ABOUT MELISSA

Melissa (she/they) deeply believes in applying the culture and teachings of yoga to bring to light the long standing disparities in wellness spaces. She is passionate about bringing yoga and Ayurveda back to its roots, and reclaiming representation within the wellness community. Having been diagnosed with asthma at 2 years old, she grew up practicing Yoga and Ayurveda thanks to the influence of their mother and early yoga teachers. Pranayama (breath regulation) was Melissa’s first entry point in the path of yoga, as a way of rebuilding a confident relationship with her breathing and to manage asthma and allergy symptoms. ‘Find Your Breath’ emerged organically from their lifelong practice of yoga, highlighting the breath as the center of every yoga practice. The breath is the bridge between our body/mind and the eternal inner knowing that exists in each of us.

Originally from Queens, NY (unceded Lenape land) she currently lives in Los Angeles (unceded Tongva + Chumash land) where she works to make yoga accessible through yoga therapy, mentoring yoga teachers, Ayurveda, spiritual development, and mantra. She also has an online membership, Find Your Breath Online, with weekly classes and an extensive on-demand portal that includes meditative asana, mantra recordings, pranayama, and meditation classes for people all over the world seeking a holistic and authentic way to practice yoga Melissa also utilizes her background in public health to integrate yoga into schools and clinical settings.

She has been practicing yoga since she was a child, thanks to her mother, and has been studying it deeply since the age of 18. Melissa firmly believes in continuously adapting the practice to the individual as they move through human experiences. Having grown up with a chronic respiratory condition, she has seen firsthand the positive effects that yoga and pranayama can have not only on one’s physical health, but on refining one’s perception of themselves and their communities. Melissa believes in the connection between individual and collective liberation - your yoga supports your ability to take clear action in your communities.

Present Work

Currently, Melissa works individually with clients offering yoga therapy in the Viniyoga tradition. She offers weekly community chanting classes, as well as pranayama classes for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). Her offerings focus on the intersection between yoga and social justice, and how to tune into our true self and dharma (calling, purpose) when it comes to taking action toward what we believe in. When Melissa isn't teaching, she loves to practice singing, bike ride, and experiment with Ayurvedic cooking! Click here to see her current live offerings or connect with her on IG at @findyourbreath.

BOOK A 15-MIN CONSULT WITH MELISSA

Training Experience

Melissa has had the deep privilege of having over 2000 hrs of training in yoga and yoga therapy and holds a Masters of Public Health in Health Policy from Columbia University. She holds yoga certifications from:

  • 250HR Yoga Instructor Certification with Nataraja Yoga Center and SVYASA

  • 200HR Yoga Certification with Yoga Works NYC

  • 85HR Prenatal Yoga Certification with Integral Healing Arts

  • 200HR Yoga Certification with Ritam Healing Arts 

  • 300hr Foundations of Yoga Therapy Certification with Yoga Well Institute

  • 1008HR Yoga Therapist Certification with Yoga Well Institute

  • Continuous study with their yoga mentors and with their chanting teacher based in India at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram.

Press and Media Coverage