Renewal, Radiance and Hope - (Jan 2020) - Acadiana Yoga and Wellness - Lafayette, LA
KNOXVILLE KUNDALINI YOGA CENTER (2019) - Community = Common Unity
Acadiana Yoga and Wellness, Lafayette, LA (2019) - Live Authentically and Prosper
Greenhouse Yoga, Hattiesburg, MS (2017-2018) - Remove Doubt; Relieve Stress
Flowering Lotus Meditation and Retreat Center, Magnolia, MS (2016)
Surya Revelers - New Orleans, 2020
Surya Revelers - Yin to The Dirty Rain Revelers Yang
Surya (sanskrit for Sun); Revelers (dancing in the sun and shining a light);
Medicine Music (music is a universal language that speaks to the soul, heals and uplifts).
Melissa began practicing yoga in 2002 while in Austin, going to a class on a friend's suggestion.
Being a singer, Melissa loved chanting mantras and found the practice to be very transformative.
In 2006, she completed a teacher training program at Yoga Yoga, more as a way to deepen her own practice, though it opened the door to actually teaching. After moving to New Orleans with her husband Matthew in 2007, she began teaching at Swan River Yoga.
Melissa has expanded her teacher training to include restorative yoga, prenatal yoga and has attended various workshops to continue learning and deepening her connection to spiritual practices.
While she is not actively leading classes now, she continues to nurture her home practice with yoga, meditation and music.
Matthew has been a student of sound and its impact on emotions from an early age. Always deeply sensitive to sound, harsh sounds would cause him physical pain, and pleasing sounds, a sense of joy. His mother started him playing guitar at age four and he’s never stopped since. The instrument became his voice; a direct link from his heart from which he could express what he could not express with words. Matthew made the connection between music and spirit early on and has made it a lifelong study. From the delta blues to classical Egyptian; Gypsy Jazz to classical European; to the music he creates daily, Matthew continues his exploration.