Inspiring Conversations with Michelina Payetta of My Yoga Canyon Country – Yoga Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelina Payetta.

Hi Michelina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
My yoga path began 15 years ago. Yoga came to me at a time that I needed it the most – and I did not even realize it. The person I was prior to stepping into my yoga practice would have never envisioned where I am today. 

My upbringing and connection to exercise was intense. I often used movement as punishment to my body and self – pushing though many obstacles that I did not want to work through or face. And then, one day, I listened to a trusted friend and tried a challenging Bikram yoga class. My trusted friend confirmed how tough the class was, as she knew that would be the way to get me to attend. I am eternally grateful for this friend and the Bikram practice, as the Bikram lineage was a segway to dive further into the inner yoga. 

I did continue to take Bikram classes and then, of course, hot flow classes and yoga with weights – sometimes 2-3 classes a day. However, what also began to happen was the internal shift – the healing within my mind, heart, and soul. Yoga became my medicine, my therapy, as now it is lifestyle. As time has gone on, I have evolved into the more subtle practices and focus more so on the inner yoga and heart space. At this point, I am able to step into the more challenging yoga practices with a much healthier mindset – as the practice of yoga has allowed me to find balance, acceptance, love, and grace within depths of healing that I never thought was possible. 

As of the current day, I am the owner/founder and teacher of My Yoga Canyon Country. It almost seems surreal to recognize that I have become a business owner and founder to my passion. A true honor. I am living my purpose in sharing the gift I was given to hold space and share this sacred practice with others and extend the life-changing and saving yoga. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t feel any road to healing is smooth, but that is what makes it a journey. The ups and the downs happen as they are meant to and make you who you are…and just when you think the process is complete…there is more to come! 

All of the struggles that I have had in my personal life toward my yoga and healing has most definitely allowed me to persevere through the challenging points of owning a business. In speaking recently to a student and fellow business owner, she shared: Business is not for the weak. There is an immense amount of strength countered with softness that is needed to maintain all the workings and multiple hats to be worn in owning a business. I am grateful for my work ethic and grit. I am grateful for the previous life challenges as then in perspective with the business – I know I can make it through. 

Some of the challenges have been learning curves, recognizing that there are always shifts and changes in business, and also finding softness in that I can only do so much in each day – and that is ok. It has been a beautiful lesson to acknowledge the importance of taking time for myself, so that I can further fuel the business needs and share my yoga love all around. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a cozy home yoga studio located in Canyon Country, Santa Clarita Valley – Southern California, north of Los Angeles. We offer a variety of classes to best serve the community. 

We are a studio that shares the yoga practice from the heart and honors the rich practice for its entirety. Our classes go beyond the postures and breath and into the foundation, energy, mythology & philosophy of yoga. Our yoga teachings fuse into the mind, heart, soul, spirit, and beyond into the practice of life. 

As far as the class categories, we do share basic, hatha, gentle vinyasa, vinyasa, vinyasa + weights, yin, yin + sound healing, restorative, restorative + Reiki, Nidra + mantra, candlelight, sunrise, and yoga wall classes. Beyond our class schedule, we have regular workshop offerings of Reiki + Sound Healing, Breathwork, Cacao, Music & Mantra, Meditation, and Acro workshops. We also hold workshop series connecting trauma + yoga and the chakras – subtle energy system. 

Furthermore, we are very excited to host our first 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, January 2025! 

In lieu of asking what we are most proud of, I’d say we are honored to connect and support fellow community + nonprofits and also be individuals to be teachers of the students who will then move on to be teachers of students and so on…we keep the practice and love flowing. 

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My dear friend that pulled me into my first yoga Bikram class gets initial credit. Following this a select few yoga teachers that were there for me along my yoga practice on and off the mat. Next would be a fellow business partner by my side in rebranding and owning a yoga studio prior to opening My Yoga Canyon Country. She taught me some of the inner business workings that helped me learn more of the backend side of business. Then, my lovely talk therapist of a couple years that helped me realize the ability to make choices and hold value and wholeness for self. And to the current-day – community. The community equally creates what I started. I have met and worked alongside some magical beings that support the business and extend our love. 

Pricing:

• Membership: $105
• Membership + Yoga Wall: $115
• 5 Pack: $85.00, 10 Pack: $160.00 (excludes yoga wall classes)
• Drop-In: $20.00, Yoga Wall Drop-In: $25
• Intro Drop-in: $15, Intro Special: $40 for 14 Days (excludes yoga wall classes)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://myyogacanyoncountry.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my_yoga_canyon_country/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myyogacanyoncountry