Author Q&A With Nikita Thakrar
Nikita Thakrar is an award-winning entrepreneur, educator, and mentor, best known as the founder of DNC Dance & Yoga Studio and Journey with Nikita. With a lifelong passion for creativity, she began writing poetry as a child and has since developed it into a powerful form of self-expression and personal therapy. Through her work, Nikita combines movement, mindfulness, and words to inspire, empower, and uplift others on their own journeys of growth and self-discovery. Meet Nikita:
You are an author, but is it your day job? If not, what fills your days? Writing is a central pillar of my work, but it’s an extension of a much wider life practice rather than a standalone “day job.” My days are filled with teaching embodied practices, such as yoga, meditation, working as a healer, and creating contemplative spaces where movement, breath, and reflection meet. I also enjoy coaching and mentoring individuals who are navigating life changes and transitions.
For over 20 years, I ran DNC Studio, a space dedicated to movement and consciousness work. Closing it was an intentional decision that allowed me to channel that depth of experience into writing, teaching, and more intimate forms of guidance.
Did you always want to be an author? I don’t think I always wanted to be an author in the conventional sense. I always wanted to translate inner experience into something shareable. For many years, that translation happened through the body; through dance, yoga, and teaching. Writing came later as a natural evolution, another language for the same inquiry. Poetry, especially, felt like the bridge between stillness and expression.
What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it?
My upcoming book, Journey from Karma to Dharma, will be published later this year. It was inspired by decades of observing repetitive patterns in myself and others – emotional, relational, and energetic and the moment when those patterns begin to loosen.
The book explores how we move from unconscious repetition (karma) into conscious choice and alignment (dharma). It weaves lived experience, spiritual philosophy, poetry, and embodied insight into a practical yet reflective journey.
How do you hope your book will uplift readers? I hope it offers readers a sense of companionship rather than instruction. This is not a book about fixing yourself. It’s about learning to listen to the body, to patterns, to the wisdom beneath reaction.
If readers feel less alone with their cycles, more compassionate toward themselves, and gently empowered to respond differently, then the book has done its work.
What are you most excited about with this book? I’m most excited that it meets people where they are. It allows space for self-reflection and exploration, which I think is deeply needed in the world right now.
How did writing a book help your career take off? Writing a book gave my work clarity, credibility, and reach. It distilled years of thinking and practice into a coherent body of ideas that people could engage with quickly and deeply. From a strategic perspective, my poetry book became both an authority marker and a gateway to my wider work. It opened doors to new collaborations, speaking opportunities, and a more aligned readership. Instead of chasing momentum, the book created it. It also gave me a platform for my next book, which is due to be published this year.
What advice would you give someone wanting to succeed in your professional industry? Be clear on your message before you amplify your voice. Skill and substance must come before visibility. Choose an area or topic you are passionate about, then bring your unique voice to it. Success in this industry comes from depth of work, consistency of output, and integrity over time. Focus on serving a specific audience well rather than appealing broadly. Build trust through thoughtful contributions, not constant promotion, and accept that meaningful careers are built gradually, not virally.
How do you handle setbacks and criticism? I treat setbacks as feedback, not failure. Every challenge reveals something about the work, the audience, or my own assumptions. With criticism, I’m selective. Constructive insight from trusted sources informs my growth; noise doesn’t. Staying anchored in purpose allows me to remain open without becoming destabilized. Long‑term resilience comes from knowing why you’re doing the work, not from avoiding resistance.
Being an author today is like running a business. How do you manage your publicity and social media and maintain engagement with readers? I approach publicity as an extension of the work, not a distraction from it. My focus is on alignment rather than volume; choosing platforms intentionally and sharing content that reflects the spirit of my books.
Rather than constant promotion, I offer value, poetic reflections, insight, and moments of pause that invite connection. My website anchors the work, social media sustains conversation, and the books remain the core. When those elements are aligned, engagement becomes organic and sustainable.
How do you hold yourself accountable and achieve the goals that you set forth? I check in with myself regularly – physically, emotionally, and mentally, then adjust accordingly. Accountability, for me, is staying honest with what’s sustainable and what’s truly aligned.
How do you structure your day and make time for writing? My mornings are sacred: a morning walk followed by meditation, gentle movement, and contemplation. Writing usually follows, even if only for a short, focused window. I don’t wait for inspiration; I create the conditions for it.
What do you find most fulfilling in the career that you’ve chosen? When someone tells me my writing or my work shifted how they see themselves, that’s everything.
What book uplifts you? Books that return me to simplicity and truth. Poetry, sacred texts, and anything that invites presence rather than answers. I am particularly drawn to self-help and personal development genres.
Anything else you’d like to share with your readers? Healing isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about remembering who you were before the noise. My work – whether through poetry, teaching, or healing is simply an invitation back to that remembering.
Meet Nikita and learn all about her work and her books through her website.
