Melanie Starr

Practicing Yoga for over 20 years led me to wanting to share the joy and benefits I had received from Gentle Yoga with others. I earned my RYT-200 and RYT-500 in November 2010 from Cloud Nine Yoga School & Studio in Huntington Beach, CA. Upon certification, I taught gentle and prenatal yoga in their studio for 2 years.

During this time I continued to attend workshops, including one by Sherry Zak Morris in which I learned about Chair Yoga. I returned to this workshop each year, and used what I was learning in teaching an additional 2 years in Orange County at Senior Residences and a Memory Care facility, and found my niche. I dreamed of retiring from my 9-5 office job and working at helping myself as well as others live an active, healthy, vibrant life in our senior years. This dream came true early in 2015 when I earned my Chair Yoga Certification with Sherry. I moved to a senior park in Vista, CA where I began teaching Chair Yoga classes to my neighbors in the clubhouse, and at Yoga Vista Studio..

I became exposed to Gentle Somatic Yoga with James Knight through his workshops, and was immediately entranced with this new approach to reverse chronic pain & increasing strength, flexibility and coordination. Essential for my senior students, I knew I needed to learn more. I successfully completed the Level 1 Gentle Somatic Yoga Practitioner training program in July 2016, Level 2 in May 2017, and have most recently completed my full GSY certification with Level 3 in February 2019. I am passionate about sharing what I learn with my students, and will continue to learn and share for all of my days.