Experience and Education
As an undergraduate, Melody studied environmental science and contemporary spirituality at Middlebury College, the Sierra Institute, and Prescott College—where she earned her bachelor's degree.
Her formal training in Ayurveda began at the Ayurvedic Institute, where she had the profound honor of studying under Vasant Lad, MASc, and Dr. Claudia Welch.
As an Ayurvedic practitioner and yoga teacher, Melody uses lifestyle practices, subtle therapies, diet, and herbs to help her clients foster an ever-improving wellness experience. She is guided by a deep desire to live her own life in alignment with her truest inner nature, and to support others in doing the same.
Her grounded wisdom, highly skilled capacity to hold space, and her razor-sharp aptitude for seeing her clients' deepest gifts—alongside their most critical stumbling blocks—make her a highly sought-after coach.
Melody started writing for Banyan Botanicals in 2011 and has since written a substantial portion of the educational content on the website.
Melody's Point of View
How were you introduced to Ayurveda?
I grew up in Colorado and was still a teenager when my love of dramatic mountain landscapes took me to the Himalayas, where I was introduced to meditation. On a return trip to India in my early twenties, I discovered Yoga and Ayurveda. I was amazed.
I had grown up with some familiarity with Western medicine, since my father was a surgeon—but Ayurveda's celebration of uniqueness, focus on self-care, and honoring of the rhythms of nature really resonated with me. After devouring books on Ayurveda and experiencing my first panchakarma, I decided to enroll in an Ayurvedic practitioner program.
Ayurveda remains the most elegant and intuitive wellness tradition I have ever encountered. I am so inspired by the degree to which the simplest adjustments have changed my own life and the lives of my clients.
When are you most likely to go out of balance and how do you bring yourself back in balance using Ayurveda?
Stress is my greatest challenge, and a tremendous teacher. While my daily routine often falters when I'm stressed out and overwhelmed, I have learned through experience that these are the most critical times to keep up with my self-care rituals. If nothing else, I try to start each day with a few minutes of pranayama or meditation, some gentle stretching, and—as often as possible—abhyanga (self-massage). I also find that staying attuned to my breath helps me reconnect with a deeper sense of Self and a broader support system.
What's one Ayurvedic practice anyone can implement to spur change in their life, right here, right now?
Think of “balance” more as a useful tool, rather than a fixed destination. Ayurveda has taught me to think of balance as an evolving process of coming ever more into alignment with the natural world… and with who we really are as human beings.
