Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Bell.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Melanie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Talk about a strange turn of events but somehow it all makes sense now.
Most of my life I have been very active- dance, outdoors activity, gym life, and just a busy kind of person but I never thought I would have become a certified yoga teacher and fitness coach. I was actually doing fairly well as an artist here in the Atlanta area and even ran a gallery for over three years in Candler Park. It truly was fate that brought me here to be this fitness pro.
Because when my sweet dad was fighting liver cancer my life changed in just one really stark night. For many years of my life I had studied the culture of India and the teachings of yoga but even then I wasn’t an avid yoga asana practitioner. It was when my Dad was doing sun salutations in his hospital bed at 3 am fighting for his very life for one more day I knew at that moment I wanted to be a yoga teacher. I saw how much yoga was giving him and it was bittersweet but also peaceful.
After my Dad passed away about a month later I spent a portion of my inheritance on my Yoga teacher training, It was an intense program in Costa Rica with 44 other amazing humans, I was on a road that was not what I planned but it felt 100% true to what I needed to do so I was doing it. And that was the beginning of my true service after I came back- I began teaching right away.
My first studio job was at Dance 101 in Brookhaven- a Sunday 9 am class- They helped me to grow and thrive as a teacher. I taught two more classes at LA Fitness in Brookhaven. I will forever be grateful to the ones who took that chance on me.
Then, some time into that I began working with individuals. Going to people’s homes to work on their particular needs AND BOOM!
I was hooked- I love to teach group classes and I still do everything from yoga vinyasa to body sculpt to a very strong group of individuals at two retirement communities and my working in this field closely with people and their stories is where I really see progress and also the challenges in a way that has allowed me to really be of service to have a real purpose.
About two years after the yoga certification I began looking into fitness coaching because I love to teach powerful lifting and working in the gym. It is important to know how to lift with proper form and also to enjoy it. So that is a nice blend to my style- This allows me to help many ages and those with some things they could be dealing with no matter how young or mature a person is.
We work to honey- We get it done and we never suffer- We don’t believe that pain is essential to fitness- We strive for the perfect formula- just every 24 hours.
1. Breath mastery 2. Functional Movement 3. Work 4. Play. 5. Rest. 6. Sleep
We look at all of this and see how we can put it into perspective so we can be pain-free and enjoy life as much as possible.
I have learned so much from each person and every day we keep up the good work together. I have been doing this for hundreds of hours since 2015 and I plan to continue this work for as long as I live How lucky I would be!? Every day I get to wake up and work with someone in a way that empowers them to feel like the body that they have is capable and perfect.
Last year in fact I wrote a 20-page book and self-published it because I want to share the things we have learned together with anyone who wants to learn. Send it to my folks free of charge PDF style.
Being empowered and coached to know how to do this thing live in this skin and really love it is my purpose 100%.
I didn’t mention this yet but I am also a proud Mom of two amazing kids and being able to have the best of both worlds with all the bells and whistles well this role this work I do? Allows me to do all the things.
Forever grateful.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a smooth road for me because if I could be an artist and also run a gallery and survive that world…HA! But seriously I knew that it would take time to be established and I never take for granted even where I am at present. It is an ongoing relationship and I treasure each one. It has taken time to earn trust and to grow as a business but that is to be expected.
When you are dealing with someone’s body- The most precious thing we possess it takes immense trust. I absolutely am aware of what a person is giving me when they listen to my programming and cues- and I want to show them how much I care that they are getting what they expect- So we communicate A LOT! haha
I always tell folks that the proof is in the pudding If it feels good to them the workouts or the class then they will want to do it again.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My company is called YBRMethod. The YBR stands for Your Body’s Realness. I loved the name because its fun and true. We all have a story and we honor it with the method. I teach yoga and I am a fitness coach.
My speciality is fitness. Current client ages range from 14 to 103 years old. I like to think that what sets me apart is that nothing I do is generic. I don’t offer blanket statements and I also never speak about food- I think we have enough folks talking about food. I want to offer body positive realness to EVERY SINGLE PERSON who wants it.
I am most proud that my Dad in his last days doing yoga asana in his hospital offered me a new path that has helped so many people (including me! Mostly me~! I love it so much) and his passing wasn’t in vain.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I grew up here in GA in Gwinnett county It was mostly gravel roads and thick woods so we played barefoot (we weren’t allowed to wear our good shoes outside and all we had was the one pair!) all the time. Being covered in dirt- barefoot with my brother and my cousins playing outside until it was way past dark is my absolute fondest memory.
Pricing:
- 30 minute onsite session is $35
- 60 minute onsite session is $70
- 2 hour fitness workshop is $175 (offered to public and private companies)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.melaniebellrealness.com
- Phone: 404 484 2871
- Email: ybrmethod@gmail.com
- Instagram: @melaniebellrealness
Image Credit:
melanie bell
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