Our Founder
Mela Butcher
Los Angeles and Ojai, California
Serving Community with Safe and Natural Methods of Healing for over 20 Years 310-712-2660
What our patients are saying:
When you first meet Mela, you know something is different about her. There is a certain calm that surrounds her which immediately relaxes and assures you that you have come to the right place. She is kind, compassionate and gifted. And she is passionate about improving the lives of others. If you are looking for ways to reduce stress or anxiety, you owe it to yourself to visit the Center for Ayurveda in Southern California."
David Leaser
Business Development Executive, IBM
“I’ve been a patient of Mela’s and a student in her yoga classes for six months now. When I came to her I was in pretty bad physical condition. I weighed 235 lbs (I am a 6’0” 27 year old male). I didn’t have any energy, and I was winded easily. I didn’t exercise at all and I didn’t have much strength or endurance. I used caffeine to keep me going throughout the day, and I had trouble sleeping at night. I wasn’t happy with the way I was eating, but I didn’t know how to change. I came to Mela for a healthier way of life.
Mela spent a lot of time with me as a patient. She took time to learn who I was and what my life had been like thus far so she could tailor her recommendations to fit me specifically. She gave me a personal yoga and exercise routine I could do at home, and my own set of breathing exercises. She prescribed certain botanical supplements to help correct physical deficiencies. She not only taught me which foods were good for me, but how to fit them into an overall healthy way of eating. Over the last six months she modified these recommendations as I changed, adapting them to my needs as I progressed.
Now I feel great, and I am feeling better all the time. I currently weigh 173 pounds. I have more endurance and energy than I did even as a teenager. I feel strength coming into my limbs, and I feel like I am beginning to reclaim my body. I no longer depend on caffeine, and I sleep much better at night, and I FINALLY feel good about how I eat.
It is Mela’s personality as much as the regimen she prescribed for me that has encouraged me to make the progress I have made. Mela is a deeply knowledgeable, kind and compassionate person whose humility belies her skillfulness. In yoga class she can make a room full of people like they are each getting a personal lesson. She doesn’t push you too hard or go too easy on you, but rather sets you at a pace that is just right for you. In her Ayurvedic capacity, she makes the patient feel like nothing is more important to her than your health. She takes pains to become intimately familiar with your overall physical and psychological condition and lifestyle so that she can give you the best possible advice.
Mela is a gifted healer and a joy to be around. The fact that she is like this in addition to being a gifted yoga teacher and ayurvedic practitioner, is the reason I recommend her to my friends and family, and why I am recommending her to you.
Tim Greenfield, StudentIf you are looking for your very own, personal healing angel-look no further than Mela Butcher!
The amount of genuine caring and attention to my condition has been both impressive and heartwarming.
Thanks to Mela, the strong and horrible medications that I was taking to fight off Crohn’s disease are no longer a part of my daily routine. I am especially happy to no longer be taking the tablet form of chemotherapy that is often Part of a Crohn’s fighting program for western medicine. Instead, I am happy to report, I have gained back weight, fell better and happier, and instead of prescription drugs, I have my own healthy program of rebuilding that Mela has individually created for me.
While the daily twists and turns in both my personal and professional lives has at times changed the equation, Mela has always come up with the right answer for each problem as it occurred.
I continue to check in with Mela to fine tune my health. It has been a great source of personal pleasure to take what has been a medical problem that standard western medicine does not fully understand and has no cure for and follow a natural and healthy path towards rebuilding. Mela is so caring and so focused on improving my physical AND mental health that I feel that I have a personal life coach to help me express my optimal life. She is a true gift and I would recommend her to anyone.
Patrick Aiache, President Table Tools, Inc.
WHAT OUR YOGA STUDENTS ARE SAYING:Mela has an amazing way of skillfully weaving her yogic knowledge with her Ayurvedic wisdom. Her teaching envelopes you with a sweet and genuine compassion which's leavings you feeling both invigorated and nurtured at the same time. She truly has a gift.
Lisa Haase, Regional Manager YogaWorks
Mela is a rare gem of a yoga teacher in the vast sea of trendy yoga teachers here in Los Angeles. Mela has more knowledge and passion in the art of yoga than any other teacher we have come across. Mela teaches us the true art of yoga. Yoga with Mela is an authentic, passionate experience full of celebration. Her classes are an invitation to expand your awareness with specific practices that are provocative, challenging, and enjoyable.
Jilla and Shallom, Owners Urth Caffe Los Angeles
"Mela has a beautiful and seamless way of integrating all parts of yoga into her classes, not just asana. Her obvious expertise of yoga (and Ayurveda) are second only to the passion with which she teaches them. Mela has been an inspiration to me, not only in my own practice but also in my teaching of yoga. In fact, she was also a major catalyst in my decision to become certified in Yoga Therapy Rx. I am grateful to have met Mela and proudly call her my Teacher."
WendyO, RYT / Yoga Therapist (in training)
