Doulas of Asheville affiliated doula and yoga instructor, Melissa.
Meet Melissa.
Melissa’s pronouns are She/Her/Hers.
Birth Doula | Postpartum Doula| HYPNODOULA
Melissa is a mother of four, maker, lover of the outdoors and former owner of EVERYBODY Yoga. Melissa uses mindfulness, compassion and connection both on the mat and by your side, helping clients to reconnect to their body, mind and emotions and to delight in the inherent messiness of life. She is a certified teacher of somatic -based, self-care skills through Reconnect for Resilience, is trauma-informed and teaches a variety of styles of yoga. Melissa is a Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Doula, a home birth assistant with a local Certified Nurse Midwife, and is attending herbalism school and Midwifery school.
How did you decide to become a doula?
In many ways, I have been a doula my whole life, seamlessly falling into the role of supporter, advocate and encourager. However, it wasn’t until I was pregnant with my second child, that I recognized this as a professional calling. No longer so consumed with the newness of my experience, I had the opportunity to reflect on the experience as a whole. I became passionately excited about the role of birth as an empowerment tool and decided to attend a birth doula training shortly after my own birth. Fast-forward a few years and my family expanded yet again. As I struggled to juggle four children (three biological and a love child) it became abundantly clear to me that empowerment, support and community is needed long after the birth of the babe, propelling me to broaden my scope to include postpartum doula work, as well. Whether supporting you through decisions that are exclusively your own to make, holding space for rest, nourishing the body with food and movement, or decluttering the house so the mind can too, I delight in helping families transition from birth to the next stages, newborn through adult.
What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
As long as I am outside, I am happy. I love going for meandering walks through the woods with the family, floating down the river in my kayak, cooking food on the grill and feeling inspired and restored by our mountain air and gentle sun.
If you could take a month long trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
This is a hard question for me. I love traveling andI am yet to visit somewhere that doesn’t capture my heart. I haven’t been to New Zealand yet and yearn to experience the beauty of the country and the kindness of the people. Given the vastness and diversity of the land, I hear that a month is needed to really experience this country.
Doulas of Asheville doula, Melissa, with three of her children.
You have a whole weekend to binge watch TV, what’s on your list?
Oh, the secrets our indulgences tell! Haha. I am actually not a huge T.V. watcher, so when I do decide to just zone out in front of the tube, I fluctuate between my go-to’s Empire and Below Deck. But, honestly, if I had a whole weekend where I did not have any demands or to-do’s, my pleasure would be a good book, a cup of tea, a cozy blanket and my dog, who is not allowed on the couch normally, cuddled next to me. I long to finish a new book I just started, Braiding Sweet Grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Contact us to talk about your needs and desires and how Doulas of Asheville can support you.