Michelle on Anxiety, Healing & The power of practice

​Community Spotlight
Finding Her Spark
Michelle’s Story
250 classes, a quieter mind, and a version of herself she never thought she’d meet.

 
Some of our favorite stories at 359° aren’t about perfect postures or advanced poses. They’re about people who walked through our doors carrying something heavy — anxiety, pain, loneliness, the weight of a life that had gotten a little too loud — and discovered that the mat had room for all of it.
Michelle is one of those people. She started with gong meditations with her mom. She found her way to yoga when she was struggling. And somewhere in between her first Gentle Flow class and her 250th practice, she found what she came for. We asked her a few questions, and her answers provide a deep insight into this practice.


What first brought you through the doors of 359° Yoga, and what made you stay?

 
I had been coming to 359 for years, but not for yoga. I came to gong meditations with my mom. Then, two years ago, I was really struggling with my anxiety and depression. I went to a yoga class at another studio with a friend of mine. I absolutely fell in love with the practice. My friend’s studio was over an hour away from my house. Just a little far. Lucky for me, I knew that 359 was only 7 minutes from my house. My first class was Jen Hunt’s Gentle Flow class on Saturday. I had no idea what to expect. So, naturally I was a little nervous. I just remember the class being packed and everyone was smiling and laughing. It was like a dinner party in there. I just remember saying to myself, “This is exactly where I need to be.”
 
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“My brain is like that toy monkey banging the cymbals together. When I am practicing yoga, that monkey stops banging the cymbals together and my mind is quiet and at peace.”

 
What made me stay? Every time I walk in that studio, I feel a sense of calmness. For an anxious person, calmness means so much. I always say that my brain is like that toy monkey banging the cymbals together. When I am practicing yoga, that monkey stops banging the cymbals together and my mind is quiet and at peace. For a long time, I thought I was the only person in the world that had this problem. The people that I met at 359 have made me feel less alone, because for a long time I felt alone. I stayed because 359 helped me find my spark again.
 
You’ve now taken 250 classes — how has your practice supported you mentally, emotionally, or physically through life?
 
Growing up, I was a very anxious child. So, naturally, I am an anxious adult. Yoga has helped me calm that anxious child inside. Mentally and emotionally, I can be all over the place. Yoga has helped me acknowledge and process past traumas that have affected me both mentally and emotionally. I did not realize how much trauma I was trying to silence, and it has become so important to me to face those traumas, so I can heal.
 
“Yoga has helped me heal in ways I never thought possible. I will be honest — I have both laughed and cried on my mat. Sometimes, in the same 60 minutes.”

 
Yoga has helped me heal in ways I never thought possible. I will be honest; I have both laughed and cried on my mat. Sometimes, in the same 60 minutes. Physically, I have struggled with a mild form of scoliosis since I was 20 years old. Some days can be more painful than others. Since I started practicing yoga, my back pain has drastically decreased. I am either sitting in a car or at a desk for work, so it has become so important to stretch and strengthen my back. Yoga has helped me become a version of myself that I never thought I would see. So, for that I am so thankful.
 
If someone is struggling with anxiety, stress, or feeling overwhelmed and is nervous to try yoga, what would you want them to know?
 
I would want them to know that yoga is not about being perfect, how flexible you may be, or knowing exactly what to do. It is about creating a time and safe space to breathe. It is so important to understand that yoga meets you exactly where you are. You can’t do a headstand, so what? There are other poses and modifications that feel just as good. You get to the yoga class and decide, “Yeah, I am just going to lay here for 60 minutes.” Guess what? That is totally fine!
 
“When you go to a yoga class at 359, it is your practice. You can skip every chair pose, every chaturanga, and every downward facing dog. Your practice is for you and for you only.”

 
It is so important to listen to what your body needs. Nobody is going to judge you for laying down for 60 minutes. They will be so proud that you showed up for practice, because sometimes that is the hardest part. Always remember, when you go to a yoga class at 359, it is your practice. You can skip every chair pose, every chaturanga, and every downward facing dog. Your practice is for you and for you only. Do what feels good! Most importantly, as Jen Hunt always says, “Don’t forget to smile.”
 
 

Michelle, thank you.
Thank you for sharing your story with such honesty and heart. The monkey with the cymbals, the laughing and crying in the same 60 minutes, the back pain that eased, the spark that came back — this is exactly why we do what we do.
If any part of Michelle’s story sounds familiar — if you’ve been carrying something heavy and wondering whether yoga has room for it — the answer is yes. Always yes. We’d love to see you on the mat.
Your first class is waiting. And everyone in the room is rooting for you.

 
Community Spotlight  ·  Anxiety & Yoga  ·  Mental Health  ·  Beginner Friendly  ·  Your Practice
 

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