Melissa was introduced to yoga as a child by her mom, and after a few years of dabbling, took up a daily Ashtanga yoga practice at the age of 23. She has been very fortunate to have had incredibly knowledgeable teachers and made numerous trips to India to learn with Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangaswamy. She has taken numerous workshops and teacher trainings with esteemed teachers such as Tim Miller, David Swenson, Hamish Hendry, Dena Kingsberg, John Scott, Mark and Joanne Darby, Shankara Darby, and David Robson. She has also attended workshops with esteemed Iyengar Yoga teachers such as Dona Holleman.
Yoga is a part of her life and she is a lifelong student , with 23 years of practice experience. She is also a massage therapist, and mom of two.