Share
On and Off Your Mat Yoga Podcast
Are you up for Aerial Yoga? with Michelle Dortignac
For our 9th episode, I had the pleasure to sit down with Michelle Dortignac. Michelle is the founder of Unnata® Aerial Yoga. She’s been a yoga teacher for nearly 20 years and a professional aerial acrobatics performer for almost as long. Since 2006, she grew Unnata Aerial Yoga to a worldwide phenomenon with teachers in over 30 countries. Although she’s not the inventor of Aerial yoga in general, she contributed immensely to it’s popularly in the US. Today we sat down to talk about Aerial yoga in general and her journey through it all.
As always, I really appreciate your support. So as you leave a review on iTunes or on your iPhone podcast app, you automatically enter a giveaway. Once more Athleta is supporting this podcast in their effort to ignite a community of strong women who lift each other up, and is giving out a 75$ shop card! If you're not sure how to leave a review, check this article.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Michelle Dortignac is a life-long movement artist who founded Unnata® Aerial Yoga in 2006 from the synthesis of her passion for aerial acrobatics, and deep reverence for Yoga. She is a Master of Aerial Yoga who has trained many Aerialists and Yogis offering teacher trainings throughout the world in a precise, and purely Yogic Aerial Yoga methodology. Then she returns home to teach private and group classes in NYC.
In the 20+ years that Michelle has taught Yoga, she has studied with many great Masters, who continue to inform her teaching and personal practice, and the evolution of Unnata® Aerial Yoga. Legendary Sri Dharma Mittra has taught Michelle for over 15 years, and in 2018, she will earn 500-hour certification in Dharma’s extensive Life of a Yogi TT program. She also studies regularly with Yogiraj Alan Finger and was initially certified in Vinyasa Yoga in 1998 at the OM Yoga Center, NYC by Cyndi Lee. Through all of the books, conferences, workshops and trainings she’s absorbed over the years, it’s Michelle’s personal practice since 1991 that has been the foundation for a life of Yoga.
Find out more about Michelle :
Find out more about Unnata® Aerial Yoga :
Find out more about her training with Sri Dharma Mittra:
QUESTIONS SHE ANSWERS DURING THIS EPISODE :
- What brought you to yoga originally? and How did your yoga practice evolve toward aerial yoga?
- What’s the difference between anti-gravity yoga and aerial yoga? Is there a difference between an Unnata class vs another aerial class?
- How did this new practice impact or changed your life?
- Why would you recommend people to try Unnata aerial? What are the biggest benefits of this practice compare to a regular yoga practice?
- I’ve heard it’s really good for back pain. In what cases can it help and how?
- I know some people might be concern with safety. What are some of the contra-indications or risks associated with this practice?
- How about hyper mobile students? Is it a better/more risky practice for them? Active vs passive stretch? Any tips for a hyper mobile practitioner?
- Any tips for first time students that want to try aerial yoga?
OTHER REFERENCE :
Trisha Brown Dance Company
More episodes
View all episodes
268. Signing off. Not Goodbye, but See You Later
16:35||Ep. 268Big annoncement: This is the last episode of the On and Off Your Mat Podcast… for now anyways.With this episode, I want to thank every single one of you for being part of this incredible journey. I do a little recap, tell you why I’m hitting pause, what’s next, and what you can do from here.Be notified when my new podcast comes out and stay in touch: join my email listFor how to work with me, my most popular free resources, my favorite episode list and everything else mentioned, find the full show notes here.
267. Chronic Pain and Empowered Healing for HSPs, with Dr. Tawny Kross
42:54||Ep. 267Do you struggle with chronic pain that feels like a never-ending battle? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Dr. Tawny Kross, a doctor of physical therapy and pain specialist. Tawny believes passionately in our brain and body's innate ability to heal, and she's here to share her knowledge as a pain and wellness coach.We dive deep into what chronic pain really is, how to have a productive relationship with your pain, and how to support healing without simply numbing the discomfort. Tawny also shares powerful questions and reflections to help you understand your pain without getting overwhelmed. If you're ready to find relief and reclaim your life, let's jump in.Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/267
266. Feeling Stuck or Sluggish, How to Thrive as a Sensitive in Kapha Season
38:05||Ep. 266As a highly sensitive person, it's easy to feel weighed down during kapha season, a time when the energy around us is heavy, slow, and damp. I've been there too, wondering what was wrong with me and why I felt so sluggish.Discover practical tools to help you release stagnation, boost your energy, and feel more like yourself again. We'll discuss the importance of building ojas, your vital essence, and how to use the principle of opposites to restore balance. For everything else, get full show notes here: https://erikabelanger.com/266
265. PREMIUM | Kapha Balancing Movement Practice
02:46||Ep. 265If you wish you were more energized, vibrant and flowing through life with ease, this practice is for you.Kapha season is the time of year when the energy around us tends to get heavier, slower, and wetter as late winter shifts into spring. The elements of earth and water mix together to create mud. This energy will affect your mind, body, energy and spirit, and today's practice will bring balance and harmony back in your system by cultivating movement, lightness and heat. I've used this practice with clients who experience:✨ low energy✨ weighed down or stuck✨ lack of motivation or interest✨ congestion in the body or weight gain✨ emotionally heavy or attached to the past✨ holding on to things that doesn't serve them And it’s one of my go-to practices for clients who want to create more harmony and balance in their system while staying connected inward and with nature. This 30 minutes somatic practice is part of our premium podcast subscription, to get access to it, become a premium podcast memberWhen you leave a review for the podcast on iTunes you can get a free trial. DM @onandoffyourmatpodcast or email (erika.belanger@gmail.com) me a screenshot of your review and we'll get you set up.Your podcast premium membership (as low as $5/month) allows me to continue to create and produce this podcast. I choose to keep this add-free for a better listening experience, so there are no revenue and the membership keeps this podcast alive. If you love On and Off Your Mat and want it to continue, support the show here and have access to this somatic practice and so much more.
264. Understanding Your Attachment Style, with Jennily Diaz
54:50||Ep. 264I sit down with Jennily Diaz, a relationship coach and fellow HSP, to dive deep into the world of attachment theory. She is a registered yoga teacher and an integrative health practitioner, certified in integrated attachment theory. Jennily shares her own journey of healing her anxious attachment style and transforming her relationship dynamic with her partner.Discover how your early childhood experiences shape your adult relationships, the four main attachment styles, and why HSPs tend to lean towards certain styles. Most importantly, learn practical tools and strategies to reprogram your brain, meet your own needs, and cultivate the secure, loving connections you deserve. For everything else, get full show notes here: https://erikabelanger.com/264
263. Tantra and Ayurveda from a Feminine Perspective, with Katie Silcox
42:21||Ep. 263I sit down with Katie Silcox, MA to explore a new way to approach healing through the lens of Tantra and Ayurveda. Katie is a New York Times bestselling author and the founder of the Shakti School, a premier online certification school for women-centered holistic wellness. She holds a master's degree in Ayurvedic medicine and is pursuing depth study in Jungian psychology. Her platform focuses on the convergence of ancient holistic medicine, functional medicine science, and heart-centered spirituality.Katie shares simple, down-to-earth tools to expand your capacity to be, to receive, to transform and to grow. Get ready to gain a new perspective on healing and your emotions.For everything else, get full show notes here: https://erikabelanger.com/263
262. Sedona Magic Retreat, with Cara Edwards
45:07||Ep. 262I sit down with my dear friend and co-retreat leader Cara Edwards to discuss our upcoming Sedona Magic Retreat. Cara has been leading transformative retreats that help others reconnect with themselves and the healing power of nature since 2018. Her retreats weave together her 15 years of experience as a yoga teacher, her passion for the outdoors and herbalism, and her love for creating nurturing spaces.We explore the meaning behind "Sedona Magic" and share our intentions for helping you alchemize heavy emotions, reclaim your authentic self, and embody your highest potential. Cara and I also discuss the power of Sedona's vortexes, the transformative ceremonies and practices we have planned, and why we believe this retreat will be a catalyst for deep healing and growth. If you're ready to step into a space of magic and empowerment, then keep listening.For everything else, get full show notes here: https://erikabelanger.com/262
261. PREMIUM | Reharmonizing Movement Practice
02:55||Ep. 261If you ever feel out of sync with yourself and the world, this practice is for you. Thi Reharmonizing Spanda practice is designed to release overwhelm, recalibrate your energy, and rediscover your natural harmony. Through guided movement, breath, and somatic awareness, this practice offers a pathway to reconnect with your body, process pent-up tension, and step back into your authentic flow. I've used this practice with clients who feel: ✨ overwhelm✨ disconnected✨ emotionally or energetically stuck✨ emotionally burnout from attuning to others' needs or absorbing their energy✨ tend towards people-pleasing, overworking, or living in survival mode✨ the need to push their feelings aside to “get through” the day And it's something I also give as homework to clients, so if you’re thinking about 1-1 coaching, this is a great building block practice. Harmonizing movement practices are designed to naturally support your nervous system by helping it to come back to the present moment and regulate itself, laying down the foundation for deeper alchemy work. With this practice, you’ll reconnect with your body's innate rhythms, release pent-up tension, recalibrate your inner harmony and flow and deepen your self-trust and self-acceptance. This 20 minutes somatic practice is part of our premium podcast subscription, to get access to it, become a premium podcast member When you leave a review for the podcast on iTunes you can get a free trial. DM @onandoffyourmatpodcast or email (erika.belanger@gmail.com) me a screenshot of your review and we'll get you set up.Your podcast premium membership (as low as $5/month) allows me to continue to create and produce this podcast. I choose to keep this add-free for a better listening experience, so there are no revenue and the membership keeps this podcast alive. If you love On and Off Your Mat and want it to continue, support the show here and have access to this somatic practice and so much more.
260. Sensitivity, Nervous System, and Your Breath, with Erika Belanger
48:31||Ep. 260Today, we're diving into the connection between sensitivity, the nervous system, and your breath through the lens of highly sensitive people (HSPs). You'll discover how your sensitivity is intricately linked to your nervous system and why your breath is the key to finding greater calm, clarity and balance in your life.We'll explore common challenges HSPs face, like overwhelm, emotional reactivity, and feeling perpetually on edge. More importantly, you'll learn how tuning into your body's cues and cultivating a relationship with your breath can help you shift from survival mode into thriving. By the end of this episode, I hope you'll see that your sensitivity isn't a flaw, but a gift that, when coupled with the right tools, can allow you to embrace your unique powers and navigate the world with greater ease.For everything else, get full show notes here: https://erikabelanger.com/260