Faces of Cody: Nikki Levine Bustos

Nikki Levine Bustos, owner of Breathe & Balance, is a true East Coast girl who never dreamed she’d find her home in the middle of the continent. As a child, her mother switched careers from being a teacher to a travel agent so she would have enough energy for her family. Because of that shift, Nikki grew up as a world traveler, always on the go and ready to explore.

She fell in love with movies as a girl because of the power of how they can make you feel. Her goal was to become a Hollywood producer, and that’s exactly what she did. For ten years, she found success in the TV and film industry as a freelancer. Still, the reality of working in Hollywood took its toll.

She began exploring the ancient healing arts as a way to deal with the stress of the movie industry. “It became a saving grace in that soul-sucking place,” she said. Soon, she found herself a mantra, “I just want to be a yoga teacher in the mountains.” This mantra became a calling to reach toward love & light – a much better choice that would lead her to seek a better balance.

She started her business in Hollywood, teaching yoga and meditation on film sets, and while she enjoyed that, she knew at some point she would need to leave for her own sanity. She began looking for places to study where she could expand her certifications and abilities as an instructor.

COINCIDENCE OR GUIDANCE?

In 2012, while taking a break from the movie industry, she looked for places to learn worldwide, from India to Bali. She settled on a small school outside of Nederland, Colorado called (coincidentally) “Shoshoni.” Her mom offered to help drive from LA, and mentioned her good friend who lived outside of Cody, Wyoming, whom she hadn’t seen in a while. Visiting her on the Southfork would add a thousand miles to the drive, but why not?

Her friend told her NOT to use the directions on GPS because the directions were wrong, and they could get stuck. They chose to follow the GPS anyway. That brought them to the HooDoo Ranch, where her Honda Fit did, indeed, get stuck in the mud. They called their friend, who told them not to worry, that Kelly was on his way.

The thought of a Boston girl needing to be “saved” by a cowboy didn’t sit well with Nikki – and she ended up pushing her car out of the mud while her mom drove. They must have passed Kelly on their way to the Silver Bear Ranch. Once there, though, she got her first look at him standing with the river behind him, and she knew instantly that he was someone she wanted to get to know better. They hit it off as friends.

Nikki and her mom continued on to Colorado – and were amazed at all the Shoshone and Shoshoni landmarks on the way. She received her first of many yoga certifications in Colorado and moved back to LA. By 2015, she was ready to leave LA for good. She and Kelly stayed in touch and she casually mentioned she was heading back to Boston. He suggested she stop off in Wyoming on her way.

AN ANTELOPE SET HER ON A NEW PATH

Three weeks after being in the Cody area, she had a terrible car accident due to an antelope running out in front of the truck in front of her. Following a bit too closely for Wyoming standards, she hit the truck. Everybody, including the antelope escaped unharmed. She called Kelly, and as a firefighter, he had already heard the call. He showed up at the scene, rescuing her in many ways.

With no transportation and few belongings with her, she turned to meditation to understand why her life had this unexpected pause. Nikki found that in all her travels, she never once felt that she had come “home” until she came here. She understood the antelope set off a series of events that allowed her this pause to more deeply connect to her feelings. She was falling in love with the land that holds something special in this area – and Kelly. They married on the banks of the Southfork of the Shoshone, exactly where they met four year previously. They still live with their daughter and animals on the Southfork.

BREATHE & BALANCE

Not only did Nikki move here, but she also brought her business with her. She blends the ancient & the modern, science & spirituality, knowledge & intuition to offer stress management, emotional regulation, and basic “mental fitness.”

Yoga

She teaches yoga to people of all ages (2 to 102), is certified to teach in prisons, works with first responders, and more. She says, “If you can breathe, you can do yoga.” You can find her events here. 

Doula

In addition, she is a Doula – a non-medical birth professional. She holds space for women throughout pregnancy and as they give birth – helping them through all the emotions of that momentous occasion. Her calming presence becomes the balance in the chaos that is birth. Hiring a doula for her pregnancy inspired her to learn how to help others this way.

Energy Therapy

Nikki has spent years exploring the ancient healing arts that rely on the connection of energy to all things. Those explorations have evolved into sharing her lifelong learning with others. She is a Reiki practitioner and works with various methods to restore the flow of vital life energy within and around your body.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

She is deeply committed to helping people in this community and is particularly drawn to helping veterans, first responders and children. Over the years, she has sought out training to better serve these groups.

In addition, she offers her skills at Cedar Mountain Center. When needed, she works with Park County Treatment Court to help others find balance.

Partnering with Flyin’ B Equine she works with the unique energy only horses can bring to help people heal. Usually letting them take the lead is the right decision.

You can also find her teaching at the Chamberlin Inn, the golf course and free monthly yoga classes at the Library. Plus, she volunteers to teach yoga in the schools to help children and teachers with their emotional growth. In addition, she facilitates wellness gatherings at her business, Breathe & Balance to educate the community on wholistic opportunities in Cody. Her passion is helping anyone of any age to learn the skills to find peace through balance.

BALANCE IN THE MIDDLE

Originally wanting to make movies as a way to help people feel emotions, her career path, while vastly different, continues to fuel that same passion. Rather than intentionally making someone feel through movies, she helps people navigate the complexity of the emotions of life.

The & (ampersand) in Breathe & Balance speaks of her journey. It takes darkness and light, yin and yang – opposites united – to find balance. This is what her work helps people to learn. She went from the East Coast to the West and found her balance in the middle.

It’s also not surprising she ended up with Kelly – those of us who have had the honor of truly knowing a cowboy or rancher understand they get the spiritual side of life more fully than most. They are a balance of the rugged and tender, gentle and tough. Even the landscape here is a balance of nature’s indifference and its ability to comfort.

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