Meet Michael, one of the teachers at Yoga District who focuses on fostering community and growth through an open mind and connecting on the mat. Learn about Michael’s journey with yoga and how he helps his students practice the best yoga for their needs. Check out Michael’s current class offerings here.
Tell us about yourself—how do you identify? You’re welcome to include anything from background and pronouns to life interests and what brings you peace.
I’m Michael (he/him), a yoga teacher, leadership coach, and curious human navigating life between Washington, DC, and Berlin, Germany. I identify as a gay man, an immigrant, and someone deeply committed to anti-racism, anti-sexism and antisemitism. My work bridges movement, mindfulness, and human development. What brings me peace: unrolling my mat in the garden, tending herbs and my apple tree, or sharing quiet mornings with my husband Allister.
What do you love about being a yoga student and teacher?
I love how yoga invites me, again and again, to come home to myself. As a student, I treasure being guided into presence and toward my edges at the same time. As a teacher, I’m inspired by creating space for others to connect with their bodies, breath, and inner wisdom.
If you could unroll your mat anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
On the beach on Norderney—a small island in Germany near where I grew up. A place where sea and sky meet, and I feel a deep sense of home.
What does it mean to you to be a yoga practitioner or yogi?
It means practicing how to stay awake—to my body, my mind, my community, and the world. It’s not about the shapes. It’s about being in right relationship with myself and others.
Do you feel your yoga practice is a feminist, political, rebellious, and/or revolutionary act? An act of self-care? If so, how?
Yoga is absolutely an act of self-care—and sometimes, of quiet rebellion. It’s a way of stepping out of the constant pressure to achieve or perform. I’m working through layers of limiting beliefs: I’m only worthy when I’m performing well; I’m too old to do a handstand; my work is the most important thing. Yoga helps me return to what’s essential, question these beliefs, and breathe through them.
What does inclusivity and DEI in yoga spaces mean to you?
It means creating spaces where everyone feels welcome as they are. That includes attention to language, accessibility, and the invisible signals about who “belongs” in the room. I use consent cards so students can share preferences around touch, creating room for choice and boundaries in the practice.
How does your yoga practice support your values, identity, or daily life?
One of my values is embodied understanding. As a former dancer, it’s important to sense and know with my whole body. Yoga helps me do that—even if it’s just 5 minutes of breathing or 3 Sun Salutations.
How has yoga changed your relationship with your body or self?
Yoga helped me shift from pushing my body to listening to it. I’ve learned that strength comes not just from effort, but from attention and care.
Has yoga helped you cope with trauma? Are there teachings or advice you’d like to share?
Yoga has helped me move through some of my childhood trauma. Sometimes images, feelings, or just tears come unexpectedly in a pose—mostly in Savasana—and I experience those moments as deeply healing, because I know I am safe in my yoga practice.
What challenges do people face practicing yoga today? How can we be more supportive?
People often struggle to show up when they don’t feel at their best. But that’s when we need yoga the most. I try to create space for that—especially in intermediate to advanced classes—so students can own their experience and modify as they need. Sometimes, in an advanced class, doing less is the most advanced practice of all.
Can you share a time you felt included—or excluded—in a yoga class? What advice do you have for teachers, staff, or students to foster inclusion?
In one of my first intermediate classes, I found myself in a room full of people practicing handstands. The teacher encouraged those of us early in the journey to try foundational drills or even just observe and meditate on possibility. That balance of invitation and respect for where we were helped me feel included.
If you could practice yoga next to any person or being, who would it be?
Honestly, my younger self. I’d want him to know: You belong here.
