Our Story

Michelle’s experience as a Black woman seeking healing and spiritual practice in a white-washed industry led her to begin asking questions about why the industry of yoga was so exclusive. These questions led Michelle to the desire to create a resource that encouraged people to align with the true meaning of yoga and move away from samskaras, which separate us from our true essence, nature, and one another

That curiosity took form through a series of workshops called Yoga for Social Change. These spaces invited practitioners and teachers to connect their inner work with outer action — exploring how the practice of yoga could help dismantle systems of separation and oppression.

The workshops soon grew into long-form teacher trainings, and Skill in Action emerged as both a framework and a community practice. Since 2012, the program has guided over ten 200- and 300-hour teacher training cohorts, bringing the work into studios, classrooms, and organizations across the country.

In 2017, the teachings were gathered into the first edition of Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World. A second edition, published by Shambhala Publications in 2021, deepened the conversation and reached an even wider audience.

Over the years, Skill in Action has continued to evolve offering continuing education programs, mentorships, and community immersions. Each rooted in the understanding that yoga is both a personal and collective practice.

Today, Skill in Action has facilitators dedicated to sharing this vision onwards online and in-person.