The Chrysalis Pod – Season 2, episode 4 with Marianne Larochelle
March 3, 2026The Chrysalis Pod – Season 2, episode 6 with Sara Gallagher Bloom
April 28, 2026
THE CHRYSALIS POD
Yoga mirrors life: we begin in Child’s Pose and end in Savasana, but the true challenge lies in the moments in between. It’s the effort of change that shapes who we are. The Chrysalis Pod draws inspiration from Morpho Bleu’s mascot, the Blue Morpho butterfly, and our motto, “We are made to change,” as we explore the personal journeys of yoga teachers and enthusiasts on their paths to wellness, peace, and maybe even spiritual enlightenment — if that’s not too lofty.
In the chrysalis stage, a butterfly transforms through a “goopy mess” from one phase of life to the next, just as we evolve through our own life transitions.
Season One dives into interviews with the inspiring teachers leading The Course — our 2024/2025 yoga teacher training at Morpho Bleu. Join hosts Eden and Dana each month as they chat with these incredible souls about how yoga has influenced their lives and shaped their unique paths.
Ready to transform? Hop into the pod and let’s begin!
SEASON TWO, EPISODE FIVE: “Remembering Who You Are:
Melanie Richards on Self-Worth, Teaching, and Building a Life Through Yoga"
Hosts Dana and Eden sit down with yoga teacher, trainer, former studio owner, and mental health advocate Melanie Richards to trace her path into yoga. After opening with a guided RAIN meditation, Melanie shares how her first attraction to yoga was shaped by body image pressure and the acting world, and how the practice gradually became a deeper path of healing. She reflects on family instability, discovering a sense of self through yoga, training in Ottawa, and eventually opening Happy Tree in Montreal.
The conversation also explores the evolution of her teacher training over the years — including a growing emphasis on accessibility, trauma-informed teaching, inclusion, and mentorship — as well as her belief that yoga is far bigger than physical postures alone. Melanie also speaks about the personal roots of her “Fuck Skinny Movement,” a powerful rejection of diet culture and the belief that shrinking ourselves is the path to being enough.
Episode guide:
00:00 Intro – RAIN meditation, spring energy & studio catch-up
05:50 Meet Melanie – Happy Tree, teaching, advocacy & what she’s building now
07:45 How Yoga Found Her – Acting, body image pressure & the start of a healing path
16:30 Becoming a Teacher – Training, opening Happy Tree & learning on the fly
26:45 Teaching Teachers – How her training evolved through inclusion, accessibility & care
41:20 “Fuck Skinny” – Breaking up with diet culture and body-based worthiness
50:15 What She’d Tell New Teachers – Practice, purpose and where yoga meets real life
53:15 What’s Next – Retreats, online offerings & closing reflections
Topics covered:
- Yoga for healing and self-discovery
- Body image, diet culture, and self-worth
- The path to becoming a yoga teacher
- Building and running a yoga studio
- Trauma-informed and accessible yoga
- Mentorship and teaching philosophy
- Yoga beyond physical practice
- Mental health and nervous system regulation
