Hidden Gems: Meet Michelle Brinkley of MWB Yoga

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Brinkley.

Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started practicing yoga in 2008, after receiving a beginners yoga set from my sisters for Christmas. I was a young mom with two small children, and their note said: “You are a great mom and wife, but you have lost Michelle. Perhaps you’ll find her among these bendy people.” I unrolled my mat and I began to heal. After 3 years of dedicated practice, I was no longer on anti-anxiety medication, I was treating my body with more respect, and I was developing arches in my flat feet. I could also jump on a trampoline again without having urinary urgency.

I began leading yoga practices in 2012 after completing my first yoga teacher training. Throughout the years, I have continued learning and teaching. I believe meditation, movement, and intention have deepened my relationship with God and myself, and I believe they can deepen your relationship with Christ too. I am devoted to sharing the practice of Christ-centered yoga with Biblical meditations to demystify yoga for Christians. This is a practice that encourages patience and cultivates an understanding of what God can manifest in our physical and emotional bodies. Yoga continues to help me stay present in my body and remain prayerful.

I am a registered Yoga Therapist with both the International Association of Yoga Therapists and Christian Yoga Association; as well as a Yoga Alliance Continuing education provider. My coursework includes (but is not limited to) YogaFaith Master Trainer, Holy Yoga Therapy, Yoga 4 Amputees, Trauma Sensitive YogaFaith, and Yoga for Mental Health. I am currently the owner/operator of MWB Yoga, and the Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Yoga Magazine.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I believe that growth happens in the inconvenient and uncomfortable moments of life. Although the path to where I am took twists and turns, the struggles led to growth and transformation. At times I struggled to keep everything going in a positive direction. Building a business, maintaining a relationship, and raising two children encouraged me to create household organizational procedures, develop better time management, and lean into my network of friends for support.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Movement.Worship.Breath techniques deliver people toward contentment in their bodies: heart, soul, mind, strength. When we can accept God’s unconditional love with every fiber of ourselves, we also love our neighbors better. My goal is for each student to find success in their yoga practice, regardless of their skill level, abilities, or age. To participate, you must simply be willing to release your stress and anxiety – mentally and physically, and breathe.

As a yoga therapist, I get to work one-on-one with individuals with a variety of mental and physical obstacles. I specialize in yoga for anxiety, lower back pain, and pelvic floor dysfunction. For example, one student I worked with was an amputee. Unlike her Physical Therapist, who taught her how to use her prosthetic and used hands-on therapeutic techniques, I helped teach her how to root down to rise up one breath at a time, and to believe that she is worthy and highly capable. We prayed and worshipped Jesus. We worked on physical alignment and core strength, remembering the power of the breath and that life is truly a gift was at the core of each of our lessons.

Group community practices are reasonably priced and hosted by local area churches and non-profit locations. Individuals are welcome to join in person or via Zoom. Each class is unique, taught to alleviate the aches and pains of participants.

I am a shared experience instructor and I aim to teach people how to feel better in their bodies, heal from trauma, and accept God’s overwhelming goodness and grace. I help my students to acknowledge and correct poor alignment; use the breath to calm the nervous system; and stretch and strengthen the body and mind. My goal is for each student to find success in their yoga practice, regardless of their skill level, abilities, or age.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I was a talented violinist from fourth through twelfth grade, often sitting as concertmistress. I even got invited to play with the Toledo Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Pricing:

• $10/class to walk-in
• $75/1:1 therapy lesson
• $100/private small group class

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mwbyoga.co
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mwbyoga