Podcast Summary: Living Your Legacy

Episode: AYA Art of Aerial Founder on Healing Postpartum Depression Through Aerial Yoga

Host: Rudy Mawer (with featured interviewer Ray Gutierrez)
Guest: Michelle Frank, Founder of Aya Art of Aerial
Date: March 13, 2026

Overview

This episode of Living Your Legacy centers around Michelle Frank, founder of Aya Art of Aerial, a sanctuary in Austin, Texas blending yoga and aerial arts. Michelle openly shares her journey of overcoming postpartum depression through aerial yoga, discusses the mental health benefits of body movement, and highlights the power of community and self-discovery. It's a candid, motivating conversation about resilience, healing, and turning personal struggle into a purpose-driven business.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Aerial Arts: More Than Circus

• Misconceptions: Michelle debunks common myths about aerial arts, clarifying that it's not just about circus tricks or gymnastics, but about inner trust and emotional growth.
  • Quote: "There's a really big misconception... It's not just circus, it's not just tumbling, it's not just, you know, gymnastics and flexibility. It really is building trust within yourself to hold yourself up." (03:00, 07:53)
• Mental & Emotional Benefits: She emphasizes how the aerial practice is as much mental as physical, helping to move stagnant energy and foster self-belief.
  • Quote: "What started the journey is like finding out what I was feeling inside. It's okay. And how am I going to feel better and what am I going to do about it? And that's where Ariel came into place. And I really do believe it's saved my life because it really was life changing." (00:43, 06:07)

2. Healing Journey: Postpartum Depression and Self-Discovery

• Recognition of Struggle: Michelle describes the moments following her last pregnancy as pivotal, marked by feeling lost in her own body and identifying the need for internal exploration.
  • Quote: "After my last pregnancy I was going through the postpartum depression and that's what really started the journey ... Like I wanted out of my body. Like I didn't even want to be in my own body, you know..." (04:54)
• Childhood Trauma: She links her postpartum experience to unresolved childhood trauma, underscoring the importance of addressing internal wounds.
• Therapeutic Movement: The act of moving—especially through aerial—became her modality for emotional and mental relief.
  • Quote: "There's various ways that you can use your body to move that stagnant energy out. And my way is through Ariel." (00:00, 13:58)

3. Sensitivity, Energy, and Emotional Expression

• High Sensitivity: Michelle identifies as a highly sensitive person, explaining how the energies of others deeply affect her, and how this trait shapes her teaching style and interactions.
  • Quote: "Some people have more sensitive, like are more sensitive than others. I think it's called high sensitivity. And I happen to be one of those people that just feel everything ... what people are feeling sometimes reflects on me and I take it very personally." (06:52)

4. Building Aya: A Sanctuary for Healing

• Studio Inspiration: Aya’s Bali-inspired environment was born from Michelle’s yoga teacher training in Bali, designed as a 'sacred space' for healing and escape.
  • Quote: "I really want my students to come in and not feel like they're in the city... I want you to come and escape from it all. So that's why I really think of it as a sanctuary, as a temple." (10:00)
• Community Focus: The close community built around Aya has played a major role in Michelle’s journey and business success.
  • Quote: "Everyone that's been with me since I opened the studio is still with me now. And it's like the tight knit community that the ones that are, you know, going to be your supporters and there for you." (13:30)

5. AYA's Clients & Programming

• Core Audience: The studio primarily serves stay-at-home moms during the day, seeking connection and restoration, and children in the evenings with growing kids’ programs.
  • Quote: "Our number one regulars and members are our stay at home moms ... and then we have our kids classes in the evening that has been just ... expanding." (14:56)
• Growth and Expansion: Michelle is considering franchise opportunities to expand Aya nationwide, and hints at greater recognition for aerial arts within health and wellness.
  • Quote: "The goal is to franchise the aerial studio part of it to the city ... I would love to see Aya, you know, nationwide ... where we can heal people through the art of Ariel." (15:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Reframing Aerial as Healing:
  "It's not just circus ... It really is building trust within yourself to hold yourself up." (07:53 – Michelle Frank)
• On Finding Herself After Postpartum:
  "After my last pregnancy I was going through the postpartum depression and that's what really started the journey ... I was not feeling good in my own skin, in my own body. Like I wanted out of my body." (04:54 – Michelle Frank)
• On the Infinite Journey of Aerial:
  "You can never know it all. So that's my fav part, is the endless learning of the journey with Ariel." (14:47 – Michelle Frank)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Michelle sets the theme: movement as healing | | 03:00 | Discussion of color symbolism, personal identity | | 04:28 | Michelle recounts the origins of her struggle | | 04:54 | Postpartum depression and turning point | | 07:53 | Debunking aerial arts misconceptions | | 09:10 | Training and the role of teachers in her journey | | 10:00 | Studio inspiration: Bali theme and sanctuary concept | | 13:30 | Discussing the tight-knit Aya community | | 14:56 | AYA’s main clientele: moms by day, kids by night | | 15:41 | Plans for the future: franchising and expansion |

Closing Thoughts

The conversation with Michelle Frank is deeply personal yet widely relatable, illuminating the intersection of entrepreneurship, healing, and community. Her story serves as a testament to transforming personal pain into purpose, modeling how movement can become medicine. Listeners gain insight into the entrepreneurial journey outside major urban centers, the importance of intentional spaces, and the transformative potential of trusting oneself—both on and off the aerial silks.