About Michelle

I founded Balanced Foundation Yoga, LLC in 2013 to provide a safe environment where clients can relax, breathe deeply, find hope, and move towards healing and balance. My home-based studio is located in Frederick, MD, a few miles from historic downtown. Appointments are by referral only.

I am a Board Certified Structural Integrator (BCSI; International Association of Structural Integrators), licensed massage therapist (LMT) in the state of Maryland, a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT; International Association of Yoga Therapists), and hold a Masters Degree in Biomedical Science.

My path in life took a turn thanks to two events. The first was my acupuncturist, Todd McCloskey, asking if I was happy and if I liked my job. Seemed like simple questions, but boy did they get me thinking. The other was when a dear friend, Sarah, took me to my first yoga class at Sol Yoga in Frederick, MD. That yoga class led me into yoga teacher training. A guest anatomy teacher came in one weekend and asked the class to stand and roll a tennis ball under one foot. We did this for about a minute and then returned to standing on two feet. "What do you notice?" she asked. The difference in how my rolled foot was interacting with the floor was completely different from the other foot. It felt alive! As I continued scanning up my body I sensed my breath was noticeably deeper on the side of the rolled foot. I was intrigued! How was this possible? I rolled my foot and now my breath is deeper? The class was then instructed to move towards touching our toes. My fingertips on the rolled foot side were much closer to the floor than the other side. In fact, that whole side of my body felt longer. That's it. I was hooked. I wanted to know more and experience more.

It turns out that anatomy teacher, Jenny Otto, was a Structural Integrator. I studied with Jenny for years, was inspired by what I learned, by what I felt in her touch, and by watching her work on other people. How could such a gentle touch yield so much change in the body? I followed that curiosity and redirected my career path to become a Structural Integrator and bodyworker.

To read more click here.