My interest in fitness has evolved over the course of my life. I played soccer for most of my childhood, mostly as a striker. In my junior year of high school, I joined the tennis team and played doubles, even though I wasn’t that great at it. I guess I had OK eye-hand coordination and somehow made the team.

In high school, I was introduced to weightlifting, and I fell in love with it. Every time I worked out, I felt like a badass. And, with the right level of effort, results were inevitable. Seeing my effort change my body and mind in a positive way continues to reinforce its importance in my life.

In college, I danced. I joined an African Drum & Dance group called Kekeli West African Drum & Dance. It started out as an elective class, and I never expected to fall in love with it as much as I did. Like yoga, African dance requires concentration. Every new dance movement is directed by drum calls. Unlike timed, choreographed dances, West African dances can be of any length. It is up to the drummers. A dancer not only needs to be aware of what their body is doing, but they also need to listen for the cue to change. In my early 20s, I traveled with Kekeli to Ghana and lived at Dagbe Cultural Center for about a month. It was an amazing, eye-opening experience that I will never forget.

In my 30s, to counter my sedentary corporate life and lose leftover pregnancy weight, I started running long-distance races. My favorite races are 10Ks and half-marathons. You could say that I am the “World’s Okayest Runner” and a typical mid-packer. I like the peace that running gives me, and I would rather run slower and enjoy a great playlist or audiobook than push myself to run faster.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you want to look at it, running highlighted my weaknesses. I have been to physical therapy quite a few times. I have dealt with patellar femoral pain syndrome, aka runner’s knee, bilateral plantar fasciitis, a stress fracture in my right foot, and a rotator cuff injury (due to a fall down the stairs). As a result of this experience, I became increasingly interested in the human body and the kinetic chain. Every physical therapy session consisted of my asking a laundry list of questions and wanting to learn more. I will never forget the day my physical therapist said, “Michelle, you should try being a trainer. I think you might be good at it.” I think that stuck with me.

I didn’t work in the fitness industry professionally until 2020. In 2019, I quit my corporate job to try being a stay-at-home mom. Long story short, the stay-at-home mom thing wasn’t for me.

I initially thought that I might become a corporate consultant, but it wasn’t something I was hugely passionate about either. Although it was lucrative, it brought me significant stress, and I had very little work-life balance. I wanted to do something that would let me focus on my family and passions without burning me out.

Instead, I decided to become a certified personal trainer with the goal of owning a small business. I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset and enjoy autonomy in my work. Becoming a trainer combined my personal passions with the drive to help others.

Once certified, I began working at a local big-box gym as a personal trainer and yoga instructor. It was there that I had the opportunity to grow professionally, learn from industry peers, and build my brand.

The first time I encountered yoga was in my senior year of high school. I walked into gym class one day, and the teacher had set up a few large mats and a television on a cart, and we were told we would be trying Hatha Yoga.

I fumbled through the yoga poses with as much grace as a newborn giraffe, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. The part that stuck with me, though, was savasana. During savasana, the final relaxation pose, the yoga instructor in the video conducted a guided relaxation. She asked us to relax each body part from the tips of our toes to the tops of our heads. By the end of the video, I was mush. I felt incredible warmth throughout my body, and I didn’t want to move. It felt like I had completely melted onto the floor.

That moment was the first time in my life I felt relaxed. Instead of constant tension, I was at peace and calm in my body. I never knew that feeling existed. That moment changed everything for me. That day, I discovered that I have influence over my body and my feelings. I didn’t need to feel tense all the time because the world around me was tense. It meant I could change things, and that was empowering.

I didn’t become a Yoga teacher until almost 20 years later, but that moment shifted things for me, and it’s the primary reason I decided to become a teacher when I did. I started teaching yoga because I want to give space to someone who needs it. If I can give one person a sense of calm, freedom, and/or independence through yoga practice, I have done my job as a teacher. Experiencing yoga changed my life and my perspective on what is possible.

I knew I wanted to own a business the moment I became certified as a personal trainer. The idea of owning a studio became more real to me as my values clashed with my employer at the big-box gym. Unfortunately, the larger a company becomes, the less emphasis there is on the customer as an individual. Focus begins to shift away from quality customer care and more toward the bottom line.

As a business owner, I do care about my bottom line, but I care just as much, if not more, about seeing my clients grow. I know what it is like to feel ignored, disconnected, and taken advantage of. I get to know my clients and class participants personally, and it is important to me to treat them with the same respect I want to be treated with.

Rather than focus on packing yoga participants into a room like sardines, I would rather teach a small class with an emphasis on THEM. I love my “regulars”! We have gotten to know each other personally, and I look forward to seeing them every week. We learn from each other, and I love that!

I grew up in a lower-income family that relied on the local food pantry. If I wanted something, I needed to earn it myself, which meant putting myself through college. At home, I was called “stupid” and “dumb,” and many of the dreams I shared were usually squashed. I will never forget the day I pointed out a BMW from the car window at the age of 12 and said, “someday I want that car,” and was laughed at and told, “That will never happen.”

It took me a long time to let go of trying to be perfect and escape a world that didn’t allow me to feel comfortable in my own skin. I lived in survival mode for so long that it became normal. It took years of working on my mind and body to finally shed those protective layers.

Today, when people see me, they see a confident, successful woman who can stand in front of a large group and teach. They see someone who can stand up tall, be herself, and laugh when she makes a mistake. My true colors shine for all to see, and you bet your ass I bought a BMW.

BA: Psychology (University of MA, Dartmouth)

MS: Industrial Organizational Psychology (Springfield College)

Heartsaver CPR/ AED Certification (American Heart Association)

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist

Usui Ryoho Reiki Levels I & II (Open Doors Metaphysical Center)

200HR Yoga Teacher Certification (Akasha Yoga Academy/ Yoga Alliance Registered)

Power Yoga Teacher Certification (Open Doors Yoga)

Yoga Body Sculpt Certification (Crunch Fitness)

Restorative Yoga Certification (Playpausebe/ Yoga Alliance Registered)- In Process (75% complete)

300HR Yoga Teacher Certification (Full Circle Yoga/ Yoga Alliance Registered)- In Process (90% complete)

For more information, check out my LinkedIn profile.