“We are all grappling with a new reality and it looks different for everyone. I wanted to provide people with something to help manage what they were going through.”
– Lisa Mello
Lisa Mello started her Poway yoga studio, Mello Yoga, with a mission to create a space for the whole family where students would feel at home to explore body and mind without judgement or fear. When her doors closed due to COVID-19, she found a way to continue to support her customers and offer solace to the community.
Learning an entirely new business model in three days, Mello transitioned to a virtual studio creating new classes tailored to holistically address the anxiety and stress the community is experiencing. As part of the transformation, Mello Yoga partnered with a therapist to incorporate coping skills and techniques into a donation-based workshop.
The new workshops and classes have provided welcome relief to a community experiencing hardship during the pandemic. They virtually provide support, camaraderie and connection along with EMDR-based anxiety and stress coping skills. During the workshop students participate in a 10-minute yoga flow and learn about the stress response and the body’s natural reaction to uncertain situations.
“The anxiety virtual workshop was really great and deeply beneficial for me to gain new tools and insight to help me cope with way too much happening in life,” says one student. “A lot of useful tools were packed into an hour!”
Mello shared that the studio “exists to help and uplift people and that comes from the nurturing family environment.” And although the classes have been successful in providing some comfort, “closing the physical space was a very emotional process.”
Mello Yoga reopened their physical doors a couple weeks ago and continues to offer donation-based virtual yoga workshops. For more information or to sign up for in studio and virtual classes visit MelloYoga.org.
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