Meet Michelle Thielen

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Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michelle Thielen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michelle, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

After almost taking my own life, I audibly heard the voice of God. It stopped me in my tracks and sobered me up after 3 years of deep depression. I found my purpose through the journey out of that darkest pit. It was through postures. They started as postures of defeat and ended in postures of joy and victory – eventually leading to a faith-based school teaching others how to conquer any battle through prayer and postures.

Person performing a headstand yoga pose outdoors on a city street with buildings and trees in background.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

After coming out of my depression and a massive reset and re-calibration, I eventually turned those hard life lessons into a school where others could do the same, In 2013 I founded YogaFaith, the only Christian yoga school in the world accredited by the International Association of Yoga Therapists as well as many other wellness affiliations.

What we do is simple: we redeem movement, breath, and stillness for the One who created them. Genesis 1:1 says God authored everything and that includes the way our bodies move and heal. For too long, the Church handed these gifts to other frameworks. YogaFaith brings them home.

I have created courses that range from 2 hours to 1000 hour (Yoga Therapy Diploma), These specialty tracks range from Trauma, 12 Step and Prison Ministries, to Children’s, Dance and Meditation Certifications.

The newest course is our Sound Therapy Certification, the only one of its kind in the world. Sound has been part of worship since David picked up a harp. This training brings frequency and vibration back under Scripture, where they belong, offering a multidimensional approach and true healing from the cellular level.

YogaFaith isn’t a brand to me. It’s a calling that began during my second Daniel Fast in 2013 and has grown into a global community who believe the body matters to God. Stewarding that is the privilege of my life.

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If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

First and foremost what my mother ingrained in me: 1. Unshakeable faith. Every closed door, every “no,” every dark season, faith was the through-line. Without it, I would have quit a million times over.

Build your faith before you need it. Daily time in the Word, prayer, and worship isn’t a luxury, it’s the foundation everything else stands on.

2. Resilience forged in the hard seasons. My depression, my failures, my recalibrations, those weren’t detours from the calling, they were the training ground.

God wastes nothing. Don’t waste your pain or victory! Stay curious in the valleys. The lessons you learn there become the very thing you’ll one day teach. I often say, “Your hottest mess will become your greatest message.” (I promise!)

3. Willingness to be a lifelong student. I’ve never stopped learning. I am a constant sponge. Like faith or yoga…there is always someplace deeper to go…something more to learn. The moment you think you’ve arrived is the moment you stop growing.

Stay teachable. Sit under mentors, take the course, read the book, learn the instrument, ask the question. Immerse yourself, hone your craft and become an expert. Humility is the doorway to mastery.

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One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I love to connect and collaborate whether domestically or internationally. Some of the most beautiful chapters of this journey have been built shoulder-to-shoulder with others who share the heart to see people healed, set free, and restored.

I’m always open to collaborating with:

Pastors, ministry leaders, and churches

Those involved with anti-trafficking efforts (core of much of our work at YogaFaith, including many mission trips to the youngest of survivors)

Christian therapists, counselors, and clinicians

Retreat venues, hosts and wellness brands

Authors, podcasters, and speakers

Nonprofits and ministries

If anything I’ve shared resonates and you’d love to dream together, reach out anytime at schedule@michellethielen.com

Contact Info:

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Large indoor event with many people practicing yoga on mats under purple lighting.

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Image Credits

Robert Sturman
Michelle Thielen

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