Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Thompson.
Hi Michelle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I started as an occupational therapist in 2013. It’s been 10 years, and I still feel so appreciative to work in this field. Occupational Therapy (OT) is all about promoting health through engagement in meaningful roles and routines – whether it’s rehabilitating an injury, modifying an environment, or even adapting an activity to make it more accessible. It’s a unique perspective on wellness, and as soon as I heard about the profession, I knew it was the path for me. What’s better than getting to help others do the things they love?
It took me a little longer to bring yoga into the mix. Similar to the experience of many others, I started hearing more and more about yoga. Whether it was the cover photo of a magazine at the local grocery store or the newest yoga studio to pop up in my neighborhood, yoga was everywhere. The problem was that I thought yoga was only for very flexible and zen people, and I was neither flexible nor zen. It wasn’t until I started seeing the emerging research highlighting the health benefits of yoga that I decided to give it a try. Accompanied by another not-so-flexible friend, I signed up for a couple of classes. Before I knew it I was hooked! I found myself getting stronger (and maybe a little more flexible), experiencing less stress throughout the day, and even sleeping better! While I wasn’t yet interested in being a yoga instructor, I knew I wanted to learn more and signed up for my first yoga teacher training.
The more I learned, the more I became aware of the parallels between OT and yoga. While both fields approach health from different perspectives, they complement each other very well. Combining aspects from both Eastern and Western medicine also gives you a lot of tools that you can use as a healthcare provider. Tools that you can use not only to support individuals who are currently experiencing illness but also to help prevent future illness. Advocating for preventative care has quickly become a passion for me.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s not easy to find opportunities to work on the preventative side of wellness. In a healthcare system driven by insurance reimbursement, it can be difficult to service individuals who have not experienced disability or illness. That’s one of the main reasons behind starting Open Door Yoga. I wanted to create that opportunity for myself to practice healthcare from both aspects – rehabilitation and prevention. I want to encourage my clients to be active participants in their own health and wellness journeys.
Now that I’ve started my own business, the biggest challenge is the business! From creating a website to exploring financial and marketing platforms, I didn’t realize how much I’d learn about running a business – even a small company like mine. It’s been more stressful than I anticipated, but it’s been a fun and exciting journey!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Open Door Yoga is a health and wellness company that’s focused on making yoga accessible for all bodies and abilities. Many people believe that yoga won’t work for them because of limited strength or flexibility, an underlying health condition, advanced age, or even a busy schedule. As a licensed occupational therapist and 500-hour registered yoga instructor, I specialize in therapeutic yoga services. My goal is to create an individualized program that is designed to support your unique health and wellness needs as well as your busy life and schedule.
What sets me apart is my healthcare background. I have a lot of experience working with individuals with various health conditions, and I consider all aspects of wellness when creating a program that is both safe and accessible.
I am most proud of my company’s mission to advocate for preventative care. To honor that mission, I offer 20% of all services for any client that participates in preventative care. This could be a yearly check-up at the doctor, a regular visit to the dentist, scheduling time with a mental health provider, and so on. I also offer free 10-minute consultation appointments so that you have an opportunity to ask questions and make sure that Open Door Yoga is a good fit before scheduling.
Any big plans?
Right now, I’m just so excited to keep growing my business. While I specialize in therapeutic yoga services, I’ve also started offering private yoga instruction and teaching community classes!
If you sign up for the Open Door Yoga newsletter on my website, you’ll get all of the updated information on my class offerings. I’d also love to get more into education – whether it’s leading a yoga teacher training or even creating continuing education courses for other occupational therapists looking to incorporate a little yoga into their practices.
On top of everything, I think I’m most excited to keep learning. One of the things that I love about my job is that I’m always learning new things. Every client and every class teaches me something new that I can share with others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.opendooryogaslc.com
- Instagram: @opendooryogaslc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OpenDoorYogaSLC
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/rjYp4LaGI_o9DAQhXTaMjQ
- Other: https://www.patreon.com/opendooryogaslc
