As the co-founder of this amazing space, an incredible mom and sister of mine she deserves the spotlight everyday! But, today is special, today we celebrate her solar return with so much gratitude, love and joy for her being the astounding light in the world that she is! We love you Mel...
Tell us about your passion for whitewater!
Ohhh fun questions!! Thanks Bee! OK. Whitewater! My passion for Whitewater and my passion for yoga developed pretty simultaneously in my early 20s. The summer before my senior year of college, I worked at a Whitewater rafting company in the mountains of Western North Carolina and at the end of that summer, I got introduced to kayaking. I was immediately in love with being on the river and the presence that was required in Whitewater. After graduating, I moved to North Carolina and spent the following 10 years honing my skill on the river. Whitewater kayaking was one of the first times that I truly felt present in my physical body.. And it was through learning how to kayak that I became aware of how messed up my posture was... And I was often very sore because my body was so misaligned... So I started practicing yoga to feel better in my boat... (Mostly DVDs because I lived in the middle of the woods ) it didn't take long for me to choose to take a 200 hour training and go deeper…
How did you find yoga & what was the pivotal moment that you fell in love with yoga?
My first actual yoga class was a PE credit at my college that was called "stretch and relax". The class always started with at least 10 minutes of legs up the wall in the gym and I remember thinking I had hit the jackpot For class credits! I don’t think I truly fell in love with Yoga until I took my 200 hour training and realized how much more was involved than just the postures. The gratitude that I hold for this, wisdom tradition is beyond words. I cannot imagine who I would be today if I had not found these tools in my early 20s.
What is your favorite food?
Tacos, pad Thai, Indian food.
If you could share one thing with the Be Free community from your heart, what would it be?
Just immense heartfelt gratitude. 🙏🏽 There is not a day that goes by that I am not incredibly grateful for the profound community that has come together at Be Free. When we set out to create this space, We really had no idea what we were doing, we just knew that we wanted to make a place where people could truly come together and experience healing, play, and authentic expression. Holding this container over the last five years has profoundly changed me as a human. I have been forged in the fire 🔥 . It has taught me SO MUCH about what community MEANS... and leadership, and fostering a diverse and inclusive space... and I get to keep learning and growing alongside a LOT of incredible humans. What a gift.
How do you incorporate REST into your life/work schedule?
Permission to NOT check everything off my list… As a business owner and a single parent (I have an incredible partner, but we are currently flowing with two single parent households) my list of to do’s is never ending. I realized a while ago, that the only way to truly thrive amidst the busyness is to value NON-busyness. I give myself permission to unplug as much as possible… I deeply value vacation, especially the beach to unwind… and I give myself stillness and meditation every day.
What is currently lighting you up?
I feel such gratitude about how many things I have passion for currently! My kiddo… I love watching his creativity blossom and he is hilarious 😆…my amazing partner Evan… what a gift he is to my life… So excited about our retreat that we are leading in Ecuador next month… Can’t wait to go back to the beach and practice surfing some more. I am always thrilled and excited about leading my yoga teacher training… Loving my current group so much 💚…
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