Melinda Atkins, M.Ed., MSc., C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, RYPT, RCYT
Melinda Atkins is the founder and director of AUM hOMe Shala, a 501(c)(3) non-profit and internationally accredited yoga therapy school offering Yoga Alliance–registered teacher trainings and a clinical yoga therapist certification accredited by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT). Established in 2005 and accredited since 2014, AUM hOMe Shala is recognized for its innovative and evidence-based programs that bring yoga therapy to hospitals, universities, schools, and community organizations.
Melinda was a member of the first graduating class of the nation’s first university-based Yoga Therapy program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, and earned her 500-hour certification at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She holds master’s degrees in Educational Administration (University of Florida) and Pharmacy (University of Maryland, summa cum laude), where she was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and completed advanced coursework in pharmacology, pathophysiology, and clinical assessment with a focus on therapeutics. A veteran high school English teacher, she is listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and brings more than 40,000 hours of documented yoga teaching experience to her work. Melinda was among the first yoga therapists in Florida to be certified by IAYT through its grandfathering process and serves as a member of the IAYT Accreditation Review Committee.
Her early experience with scoliosis inspired her lifelong study of yoga, and a later shoulder injury led her to specialize in yoga therapy as a means of integrating ancient wisdom with modern science to enhance health and address the roots of disease. Drawing from her dual background in education and integrative health, she developed AUM’s 200- and 500-hour Yoga Alliance–registered teacher trainings and its IAYT-accredited clinical yoga therapist certification program, which includes multiple course levels taught by nationally and internationally acclaimed experts in the field.
Deeply committed to service and accessibility, Melinda directs free and grant-funded yoga therapy programs for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and dementia; coordinates a community clinic addressing chronic and acute conditions; and partners with hospitals, community centers, universities, and schools throughout South Florida. She has also designed and led therapeutic yoga programs for children with autism, ADHD, and behavioral challenges, helping young participants develop confidence, focus, and emotional regulation through movement, breath, and mindfulness.
Before founding AUM hOMe Shala, Melinda pioneered the integration of yoga into secondary education. She introduced a long-standing yoga curriculum at Gulliver Preparatory School, integrated yoga as cross-training for athletic teams, and created Yoga in the Classroom for Test Stress—part of the Chill Out program sponsored by Do the Right Thing, the City of Miami Police Department, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools—to help middle and high school students manage anxiety during the FCATs. Her outreach in underserved schools, including Miami-Edison Middle and High Schools, earned her a grant from Kripalu’s Rachel Greene Memorial Fund, honoring her innovative efforts to bring yoga and mindfulness to at-risk youth.
In 2021, Melinda contributed a chapter to Yoga Therapy Foundations, Tools, and Practice: A Comprehensive Textbook and continues to mentor future yoga therapists and educators committed to compassionate, evidence-based care for individuals of all ages and abilities.

Click to listen to Melinda’s guest appearance on the Art of Healing podcast, hosted by Melinda’s former high school student Cara Silverman!