Nicole Gibbard

Nicole was born and raised in England, spending her earlier years growing up with horses and other animals and enjoying many different sports as a child. Since 2000 she has been living in Zurich, Switzerland, where she managed a range of health clubs, teaching, presenting and educating students in a huge range of fitness programs and yoga. She speaks French and German.

Her love for nature and being outdoors has fuelled her passion for hiking, cycling, snowboarding, horse riding, kayaking, swimming, camping and any opportunity for adventure. She shares her earthy, grounding and “real” qualities through inspiring personal training, workshops and amaziningly creative retreats and fitness holidays in various locations around the globe.

Nicole delights in reminding people of the basic essentials of living, leading them deeper into joy, happiness and a new lease of life, and to attract those who had never believed that touching their own toes was possible, to start to rediscover their own bodies.
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She is currently the project manager at Top Hill Yoga+ retreats () which combine yoga on the mat with yoga experiences in nature, animals and always a little adventure, to really offer people the thrill and excitement of discovering themselves spiritually, physically and mentally in the most complete way during this unique Yoga holiday experience. By offering a carefully prepared schedule, which really allows people to experience their physical and mind bodies both on and off the yoga mat and through the food they are eating, these retreats aim to fully connect participants to their surrounding environment and to feel an immediate sense of belonging and well being as they are able to swiftly reconnect to nature and find balance and stability once more.

Yoga Classes
Nicoles passion for movement lead her to study various systems of yoga including Astanga, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Anusara, Elemental Yoga and she has completed a total of over 1500 hours of training (including yoga therapeutics and applying yoga as medicine) alone, over the past decade.
“The self exploration of yoga harmoiously merged with various outdoor activities in nature, enable students to take their “on the mat” experiences “off the mat” and realise their dreams through a multitued of fabulously delightful mediums”.

Her yoga classes are offered to all levels, and particularly to those who never even thought of starting yoga, with daily practice for beginners initially focussed on the bio mechanics of the body to prevent and heal injury and strengthening and stabilizing muscles/joints to increase freedom and flexibility in the body’s range of movement. Yoga stretch classes are introduced to therapeutically release blocked or tight areas in the body and correct various misalignments. As the students practice advances, they are guided into the more subtle realms of awareness and experiences, using the breath, meditation techniques and a deeper connection with the elements of nature.

“For me, it is important to be able to reach everyone and share my energy and enthusiasm for life with as many people as I can. People want to be happy, they search happiness, and by gently guiding people, leading them by the hand into nature, into movement, into yoga, union with themselves and the new things they learn to love, they can start to find what they are searching for.”

Nicole – Training and Experience in detail
Nicole has carried out a daily yoga practice since the age of 15, but it wasn’t until 2001, when she began teaching Les Mills Body Balance (later presenting this program in quarterly conventions to instructors), then in 2006 when she began working for the BodyART School, teaching and presenting their programs, that she was introduced to Astanga Yoga. Attending daily mysore classes with her first teacher, Michael Hamilton for nearly 2 years, and fully immersing herself into workshops and self practice, she then completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training with Stephen Thomas, Michael Hamilton and Clive Radda. Following this was the completion of the Anusara Immersions and Anusara Teacher Training with her long time teacher and mentor Jeff Fisher, and over 1000 hours of
workshops, yoga therapy training and yoga retreats with Ross Rayburn, John Friend, Desiree Raumbaugh, Sienna Shermann, Noah Meze, Chris Chavez and BJ Galvin. Broadening her spectrum of yoga, she also attended several workshops and trainings with Bryan Kest, Rachel Zinmann, Simon Park, Young Ho Kim, Glenn Black, Jai Garuda, Sophia Araujo, and recently completed a 3 week intense advanced Yoga Therapy Training in Bali, with the Swara Yoga school. Her extended gratitude and thanks go to all her teachers, including one very special friend and yoga guru, Joey Mascerenhas, who has recently supported and nurtured her into the amazing journey into vipasana meditation at the VRI in Igatpuri, India.

Yoga for Horse Riders
Nicoles early connection to horses for over 20 years, included many years of competing, training and schooling horses in all fields of equitation, in England and Luxembourg. Her latest concept, “Yoga for Horse Riders”, riding experts and yoga practitioners are brought together learning to subtley merge these two ancient disciplines, to assist in simply learning to ride, overcoming fears of horses, or for experienced or competition riders, polishing to perfection their current connection with their horse to find a greater ease and effortlessness whilst riding.

Yoga classes are specifically and carefully tailored to address the needs of the horse rider. Basic and simple stretching of muscles, to open hips, chest and shoulders to deepen the seat of the rider. Gentle twisting exercises to release tension in the back and neck area, are harmoniously balanced with strengthening movements for the centre of the body, improving stability, posture and allowing the body to move independently.

Participants discover how to bring greater awareness and connection to their mind and body via the breath and learn how to use their breath to calm anxiety, tension and stress before and during our riding experiences. For those with more specific issues or injuries, personal training will assist and relieve balance, blocks, pain, discomfort, psychological riding and techniques can be applied to teach complete beginners to ride by using yoga off the horse then transferring them onto the horse once they have a better awareness of their body, mind and breath, a better understanding of the horse, and developing their trust understanding and confidence in themselves and the horse. Nicole offers various workshops and retreats around the world, including Ibiza, Tuscany, Iceland and Switzerland