MELINA MEZA
500-ERYT, BS Nutrition, Ayurvedic Health Educator, Certified Yoga for Aging Teacher
Melina Meza is a pioneer in the field of yoga, nutrition, and Ayurvedic Health, sharing her knowledge with yogis around the world for more than 20 years.
She is the creator of Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga, a holistic practice that features lifestyle, diet, and yoga practices tailored to the rhythms of the four seasons to help people stay healthy as they age. Her passion for Nature, the five elements, beauty, and humor forge the foundation of her unique approach to well-being.
In addition to working with individual clients, Melina facilitates year-round yoga and Ayurveda workshops, leading retreats in extraordinary sanctuaries around the world. She is the author of Seasonal Health and Wellness and the Art of Sequencing books as well as the creator of the Yoga for the Seasons – Fall Vinyasa DVD. Her unique teachings can also be found on Yoga Anytime, YogaUonline, and Gaiamtv.
While attending Bastyr, she found what her body, mind, and spirit had been waiting for—yoga. From her very first class in 1993, she have never stopped exploring the physical, mental, and spiritual practices passed down from the ancient sages. Yoga has been the “launching pad”—as her teacher Gary Kraftsow describes it—that has rocketed her into a life journey of cultivating the disciplines necessary to gain insight and wisdom integral to being healthy, compassionate, and radiant, as well as how to share those gifts with others. In addition to teaching yoga to thousands of practitioners since 1997, for over 16 years Melina led the 200- and 500-Hour Teachers’ Training Program at Seattle 8 Limbs Yoga Center as either Director or Co-Director.
With creativity at the center of her passions, Melina loves to inspire and be inspired, bringing this not only to her teaching but to her artistry. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious, igniting the creative fire in those with whom she connects.
Another way that Melina blends her passion for Nature and creativity is through being a professional photographer. Her images are featured in the books Seasonal Health and Wellness and Yoga for Healthy Aging, and regularly included in Esalen and Breitenbush Hot Springs catalogs. Images galleries can be found at: melinameza.smugmug.com
Melina’s continual growth as a teacher and practitioner has been influenced by studying with numerous instructors, including Dr. Robert Svoboda, Scott Blossom, Sarah Powers, and Gary Kraftsow. Retreats and sabbaticals are also vital to Melina’s personal practice and bring her deeper reflection and inspiration.
Currently residing in Oakland, California, Melina holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition from Bastyr University, where she deepened her interest in the world of whole foods nutrition. She received her certificate as an Ayurvedic Health Educator from the California College of Ayurveda.
