Lizzy Mello has been teaching yoga for almost 15 years. A history of athletics had Lizzy practicing primarily for injury prevention. She wasn’t interested in meditation, didn’t care much for the chakras or the “subtle body”. She just needed to stretch…
Then, in her late 20s she began struggling with mood disorders, hormonal fluctuations and the general challenges of being a working, breathing, human. This is when yoga really started to supply her nervous system with the rest and resources it needed. She doubled down on her training and for the following 6-8 years yoga became her life. She even became a certified Pilates teacher in order to shore up her alignment and strengthen her yoga asana. She worked full time as a Fit Model and Yoga Teacher and every time she had some money saved, she put it toward training or traveling. Her friends were yogis, her house was yogified even her diet became extremely clean in the name of achieving Sattva (peace).
Now as she approaches her 4th decade on Earth, Lizzy has dialed back the teaching and practicing to be a PART of her life instead of the CENTER of her existence. This has proven to be the healthiest approach yet and she is thriving with the gifts she’s learned along the way. She enjoys her work as a Luxury Travel Advisor and uses her practice to keep her grounded and focused on her goals.
Her classes are intentionally slow with room for breath, modifications and peace in each pose. She believes practicing slowly and simply allows students to take ownership of their practice, build confidence and spend time reflecting on their own needs.
Inspiration
Lizzy’s approach to teaching is rooted in the Krishnamacharya lineage, where breath and personalized practice come first—but her path has always been far from linear. Her teaching and practice have been moulded equally by yogic traditions, the winding roads of travel, (she’s been to 32 countries) the wildness of nature, ( she’s completed a 168 mile hike), and the grounded presence of her family and animals. Lizzy sees movement not as a performance, but as a medicine and a salve for the chaos of modern life.
Her studies span Yoga, Meditation, Classical Pilates, Tantra, and Ayurveda, all of which inform her teaching with depth and versatility. She believes every body carries its own story—and that there’s a practice to meet each chapter with clarity and compassion. While deeply influenced by her mentors Alice Joanou and Marimar Higgins, Lizzy strives to be a constant student, learning from clients, wise teachers and colleagues alike.
For Lizzy, practice is never static. It’s a living, breathing creature — one that evolves and urges it’s practitioners to grow and explore.
Click here to learn about Krishnamacharya
Background & teaching influence and Education
Bachelor’s Degree - Interdisciplinary Studies, Holistic Health, University of Arizona
Yoga Alliance - Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher at the 200 hour level (E-RYT200) and 500 hour level (RYT500)
200 hour certification, YogaWorks, Costa Mesa CA - Kori Flechtner Strobl
500 hour certification, Piedmont Yoga, Oakland CA - Zubin Shroff, Mary Paffard, Leslie Howard and Richard Rosen
50 hour Tantra Immersion Namaste Oakland CA - Pedro Franco
100 hour Yoga Through the Lens of Ayurveda, Oakland CA - Kameko Shibata
5 years of weekly intensive Sadhana Oakland CA - Alice Joanou, no hourly record
Certified Basi Pilates Mat Instructor, Aptos CA - Dominique Lesperance
85 hour Prenatal/Postnatal Training, Virtual Training - Lily Dwyer Begg
“May we be protected both together. May we be nourished both together. May we grow in spiritual knowledge and energy both together. May our study together be luminous. May we not hate or have discord between us. Om, peace, peace, peace.”