Who I Am

I am a powerful force of wisdom! I have been on this path of teaching and helping others reconnect body & soul for well over a decade. I am also really down to earth and enjoy guiding and healing from a place that is easy to understand and apply. And although I have had some spectacularly amazing experiences along the way (some of them kind of trippy), and the honor of working with amazing teachers, I never needed to travel to some far off land or spend time in an ashram enslaved to a master in order to gain the incredible knowledge and expertise that I share. My local real life has been an incredible guru and has offered me a wealth of opportunities to achieve a PhD in personal growth, spirituality and healing.

I have also acquired professional training throughout the years. Here’s my professional bio:

With over a decade of professional expertise and a lifetime of application and experience, Melinda is a powerful force of wisdom that inspires wholeness and ignites transformation; guiding people towards a pursuit of their own personal power, healing and purpose. She is renowned for creating a genuine connection with Body, Mind & Spirit and a deep awareness of the wild wisdom that lies within us all. Her unwavering integrity and amazing gifts of listening sincerely, leading from the heart and gentle healing has earned Melinda deep admiration and appreciation from her clients, students, and audiences everywhere.

Melinda is Certified as a Spiritual Counselor through the American Board of Hypnotherapy via Dr. Doreen Virtue. She is an integrative healing practitioner and holds certification as a Reiki Master Teacher with a legacy of energy medicine wisdom spanning over 15 years. With a Cherokee lineage, Melinda draws upon her knowledge and practice in a medley of diverse Shamanic traditions acquired through apprenticeships and study with an array of teachers, and facilitates this profound, loving, sacred wisdom in every aspect of her work.

I am also deeply passionate about natural wellness and herbalism. Our bodies are such amazingly intelligent bubbles of biology and when we allow healing and harmony to occur naturally, supported by the wild wisdom of plants, we connect with the medicinal inelegance that our creator endowed us with. Plant wisdom is profoundly effective and wonderfully affordable. Conventional "health care" becomes unnecessary when we treat the root of our dis ease with the roots of plants and wisdom of the earth which is inherent in our bodies. Natural wellness does not necessarily omit conventional medicine; it is about exploring non-toxic yet effective methods for healing first.

Percussionist is another hat I wear. Through one of my shamanic teachers I was blessed to be introduced to ceremonial drumming using frame drums. This fit nicely with my work in Native American spirituality. That then lead me to the Djembe – a West African drum that woke something up in me the first time I played it. I used to be afraid of my rhythm and felt I really didn’t have any. Ha! I also used to be shy and quite introverted. I still am in certain situations, but I digress. When I played the Djembe for the first time my body felt expertly aligned with rhythm and this wild, juicy woman began to emerge. I soon immersed myself in learning how to play this instrument even though I had no real musical background.

The next thing I knew the Drum Cafe invited me to share my talents and wisdom with corporations as team building and motivational programs that include drumming. I have presented over 300 programs to globally recognized companies across North America. As part of my healing vocation I continue to travel with the Drum Cafe to share the ancient, healing tool of drumming with modern audiences everywhere. I also utilize ceremonial and recreational drumming as Rhythm Alchemy. In addition to integrating rhythm into most of my ceremonial work, I also teach West African Drumming to the local community.

I am a Southern California native and current resident. After a 20 year separation, I am blessed to share my life with my high school sweetheart Luis, my beautiful daughter, two spirited Siberian Huskies and three adorable cats. When I take a brake from my work (and I take brakes often) I am an earthy mama that loves to be outdoors where I am deeply aware of my connection to nature and the wilderness within. I like to get down and dirty with gardening, hiking, cooking, and joyful time with friends and family.

Get'n silly like I do

with ma boyz drumming for the ladies!
Do you think they love it or what?

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Who I Am