Melissa DiLullo | Trauma-Informed Yoga & Healing | Highlands Ranch, CO
In our Women in Wellness series, we spotlight inspiring women who are making waves in the wellness community. Today, we're excited to introduce you to Melissa DiLullo, a multi-talented yoga instructor, massage therapist, doula, and potter based in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, whose approach to yoga centers on creating safe spaces for healing and empowerment.
Meeting Melissa DiLullo
With 30 years of yoga practice and an impressive set of credentials (RYT 500, Licensed Massage Therapist, and Certified Doula), Melissa brings a unique blend of expertise to her classes. As a former NCAA athlete and massage therapist, she has cultivated a deep understanding of anatomy and alignment that informs her teaching style. This background allows her to work effectively with both high-performance athletes and those new to yoga, creating accessible practices for all experience levels.
Beyond the Poses: Trauma-Informed Yoga as a Path to Healing
At the heart of Melissa's approach is her deep background in trauma recovery. She works closely with clients who are battling trauma, bringing both empathy and knowledge to each session. For Melissa, yoga offers more than physical benefits—it provides a place of safety and strength. She believes that learning to breathe and feel secure in one's body is a powerful way to combat despair and disempowerment.
One misconception she often encounters is that stillness can feel threatening for those dealing with fear and trauma, which sometimes keeps people away from yoga. Another is the belief that yoga isn't suitable for those who are inflexible or in pain—when in fact, these individuals may benefit most from a thoughtful practice.
Practical Tips for Trauma Healing Through Yoga
Melissa offers several practical approaches that anyone can implement:
- Restorative yoga for relaxation and healing
- Back-to-back breathing and eye gazing for emotional regulation
- Breathwork for calming the nervous system
- Finding trauma-informed yoga teachers who understand specific needs
- Creating community with other yogis for support and connection
These accessible practices form the foundation of her approach to creating safety in one's body through yoga and can be particularly helpful for those dealing with trauma or stress.
Finding Strength Through Personal Transformation
Melissa's personal journey with yoga is powerful and transformative. "Yoga literally saved my life in the face of hopelessness," she shares, after experiencing a prolonged attempt to leave an abusive relationship that led to a suicide attempt. Through breathwork, supportive teachers, and finding comfort on her mat, she discovered a path forward.
Years later, when she lost everything in a home fire in 2021, it was the yoga community that again provided the love and support she needed to rebuild her life. These profound experiences shape her teaching philosophy and fuel her passion for creating safe spaces for others.
What might surprise people about Melissa's wellness journey is how well she was able to hide her despair. She eventually left a high-powered, high-paying career to dedicate herself to yoga and pottery, finding that the act of creating with her hands offered another pathway to mindfulness and healing.
The Power of Community and Transformation
The transformation Melissa most often witnesses in her clients is empowerment. Countless students have told her she helped save their lives by sharing her trauma journey and providing safe spaces for healing. She takes particular pride in helping people who dissociate due to trauma feel safe in their bodies again.
Beyond her yoga practice, Melissa expresses her creativity through Fat Bottom Pottery, integrating movement, breath, and creative expression into her holistic approach to wellness.
Connect with Melissa
Ready to experience Melissa's approach to trauma-informed yoga and healing?
Classes: CorePower Yoga and YogaSix in Highlands Ranch
Instagram:@fatbottompottery
Special offerings:
Partners Connect Gentle Class
Candlelight Restore Class (Sunday nights at YogaSix)
Vinyasa classes at CorePower
Women's Circles for nurturing and holding space
Melissa's journey from trauma to healing has been featured in City Lifestyle and she recently shared her story on the HRtbeat Highlands Ranch Podcast.
This post is part of PeachyYogi's Women in Wellness directory, where we spotlight inspiring women in the wellness community. Stay tuned for more features highlighting women who are making a difference through their unique approaches to health and wellbeing.
