THE SlowLife EXPERIENCE

Whether you are a yoga practitioner, yoga teacher, mental health worker, or curious individual, Michelle offers a variety of workshops, trainings, educational programs, and consultation services that can help you expand your knowledge and practice around yoga and mindfulness. Michelle is a certified Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider. She has trained yoga teachers at the 200- and 500-hour levels and continues to provide these services to accredited programs around the globe. She is able to teach and present on a variety of topics, including: bone/fascia anatomy, yoga ethics, self-care techniques, meditation/mindfulness practices, and the business of yoga.  Michelle's primary yoga training programming is as follows:  

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Trauma-Informed Yoga Teaching

To be trauma-informed in the yoga classroom means understanding how trauma reacts in the nervous system and manifests in the body.  An estimated seventy percent of adults in the U.S. have experienced some kind of trauma in their lifetime. All yoga teachers will encounter trauma in some of their students; it is essential to know how to work ethically and sensitively with individuals affected by trauma. Yoga teachers who are particularly interested in working with special populations such as the military, individuals suffering from grief and loss, depression/anxiety, and chronic health conditions, benefit greatly from trauma-informed training. Continuing education with Yoga Alliance will be granted along with a certificate of completion for attending the full course.

 

Yin Yoga Teacher Training

Yin Yoga focuses on fascia; the body's connective tissue network. When the fascia of the body is hydrated and healthy we experience better mobility, structural alignment, healthy joints, emotional balance, and nervous system regulation. Yin Yoga promotes yielding into postures for longer periods of time allowing the deep fascial tissues to slowly lengthen and open. Steeped in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Taoist philosophy, Yin Yoga works to open the pathways for chi to flow in the body. The deep quiet of the practice allows the student to fine tune inner-listening skills and mindfulness. Michelle provides her specialized Yin Yoga Training for yoga teachers who have previously completed their 200- or 500-hour teacher training requirements and are seeking to teach Yin Yoga or fold Yin Yoga into their current style of teaching. Continuing education with Yoga Alliance will be granted along with a certificate of completion for attending the full course.

 

Person-Centered Accessible Yoga Training

Steeped in Adaptive Yoga developed by Matthew Sanford and informed by Michelle's years of working with students living with spinal cord & brain injury and chronic & life-threatening diseases, this training equips yoga teachers with the tools and confidence to adapt yoga to all body types and abilities. Through the comprehension of how to adapt any asana for any body by simply understanding intention over aesthetics and alignment, the yoga teacher will find confidence in working with special populations in any setting.  Continuing education with Yoga Alliance will be granted along with a certificate of completion for attending the full course.

 

Yoga & Somatic Principles for Mental Health Workers

Michelle offers both workshops and consultation to mental health workers on effective ways to use the principles of yoga and somatic (body-based) practices with mental health clients and in mental health settings. Michelle holds a Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling for Couples and Families with an emphasis in Somatic-Based Psychology practices. She has combined yoga principles, mindfulness, and somatic-practices into her own therapy work. In addition to understanding how to incorporate these principles into a mental health practice, Michelle also provides ways to utilize yoga and somatic principles for self-care, avoiding burnout, and career longevity. 

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Embodiment Weekend Retreats

Sometimes life requires us to step away and retreat. Embodiment weekend retreats are offered in a variety of beautiful and natural settings around Asia and in the U.S. that use mindful practices focusing on self-care and restoration. Michelle offers programming that weaves together yoga, meditation, nature, art, tea, sensory awareness, and mindful somatic activities that create connection and self-discovery.