially encourages you to go inwards in order to go outwards.
This process of inner exploration not only helps us understand ourselves better but also improves our relationships, work and how we interact with the world. It has helped me in so many different situations. Though circumstances may change, the process of cultivating awareness and gaining clarity remains constant.
As I mentioned earlier, I have a passion for sharing knowledge with others. Since learning how to use self awareness and self discovery to gain clarity in different areas of my life, I created a 1:1 program to help others do the same. The Inner Spark Roadmap is a journey of self discovery to uncover passions that light you up from the inside out while gaining the courage to pursue them wholeheartedly.
What do you love about teaching and what do you aim, hope for, in giving within your classes?
My biggest hope as a teacher is that people feel safe to be themselves. I aim to create an environment where individuals can embrace their authenticity without fear of judgement or comparison. When students step into my class, I want them to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, knowing that they are valued just as they are.
Seeing students feel empowered is truly inspiring – it’s one of my favourite things to witness. You can literally see it in their face and in their eyes. Whether it’s staying steady in a balance posture, experiencing a pose for the first time or simply allowing themselves to take a moment to breathe, it’s incredibly fulfilling to see.
I love connecting with people and being a yoga teacher gives me the opportunity to meet some incredible humans. Having experienced jobs where people are often stressed, irritated or constantly complaining about non life threatening issues, I cherish the positive energy and uplifting atmosphere of a yoga class. It’s very rare to leave a yoga session feeling down or dissatisfied. I adore the post-yoga high and the rush of endorphins that come with it. Witnessing students leave class with smiles on their faces and a sense of inner peace is incredibly rewarding and fuels my passion for teaching
Any favourite artists, playlists that are your-go-to for practising Yoga, Meditation…?
I take a lot of pride from curating my playlists – it must have been the influence of Les Mills and the way they curate their playlists for their programs.
Pilgrim is such a vibe and the right music can elevate the entire experience. While I don’t have a particular favourite artist, I do gravitate towards a certain style of music. Think deep bass lines, rhythmic drum patterns and a primal sound that you can feel deep into your core. I’m drawn to genres like deep tribal/tribal house, organica, world fusion as well as island beats like Polynesian reggae, soca and dancehall, as they create an immersive and primal atmosphere ideal for movement practices.
You’ll often find this vibe in most of my classes with all of my playlists available on Spotify.
Here are some of my favourites I’ve made:
60min Root Chakra Self Enquiry
Favourite meditation & relaxation playlists:
Any new goals, aspirations for your next era here in Brisbane?
Life has been a whirlwind since returning to Brisbane, but I’m excited for what’s ahead. I’ve got plans of hosting a retreat down in Byron Bay this year and an island-hopping yoga adventure in the Philippines next year if all goes well! Additionally, I’ll be offering Reiki treatments again in the coming months.
Being a typical Aries, I have future ambitions of introducing adaptive yoga programs into special needs schools and disability support programs. I’m passionate about making yoga more accessible to individuals with disabilities and I believe these initiatives can provide invaluable support and enrichment to our communities.
You’ll find all of my events and offerings on my instagram.
And lastly, What do you love about Pilgrim?
Pilgrim will always hold a special place in my heart and I had the absolute honour of being part of the team that brought it to life. I’m incredibly grateful to Paul for inviting me along for the ride. From witnessing an office space be transformed into our hot studio, to naming our classes like the ones we know and love: Pilgrim Warrior, Sunday Roast, Reboot & Restore and Vinyl Vinyasa to the ones that had their moment in the spotlight like Buttooties Yes! and Pilgrim Primal.
I adore the evolution of Pilgrim and its unique personality – I can’t believe we recently celebrated Pilgrim’s 3rd birthday! It may sound a bit odd to say a yoga studio has a personality, but Pilgrim does. It’s like that friend who always shows up at every turn of life and somehow knows exactly what you need.
Whether it’s offering a much needed warm hug and a gentle embrace or providing a bit of a push to challenge you to be your best self, Pilgrim feels like it’s there for every part of your journey. It’s that fun-loving friend you can unleash your inner child and just be silly with!
I certainly feel that way, and I’m grateful to be part of a diverse, supportive and wholesome community.