Mission & Vision

Yoga Freedom’s intention is to inspire our readers and students to live from the heart and be of benefit to Mother Earth and all beings living on this planet.

A Brief History of Yoga Freedom

Birth: 2002 in Austin
Palo Alto, California: 2003-04
Austin, Texas: 2004-09
Guatemala City: 2009-12
Panajachel, Guatemala: 2012-15
San Marcos la Laguna, Guatemala: 2015-present

Michelle Margaret Fajkus

Michelle was born on May 30, 1980. Hailing from Austin, Texas, she fell in love with yoga at age 12, found the Buddha in California at 23 and moved abroad to Guatemala at 29. She lives in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala with her husband and daughter.

Michelle graduated from Round Rock High School in 1998 and from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002. She completed a 200-hour hatha yoga teacher training at Yoga Yoga in 2002, as well as a 100-hour advanced training at Dharma Yoga in 2009. Her ever-evolving career has included advertising, marketing and communications, in addition to school teaching (bilingual elementary, secondary and special education). From 2015-18, she served as retreat and reservations manager for Villa Sumaya, an amazing retreat center in the Guatemalan highlands she calls home.

The Yoga Freedom Philosophy

Yoga isn’t a lifestyle; it’s life!

“Truth is a pathless land.” ~ J. Krishnamurti

“My religion is kindness.” ~ The Dalai Lama

“You are the sky. Everything else, it’s just the weather.” ~ Pema Chodron

“Smile, breathe, go slowly.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh