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Michele is a full-time Yoga Therapist, accredited by the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She has completed the American Viniyoga Institute 4-year 1000-hour yoga therapy training program and has been practicing yoga therapy to improve the lives of people of all ages and abilities for 20 years. Michele is a Yoga Therapist at Mayo Clinic Health System and the owner of Bluff Country Yoga.   

Michele offers one-on-one yoga therapy sessions in Red Wing and Cannon Falls.  She also teaches small group therapeutic yoga classes.

                                                             Yoga Therapy

Yoga is a holistic practice which supports health and healing on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. Yoga therapy utilizes the tools of yoga to reduce or eliminate symptoms of suffering. Yoga therapy is an effective therapy complementary to traditional medicine in treating and managing many health conditions such as chronic pain.

The goals of yoga therapy include eliminating, reducing, or managing symptoms that cause suffering; improving life function; helping to prevent the occurrence or re-occurrence of underlying causes of illness; and moving toward improved health and well-being. Yoga therapy also helps clients to shift their attitude and perspective toward life’s challenges.


As an IAYT accredited yoga therapist, Michele has extensive education in anatomy, physiology, psychology, and chronic illness education, as well as western healthcare models and practices.   She has the knowledge and skills to utilize yoga technology for a specific structural, physiological, mental or energetic effect. Her one-on-one yoga therapy sessions are tailored to each individual’s needs and personal goals.

Michele specializes in muscular-skeletal problems such as low back pain, sciatica, hip and knee pain, and neck and shoulder problems. She works with people with chronic health conditions like arthritis, anxiety, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, MS, Parkinson’s, and COPD to help them manage symptoms, improve life function, and increase overall well-being. Michele helps many people prepare for joint replacement surgery and recover after physical therapy is completed. She also works with cancer patients to reduce the side-effects of chemotherapy and radiation during treatment and helps them recover after.  

One-on-one yoga sessions can have both a therapeutic and educational focus.  Michele’s role is to understand your unique needs and design and teach an appropriate yoga therapy practice that is motivating and healing. Michele will spend time to get to know you and observe your physical structure, breathing and movement patterns, and behaviors.  First sessions are typically 90 minutes; additional sessions are 60 minutes in length.

After the first session you will receive a written yoga therapy practice with detailed instructions and drawings for you to follow at home. You will work with your yoga therapy practice for a few weeks before returning for a second session to ensure clarity and comfort with the practice. It typically takes a minimum of three one-on-one sessions to develop a personal yoga therapy practice for a student. As you evolve and progress with your yoga therapy practice, refinements will be made to keep you moving safely forward toward your goals.

One-on-one yoga therapy sessions are affordable and cost about the same as a one hour therapeutic massage.  Discounts are available for a package of three and six sessions. Private yoga therapy sessions are very convenient and may be scheduled in Red Wing or Cannon Falls, at a time convenient for you.

           Benefits of Yoga Therapy
 

  •     Reduce or eliminate chronic pain

 

  •     Reduce Stress and promote relaxation

 

  •    Increase breathing capacity

 

  •     Improve digestion

 

  •     Decrease fatigue and increase energy

 

  •     Increase strength and core stability

 

  •     Improve balance

 

  •     Improve posture and patterns of movement

 

  •     Promote more restful sleep

 

  •     Lower blood pressure and glucose levels

 

  •     Weight loss & Healthier Eating

 

  •     Preparation/recovery for joint replacement surgery



        Conditions that May Benefit from Yoga Therapy
 

  •  Low back pain and sciatica

 

  •  Hypertension and other cardiac conditions

 

  •  Diabetes

 

  •  Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis

 

  • MS, Parkinson’s

 

  • Cancer

 

  • Anxiety, Depression, PTSD

 

  • Eating disorders

 

  • Pregnancy – prenatal and postnatal

 

  •  Menopause

 

  • Asthma, COPD

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