About
Dr. Michelle Nicole Martone, PharmD., E-RYT 500
I grew up in Miami, spending most of my childhood with family and friends playing in the waves of the Atlantic ocean. I have a deep connection and reverence for the healing power of the sea. Summers were spent with many cousins helping out on my grandfather’s tropical fruit grove.
From a young age, it was clear that my life’s work was in healthcare. We were raised living with my grandparents, and I watched my mother as the primary caregiver for all of us. Taking care of children and two aging parents; one with advanced Alzheimers and the other with uncontrolled diabetes. I had family members incarcerated and family with mental illness who struggled with addictions to the point of fatal overdose. I saw how living with long-term afflictions impacted not just personal quality of life but also the lives of those around you.
In 1998, I took my first Yoga class, and from that point on, I dedicated myself to the Yogic path. This started a profound transformation of both my inner and outer life that is still unfolding today. In 2003 I went off to college to study western medicine. Each mistake and success along the way I humbly offer up on the altar of life and ask for forgiveness and guidance to keep moving forward with an open heart, to witness all that arises with compassion.
During my studies, I spent evenings and weekends in a temple in the woods, imbibing the dharma talks and yogic teachings of Mickey Singer. I received a Doctorate in Pharmacology in 2009, completed my first Yoga Teacher Training in 2012, and have been teaching ever since. While teaching I was also working full-time in a community pharmacy for 14 years. I have worked privately with a wide range of people with anxiety, depression, HIV and hepatitis, diabetes, and cancer to support their health and wellness goals through western medicine, Yoga and meditation. I have seen the incredible transformation that takes place with a little consistent effort.
Health is a state of equilibrium and harmony in the mind and body and is attainable for all. At some point in our lives, we will be faced with illness. Yoga does not promise a fountain of youth. Still, the teachings of Yoga give us a path towards proper management of diseased conditions, understanding ourselves deeply through inquiry and reflection, and encouragement to live our highest potential. I strive to share Yoga in the purest, most original form so each person can bring the teachings to life in a meaningful way within the context of their own life.
I believe strongly in the power of a healthy lifestyle, including work/life balance, simple food, positive sleep habits, stress management, physical exercise, gratitude and mindfulness practices, seva (community service), the wisdom of elders, and satsang (positive, uplifting community support). Yoga improves not only our mindset but our entire way of being.
The past 25 years of study and sadhana (practice) have shown me I still have much to learn. I strive for santosha (contentment), and still within me the aversions and the desire for more shows up. I approach life with gratitude, a sense of humor, and joy. I have been fortunate to sit at the feet of great teachers, saints, and sages. Especially dear to my heart are Lamott Atkins, Nani-Ma, and Swami Premananda and Swami Ramswarupananda. I continue to study within the traditional Sivananda Yoga Vedanta lineage and make yearly pilgrimages to the Himalayas in India to sit with my teachers, deepen my understanding, and honor the roots of this practice.
My husband and I play and study traditional Indian and Pakistani music under the tutelage of Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami. In our free time, we enjoy nature, stewarding the land on our small homestead, growing food, and living a simple, minimalist life.
Degrees and Certifications
Continued traditional scripture study of Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta and Ayurveda, 2018 to present
Continued traditional music study Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami, Mian Tan Sen Gharana, 2021 to present
Posture and Practice Clinics, Mark Stephens Santa Cruz, CA. 2024
The Art of Assisting, San Francisco, 2024
Spring Sadhana Intensive, Sivananda Seva Samiti Ashram, Uttarkashi, India 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024
Ayurvedic Essentials, Mount Madonna, CA.
Ayurvedic Studies, Vaidyagrama Ayurvedic Institute, Coimbatore, India 2024
Energetic Allignment and Intuitive Sequencing, San Francisco 2017
Yoga Teacher Training, Yoga Garden, San Francisco, CA 2012
Doctor of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 2009
Associate of Arts, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 2005
Sivananda Ashram, India
