Melissa brings a warm, down-to-earth approach to yoga shaped by real life. Balancing her work in theatrical production with mothering three young children, she understands what it means to move a body that’s busy, tired, resilient, and constantly changing. With a practice that has spanned many eras of her life over the last seventeen years, she recognizes that when we show up to the mat as we are, this practice meets us where we are.  

Melissa has taught restorative, hatha, and mixed-level flow classes in studios, parks, even goat farms and breweries. She is particularly proud and humbled by the work she did teaching those experiencing homelessness in downtown LA and assisting in the facilitation of workshops at Esalen Institute. Her classes prioritize safe, intentional movement, clear alignment cues, and anatomy-informed sequencing, offering students space to build strength, stamina, and confidence without pressure or overwhelm.

Outside the studio, she loves baking bread, arranging flowers, and writing, and brings that same creativity and care into her teaching—often paired with thoughtful music and touches of philosophy to support growth on and off the mat.