Melanie Thomas first began practicing yoga twenty years ago for chronic pain management. After finding Yoga Power as a student, she began to move from healing into strengthening. Melanie completed her 200 hour teacher training from the Yoga Power School Class of 2022 as a means to commit her yoga practice to a life dedication to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. She completed the 300 hour yoga teacher training Yoga Power School Class of 2023.

 

She loves to encourage and inspire others along their individual journeys. She believes that anyone at any ability can walk in and take a class – anyone can do yoga!

 

Melanie was born in West Virginia, and received her Associate’s and Baccalaureate’s degrees in Letters, Arts and Sciences from Penn State University. She received her Master’s in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Her career in public relations, international relations, and government service has given her the opportunity to travel extensively, but she is content and grateful for her home here in beautiful Charleston.

 

She is a softie for any animals (yes, even you spiders…), loves her friends and family, and enjoys her time best hiking or just being outdoors.

 

One day while scrolling on Facebook, Rhonda Chuyka saw a beautiful photo of a former student in an aerial pose. It was in that moment that her heart leaped, and she knew this beautiful “thing” was calling her. She didn’t even know the name of it.

 

After much googling, she found aerial yoga at Yoga Power in Charleston, WV and has been at “home” ever since. Rhonda not only fell in love with aerial, but all things yoga, and is now certified in aerial and acro yoga, as well as, received her 200 RYT from Yoga Power School’s very first graduating 200 hour yoga training class.

 

Rhonda has been involved with dance and fitness nearly her whole life. She is currently a certified SHiNE Dance Fitness Instructor and has held various other fitness certifications. Also having a love of all things dance, it was inevitable that she would combine her love of yoga and dance to create her own sassy signature style of aerial dance. When asked what she loves most about aerial? It is the beauty and artistry that the human body creates out of the poses and the movement.