Women in Wellness: Brigitte Hynes-Taylor — Living in Alignment, Leading Through Example
When you meet Brigitte Hynes-Taylor, you immediately sense her strength — calm yet grounded, compassionate yet driven. As the owner of Circle Studio in Petrolia, Ontario, and a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Natural Nutrition Clinical Practitioner, and Certified Fitness Instructor, Brigitte embodies what it means to live and lead in alignment.
Her days begin before the sun rises — a quiet 4:00 a.m. ritual of lemon water, collagen, and movement in her rural reformer studio.
“It’s my sanctuary,” she says. “Before clients arrive, I spend time reconnecting with my breath and body — it keeps me grounded for the day ahead.”
From early-morning Reformer Pilates classes to mid-day nutrition consultations, mom life, and community programs, Brigitte’s world is full — yet beautifully intentional. “Movement, nourishment, connection, and gratitude — those are the things that keep me feeling my best,” she explains. “Every day has a rhythm that’s built around those values.”
A Calling That Came Full Circle
Brigitte’s path into the wellness world started early. Growing up in a home deeply rooted in traditional healthcare — her father a physician and her mother a nurse — she was fascinated by the human body and the act of caring for others. “Health was always part of my world,” she shares. “I used to do hospital rounds with my dad, assist in his office, even work summers in the operating room.”
Her early exposure to medicine sparked an interest in prevention and holistic care, eventually leading her to earn a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition, a Master’s in Health Promotion, and later, certification as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist through the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.
But Brigitte didn’t stop there. Her global journey — studying in Ireland, Poland, and across Canada — gave her a broad perspective on wellness and inspired her to combine traditional healthcare knowledge with holistic, preventative practices.
In 2014, she founded Circle Studio, a space that blends movement, nutrition, and mindset into one empowering community. “I wanted to create a place where every pillar of wellness was supported — where people could feel strong, balanced, and connected,” she says. “That’s why we called it Circle Studio — it represents wholeness, community, and lifelong health.”
Turning Challenge Into Purpose
In 2020, life shifted again when Brigitte’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. A year later, Brigitte discovered she carried the BRCA2 genetic mutation, which significantly increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
That discovery led her to make a courageous choice — undergoing a prophylactic double mastectomy earlier this year as a proactive step for her health.
“Learning that I carried this gene was life-changing,” she shares. “It completely reshaped the way I view health, prevention, and what it truly means to take care of myself.”
This deeply personal experience inspired Brigitte to obtain specialized certification in Cancer Exercise Training and to launch a Breast Health & Fitness Program in 2024 — designed to support women through every stage of their breast cancer journey.
At the same time, she began navigating perimenopause — another transformative season that further expanded her empathy and understanding for the women she supports. “Many of us are experiencing real hormonal shifts and health changes in real time,” she says. “It’s not about just surviving these transitions — it’s about learning how to thrive through them.”
Empowerment Through Connection and Education
At the core of everything Brigitte does is connection, compassion, and empowerment.
“I believe every woman’s wellness journey is unique,” she says. “It’s not about perfection — it’s about progress and understanding. My goal is to create a space where women feel seen, supported, and safe to show up exactly as they are.”
Her work — from teaching movement to nutrition coaching — centers around education and empowerment. She believes that when women understand why their bodies feel the way they do, they gain the power to make sustainable, confident choices.
“Healing doesn’t happen in isolation,” Brigitte adds. “It happens in connection — in community. That’s what Circle Studio was built on.”
Redefining Wellness
When asked what wellness means to her now, Brigitte’s answer reflects the wisdom of lived experience:
“In my twenties, wellness meant doing more — more workouts, more hustle, more control. But now, in my forties, as a mom, business owner, and survivor of preventive surgery, wellness means alignment, grace, and slowing down enough to listen to what my body truly needs.”
For Brigitte, true wellness is no longer a checklist — it’s a relationship with yourself.
“It’s balance, not perfection. It’s rest as part of healing. It’s joy, connection, and nourishment — body, mind, and soul.”
Brigitte Hynes-Taylor’s story is a reminder that wellness isn’t a destination — it’s an evolution. Through every chapter, she’s chosen courage, community, and curiosity over fear, showing women what it means to lead with heart and purpose.
As she says best:
“Surviving is not the goal. Thriving is.”
And through her work — in the studio, in the classroom, and in her own healing — Brigitte continues to show women exactly how to do just that.