Online Yoga with Melissa
I teach from a trauma-informed perspective that prioritizes agency and accessibility while remaining authentic to the heart of the yoga teachings
Online Yoga with Melissa
Come home to your whole self with nourishing yoga
My classes are for new and seasoned students who want to experience the inward-oriented side of yoga and embody teachings that go beyond poses and into yoga’s purpose of revealing your true self.
My aim is to help you befriend your body, converse with your nervous system, and experience greater peace.
I teach from a trauma-informed lens that is deeply rooted in ensuring accessibility, choice, and belonging, while honoring yoga’s traditional teachings. By inviting slow, self-paced movement and a variety of postures, I create an atmosphere that offers the freedom to explore what feels supportive. At the heart of my teaching lies a commitment to helping you come home to your true self and feel the wholeness that yoga aspires to reveal.
With nearly a decade of experience in teaching in healthcare settings, I’ve honed my ability accommodate all body types and abilities. Having had many students who believed they “couldn’t do” yoga, my intention is foster belonging and inclusion in yoga. My classes are particularly welcoming to seniors, those managing health issues, or those who have felt excluded in other yoga settings.
Practice “Move + Restore Yoga” With Me
Fridays, 12-1pm Central Time (Online via Zoom)
A slow-paced, yet active practice to mobilize joints, release patterns of tension, and quiet your nervous system. With a new theme each month, classes incorporate gentle warm-ups, standing sequences, restorative poses, and pranayama.
Please have:
– A stable chair, preferably without arms
– 1-2 throw pillows
– 1-2 blankets
– Optional: Yoga blocks, bolster
*Recordings available within 24 hours.
*If Melissa cannot teach, you’ll have a sub with a similar skill set & style.
*If the listed price is out of reach, email me to find an option to suit your budget.
Monthly Trial – $20 for (4) Classes
(Regular Rate: $35/month)
My Yoga Journey and Studies
Yoga has been part of my life since 1998. At age 16, my mom took me to an ashram where I was initiated into the lineage of Kriya Yoga under Swami Vidyadhishananda and Paramahamsa Hariharananada. I later studied and practiced within the Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga systems. In 2015, I completed a year-long, 200-hour yoga certification with Moksha Yoga Center in Chicago. I completed a certificate in Yoga to Transform Trauma with the late Catherine Ashton the same year.
I’ve continued my studies with approximately 500 hours of additional training in anatomy, therapeutics, sequencing, cultural appropriation, accessibility, pranayama, yoga nidra, restorative yoga, and yoga philosophy texts. In addition to my first gurus mentioned above, my teachers have included Daren Friesen, PJ Heffernan, Alexia Bauer, Morgan Lee, Shanna Linn, Gabriel Halpern, Tias Little, Aadil Palkhivala, Kim Wilcox, Rich Logan, Susanna Barkataki, Alexandria Crow, and Kaya Mindlin.
*I believe it’s important to acknowledge our teachers. However, mentioning of their names does not constitute an endorsement of all of them. Sadly, there’s a real problem of abuse, predatory behavior, and harmful claims in the yoga world, and I’ve witnessed a lot of it. Over the years, I’ve tried to simply integrate what I’ve learned that can be most helpful to my students.