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In this episode, Krystal interviews Melinda Oliver. Also known as Mel from STL on social media, Mel is a yoga teacher, law student, and St. Louis native who leads by example. Mel found yoga while navigating out of a difficult breakup. As Mel says, it’s not a sugary story.
She found her thoughts turning off because of yoga. Something revolutionary because it was a quiet she had never experienced. After experiencing that herself, she wanted to extend that to more and more people.
During her time in St. Louis, Mel mentored hundreds of students in St. Louis city. Students that were often forgotten or misunderstood. Mel shared the revolutionary quietness she found from yoga with these students. From yoga, to conflict management, to being the love and support they needed.
It was during her time mentoring students that she connected with a few amazing humans who she shared a similar mission with. All were fully committed to improving the health and wellbeing of Black communities in St. Louis. Mel continued on to co-found The Collective STL, a yoga studio in downtown St. Louis to help heal the mind, body, and spirit.
In 2020 in the heat of the pandemic and racial tension, Mel was accepted into law school with a $40,000 scholarship awarded. She posted a video of her Mom’s reaction to this on Twitter and it went viral. This gained traction in ways Mel could never imagine.
But Mel from STL is more than any one accomplishment, role, viral tweet, or trauma she’s survived. Mel embraces her wholeness as a human and extends that for everyone else around her to embrace.
RESOURCES:
- National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255
- Mental Health Crisis Text Message Hotline: Text 'Home' to 741741
SUPPORT MEL:
- Instagram: @melfromstl_
- Twitter: @melfromstl_
- Donate to The Collective STL: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CHB52QCWKDH6W
- The Collective STL Donation Cashapp: $thecollectivestl
- www.thecollectivestl.org
- Mel's viral video: https://twitter.com/melfromstl_/status/1270706558603853825
FIND US ON ONLINE:
- www.bd-bt.com
- Instagram: @bdbtpodcast
- Facebook: @breakdowntobreakthrough
- Sign up for our emails: http://eepurl.com/hAg1sD
Intro and Outro by AudioBinger
