Encouraging Connection

What I carried to Greece…

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…isn’t what I unpacked when I arrived home

When I boarded the plane on June 12 and headed to Greece for our yoga retreat, I was living with a chronic pain in the neck—and not the proverbial kind. My right shoulder had been screaming for months. Poor Katy had done her best to provide temporary relief. I visited the chiropractor, changed my sleeping posture, and became hyper-aware of my neck alignment while driving. But each night I faced the same aching reality: my body hurt.

When I returned home, I was pain free.

So what was the magical yoga pose that healed my ailments?

The truth is, the trip that helped me heal wasn’t filled with outrageously complicated flows or advanced inversions. It was filled with reflection, journaling, weirdo polyvagal practices to reset the nervous system, limited social media, unfamiliar territory that invited adventure, and enough quiet for my heart to finally speak so my body no longer had to scream.

The Michele who got on that plane was a shell of herself. Everything in life had become a task to complete or a challenge to overcome. And, to be fair, the month before Greece had been particularly relentless. In the previous 30 days, I had:

  • Lived in temporary housing with my family of six.
  • Navigated insurance claims and remediation after a small but inconvenient house fire.
  • Sold my yoga studio.
  • Hired and trained a new retail team.
  • Opened the second of three retail stores in Columbus for my day job.
  • Finished another school year with four children and cheered through what felt like every sporting event imaginable.
  • Moved out of temporary housing and into my parents’ home.
  • Packed six people for an international trip while our home remained under construction.
  • Planned and prepared to lead a yoga retreat for 17 people.
  • Tried to remain a sane and loving human.

I can hear your commentary already: “No wonder the trip was fabulous! You went from surviving to handmade pasta and white wine spritzers.” So when life is  imploding is the solution to escape to a foreign country for a few weeks and pretend it doesn’t exist? Actually, no.

The change of scenery certainly offered relief, but my responsibilities came with me. We coordinated carpet installation and paid bills abroad. My children (and everything they forgot to pack) were with me. Nothing about my circumstances changed.

What changed was my posture toward my life.

From a shala in Greece, I was finally able to hear: You don’t have to hold it all together. You can allow this reality to exist.

The stiff shoulder, tight neck, and tension-filled jaw were never the problem. They were simply messengers. I paused long enough to feel my life and accept my reality rather than feeding my compulsion to fix it all. My body followed suit. She had been holding, holding, holding on for dear life—just as I had.  But there was something I remembered while I was there: I am being held.

We’re finally back in our home. The boxes aren’t unpacked, we can’t find the light bulbs, and half of our possessions are still covered in plastic. Work is waiting for me, and the kids are back to sports camps, two-a-days, and lifting. Life isn’t really any calmer than when I left.

But I am.

I’m practicing, every day, being held.

My shoulder will probably always be a little tender. I am, by nature, a fixer. I carry things. I accomplish things. I straight-up get it done. But there’s a rhythm to a peace-filled existence that includes slowing down and allowing. It’s one I’m keen to keep around for a while.

A trip to Europe is always wonderful. I love the culture, the food, and the new experiences. Had I simply gone on vacation and returned home, it would have been a lovely few weeks.

But adding a yoga practice—not just poses on a mat, but the practice of linking body, breath, and heart—recalibrated my soul in a way a relaxing vacation never could.

Sometimes it’s not about what you pack. It’s about what you unpack while you’re away.

The Yoga of Joy: Ibiza 2027

What if your body isn’t asking you to do more—but to listen more closely?

Next summer, we’re gathering in Ibiza for six nights of movement, rest, connection, adventure, and the kind of spaciousness that’s increasingly difficult to find in everyday life. We’ll practice yoga, explore the island, spend time on the water, share incredible meals, and create enough quiet to hear ourselves again.

These retreats aren’t about becoming a different version of yourself. They’re about remembering who you are beneath the noise, the responsibilities, and the endless to-do lists.

You don’t need to arrive flexible, enlightened, or burned out enough to “deserve” a retreat. You simply need to arrive.

If Greece taught me anything, it’s that healing often isn’t found in doing more. Sometimes it’s found in giving ourselves permission to put down what we’ve been carrying—even if only for a little while.

Join us in Ibiza. Your body just might have something beautiful to say.

Learn more

In Books and Bodies

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It’s Summer Reading season, one of my favorites. I ventured to the beach for the week armed with a bag full of pages only to find that I had once again underpacked. I travelled with poetry (Kingdom of Ordinary Time, Marie Howe), non-fiction (Dear Writer, Maggie Smith), continuing ed (The Pocket Guide to Polyvagel Theory, Stephen Porges), fiction (Liars, Sarah Manguso and The Reckoning, John Grisham), the Bible and two notebooks.

It’s Wednesday and I need to go to Target to pick up a few more.

Don’t get me wrong, I won’t read just anything. If I don’t fall into the writing within the first few chapters, I will abandon it. If the narrator annoys me or the plot seems to wane without giving me a character to love, I’ll move on. I’ll read a little of anything but I won’t finish everything. There are simply too many delightful books out there to continue to give my time to the mediocre.

And how do I decide which books to carry on with? It really depends what I’m looking for from the read. Which is why it was so helpful to hear Maggie Smith’s perspective in Dear Writer:

I don’t go to literature for comfort… I read and write to be changed.

Because it’s summer, I will say that a fluffy beach read can often be tolerated. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett was light and easy; City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert was fun and bubbly. But even in my most relaxed states, I trend toward pieces that ask me to think or to feel deeply. On my honeymoon I read The Pianist by Władysław Szpilman, a holocaust survivor’s account; on my last vacation I read Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Forever, Interrupted which was riddled with grief work.

My friend Amy once asked me of my podcast library, “do you ever just listen to something easy?” and the answer is a similar no. I come to my listening library the same as I do my reading: to be challenged and to be changed. I want to turn off my airpods or close the covers feeling that, in some way, I’ve grown.

It struck me, as I read this perspective, that I arrive on my mat much the same way. There are certainly times when the comfort of a gentle, restorative practice is exactly what I need. It’s great to feel good. I’m not a masochist.

I simply realize that, for me, it feels good to be changed. And actually, as one of my Tuesday morning classes heard at length, that’s the definition of flexibility: the ability to change or be changed. It’s influenced by our mobility – the ability to move freely – which is as much connected with our minds and hearts as it is our hamstrings and connective tissue.

comfort or change

I don’t think she’s talking about the type of thinking you do at work for 8 hours a day – about how to keep the boss happy, how to rearrange for 5 more minutes of reading to be ready for an assessment, or which calculation will determine the exact amount of concrete needed for a project. I think Maggie is talking about thinking that comes from a different part of the brain – the part that is connected to the Deep Self, the Who I Am not just What I Do.

When I arise from my savasana, I want to have been reminded of my truest nature, my authentic self, not just the many hats I wear in a given day. I want to have challenged another idea of who I believed myself to be without my own consent.

If you’re looking for a simple comfort, you can bring that intention to your practice and find what you need. There’s no judgment on the days when you just need a “beach read” kind of flow – something that helps remove you from the monotony but doesn’t ask much of you. But if you’ve stayed with the practice over time, I’m guessing it’s precisely because the practice asks you to look, to feel, to notice and examine that you keep returning. And I’m here for that.

When I was in seminary, a professor led a discussion on the whether-or-nots of highlighting in your Bible. Her rationale was simple: of course, the text never changes. But every time I return to the text, I’ve been changed.

I love that. Whether it’s scripture or savasana, we come to our practice – and leave it – as a different person. Sometimes it’s simply a more relaxed and comforted person, and other times it’s with a profound sense of truth.

Here’s to it, my friends. May we Show up. Work (think, and feel) hard. Shine bright. and Love all.

Getting to Know the Breath

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11:15 AM Wednesdays | Begins June 4

Take a gentle pause in your day to connect with your most vital life force – your breath. This 30-minute class introduces foundational pranayama (breath control) techniques designed to help you deepen awareness, calm the nervous system, and cultivate presence. Through mindful breathing, we’ll explore how the breath can guide you into stillness, clarity, and a deeper connection to self.
Perfect for beginners or anyone seeking a grounding, breath-centered experience.

Drop into a single class for $16
Series: $49
Unlimited members: Free

Register Now

Kids B2 School Yoga

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Saturday, August 6

10-11:15 AM

The new school year season doesn’t need to be filled with fear. Ease New School Year Anxiety with mindful preparation.

Using the power of story, meditation, breath practice and movement, our instructor – and trained & practicing educator – will guide students toward a smooth transition into a new year, new classroom, and new teachers.

Our B2S Kids Yoga is appropriate for students entering grades 3-5. This single-session class will help your kiddo to feel prepared for the new year ahead.

Please register your student with their name and email address:

Sign up now

Teen Athlete Yoga Series

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Wednesdays, 1:30 PM

July 6-27

A series designed to meet the mental and physical demands of teenage athletes. This series supplements the student athlete lifestyle by offering a level of intensity in movement while also offering space to slow down and pay attention to the work under the work.

Classes will include:
*Breath practices to increase breathing capacity for endurance.
*Strength-based movements for the hips, core, and shoulders for more power
*Poses and flows that increase flexibility and greater end-range strength of key muscle groups for injury prevention
*Meditation and mindfulness practices to help bring clarity and focus in the midst of challenging situations.
*A guided relaxation 5-minute “nap”

Open to all student athletes, incoming freshman to senior.

$10 per class or a package of all 4 for $35

Register now

Dude Yoga

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Dude yoga

7 PM Tuesdays

Begins February 1

This one is for the guys. Ready to give yoga a try? Or perhaps you want to keep moving forward in this practice of moving on a mat. Dude Yoga is a 4-week series for men who want to explore what yoga has to offer: strength and flexibility, challenge and contentment.

But first, you have to show up.

Sign up now

Fresh Start Specials

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Waiting for the new year to arrive and the holiday season to wrap up to return to your practice? Some of you have stepped away, even from before the pandemic – and it doesn’t matter. When you’re ready, we’re here.

If you’re looking for an incentive, here are a few specials running beginning December 27 and running into the first few weeks of January.

Barre Blitz

Our best sale on Barre classes for the year! Save $15 overall when you buy 5 Barre classes for $45 with a 45 day expiration. If you use all those classes within 15 days, get your first month of an Unlimited Membership at half price!

Purchase yours

Begin in Beast Mode

Our standard 2 week UNLIMITED Yoga + Barre package ($29) is the perfect way to try out our many classes, styles, teachers and times. If you hit 5+ classes in that 2 week time, you’ll get your first month of UNLIMITED membership at half price!

Let’s Go!

Start a Weekly Routine

So many yogis are looking for their one class a week to begin. That’s perfect. (You don’t have to do it all to do something well!). From December 27 – January 10, start on our Weekly Membership package (4 classes each month, unused classes roll over to the next month for the life of the membership, and extra drop-in classes only $10) for half price. YES. Your first month is half price.

Commit to it

Power Basics

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Thursdays, 7 PM beginning January 6

Looking to put some power into your practice through a quicker pace and repetitive flows? Our Power Basics is your intro to power yoga. Join as we flow through seated, standing, and balancing postures. This class is welcoming to those who have an established yoga or other movement practice and who can move from floor to standing with ease.

Sign up now!

Bourbon Yoga

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bourbon yoga

Some new friends and I celebrated a birthday this past weekend in Lexington, with easy access to bourbon country. The company and the lack of concrete schedule was the primary highlight; however, I can’t resist sharing a bit about the distillary tours.

I know, I know. What in the world would a simple yoga instructor have to say about bourbon? (Or, what does bourbon have to say about my Downward Dog pose?) Ah, my friends: this is why you love me or leave me. Herego!

In once sense, if you’ve been on a distillery tour, you’ve been on them all. We learn about the mash bill with over 51% corn, that’s been around since the company started – just after the prohibition, of course (unless you’re Buffalo Trace). You see the barrels with the level 3 char. The rick houses, the handwritten labels, and you learn to sniff the bourbon with your mouth open.

Bourbon is aged (minimum of 3 years, of course) in charred oak barrels because it flavors and colors the clear liquid that goes into the barrel. Here’s where I go Yoga Nerd on it all: it’s the process of expansion and contraction that allows the alcohol to become a part of the barrel, and then it returns. Changed.

Bourbon takes its flavor from its container, it’s home.

And it does it through changing temperature, humidity, and wind conditions. In essence, through all these uncontrollable variables of living on earth.

The practice of yoga is about bringing connection – often we reference body, mind, spirit, soul, breath as these parts and pieces that can feel like they’re operating in isolation. But it’s not like a lego kit, where you stack a red brick with a yellow brick and a white brick and then, presto, you’ve built a wall.

We’re much more like an aging bourbon. Our properties are being absorbed and distributed based upon their interactions with one another and the environment in which we live. Much like bourbon, we take on the flavor of our surroundings as we navigate living in a world filled with change.

The way we think impacts our mental and physical health. And when we’re hurt, our emotions shift. When our spirit is inspired and revived, our energy lifts and we find new capacity for moving, eating well, and partaking in spiritual practices.

If you’re going to take on the flavor of your surroundings, let’s be intentional about it.

  • Choose friends who show you your best self.
  • Allow your living and working space with beauty
  • Eat foods with properties you want to become (so, maybe not as fake or cheap)
  • Fill your mouth with words that take you in the direction you want to go: gracious, thankful, hopeful, joyous
  • Let your mind rest on ideas that are expansive and inclusive, rather than small and divisive
  • Listen, read and watch that which inspires awe, laughter, and intrigue

Fall Wisdom Circle

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It’s no secret that I receive wisdom from many sources. As one of my guides says, everyone is your teacher. It’s my habit to be reading fictional novels alongside poetry, to have a woo-woo book on astrology sitting beside takes from physicists and biologists. I listen to mathematicians, dead philosophers, social workers, and energy healers. Poets and prophets are ancient cousins. I use my herbal tinctures and essential oils everyday, and I got my vaccine.

I’m not saying everything is true. (There’s a lot of misinformation out there; use your inner wisdom!) I am saying that solid wisdom is repeated throughout the universe in various forms. What you find in nature, you’ll notice in the body. What you experience in math is embodied in music. Sometimes, it’s a matter of translation.

This Fall: A Chakras Series

I’ve been itching to offer a series that focuses the connection between what we find when we move on a mat to what we experience in our relationships and the way we move about the world. One of the most assessable models is the Chakra model: centers of the body empower particular strengths. We’ll explore this concept using a spectrum of guides, both ancient and modern.

Each class in the series will use both teaching and discussion to explore topics related to an energetic principle. Then our tools of breath, movement, meditation and mantra will give us the opportunity to practice allowing the energy of belonging to flow through us with freedom and stability.

These 7 classes will be offered as a series package, but you can register for individual classes if that’s what your schedule permits. We’ll meet on Sundays for an hour and a half, every other week, beginning September 12. Each session will come with an online forum of follow up practices, discussion space, and reflection materials. This series is just full of my favorite things!

Be: The energy of belonging. It begins with roots. Our family story, our connection to place, and the way find solidity in the events of the world. From here, the way the energy of belonging plays into our life will shape our connections to our people, our work, and our propensity to feel safe or threatened.

Sunday, September 12, 7 PM

Flow: The energy of creation. What do you want? And how do you know you want it? Who is telling you what to want? At the root of desire is a generative nature that comes from experiencing emotions.

Sunday, September 26, 7 PM

Center: The energy of worthiness. Power and will are strong words, and much of the time women are hesitant to connect with them. But our sense of power helps us form the healthy boundaries that shape our relationships to all things: people, work, communities, and the world.

Sunday, October 10, 7 PM

Open: The energy of love. Explore the space in between yourself and others. When this space gets crowded or distant, our love shifts, grows, or becomes stifled. Learn how to open your arms to the world in the midst of imperfection.

Sunday, October 24, 7 PM

Speak: The energy of truth. Moving from a place of belonging, structure, and love, we co-create a world, beginning with our words.

Sunday, November 7, 7 PM

See: The energy of imagination. Our bodies are wired to notice potential dangers. What possibilities arise when that bias is suspended and you see the world is full of goodness?

Sunday, November 21, 7 PM

Know: The energy of connection. There’s a knowing beyond intellect and it’s woven into the fabric of our being.

Sunday, December 5, 7 PM

Pricing

It’s my goal to give you more of me than you expect in a typical All-Levels class. The resource material will be rich, and I hope the discussion even deeper. The per-session cost is $25; the series pass is $150 (the equivalent of one session free). If you purchase the series pass you will still want to sign up for the individual classes and use the pass for your payment option.

Buy the series pass