My Lineage

My work is driven by a passion for making transformation accessible and meaningful for everyone I serve. I’ve deepened my commitment to creating impactful tools for growth, focusing on comprehensive online courses, transformative retreats, and expanding the reach of my work beyond the walls of a studio. These offerings are designed to meet people where they are, providing resources that nurture the body, mind, and spirit in a way that seamlessly integrates into their lives. Welcome to THE MAT with Nicole Katz, where I am honored to guide you on a path toward wellness, empowerment, and connection.

I began my practice more than 25 years ago in the Iyengar tradition in San Diego, CA where I was born and raised in the magical small beach town of Leucadia. In the fall of 2005 I moved to NYC to study the Viewpoints movement technique. The connection between how we store emotions in our physical bodies and how moving our bodies can also be the key to unlocking those experiences, motivated me to seek my first yoga teacher certification in 2008. 

During my first training it became clear to me that my passion lie not in big group classes but in working one on one and in small intimate groups to really effect change. It was then that I was introduced to the work of my teacher Mukunda Stiles and Structural Yoga Therapy. 

In 2012 I opened Yoga 216: New York City’s only semi private yoga studio with no more than 6 yogi’s in a class. I served Yoga 216 as operator, artistic director, group class instructor and private instructor. I co-wrote and lead several Yoga Alliance Certified trainings including: Level 1 and Level 2 Teacher Trainings, and a series on Deepening Your Practice.

While at Yoga 216, I co-created the Functional Anatomy for Yoga Teachers course which provides teachers a working understanding of functional anatomy and common injuries. Also unique only to this program is the ability to eyeball every joint for normal ranges of motion and how to apply that knowledge to teaching yoga in a group class setting. During my time at Yoga 216 I created the 216 Flow and BME sequences that combine vigorous flow, thoughtful functional anatomy, and a mindful application of normal ranges of motion into a vinyasa class that is very challenging and yet still safe for a wide population of students.

In 2014, I received both my 300 hour certification from Alison West at Yoga Union and a Structural Yoga Therapist certification from the Yoga Therapy Center.

In 2016, my husband and I welcomed the first of our two baby girls. My own experiences of getting pregnant, being pregnant, home birthing, and navigating motherhood inspired a shift in my work. It became clear to me how essential it is to support, educate, and empower women through every stage of their fertility and motherhood journeys. This led to the creation of Rebranding Birth, an initiative designed to bring women together with thought leaders and experts in the birth industry to reimagine and reclaim the birthing experience as the empowering rite of passage it was always meant to be.

Becoming a mother and needing to make the most of every minute of everyday has truly lead me to understand how hard it can be for my clients to make it to class- no matter how much they want to. That deeper understanding is what led me to make the transformative decision to close the physical location of Yoga 216 and focus all of my efforts on making my unique techniques and trainings available online for people to practice on demand in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

Welcome to THE MAT with Nicole Katz