ABOUT MICHELLE
Hi there, nice to meet you!
I go by either Michelle or Nayeli - my preference is that you get to choose.
I've been teaching multidisciplinary mindful movement for 20+ years. Over & over I've seen the power of embodied practice -tools of the body + mind + breath- on peoples lives. My work is devoted to spreading the power of mindful embodied practice as a tool of bodymind resilience.
I'm a Prana Vinyasa™ Yoga Teacher Trainer, Certified Yoga Therapist, GYROTONIC® Trainer, Axis Syllabus practitioner, Hoopdance pioneer & integrative movement educator. I help people of all walks of life move better, feel better & live better.
I've created the Kutilaa School of Embodied Resilience to train the next-generation of yoga & movement teachers in healthy movement through true alignment with the body's biotensegrity design, from the inside->out (rather than from the outside->in).
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A deep bow to all the teachers on whose shoulders I stand. I've been most influenced by the wisdom & work of Shiva Rea, Frey Faust, Joanne Avison, Gil Hedley, Tom Meyers, Juliu Horvath, Christopher Tompkins, Christopher Wallis, Daniel Odier & Tias Little.
A deep bow also to all of my students - we're all each other's teachers.
Send a note to say 'hi' & tell me how you used movement meditation as medicine!
I'd love to get to know you, too!
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Embodied Resilience
Movement + Breath + Meditation + Ancient Wisdom + Modern Science
Embodied = To make real. To live your truth & values. To become whole, live fully present & fully alive in connection with all aspects of yourself - bodymind, heart, soul.
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Resilience = The ability to bounce-back stronger from challenge, to digest life's experiences & grow from them. To adapt to change.
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Embodied Resilience is the what, why & how movement, meditation & breath have their effect through the merging of modern science with ancient yogic teachings.
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Mindful embodied practice is a tool of tuning into deep connection with self. Movement meditation regulates our nervous system, supports mental health, helps us process emotion & transform stress. Intelligent embodied practice keeps our body strong, capable & adaptable, while supporting appropriate mental states - from focus to creativity to energy to deep rest.
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Knowing how to self-resource through the body + brain + breath is an invaluable skill - even more in our rapidly changing world. Embodied practice is one of our best tools for cultivating resilience inside & out, personally & collectively.
Embodied Resilience is an approach to personalize & refine embodied practice to support vitality, strength, ease, joy & our capacity to transform stress on all levels -physical + mental + emotional- based on ancient yogic teachings + modern scientific understanding.
Living Yoga
YOGA = Union - Yoking - Oneness - Connection
Yoga is a state of being in awareness of the connection of all things. There are many paths, tools & practices through which we can reach this state. In a world suffering from disconnection (to meaning, to Earth, to each other, to something greater... etc.), any level of living in connection is valuable... no matter if we reach the ultimate state of awakening!
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Yoga is far more than the physical - it's a philosophy that has come from a specific cultural context that deserves our respect & appreciation.
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Yoga is a living tradition - it's always changed & evolved. In modern times we've seen it spread all over the world, transforming thousands of lives. Modern Postural Yoga has become a particular approach, often focused on physical practice far more than philosophy.
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Though not the only practice, movement meditation is potent because our body IS our nervous system & mind & emotions - research in neuro-myo-fascia now shows how the BodyMind is ONE. ​
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Embodied yoga is evolving beyond standard asana & vinyasa to embrace true alignment with our body's spiraling design. Rather than standard alignment to an outer grid (which pulls joints apart & enforces domination over the body's intelligence), aligning from within is more in tune with the teachings of yoga - wholeness, connection, inner awareness & knowing your true self.
GRATITUDE & PRAISE
CLIENTS & AFFILIATIONS
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Pessimism is a luxury for a less urgent time.
Now is a time for vigorous and positive action.
~ Amanda Ravenhill