Deepen your understanding of the physical and energetic elements of yoga while developing comfort in the body and calm in the mind
Based in Black Mountain, NC, Michelle teaches with intention, precision and a sense of humor. She leads yoga retreats, virtual and in-studio classes, teacher trainings and sound healing in western North Carolina and at various retreat centers across the United States.
Yoga Classes
Michelle’s accessible, grounded classes integrate anatomical precision, breath awareness, functional strength and intelligent sequencing. Not only will you leave class feeling good, but you’ll also learn something new. Join a group class online via Zoom or in person at Black Mountain Yoga. Private sessions are available by appointment.
Sound Healing
During a sound immersion, sound and vibration are used to adjust the breath, heart rate and brain waves from one pace to another. Benefits can include increased levels of relaxation in the body, ease and comfort in breathing, reduced feelings of anxiety or physical pain, mental clarity and restful sleep.
Yoga Workshops
Deepen your understanding of yoga through a workshop that educates and inspires. Michelle offers continuing education workshops seasonally with varying topics, including physical and energetic alignment in postures, injury management, functional strength and the subtle practice of pranayama .
Yoga Retreats
Retreats are an opportunity to reflect and recharge.
Michelle has been leading yoga retreats for over a decade. Her retreats offer a combination of mindful movement, intentional stillness, guided self care practices and education on yoga postures and philosophical principles. You will experience rejuvenating time in community, space for quiet reflection, mindfully curated yoga sessions and delicious, nourishing meals created by the best local chefs.
Join us for an upcoming retreat and experience the magic for yourself.
Refine Your Practice
For over 25 years, Michelle has studied movement, breath and balance; earlier as a professional ballet dancer and as a yoga teacher today. For the last decade, Michelle has honed her approach as a yoga educator through partnering with peers outside of the yoga community, including the fields of physical therapy and sports medicine. Through these collaborative partnerships, Michelle has been able to create a bridge between the techniques of traditional yoga practice and modern, evidence-based movement therapy. This approach enables Michelle to offer the most up-to-date information as it relates to healthy postural alignment, injury management techniques and the ongoing practice of accessing ease in mind and body everyday.
“Michelle Befus embodies what it is to be a yoga teacher who truly knows her stuff! Michelle is not only intelligent, humorous and kind in her instruction, but she very skillfully guides her students to optimal postures building on simple progressions into more challenging work while paying attention to the overall understanding of her cuing. Her teaching is nuanced in understanding how to progress sequences to allow full understanding and success from all her students no matter what level. She is able to offer both accessible and challenging classes for varied levels of abilities in a safe and welcoming environment. Michelle is paying attention to each person in her class and is able to help progress the class, while attending to needed modifications for the individual. As a physical therapist, former dancer and professional yoga therapist, I seek teachers for myself that can challenge and attend to my own health and I admit I am very picky. Michelle is the perfect fit and I highly recommend Michelle as a teacher and coach. She deftly combines her skill set as a former professional dancer with knowledge of anatomy and optimal kinematics of the human body and her ability to inspire and deepen a personal and spiritual practice. These elements are essential to a yoga practice that is rich and rewarding.”
~ Melinda Halford, PT, MFA, CLT, Cert. MDT. Founder/Director of Front Porch Physical Therapy & Lymphatics