is a yoga teacher, mother and co-owner of the Berkeley Yoga Center. She has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and teaching since 2000. Melanie makes yoga accessible to all. While encouraging students to focus on their breath, drishti, and sensations, she teaches her students to deepen their practice as they honor their bodies. She values the spiritual aspects of yoga integrated with the asanas. Melanie focuses as much on the profound inner lessons of yoga: attention to the breath, letting go of thoughts and ego and perseverance through practice, as she does on the physicality of the poses. This process has been informed by Melanie’s own experience with scoliosis – which is how her journey of yoga began. In each class, the student is invited to let go and have fun. Melanie’s yoga background includes extensive study in Ashtanga. She has also trained in Iyengar, Pre/Postnatal and Vipassna Meditation.
Her daily practice informs her teaching and gives her an abundance of experience from which to teach others. Melanie always finds ways to integrate lessons from her own yoga practice into her daily life with her children and partner. Melanie has also been volunteering her time for the last eight years and teaching yoga to children; currently she teaches yoga at Oxford Elementary, a local Berkeley Public School. In addition to her regularly scheduled classes, Melanie also offers private instruction and workshops. www.melyoga.com