“I got into this work because I believe information is power.”
ABOUT MELISSA NKOMO
The more I learned about the body, the more I wanted to share it.
I've never been the target customer for wellness. The ads, the studios, and the before-and-afters were made with someone else in mind. So I learned to value these practices for what they do in the body, instead of how they promise to change it.
Kunye exists to share mindfulness and movement from that perspective.
Kunye means one.
Kunye is a Zulu word, from my mother's first language. I chose it as a reminder that the inner, outer, and higher parts of us belong together, and that this work, however personal, connects us to something larger than ourselves.
My earliest memory of self-care is watching my mother at her nightly skincare routine, taking her time with it, like it mattered. It did. Long before I had words like "somatic" or "self-care" I was learning from her that tending to yourself is a ritual and that the body deserves your attention.
From the outside in.
My work began from the outside in, literally.
I've spent almost two decades learning to read the body, starting with skin, moving into movement, and arriving at the nervous system.
As a licensed aesthetician, I noticed a pattern. My clients were exhausted and disconnected, and another product or treatment wasn't going to fix that. They needed space to slow down and understand what their bodies were telling them. That's where Kunye began, in 2014.
Movement has always been part of my life. I became a personal trainer at 19, but it was yoga that introduced me to a different relationship with my mind and body. I entered teacher training with no intention of teaching. (Life had other plans.) Pilates came next, deepening my understanding of anatomy, movement, and the body's capacity to adapt. I trained comprehensively through STOTT Pilates and have now taught mindful movement for more than a decade.
In 2022, I opened The Well by Kunye in downtown Vancouver, Canada's first Black-owned Pilates studio.
I've led a guided practice at the TED conference in Vancouver, taught as a lululemon ambassador, been featured in ELLE Canada and Three Magazine, and designed wellness programming for organizations across North America.
Today, Kunye brings these disciplines together through education and experiences. From private coaching and small-group classes to the Somatic Library and workplace wellness, my work is about giving people the knowledge and practical tools to understand their bodies and make informed choices about their well-being.
My greatest gift is translation: between science and lived experience, between the body and the mind, between ancient wisdom and modern understanding.
A few things I believe about this work.
Your body is not a problem to solve.
It’s a pathway to understanding. What makes you feel strong? What happens when you're stressed? What do you need? The more information you have, the more choice you have.
No practice works for everyone, all of the time.
I love Pilates. I love strength training. I believe in rest, breathwork, mindfulness and slowing down. I also know that none of them are magic. The right tool depends on the person, the moment, and what you're actually trying to accomplish.
I believe you deserve to know why.
I don't want you doing something simply because I told you to. I want you to understand enough about your body to ask good questions, make informed choices, and know when something isn't for you.
We worked with Melissa to run both an in-person and virtual event for our company retreat. They were both fantastic sessions. Everyone really appreciated the mental break from a busy work day. Melissa and her team were wonderful to work with leading up to the sessions and she is calming, knowledgeable and the perfect vibe for a Slow Down session + Mindful Movement session. I highly recommend working with Melissa.”
— KATE, TED INC
Training & Credentials
STOTT Pilates, comprehensive certification (Level 1 + 2)
Certified Hatha and Yin Yoga Teacher
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training
Somatic Healing Arts certification
Myofascial release certification
(anatomy Trains With Tom Meyers + Jill Miller)Usui Reiki Healing Level 1 + 2
ACE certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor
Former aesthetician (Blanche Macdonald)
Talks, sessions,+ conversations about the body.
I speak and guide sessions for conferences, brands, podcasts, and media on body literacy and nervous system regulation, rest as a skill, strength across a lifetime, and correcting falsehoods about wellness and self-care.
Featured in:
ELLE Canada: on The Well by Kunye, Vancouver's inclusive Pilates studio
Three Magazine: "What Does It Actually Look Like to Decolonize Wellness Spaces?"
Vancouver Is Awesome: on the opening of The Well by Kunye (2022)
The Sophie Collins Podcast, Episode 33: on building businesses, slow wellness, and living authentically
For press, speaking & collaboration:
Trusted by:
TED · Lululemon · UBC · Amazon · Bosa Properties · American express
