Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Mooney-Lopez.
Hi Melissa , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, I’m Melissa Mooney-Lopez, lead ambassador for Yoga in the Park and Be Well Mel My journey has really been a blend of wellness, creativity, community, and personal healing. I’ve spent over 20 years in the wellness industry as an Integrative Nutrition Health and Well-being Coach, Yoga and Meditation Teacher, and community wellness advocate — but my path into this work began long before I held any certifications.
Like many people, I experienced seasons of burnout, stress, overwhelm, and moments where I felt disconnected from myself. Through yoga, mindfulness, nutrition, and learning to truly listen to my body, I began to heal and reconnect to who I was underneath all the noise. That experience changed the trajectory of my life and inspired me to help others do the same.
Alongside wellness, I also have a background in event coordination and creative industries, which naturally evolved into bringing people together through meaningful experiences. Over the years, I realized my purpose wasn’t just teaching yoga on a mat — it was creating spaces where people could feel seen, supported, connected, and well.
That’s how my connection to Yoga in the Park was born. What started as a simple idea rooted in community, nature, and accessibility has grown into a beautiful annual gathering celebrating International Day of Yoga at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, Tennessee. It’s become more than just a yoga event — it’s a reminder that wellness belongs to everyone and that healing can happen in community.A Brief History of Yoga in the Park – Franklin, TN
2015 – The first International Day of Yoga (IDY) was celebrated globally, led by India to inspire worldwide wellness.
2018 – Franklin joined the global celebration, thanks to the vision of Torrey Barnhill and Jason Collins of Friends of Franklin Parks. Together with Juice Bar Franklin and local teachers, they created a joyful, nature-based event featuring goat and bunny yoga, and feel-good community vibes.
2020 – I stepped in to lead meditation, but little did I know the event would land in the middle of the height of the pandemic. We met in masks, socially distanced in the park, and had the creative idea to livestream the event via Facebook and FOFP’s email list — because what better time was there for yoga and meditation?
2021–2022 – A small group of yogis lead by Myself and Jen from New Moon Yoga, returned in 2021 to keep the tradition alive.
By 2022, Caitlin Ferris from Lifetime Franklin said yes to sponsorship and local businesses were invited back in, and the event began to blossom again into something bigger.
Today – Yoga in the Park is a vibrant, free community wellness celebration and a powerful fundraiser supporting Friends of Franklin Parks.
Today, through Be Well Mel, my Ready Set Reset programs, retreats, workshops, and Yoga in the Park, I continue to help people reconnect to themselves in sustainable and compassionate ways. My mission has always been to inspire, educate, and support the change I wish to see in the world — and Yoga in the Park is one of the most heart-centered expressions of that mission.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all — and honestly, I think that’s part of what makes the event so meaningful today.
Like anything rooted in community, Yoga in the Park has grown through both beautiful moments and real challenges. One of the biggest obstacles was navigating the pandemic. In 2020, we were trying to create connection during a time when the world felt very disconnected. We had to rethink everything — safety, spacing, communication, and even how to make people feel supported while physically apart. That season taught us resilience, creativity, and just how deeply people needed wellness, nature, and community.
On a personal level, my own journey has also shaped the way I lead and show up in this work. Over the years, I’ve experienced the loss of family members, the emotional and financial challenges that can come with small business ownership, and the balancing act of motherhood while trying to build something meaningful and sustainable. There were moments where I questioned myself, felt stretched thin, or had to rebuild parts of my life and business from the ground up.
But those experiences also deepened my compassion and reinforced why wellness matters so much. Yoga, mindfulness, community, and nourishing practices became more than things I taught — they became anchors that helped carry me through difficult seasons.
There have also been the behind-the-scenes challenges that come with producing a free community event year after year — securing sponsorships, coordinating vendors and teachers, managing logistics, fundraising, marketing, weather concerns, and making sure the event continues to grow while staying heart-centered and accessible.
As the event expanded, there were definitely moments of overwhelm and learning curves. But each challenge also brought incredible people into the fold. The support from local businesses, yoga studios, wellness leaders, volunteers, Friends of Franklin Parks, and our community has been what kept the vision moving forward.
I think one of the biggest lessons has been realizing that community events are never built by one person alone. Yoga in the Park exists because people continue to believe in the power of connection, movement, mindfulness, and gathering together in nature.
Watching it evolve from a small grassroots gathering into a vibrant wellness celebration has made every challenge worth it.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business is called Be Well Mel, and at its core, it’s a wellness and lifestyle brand rooted in helping people reconnect to themselves in sustainable, compassionate, and realistic ways.
I’m an Integrative Nutrition Health and Well-being Coach, Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Healthy Comfort Food Creator, community wellness advocate, and event curator with over 20 years of experience in the wellness industry and more than 30 years in event coordination and creative spaces.
What makes my work different is that I don’t believe wellness should feel intimidating, restrictive, or disconnected from real life. My approach blends nutrition, mindfulness, movement, nervous system support, mindset work, community, and lifestyle practices in a way that feels approachable and deeply personalized. I often say wellness is not one-size-fits-all — we each have our own blueprint.
Through my coaching programs, workshops, retreats, corporate wellness offerings, yoga classes, speaking engagements, and events like Yoga in the Park, my goal is to help people feel empowered instead of overwhelmed. I specialize in helping ambitious women who feel stressed, burnt out, disconnected, or confused by all the noise in the wellness world simplify their path back to feeling well.
I’m also known for creating what I call “healthy comfort food” — nourishing meals and recipes that support wellness while still honoring joy, culture, family, and connection. I believe food should nourish both body and soul.
One of the things I’m most proud of brand-wise is the community that has formed around this work. Whether it’s through my Ready Set Reset program, retreats, Yoga in the Park, or smaller workshops, people often tell me they feel seen, safe, supported, and inspired to make sustainable changes without shame or perfectionism.
I’m also proud that Be Well Mel continues to evolve in a way that feels authentic to who I am. The brand has become a bridge between wellness, community, creativity, healing, and human connection — and that’s always been the heart of what I do.
At the end of the day, I want people to know that being well is not about perfection. It’s about creating practices, relationships, nourishment, and moments that help us come home to ourselves. That philosophy is woven into everything I create under Be Well Mel and through Yoga in the Park.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think the wellness industry is moving toward a much more integrative, personalized, and experience-driven future. People are becoming more aware that true well-being is not just about diet or fitness alone — it’s about the connection between mental health, nervous system regulation, movement, nutrition, community, purpose, environment, and even spirituality.
Over the next 5–10 years, I believe we’ll continue to see a major shift away from rigid “one-size-fits-all” wellness trends and more toward individualized approaches that honor bio-individuality. People want to understand their own bodies better instead of following extreme trends or quick fixes. There’s also a growing desire for prevention-focused care and for wellness and medicine to become more integrated rather than existing in separate worlds.
I think we’ll see more collaboration between functional medicine, nutrition, mindfulness, movement practices, mental health support, hormone health, recovery therapies, and traditional healthcare systems. The future of wellness will likely involve a more whole-person approach where emotional health, stress, trauma, sleep, gut health, community connection, and lifestyle are viewed as essential parts of healthcare rather than extras.
I also believe connection and community will become an even bigger part of the wellness industry moving forward. People are craving spaces where they feel seen, supported, and genuinely connected — not just online, but in real life. Community-centered wellness experiences, retreats, outdoor gatherings, workshops, and collaborative events are helping people reconnect not only to themselves, but to one another. I think that human connection piece is going to be one of the most important forms of healing in the years ahead.
I also believe people are craving real-life experiences now more than ever. After years of digital overload and isolation, experiential wellness is growing quickly. Retreats, immersive events, pop-ups, wellness travel, outdoor experiences, and creative collaborations are becoming powerful ways for people to reconnect with themselves and others.
I see wellness becoming more mobile, creative, and integrated into everyday life — yoga in unexpected places, meditation and movement incorporated into workplaces, wellness activations at festivals and hotels, travel experiences centered around restoration and cultural connection, and brands partnering together to create meaningful experiences instead of traditional marketing.
Nature-based wellness is another huge shift I see continuing to grow. People are longing to unplug, regulate their nervous systems, and reconnect with something more grounding and human. Experiences that combine travel, mindfulness, movement, local culture, nature, and intentional living will continue to expand.
I also think authenticity will matter more than ever. Consumers are becoming more discerning and want transparency, education, community, and brands that genuinely align with their values rather than performative wellness messaging.
Ultimately, I believe the future of wellness is less about perfection and more about integration — integrating wellness into how we live, work, travel, gather, heal, and connect with one another in sustainable and meaningful ways.
Pricing:
- yoga in the park is free
- workshop $20-$200
- support and personal programs range $150 and up
- Retreats are inclusive starting at $1111
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bewellmel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewellmel and https://www.instagram.com/yogaintheparkidy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeWellMel
