Our mission is to educate people of all ages and abilities in the beautiful disciplines of yoga and acrobatics, including but not limited to hand-balancing, contortion, and tumbling. We offer several types of group classes at several locations in northeastern Orange County, California. Additionally, we also offer private or semi-private lessons for individuals looking for more one-on-one guidance in their acrobatic and yoga pursuits.
Bliss Yoga and Acrobatics gets its name from the Hindu concept of ananda, or eternal bliss. Our goal is to equip our students with the tools they need to find ananda in their lives, both inside the gym and out in the world. Thats why all of our programs, even our recreational acrobatics and competitive gymnastics programs, incorporate some mindfulness, meditation, and breathing exercises to teach our students how to take care of their entire being, not just their physical bodies. As Swatmarama—the author of the seminal text Hatha Yoga Pradipika—wrote, “Those who are ignorant of Raja Yoga [i.e., mental and spiritual practice] and practice only Hatha Yoga [i.e., physical practice] waste their energy fruitlessly” (4.79).
Our Founder
Nicki Chaput started Bliss in 2025 to share the joys of gymnastics and acrobatics, combined with the wisdom and mindfulness of yoga, with all people in Southern California, regardless of age or (dis)ability. Growing up, Nicki did a variety of physical activities, including surfing, horseback riding, and tennis, but none captured her heart like the after-school circus program she participated in from ages nine to twelve, which later lead to dance and trampoline gymnastics.
Nicki got into the gymnastics world late at age fifteen, when most competitive gymnasts are getting ready to start their senior elite careers, and she struggled to find classes that fit both her age and skill level. What’s worse, when she turned eighteen, almost all the doors closed for her to continue taking lessons in the disciplines that she loved. But Nicki knew then as she knows now that gymnastics and acrobatics are not just for kids or for people who are “naturally talented;” they’re for everybody who can appreciate the fun of going upside down and seeing the world from a whole different perspective. Still, if gymnastics gyms wouldn’t let her take classes, she had to work with people who would. So she turned to what was available to her: yoga.
For Nicki, yoga started out as a means to an end: a practice to help her develop the strength and flexibility necessary for acrobatics while she didn’t have access to gymnastics facilities. But after practicing for several years and completing her yoga instructor certification in June 2024, yoga became more than just a method of fitness; it became a way of life. And while Nicki acknowledges not everyone has to enjoy yoga, she believes everyone can benefit from its teachings, and she incorporates yogic philosophy into all of her classes.
Nicki holds the following credentials:
- Certified Yoga Teacher (200 hours)
- USA Gymnastics Recreational Coach
- USA Gymnastics Category 2 Trampoline & Tumbling Judge
- USA Gymnastics TeamGym Judge
- NASM Stretching and Flexibility Coach
- NASM Youth Exercise Specialist