Melanie Hayes

PATH: Melanie came to yoga in 1999 after returning to North Carolina from a year in Austin, TX. She was immediately enraptured with her first experiences of yoga, and that wonder, joy and inspired freedom has continued to blossom in each successive yoga experience since. Melanie found herself delving so deeply into these experiences that she made the decision to apply to a challenging 600+ hour yoga teacher training course with renowned yoga instructor, Esther Myers, in 2000. A relative “newbie” in this group of seasoned yogis and yoginis, Melanie was blessed to learn in a richly diverse and exploratory environment during this program. She received her certification (finally!) in February, 2005, and is in the process of registering with the Yoga Alliance organization. She has been teaching since 2002, and found her style of teaching evolving into what she calls Butterfly Yoga. Butterfly Yoga is an eclectic hatha yoga style which borrows from a variety of movement, breath and bodywork techniques, with a special focus on the slow and deep yin style. She teaches regularly at Carrboro Yoga Company (with a motley and lovely gang of CYCos,) and she also offers private group and individual instruction as her schedule permits. Melanie’s is a never-ending path filled with Yoga, Life, Learning and Transformation. It’s not always easy, but it’s always enlightening, and she wouldn’t have it any other way! INSPIRATION: Where does Melanie find inspiration? Hmmm ... the more appropriate question might be: Where does Melanie not find inspiration! The easy answer is that Melanie gleans inspiration from life, personal experience, sister (and fellow) yoga instructors, and her students. FAVORITES FOR GROUNDING: Savasana, of course, is lovely for grounding. Also, simple seated poses during pranayama (breath), pratyahara (inward sensing), concentration (dharana), and meditation (dhyana) practices. Tadasana. Dandasana. Headstand. Personally, I prefer the simpler spine-erect poses for grounding because they allow for the chakras to open without unnecessary obstructions, and free the mind from trying to do too much work to get the posture “right.” FAVORITES FOR KICKING IT: Lovin’ inversions. They’re great for getting the blood flow pumping and for revving up new points of view and perspectives. Core work with heavy pilates influence is so hard for me, but so important. A good ashtanga session certainly “kicks” something ... (Rhian’s class rocks!) In a more subtle way, exploring alignment variations and restructuring old body and mind patterns in the familiar poses can create some intense experiences and revelations: physically, mentally, emotionally, and otherwise. Kapalabhati breath and breath of joy, the latter being my favorite. PRACTICE: It’s always evolving ... always changing ... always transforming. I don’t know about perfection, but practice definitely makes for transformation. MY CLASSES @ CYCo: Tuesdays 7:15pm - 8:30pm Level 1 / 2 INTENTION: It is my primary intention to facilitate a safe and accepting instructional environment for the exploration of the body, the mind, and all that lies in between. I encourage open dialogue between mind and body, student and instructor, and student to student. The real work is done by the students. It’s my job to provide them the information needed to do that work in safe, personal and, sometimes, creative ways. GENERAL INFORMATION: Melanie Hayes has been practicing Yoga since 1999. She received yoga teacher certification by completing a rigorous 600+-hour course of training in the Yoga Alliance-registered Esther Myers Yoga Teacher Training program. She is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Melanie founded Butterfly Yoga: Yoga for Transformation in 2002, offering individual and group instruction in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Durham areas. Her classes reflect the joy and freedom of transformation that Yoga has brought into her own life, as well as an exploratory curiosity of the body’s reactions to movement patterns and emotional experiences. A licensed massage and bodywork therapist, Melanie is constantly developing her knowledge base of anatomy and kinesiology, and strives to teach her students how to discover (and work with) these principles in theirown bodies. As a result of her experience in massage therapy, she is better able to assist students in experiencing true deepening within the asanas (postures) in a safe and comfortable manner. Melanie is also the force behind the Sexy Yoga workshop as seen at Carrboro Yoga Company. This playful and powerful workshop for ladies only focuses on the feminine experience through movement, breath, and even a sexy, sassy burlesque-inspired yoga dance. A fun and enlightening experience, the Sexy Yoga workshop is designed to bring out every woman’s inner sex kitten. (A new Sexy Yoga workshop will be offered in the fall ... look for more information on the workshops page in the coming months.) She is happy to be working with the wonderful folks at Carrboro Yoga Company, and looks forward to seeing you there! ALL LEVELS YOGA: This is an eclectic hatha practice open to students of all levels. We will be utilizing postures (asanas), breath (pranayama), inner sensing (pratyahara), and deep relaxation to increase awareness of our bodies and our body patterns. Students are encouraged to discover their limitations and strengths, and to work with these to promote healing, strengthening, and increased flexibility. Poses are modified to suit each student’s individual needs, and are demonstrated in organic progressions, or steps, providing a safe and challenging experience for all participants. Holding the poses for extended periods of time gives a uniquely deep and transformative experience of the poses as well as the body’s (and mind’s) responses to various forms of movement. This slower approach to Yoga can be both calming and invigorating, while safely utilizing the body’s own weight and structural form to dramatically improve strength and flexibility. Individual attention and hands-on assisting give added insight into the intricacies of every pose. Beginners will leave with a comprehensive understanding of how to use alignment, awareness, and breath to unravel the mysteries of the postures. More advanced students will be given the chance to move deeper into the poses, address misalignments from learned movement patterns, and be reminded why they continue to practice this beautiful healing art. Every Yoga class can be an exciting and revelatory adventure as you begin to form a new and friendlier relationship with your own unique body. Let the adventure begin! STUDENT TESTIMONIALS: “Through Melanie I have learned the importance of guidance in the endeavor of Yoga. As her student, she has guided me into the exploration of Yoga and all that lies beyond the ‘exercise’ and hype of Yoga. Her knowledge of human nature and physical biology has greatly enhanced her ability to teach me individually and further my understanding of how to move and even stand. But what Melanie has really taught me is how to find the open space between the chaos. It is there that I have seen my old friends and the person I left behind so long ago: Me.” Laura Silvestri, Yoga practitioner "With compassion, gentle adjustments, and humor, Melanie artfully brings the therapeutic principles of alignment to every movement in class. Her encouragement to stay in and savor poses helps me deepen my practice." Lisa Lashuk, yoga teacher and student “Melanie’s Butterfly Yoga helps me stay balanced throughout the week, no matter how busy I am. Her classes make me feel strong, confident, and happy to be alive.” Grayson Jones, yoga student “Melanie’s Sexy Yoga workshop was a fantastic gathering of amazing women. She created a comfortable, fun atmosphere for us all to explore our inner goddesses. I loved it!” Grayson Jones, yoga student I was nervous when I walked into Melanie’s Sexy Yoga workshop, but she put me at ease with her honest, open-minded approach. We started out with simple poses that release and strengthen the pelvis, and Melanie explained how they can support or resist a pregnancy. The most fun part was learning a sexy yoga burlesque-style dance, complete with glitter and accessories. I think that helped release the saucy inner goddess in us all. Melanie’s workshop was a positive step in my path towards embracing sexuality in a holistic, healthy way. --Danielle, student Back to Home Page. Back to Bio Page Back to Schedule Page.