Mela​nie accomplished her long-time dream by graduating from the Massage Therapy Program through the Aveda Institute, Minneapolis in 2004 before returning to her hometown of Overland Park, Kansas to begin her journey of sharing health and wellness with others.  She enjoys utilizing her knowledge and understanding of anatomy and physiology to pull from, along with other various modalities and essential oils, to create an entire experience for her massage clients when she performs services as a therapist. She prefers balancing energy and flow with varying pressure in a Swedish Massage, indication and stimulation of Reflexology points of the feet, and education for aftercare off the table.

Melanie began her own yoga practice in 2002 while living in Atlanta, Georgia. After her time in Minneapolis, and landing back in the Kansas City area in 2005, she has continued to learn, grow, and evolve as she thrives in her own practice.  She creates her own sacred space on the mat to calm her mind, awakening muscle memory with breath and movement, forming a powerful flowing practice.  She looks to be pushed to her edge, whether physical, mental, or emotional to allow herself to grow with every session.  Melanie became a Certified Yoga Instructor through the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Certification in 2015 through LifePower Yoga at Lifetime Fitness.

As an Instructor, Melanie enjoys teaching basic asana and background of the yogic lifestyle to build a strong foundation for new students and to refresh more seasoned yogis.  She builds strength and confidence in all levels of yogis through connection of the body, mind, and spirit.  Using her anatomy and physiology knowledge received from both her Massage and her Yoga education, she breaks down each posture for a better understanding and inner connection with every movement - to ensure each individual knows and feels the benefits.  She believes the breath is one of the best indicators of internal unrest and can be the first step toward mindfulness and stress management practices beyond the yoga mat.  

She takes the elements from her Barre Above Certification in 2018, of core strength, posture, and alignment, and incorporates them in every type of class she teaches now.  Along with the various mat Yoga classes, she is able to lead Chair Yoga, Aqua Yoga, Glide Fit Yoga, Barre, Mat Pilates, Juvo Board and her own strength/stretch format. In 2023, Melanie re-gained her Personal Training Certification through NASM, adding to her methods of helping others find their own balance.

While in Massage Therapy training, and again in Yoga Teacher Certification, she became increasingly more aware of the all-encompassing approach to life with the study of Ayurveda (Yoga's sister science literally meaning "science of life") - India's 5,000 year old method of preventative mind-body medicine.  Melanie's goal is to become certified as a Practitioner of Ayurveda with an emphasis on diet and nutrition, to complete her approach to all-around wellness.  She has seen in her own life how the knowledge of her own self, and individual constitution have prompted successful, life-altering change with food choices alone. 

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***Educating others on ways they can incorporate the numerous benefits of a variety of aspects of general health and wellness into a daily practice has truly become her passion.  Working from the inside-out with Ayurveda and whole-food nutrition, Massage Therapy, practical uses of essential oils, Yoga and fitness, she hopes to inspire people to reach their full potential and feel healthy, strong, and beautifully balanced.***

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