Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Nuti.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a child, I was deeply attuned to energy, emotion, nature, and spirit. I often picked up on the deeper layers of communication, sensing people’s true intentions and feeling the energy behind their words and actions.
At fifteen, I discovered yoga through a book and it immediately resonated. It wasn’t just the physical movement, though I loved that too, it felt like a language I already spoke, one that connected me to the deeper aspects of being. A year later, I experienced my first rebirthing breathwork session with a healer. It awakened something profound in me and affirmed my path toward healing work.
In the late 1990s, I moved to Chicago and immersed myself in a vibrant world of yoga classes, metaphysical studies, and energy healing. I also joined a West African drumming and dance ensemble, discovering how rhythm, ancient, primal, and alive, combined with movement and breath could create a powerful container for transformation. That drumming became the heartbeat of the holotropic breathwork sessions I began offering, where sound and breath merged to guide people through altered states of consciousness and deep inner journeys.
In 2010, I fully committed to the path of yoga. I completed a foundational teacher training, followed by a year-long mentorship and an advanced training with Ana Forrest. Her lineage, rooted in Native American teachings and the idea of “mending the hoop of the people,” deeply resonated with my view of yoga as a sacred practice of reconnection, to self, to spirit, to nature, and to each other.
The vision grew into Skybird Yoga, a space where I now guide others through yoga, breathwork, sound healing, and retreats both locally and abroad. The Skybird Yoga Studio is nestled in a 100-year-old post-and-peg barn lovingly relocated and rebuilt by my father and brother. Set on sacred land in Southwest Michigan, the studio is surrounded by nature, open skies, rustling trees, birdsong, and butterflies often weave themselves into the practice. The experience begins the moment you step out of your car. In warmer months, the big barn doors open wide to let the elements flow through.
What makes Skybird truly special is the community – warm, genuine people who show up with open minds and kind hearts. What began as a small circle has grown into a beautiful, thriving space where everyone is welcomed, supported, and included, no matter their background or experience.
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?
The path hasn’t been easy or linear, and it sure doesn’t come with a clear map! As a visionary, I’ve followed a deep inner calling to build something rooted in healing, community, and purpose. Each step has been a stepping stone, shaped by resilience, intuition, and a willingness to keep learning along the way.
There were times I felt out of step with societal expectations or questioned whether the work I offered would truly resonate. But each doubt became an invitation to trust myself more deeply. I’ve come to understand that healing and growth don’t follow a straight line- they ask for patience, surrender, and courage.
The most difficult moments became my greatest teachers. They shaped me, refined my voice, and reminded me of the power of showing up with honesty. Every challenge, in its own way, has deepened my commitment to this path.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Skybird Yoga is known for its unique setting and welcoming atmosphere – a space where authenticity, presence, and non-judgment are at the heart of everything. Whether you’re new to yoga or have been practicing for years, we have something here for you.
My work centers on integrative healing and movement. Throughout my classes, I weave together ancient wisdom and modern science to offer practical tools that can be immediately integrated into daily life to support real shifts in how people breathe, feel, move, and live.
Each class integrates these modalities in a simple, accessible way, helping students breathe, build strength, calm the mind, and cultivate greater energy and joy for life. I often hear, “That was so much more than a yoga class, it felt like a transformational experience.” There’s an intuitive quality to my classes that often surprises people – many students say it feels like I’m speaking directly to them. That kind of deep listening and care is at the heart of what I offer: spaces where people feel truly seen, supported, and understood.
As we move through postures, I often refer to what I call the ‘advanced practice’, not in terms of complexity, but in the depth of self-awareness it requires. It’s about truly listening to your body, feeling authentically, moving mindfully, modifying or deepening as needed, and staying connected to your breath. The real practice is remaining struggle-free and responding honestly to what’s present in each moment.
Along with teaching a traditional power flow class, I also offer integrative classes that blend yoga with functional movement, core work, Qi Gong, longevity & meridian-based practices, muscle activation, slow flow, and dynamic sequencing. I bring in knowledge of proper breathing, the nervous system, lymphatic health, and nutrition, helping students understand how to support their own health and wellness. My aim is to empower through both experience and embodied understanding, offering insights to take ‘off the mat’ and into everyday life.
In addition to weekly In-Person and Live-Streaming classes, I offer Private Group Sessions, bi-monthly Transformational Breath and Sound Healing Journeys, ‘Go Deeper’ Workshops and lead several Skybird Transformational Retreats each year. Highlights include our annual local Skybird September Immersion Retreat – a nourishing reset for fall. An optional Ayurvedic cleanse is offered alongside supportive practices all designed to help the body and mind transition into the new season with clarity and vitality.
I also lead destination Skybird Retreats in Costa Rica and Utah, designed to immerse you in nature, deepen your practice, and create space for reflection, renewal, and connection. These immersive, week-long journeys allow people to unplug, reset, and move through a complete integrative process – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They are some of my favorite spaces to witness real, lasting transformation.
I want people to know that yoga is for everyone, not just the strong or flexible. It’s for anyone willing to pause, breathe, and reconnect. As we return to ourselves and to nature, we begin to walk in greater harmony. Even small daily practices can have a big impact on our physical and emotional well-being and that shift naturally ripples into how we show up in our relationships, our communities, and the world.
Testimonial: “I have had the best yoga experiences in Elizabeth Nuti’s Skybird Yoga classes. I have been a student of yoga for many years and have had good teachers – Elizabeth stands out among all my teachers for her knowledge of yoga and teaching, her sensitivity to each person’s needs, her flexibility to adjust to the people and circumstances that arise, her great music choices, the beautiful environment that she creates, the vibrant and loyal community that surrounds her – and most of all her generous and expansive heart.” Beth B
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I love most about Sawyer and the surrounding Southwest Michigan area is its natural beauty. The dunes, forests, and changing seasons offer a rich, grounding backdrop for both living and healing. Whether walking through the woods or enjoying a sunset at the lake, nature here always brings me back to center.
There’s also a vibrant, creative spirit woven through the community. I’ve watched so many meaningful businesses take root here, each one built with heart. There’s a shared passion for intentional living that I deeply admire.
Sawyer is a place in motion, evolving, expanding, and full of potential. Its strong sense of connection and community gives me confidence in what’s unfolding, and I feel deeply grateful to live and work in a place that nurtures both stillness and inspiration.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.skybirdyoga.com
