Marlene Boyette is a trauma-informed wellness practitioner, yoga and meditation teacher, sound healer, and community leader with near 20 years of experience across education, wellness, and holistic healing. With degrees in early childhood education and psychology and multiple certifications in trauma-informed practices, Marlene brings an expert, intuitive approach to fostering care and connection.

Currently, she serves as the yoga and mindfulness teacher within an elementary school in Boston’s Beacon Hill, where she has been employed for eight years and founded the school’s first Students of Color Affinity Group, laying the groundwork for inclusive spaces that endure. A former early childhood educator, curriculum developer for charter schools, and music event producer, Marlene’s journey has always been about cultivating spaces that honor people’s need to be seen, to feel safe, to be supported, and to be encouraged.

As the founder of Leela Yoga + Wellness and creator of Yoga for Us, a monthly BIPOC-only offering that gathers beyond yoga for collective wellness and joy, Marlene’s work uplifts communities and redefines wellness as a liberatory, communal practice. Her trauma-informed, choice-based teaching approach empowers adults to move and rest in ways that feel authentic and restorative. Her decolonized approach centers marginalized communities, especially Black identifying communities, and challenges hustle culture by advocating for balance, presence, and community care.

Marlene has facilitated offerings in Boston, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, St. Thomas, and beyond, collaborating with the City of Boston Mayor’s Office, Massachusetts Teachers Association, The Massachusetts Black Lawmakers Roundtable, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Harvard University, MIT, Purdue University, The Broad Institute, Weeksville Center, Spotify, Nickelodeon, and others. Her work has been recognized by The Boston Globe, Lululemon, and Getaway House, underscoring her dedication to healing and transformation through collective, choice-centered care.