We are Laniakea Holistics

Herbal Medicine is our passion

I’m Melissa Anderson, the owner & creator of Laniakea Holistics.
I am an Herbalist, Yoga/Pilates Instructor, and Holistic Nutritionist living on the beautiful northern coast of California.

I grew up in the high sierra desert before moving to Northern California. I spent most of the year hiking, river rafting, swimming, rock climbing, snowboarding, fishing, crystal mining, camping at the sacred Pyramid Lake and exploring the great surroundings of Lake Tahoe with family and friends. When I wasn't exploring the Sierra's, I was camping and fishing Northern California, Oregon and Washington's greater area most summers. I grew to love the North Coast and was destined to move here. After attending a few years of Junior College studying Business, Culinary Arts and Yoga, my husband and I decided to take a camping trip across the United States for the entire summer. The last place we visited before going home was Humboldt County, California.

I immediately fell in love with the vast beauty that touches every corner of the county... From the ocean, redwoods, countryside and coastal city life.

Within a year we moved to Northern California coast and started a family. I was blessed to stay home with my kids and take them on adventures up and down the coast and county lines. We were amazed at all of the life that was here. 

When my children grew older they became very sensitive to the environment. Food allergies became intense and very uncomfortable for them. Although I breastfed, grew my own organic food in my backyard, and made most everything from scratch, here we were getting sicker. The doctors prescribed Albuterol, steroids, creams, nasal sprays and me anxiety meds. I wasn't about to allow our family to remain sick and cover it up with prescription drugs. We moved here for a healthy life. I knew there was another way. 

I wanted to get to the root of the problem.
I started studying holistic medicine and nutrition.

By this time I had already been drinking teas, meditating, using essential oil aromatherapy and giving baby massages, along with what I thought was healthy eating already. It wasn't enough! I dug deeper. With my studies in holistic medicine and nutrition, I learned tools I hadn't been applying in the right combination and time for our overall health issues. I learned what food-triggers were causing problems. What herbs to take, how much and when. What to look for before we got sick! I learned to strengthen our immune systems so strong that out of my children's preschool and elementary school days, I could count on one hand how many times we got ill after applying this knowledge to our daily routines. 

We all got healthy and strong.

My kids were eating differently from their classmates and they, along with their parents, were starting to ask questions. At that point I started sharing the knowledge in the classrooms. I worked at my children's preschool making healthy snacks, working with them to have mindful behavior, and helping on the board of administration to form a healthy parent-cooperative school. When my children starting going to elementary school I started volunteering my time in the classroom teaching nutrition. Meanwhile, when I was not engaged with the children, I was taking a Pilates class or going on hikes with friends.

I continue to organize group walks and activities to keep us active in the outdoors when possible.

I realize not everyone has this opportunity, time or resources here on the coast or across the nation to do such activities. That is why I now share my hands-on knowledge, education and family values for a healthy lifestyle across California and the nation with Holistic Nutrition Planning services that pinpoint individuals' needs through suggestions of meal plans, detoxing, Herbal Remedies and physical activities that can be applied anywhere.

For my love of being healthy and happy, I went back to school to continue studying business and took a few jobs working in the culinary industry while starting a catering business. This was a lot of fun, yet I found life happens, and mine as I knew it shifted into a whole new journey. I was not only an entrepreneur, but I became a single mom. This didn't stop my ambition or spark for having a healthy lifestyle. It just got more colorful.

I then continued further and went for my training as a Vinyasa Flow Yoga Instructor.

I was offered a teaching position right out of school with Christine Matteer, one of my all-time favorite physical mentors. I started teaching Yogalates... a fast-paced Yoga practice with a core influence for postpartum moms while expanding my Vinyasa practice to the larger community as well. I then started to pursue my passion for herbal medicine and began studying with Jane Bothwell at the Dandelion Herbal Center, where I continue to take classes or retreats that the school offers. For the last 10 years of keeping up with my family life, continued education, and social circles, I had taken up farming as a way of life. It has been a wonderfully exciting and rewarding adventure.

My most recent studies have continued in Reiki, Raindrop Therapy Massage, and expansion in guided meditation.
While combining my studies, experience, and overall passions to offer you LANIAKEA HOLISTICS.