Melanie found yoga while searching for something to help manage corporate stress and improve athleticism for her competitive horseback riding career (and repair injuries). She became hooked when those things did improve, but she also noticed other positive changes popping up into her life. After decades of personal practice, she was drawn to learn more about yoga and finished her RYT 200 Hour in 2014 from Spirit of Yoga in Tempe Arizona.

This program was intensely focused on anatomy and how to safely practice yoga. It was also focused on Bhakti yoga, and using yoga as a way to the spirt. When students come to her classes, they will usually be presented with a theme, quote, or reading to take with you through your practice and day.

Extensive travel allowed her to teach and learn at retreats and studios across the country and abroad. She brings her exposure to these diverse lineages and styles into her classes. Her goal is to not make two classes the same and give each student a safe place to find whatever they need from their mat.

Yoga allowed Melanie to find “home” all over the world by bringing her yoga practice with her. She hopes by being a teacher in her nontraditional looking yoga body, she will inspire others to find their own yoga practice. By showing up this way, she hopes that people won’t put off starting their practice today and not when they “lose an extra 10 lbs.” Her desire as a yoga teacher is to lead people to themselves, so they can show up better in their own life and those around them.

She commits to leading her classes in a way that all people feel comfortable, and they have a safe place to come be themselves and get to know who they are better through their own personal practice.

Her classes are pro props, pro modifications, pro going deeper inside, pro finding a way to practice with old injuries. She also tries to lead authentically by not ascribing to toxic positivity or prescribing any certain lifestyle choices.