Pranayama & Yoga retreat - Breathing into awareness

Charles is a vegan Chef and Yoga teacher who brings a rich, holistic approach to yoga—blending physical practice with deep yogic philosophy, devotion, and conscious living. His journey began over eight years ago and has since taken him across India and beyond for several years, studying under renowned teachers in Hatha, Iyengar, Yoga Therapy, and Yoga Synergy traditions.

Charles spent nearly six months immersed in a traditional ashram in India, where he deepened his study of Advaita Vedanta (non-dual philosophy), Jnana Yoga, and scriptural wisdom under scholars and monks. His classes weave together asana, pranayama, meditation, mantras, kirtans (devotional singing), and yoga nidra, with an emphasis on embodied awareness and inner peace. Today, he primarily teaches Synergy Yoga—a modern, spine-focused approach that blends Vinyasa, Qi Gong, and physiotherapy principles—but he also guides students through Hatha, Yin, and yoga therapy-inspired practices.

Charles’s teaching is grounded yet expansive, encouraging students to connect deeply with themselves through mindful movement, breath, and stillness. He is also trained in various complementary practices including Ayurveda, Kriyas (yogic cleansing), Jyotisha (Vedic astrology), sound healing, Reiki, and Nonviolent Communication (NVC), allowing him to support students on multiple levels—physical, emotional, and spiritual.

He has led retreats in Türkiye, Sweden, and Sri Lanka (where he has been based for the past two years), and has co-facilitated multiple Yoga Teacher Training programs, sharing his knowledge with aspiring teachers from around the world.

Alongside his yoga practice, Charles is a dedicated vegan chef, self-trained and inspired by his French-Lebanese heritage. His plant-based cuisine blends creativity, balance, and nourishment, drawing influences from Asian and Sri Lankan flavors. He specializes in fresh, seasonal meals that support yogic living and cater to dietary needs like gluten-free and Ayurvedic diets.

Whether through movement, breath, food, or philosophy, Charles’s mission is to create meaningful, transformative experiences rooted in presence, connection, and care.

Lakshmi Emine is a passionate, authentic, and experienced yoga teacher who brings together the various traditions she explored during her extensive travels across India. After spending nearly two years living and training in Hatha Yoga at a traditional ashram (monastery) in South India, she went on to study Iyengar Yoga and Yoga Therapy with renowned teachers in Rishikesh. She puts great care into guiding her students with precision and safety, emphasizing proper alignment in asanas (postures).

She’s also trained in hammock Yoga and mostly Yoga Synergy, a modern approach focused on spinal health, drawing from physiotherapy principles, Qi Gong, and Vinyasa. Emine fully embraces the yogic path as a way of life. She studies the classical scriptures of Advaita Vedanta (the science of non-duality), expresses devotion through Bhakti Yoga, and serves her students with love and dedication through Karma Yoga. She's also committed to cultivating peace and connection through Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and practices veganism as an extension of ahimsa (non-harming).

Emine has organized several retreats in Türkiye and India, where she loves sharing her experience and insights into how yoga can be a truly transformative, holistic path. She also offers traditional Thai Yoga massage, having trained in Türkiye and spent 12 immersive days learning in a Thai village.

Qualifications & Trainings: * 200h Hatha Yoga Teacher Training – Sivananda Yoga Vedanta, Uttarkashi, India * 200h Synergy Yoga Teacher Training – Lanka Yoga, Sri Lanka * 60h Adapted Hatha Yoga for Special Needs – Sivananda Centre, Neyyar Dam, India * 3-week Intensive in Yoga Therapy – with Deepak Wadhawan, Rishikesh, India * 8-day Iyengar Yoga Intensive – with Usha Devi, Rishikesh, India * 20h Hammock Yoga TTC – Hara Yoga Center, Izmir, Türkiye * Ayurveda Wellness Course – Sivananda Institute of Health, India * Thai Yoga Massage – Hara Yoga Center, Izmir, Türkiye * Thai Yoga Massage Intensive – Sunshine Network, Thailand