About Me
I am celebrating 32 years of yoga in my life! During my 20's I traveled Europe, volunteered with the Peace Corps in Tanzania for 2 years, and enjoyed a couple of years in New Zealand, where my daughter was born. Returning to the US in 1989, I moved to Maine and attended a yoga class, which I recall feeling like I floated out of, and knew I had found my passion. I gratefully apprenticed under Elaine McGillicuddy, at Portland Yoga Studio, and began teaching there in 1993. Later, when Elaine retired, I led the studio for almost 5 years. I'm fortunate to have taught yoga retreats at castles in Italy, on beaches in Costa Rica, in the jungle of Belize, and on Maine's own Monhegan Island.
I am blessed to have studied with master yoga teachers such as; BKS Iyengar Master Teacher Patricia Walden of Boston, Gabriel Halpern of Chicago, Peentz Dubble of Vermont/now Florida, Judith Lasater of CA, and Doug Keller of Maryland. As a registered yoga instructor with the Yoga Alliance since 2002, E-RYT 500, I continue my studies and keep my certification in good standing. Teacher Trainings that I offer count as credits for aspiring teachers. Most recently, I have been taking seminars in teaching Trauma Sensitive Yoga, developing yoga classes for seniors and creating a teacher training course entitled Experiential Anatomy which I offered at the Maine Yoga Festival in 2023.
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In 2017-2022, in collaboration with Lisa Walker, who is now Associate Dean in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at USM, we developed and co-taught a cutting edge 2 credit course entitled, Yoga and Feminism. As adjunct professor for this course for 6 years, we addressed the intersection of yoga with feminist issues: gender, race, cultural appropriation, trauma, body image, stress, de-colonization, and social activism.
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Also in 2017-2023, I participated in a local non-profit, Sea Change Yoga, which offers free yoga classes to underserved populations in correctional facilities, recovery centers, and immigrant community centers. Sea Change also teaches yoga classes at homes for adults with unique learning differences and for 'at-risk' youth centers, both of which I enjoyed teaching. I also volunteered to teach yoga classes for women through the program, SARSSM, Sexual Assault Response Services for Southern Maine for two years.
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In 2003, I started practicing Yamuna Body Rolling® and became very impressed. This bodywork achieves the therapeutic benefits of deep tissue massage, myofascial release, bone stimulation and the creation of space in the joints using specially designed balls.
In 2009 I certified in Yamuna Body Rolling® Level 1 and 2, in NYC, and began offering classes in Maine. Further inspired by this healing modality I trained in the YBR Foot Fitness Certification in 2011, and the YBR Advanced Ball Certification in 2012, both of which I took with the founder of the practice, Yamuna Zake in NYC. I remain in good standing by recertification every other year in topics such as; Pelvic Floor Fitness, Organ Support, Value of Twisting, and Deep Hip Work.
Ever grateful to my students, who regularly attend, I currently teach a Tuesday morning in person yoga class and a monthly Yamuna Body Rolling® class at Leaping Waters studio in South Portland. I also teach Yamuna Body Rolling® classes twice per month at Scarborough Maine Yoga and at Train Your Inner Athlete in Westbrook. I am also teaching two online yoga classes and an online Yamuna Body Rolling® class. Every Summer I enjoy teaching workshops at the Maine Yoga Festival and a full series of yoga and Yamuna Body Rolling® classes on Cliff Island. I love to teach private lessons which are geared towards addressing each individuals' specific concerns.
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Alex
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"After struggling with restricted range of motion and pain due to osteoarthritis, my work with Melora has offered me a new found freedom in my body. She is a “body genius.”
While sports medicine and physical therapy have helped to address the functioning of the specific joints that are compromised, after treatment, my body was still struggling to work effectively with these newly compromised joints. I was worried that I would be resigned to living with movement that felt limited and awkward.
Through my work with Melora, during her classes of Iyengar yoga as well as Yamuna Body Rolling, I have been able to recalibrate my entire body— allowing me to move with a lightness and a fluidity that I did not imagine would be possible.
Case in point: Recently, given the advanced stage of the osteoarthritis in my shoulder that was captured by the x-ray, the sports medicine physician was startled by the extent of my range of motion. He said, “Although your x-ray might indicate that you would be a candidate for a shoulder replacement, after seeing your range of motion, no surgeon would consider you for this procedure, because there is no way a shoulder replacement would be able to match the range of motion you currently have.” And I thought to myself that this is a testament to my work with Melora."
John
"Hi Melora–You seemed genuinely surprised that I remembered your story about how the teacher told her students that it was not the bars that keep the tiger in its cage, but rather the space in between. I hear everything you say, and it makes a difference…has made a difference…in my life. It seems important for me to tell you what an amazing teacher…amazing person…you are. I’ve been meaning to tell you that for the past couple of weeks, but never had the chance. Thank you for everything always. Om shanti and namasté."
J.M.
"I hope you have felt my gushing gratitude coming from my home to yours as I practice the body rolling. The neck and shoulder class were a breakthrough for me. Interestingly, when I left the class I still had tightness under my left shoulder blade and above it. I kind of gave up on it, thinking that nothing would relieve it. But in the morning I awoke and it was gone and there was freedom in that shoulder!! I was smiling all day knowing there was a cure!"