INSTRUCTORS

Melanie Lucido

The beauty of yoga is that you can practice it wherever you are by focusing on the breath.

Exercise has always been part of my life however; it took me amwhile to discover yoga but I finally found it. Yeah! Professionally, I am a physical therapist who has been practicing for 24 years. As a physical therapist, I evaluate people's injuries or limitations and work on improving those areas. Most of my career I have worked with children and it became apparent to me that there was more to healing than just the physical body. In my personal life, I used exercise as a way to escape. When I exercised, my mind was definitely not in the moment.

I am a mother of 3 incredible boys. In 1999, my middle son was born with cerebral palsy so my life was quickly turned upside down. It was a very stressful time in my life. In 2004, I started practicing yoga at a fitness center once a week because I was stressed and felt overwhelmed with my situation. I would leave class feeling so relaxed; my sons would always tell me that I was a better mom after yoga. Some days, they would say, "You really need to go to yoga." I quickly got the message that I needed and wanted yoga in life. I had learned early on that if I did more, I would be a better person, so I became a human doer rather than a human being. Yoga helped me learn how to "be" rather than "do." Life is so much better when I live in the moment.

Several years ago, a friend asked me if I could do anything what would it be. I said I would love to teach yoga. One of my yoga teachers suggested that I try American Power Yoga and look into training with Kurt Johnsen. Even though I had been practicing yoga, I felt intimated by going to a real yoga studio. After my first class, I was hooked. I loved the practice because it offered the mind/body connection, and I was able to use the messages in my everyday life. In teacher training, I thought I would only learn how to teach poses. Well, I was mistaken because I learned that the poses were not the practice but the breath was.

The beauty of yoga is that you can practice it wherever you are by focusing on the breath. Practicing yoga is a great way to live your life.

Come and enjoy! ~ Melanie

Melanie's Class Schedule