We select our team members very carefully, choosing only those with extensive training, years of teaching experience & a genuine passion for what they do. Our teachers are warm, approachable, and dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for all.
If you’re new to Yoga or Pilates and wondering if you’ll “fit in,” rest assured – our retreats attract a wide range of abilities and so classes are tailored to ensure everyone – keen beginners to advanced students – feel a sense of progression. Just practice with an attitude of compassion, respect & patience and your body will open back up & let you in.
Our Yoga Teachers
Nicole
A seasoned yoga teacher & founder of Yoga Breaks in Spain, Nicole holds an “Excellent” grade Diploma in Yoga after completing a two-year teacher training with FRYOG (Friends of Yoga International). With more than 20 years’ teaching experience and further studies with renowned teachers – Meghan Currie, Shiva Rea, Claire Missingham, Liz Lark, and Godfrey Devereux – Nicole describes yoga as:
“An incredible secret that I’m passionate about sharing with as many people as possible. Its endless benefits help us release so much of the physical, emotional & mental tension that we all carry in our bodies. I’d love to help you reconnect with the intelligent wisdom of your amazing body.”
Nicole teaches both energizing classes to boost vitality & support the maintenance of bone and muscle strength, as well as calming, restorative classes to reduce stress and foster deep relaxation.
Dionne
Dionne began to practice yoga shortly after qualifying as a fitness instructor and soon noticed her body becoming more supple & her mind more calm. This was her inspiration to explore yoga more. In 2014 she headed to India to begin her teacher training at Aananda Yoga School in Mysore (accredited by the Yoga Alliance) where she was tutored by the incredibly knowledgeable Yogacharya Bharath Shetty. More recently Dionne returned to her yoga school in India to complete her 500 hour Advanced teacher training.
Dionne’s teaching style is friendly, down to earth & accessible to all. She has an ‘eagles eye’ for alignment but also loves helping her clients build strength & flexibility and focus on their breathing. With Dionne you can expect to hear good instruction and variations to suit all bodies. With her help and guidance you’ll find your own yoga path.
Tessa
Tessa is a qualified yoga teacher, aerial yoga instructor & personal trainer with a passion for movement, mobility and strength. She has taught for over 25 years during which time, she explored various styles of yoga that suited her more ‘Yang’ personality. Now, Tessa is seeking a more balanced approach to life — more ‘Yin.’ Having visited India many times to explore the spiritual aspects of yoga, she has gained a deeper appreciation for the rich history behind this wonderful practice & looks forward to sharing this with you.
Our Pilates Teachers
Carolan
As a dancer & choreographer, Carolan noticed that out of all dance training, Pilates always produced the best results and so, after launching her own brand of dance fitness DVDs, classes & books, Carolan was invited to share her methods with other teachers across the World. And now having trained as a Pilates teacher at the Physical Mind Institute in New York, Carolan’s passion is to help transform your body using all her dance, fitness & Pilates knowledge and encourage you to make more mindful decisions when it comes to your health. You’ll meet Carolan on our Yoga & Pilates Holidays.
Marie
Marie has been teaching Pilates professionally for almost 20 years. Beginning in Brussels, Belgium, where she held classes in sports clubs, studios, offices & private homes for everyone from teenagers to octogenarians.
In 2019, she added online classes to her repertoire, and retains many of her clients after she moved to Spain in 2022.
Pilates is her passion, along with a commitment to health, fitness and well-being. The accessibility of Pilates to all, and the sense of being in tune with your body, is what drives her enthusiasm. Her classes are energetic, challenging and fun and her background as both a nurse and a teacher help her connect closely with her pupils.
Marie received her Stott Mat 1, Mat 2 and reformer qualifications in 2007. You’ll meet Marie on our Yoga & Pilates Holidays.
Graciela
Graciela studied ballet from a very young age becoming the Principal ballerina in many notable ballet companies. Graciela discovered the power of Pilates during rehabilitation for a serious knee injury & was so amazed by its ability to strengthen the body that Graciela retrained as a Pilates teacher & has become highly skilled in treating a variety of physical conditions including back problems, knee injuries, neck & shoulder pain, postural re-education, post-op recovery and injury rehabilitation whilst developing a special interest in Pilates and osteoporosis.
Abby
Abby has been teaching & practising mat & studio Pilates for over 10 years. After gaining a BA in Theatre Dance, she persued a professional dance career that took her across the World. In 2006, due to a dance injury, Abby undertook and completed training in Pilates at The Body Control Centre in London. In 2010, having retired from professional dance, she settled in Spain where she furthered her Pilates training and qualifications. Abby is currently developing her own method of integrating dance and Pilates.
Summary of Yoga Styles
Ananda Yoga uses Hatha asana and pranayama to awaken, experience, and control the subtle chakra energies. Its object is to use those energies to harmonize body, mind, and emotions, and attune with higher levels of awareness. One feature of this system is the use of silent affirmations while in the asanas as a means of working more directly and consciously with the subtle energies to achieve this attunement. Ananda Yoga is a relatively gentle, inward experience not an athletic or aerobic practice. It was developed by Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, author of the spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi.
Ansura Yoga® founded by John Friend in 1997 is a powerful hatha yoga system that unifies a Tantric philosophy of intrinsic Goodness with Universal Principles of Alignment. Anusara embodies an uplifting philosophy, epitomized by a “celebration of the heart,” that looks for the good in all people and all things. Consequently, students of all levels of ability and yoga experience are honored for their unique differences, limitations, and talents.
Ashtanga Yoga developed by K. Pattabhi Jois. Ashtanga is physically demanding. Participants move through a series of flows, jumping from one posture to another in order to build strength, flexibility and stamina. It is not for beginners or anyone who’s been taking a leisurely approach to fitness. Ashtanga involves challenging sequence of poses with Ujjayi Breathing and vinyasas (a flow of postures). This Yoga Style uses a system based on six series of increasing difficulty.
Bikram Yoga is named after the founder – Bikram Choudhury. Yoga is practiced in a room with a temperature of up to 100 degrees fahrenheit, thus be prepared to sweat a lot. Bikram Yoga enthusiasts perform a series of 26 Asanas, each posture is usually performed twice and held for a certain period of time.
Integral Yoga puts equal emphasis on Pranayama (Breathing Control), on Meditation, and on the Asanas (Physical Poses). This Style of Yoga was developed by Swami Satchidananda. The practice of Integral Yoga revolves around eight main goals: 1. Physical Health and strength; 2. control over all senses; 3. clear, calm and well-disciplined mind; 4. higher level of intellect; 5. strong and pliable will; 6. love and compassion; 7. purer ego, and; 8. ultimate peace and joy.
Iyengar Yoga named after B.K.S. Iyengar who is one of the best-known Yoga teachers. Iyengar’s style is noted for great attention to detail and precise alignment of postures, he also popularized the use of yoga props such as blocks and belts. This great attention to detail, posture, and alignment has also become the notable characteristics of Iyengar Yoga.
Kripalu Yoga puts great emphasis on Proper Breath, alignment, coordination of breath and movement, and “honoring the wisdom of the body” — you work according to the limits of your individual flexibility and strength. Students learn to focus on the physical and psychological reactions caused by various postures to develop their awareness of mind, body, emotion and spirit. There are three stages in Kripalu. Stage One focuses on learning the postures, proper breathing, and exploring your body’s abilities. Stage Two involves holding the postures for an extended time, developing concentration and awareness of your thoughts and emotions. Stage Three is like meditation in motion in which the movement from one posture to another arises unconsciously and spontaneously while you are in a meditative state.
Kundalini Yoga was brought to the West by Yogi Bhajan in 1969. It focuses on the controlled release of the Kundalini (serpent power) energy which is found at the base of your spine. The practice of Kundalini Yoga involves classic poses, chanting, coordination of breath and movement and Meditation. The emphasis however, is not on the Yoga Poses but on the Chanting and Breathing. Kundalini rewards Yogis with spiritual transformation and unity consciousness.
Sivananda Yoga was developed by Vishnu-devananda who wrote one of the contemporary Yoga classics, “The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga”. This Style of Yoga focuses on the Pranayama, classic Asanas, and relaxation. It also centres on diet and positive thinking and Meditation. Sivananda Yoga practice consist twelve basic Yoga Poses that seeks to increase strength, flexibility, Proper Breathing, and Meditation.
Viniyoga is rooted from the principle practiced by Sri. T. Krishnamacharya – that is to develop practices for individual conditions and purposes. Viniyoga makes use of modified Yoga Poses that are designed to meet the specific needs of an individual and to enhance healing, flexibility and strength of joints. Viniyoga poses also intend to promote the feeling of well-being and strength.
