"We cannot eliminate stress and tension from our lives. That is not the point. LIfe is of itself stressful...Rather than asking, "Can I be completely free from stress?" we must ask "What is the degree of stress? What matters ultimately is how stress affects your nervous system...our aim is to be able to deal with stress as and when it arises, and not imprint and accumulate it in the body's various systems...
(B.K.S. Iyengar)
THE APPROACH
The way one approaches yoga and wellness matters just as much as what is being practiced. Michelle's approach is to begin with what is already whole and well within you. That will be the starting point for your goals and wellness plan. We will then work together to make a customized plan specifically tailored for you and to create sustainable practices that fit into your schedule and lifestyle.
ABOUT
Michelle brings 20 years experience studying and practicing yoga, breathing and meditation. She is the co-founder of Yoga for the Emotions and the founder/executive director of Love Allegheny, a local non-profit providing support for professionals in the wellness & creative healing arts industry. Michelle began teaching yoga and breathing, with a 400 hour yoga certification, at Iyengar Yoga Institute of Pittsburgh over 9 years ago and specializes in stress management. She has offered stress management programs in corporate settings, with teens, at Mercy hospital: breathing for neurological recovery, as well as with veterans and the general population.
Michelle's approach to the body in yoga is also greatly influenced by the teachings of Dr. Murray Bowen's Bowen Family Systems Theory during two years of the basic seminar offered through Western Pennsylvania Family Center as well as over two decades of personal and continued study.
Certifications include:
400 Hour teacher training by Iyengar Instructor Sara Azarius of The Iyengar Institute of Pittsburgh.
Certified iRest® Yoga Nidra Teacherby Richard Miller, PhD.
Certified Warriors at Ease teacher including trauma sensitive meditation.
Certified Reiki Master by Kathy Duffy and Janet Jackson of Energy Connection.
Certified Yoga for Golfersby Katherine Roberts.
CPR & AED Certified.
NOLS Wilderness First Aid Certified.
Prenatal Yoga certificate from Deena Blumenfeld at Shining Light Prenatal Center
Previous Programs offered at:
Mercy Hospital Stroke Rehab
Emerson Process Management: Power and Water Solutions
Veterans Place of Washington Blvd
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Programs
West Virginia Vet Center
McKeesport/White Oak Vet Center
Westinghouse: Women in Nuclear Energy
iRest Yoga Nidra with Michelle helps me to connect to the deepest aspect of my mind/body in a sense of wholeness; thereby healing both body & soul aches. It is the deepest form of relaxation I have experienced and Michelle's intelligence guides me in a profound way."
-Dr. Tova Tarr Clinical psychologist
I have attended several of Michelle Lynch's Yoga for the Emotions workshops and they have been extremely powerful in terms of getting in touch with my inner guidance and sense of peace. She has truly helped me to maintain a good level of stress management. When I feel the "freak out" coming on, I try to remember Michelle's suggestions to slow down, take a deep breath, feel grounded, to focus on my heart's desire and happiness, and to choose to avoid the frazzled freak out road. This is sometimes easier said than done, so Michelle teaches you how to apply it in your everyday life. Practicing her guided visualization and meditation has added a sense of joy to my life. I have attended workshops done by other teachers but Michelle has helped me go deeper and I have felt the benefits more strongly. Her patient guidance and loving teaching style could help so many people cope with anxiety and overwhelm and I strongly recommend her!
-Anita Buzzy Prentiss
...session. In my words to describe this ancient modality of inner reflection, Michelle with safe, soothing , gentle words guides one into their own sacred self and body. Old stagnate tensions, and outdated emotions are uprooted by this intuitive process that Michelle without the slightest trace of judgment, will then invite one to dissolve these patterns. Healing is a word I would use.. All I can say is without understanding exactly how it works, I have experienced that in deed it does! Michelle is a most profound and trustworthy woman who can take you on an adventure that can lead to your higher self.
With much gratitude, -Patricia