ABOUT balance.

 While a student at Virginia Wesleyan College in 1994, Melissa was introduced to Integral Yoga . It was during those first yoga classes that she knew my heart had found a home. After graduation, she went on to open Virginia Beach's first dedicated yoga studio in 1998, blazing a path for future yoga students and teachers. She received her 200 hr YTT from Oceanfront Yoga and  Master Yoga Teacher Rolf Gates 500 ht Advanced Yoga Teacher’s Training Program. Now a ERYT 500, YACEP, RPYT, CTSYT, she has completed her Trauma Sensitive Yoga Teacher Certification and Trauma Stress Studies program with Bessel van der Kolk, disquished author of The Body Keeps the Score and Traumatic Stress. Melissa is also a certified Prenatal Yoga, Chakra Yoga, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga and Personal Trainer. 

As a person in recovery from deep childhood trauma, relationship abuse and addiction, Melissa is also a certified Peer Recovery Specialist and Y12SR Peer Support Guide and brings her experience, strength and hope, along with an empathic sense to support  to her students . A yoga and fitness teacher at the University of Richmond and former adjunct faculty ot Virginia Wesleyan University, Melissa thrives in the learning environment and loves to promote other's success.  Working one-on-one with clients through Somatic Wellness Coaching, Energy Work and Breathwork  sessions, Melissa holds space for others to realize their highest potential and heal their inner wounds. The leader of our YTT program, Melissa's primary intent is to teach her trainees to hold sacred space and allow trainees to discover their inner teacher. Her primary purpose in opening balance. was to collaborate with other healers to create a diverse, inclusive and loving community for all and keep our students safe - mentally, physically and spiritually..

She dedicates the studio to the healing of all perople and our planet and to her devoted teachers and friends who have lit the path to her own healing and growth.

(C.D.,  Cathy, Chrissie, Colette, Amy, Tami, Mindy, Barbara, Ruff Canine Club, Karen, Justine, Victoria, Jenni and Jamalyn & Scarlett! Thank you, and many others. 

HIGH FIVE...I see you and don't stop believing!)

Kelly is a passionate yoga instructor and integrative health coach who blends dynamic vinyasa flows with therapeutic yoga to help students feel their best, both on and off the mat. As part of our 200 hr Yoga Teacher's Training program, she has two decades of teaching experience, and over 1,000 hours of yoga teacher training in a variety of styles. Kelly’s classes are thoughtfully designed to enhance overall well-being, calm the nervous system, and provide a joyful, practical approach to mindful movement. 

Known for her love of introducing yoga to open-minded skeptics, athletes, and busy professionals—or anyone who might feel a bit intimidated by yoga— Kelly’s approachable style creates a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. Her classes will help you build strength, balance, flexibility, and mobility – while relaxing, reconnecting with your breath, and listening to good music – so that you leave feeling better. 

A Colonel in the Army serving since 1998, she works with Army leaders to incorporate yoga and mindfulness into unit fitness programs. She is also a board-certified health and wellness coach with additional certifications in breathwork, life coaching, and conscious dying coaching, and shares her expertise in holistic health and coaching at the university level. 

Recently back in her hometown of Richmond and a mom to two young daughters, Kelly is excited to reconnect with the local community..

Marissa completed her 200-HR yoga teacher training from Shockoe Slip Yoga in 2018, which included extensive anatomy education, where upon graducation she offered  vinyasa flow classes, restorative/gentle, and yin yoga, and is highly proficient with hands-on assists.  Before undergoing her 200-HR, she lived in Los Angeles where she worked  at two different yoga studios, Yogala and ROAM, and regularly practiced vinyasa, restorative, and yin yoga. Marissa has also completed completed two levels of training with Warriors at Ease, which teaches yoga teachers evidence-based yoga and meditation for populations with PTSD. Now a full-time to graduate school at the VCU Brandcenter., Marissa is the backbone of our marketing squad!

Karen is  an invaluable part of our  200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training program. She is an E-RYT500, RPYT, RCYT, YACEP, the Founder, Director, and Lead Trainer for Satya Yoga Academy, a contributing author and curriculum consultant for Parmarth Niketan Ahram’s (Rishikesh, India) 200-hour and 300-hour YTTC programs. She is also an Energy Healer, and Reiki Master and holds a BSBA from Old Dominion University and a CGS in Healthcare Policy and Ethics from Regent University.
There are many varied influences on her practice and her teaching style including her mother’s struggle for functional movement, her own injuries, and her experiences of practicing and teaching yoga with a changing body ranging in clothing sizes from a size 4 to a size 20. All of this has only fueled her passion to share yoga with everybody regardless of ability and to meet them where they are within their own capabilities.