Common Ground: In Conversation with Nova, Founder of Warrior One Yoga

For our latest Common Ground, we connect with Nova Rossi — entrepreneur, yoga teacher and founder of Warrior One Yoga.

Across three studios, Nova has created spaces that extend far beyond the physical practice of yoga — places to slow down, reconnect, grow and feel grounded.

We have long admired the way Nova inspires others to come home to themselves, and the intention she brings to creating community while navigating the fullness of life as a business owner.

We spoke with Nova about the rituals she returns to, how her relationship with self-care has evolved, and the role yoga, skincare and stillness play in keeping her grounded.

How has your relationship with self care evolved through your years of practising and teaching yoga?
When I first opened Warrior One Yoga I thought self care was something you fit in around the edges of everything else, if there was any time left. And then I experienced burnout! So 11 years and 3 studios later I understand it completely differently. It is not a reward for getting through the week, it is what allows me to get through the week well. The more people I am responsible for, the more non negotiable my own care has become. I cannot pour into a community from somewhere empty, and yoga taught me that before I understood it in words.

What does feeling truly at home in your body mean to you?
It means I am accepting of it and nonjudgmental of it. There was a long stretch of my life where I related to my body as something to manage or improve. Being at home in it now feels like the opposite of that. It means moving through my day with ease rather than tension, feeling settled in my own skin, and trusting the signals my body gives me instead of overriding them because I think I know better.

Are there simple rituals you return to each day that help you feel grounded?
Yes, and they are small on purpose. A quiet moment before the day gets loud, before phones and messages and the studios need me. Time on my mat, even if it is brief. And at some point in the evening, actually slowing down enough to notice how I feel rather than collapsing into bed still running at full speed. None of it is elaborate. The consistency is what makes it grounding. A hot bath, time in the sauna with a book, walking my dog, time in nature or just simply connecting with my partner. 

What does your personal skincare ritual look like, and has it changed over time?
It used to be something I rushed through, functional and forgettable. I love my morning and evening skincare routine. I cleanse, I hydrate, and I have learned to actually slow down through it rather than treating it as one more task to clear. 

When your skin feels balanced and healthy, what do you think contributes to that?
Honestly, it mirrors the rest of me. Sleep, hydration, and not putting my skin or my body through constant change. Consistency again. I think we underestimate how much calm and steadiness show up on the outside when we are actually looking after ourselves on the inside.

How have yoga and meditation shaped the way you approach caring for yourself beyond the mat?
They taught me to notice before I react, and that has quietly reshaped everything. How I eat, how I rest, how I speak to myself, how I care for my skin. None of it feels separate anymore. Yoga was never really about the physical practice for me, it was about learning to pay attention, and that attention now touches every part of how I look after myself.

What does slowing down look like for you in a life that can often feel very full?
Running 3 studios means my days rarely offer big blocks of stillness, so I have had to redefine what slowing down actually looks like. It is not a retreat or a day off, most of the time. It is generally just moments of genuine stillnes throughout the week. I have learned that these small pockets, held consistently, matter more than waiting for a big empty day that rarely comes.

What guidance would you share with someone wanting to bring more intention and ritual into the way they care for themselves?
Start with one thing and let it become familiar before you add anything else. I see so many people try to overhaul their entire routine overnight and burn out on it within a week. A ritual only becomes grounding through repetition, so the goal is not to do more, it is to actually show up for the one small thing you have chosen, again and again, until it becomes part of who you are rather than something on a list.


As you move through different seasons of life, how have your skincare rituals evolved?
In my twenties I chased whatever was new, convinced the next product would be the answer. Now I care far more about what genuinely works for my skin than what is trending, and I have simplified almost everything. Less has become more, and that has been true across most areas of my life, not just skincare.

Nova’s words are a reminder that there is power in the things we return to. The practices that ground us, the moments that create space, and the rituals that quietly become part of how we care for ourselves.

Nova’s SIHA ritual

Wildcrafted Organics Flower Acid Cleanser
Prologic Response Moisturiser (Step 1)
SIMKA Bio-Cellulose Hydrating Face Mask