Instructors
​We work with professional yoga teachers, masseuses and other instructors during our retreats, events and workshops to ensure that participants receive the best possible experience.
On this page you'll find more details about their skills and background.
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Yoga instructors
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Joyce Duijndam
Yoga teacher and masseuse
Joyce, originally from the Netherlands, now lives and works since several years in Barcelona.
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She obtained her university degree in physical education together with sports massage.
After those studies she felt there is more than just the physical body and she wanted to learn more about the connection between body and mind. She started a hatha yoga teacher training, which became a life changing event for her: falling in love with the practice, the philosophy and the connection of body and mind.
She finished a course in Thai massage and worked and lived for a year in a yoga retreat centre in Spain where she learned more of the arts of massage and of teaching yoga.
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Currently she works in Barcelona as a hatha yoga teacher and gives deep tissue, relaxation and Thai massages.
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Yoga classes are available for all levels, from beginners to experienced yogi. Joyce will create a safe and inspiring setting and adjust her classes to the group. Classes will be given in English, Spanish and Dutch.
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Instagram: @enjoyce.yoga.and.massages.
Angie Pollacchi
Yoga teacher and owner of The Wee Yogini
Angie is a patient, friendly and considerate yoga teacher, originally from Scotland and now living in Barcelona. She teaches both strengthening, mobility-aware dynamic practices and deeply explorative yin yoga practices.
Drawing on her passions for psychology and well-being, creativity, awareness and exploration, Angie's classes are intended to be compassionate yet challenging and she always brings a sense of realism, curiosity and humor to the practice. Whichever class style, these practices will leave you feeling more grounded, stable and connected to yourself.
Her own practice varies in diversity and style and continues to be a deeper exploration of life off a yoga mat. Movement influences include, among others, Jamie Clarke, Ido Portal, David Kyle, Sebastian Pucelle, Cecily Milne and Paul Grilley.
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On retreat, in addition to discussions, laughter and plenty of rest, you can expect strengthening, dynamic morning movement practice and deeply explorative, peaceful yin yoga in the evening, both with a strong emphasis on pranayama, meditation and awareness.
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Instagram: @The_Wee_Yogini
Website: the-wee-yogini.com
Brenda Splinter
Yoga teacher and owner of JunoYoga
Brenda heeft in 2008 JunoYoga opgericht, een studio van waaruit zij yogalessen aan volwassenen en kinderen geeft en mensen begeleid in individuele trajecten als Yin Yoga therapeut.
Na haar studie Nederlands is zij 10 jaar werkzaam geweest in het middelbaar onderwijs en werkte zij als gedrags- en verandertrainer in het basisonderwijs.
Sinds 1997 beoefent zij Yoga en in de loop der jaren integreerde zij Yoga steeds meer in haar trainingen en coaching sessies op scholen.
Van daaruit ontstond de behoefte aan verdieping. Intussen is zij vele opleidingen verder waaronder de Yoga Academie Nederland, Yin Yoga Bivag, Yin Medicine Bivag, Samsara kinderyoga en Rasa Yoga
bij Shiva Rea, MBSR opleiding.
Vanuit deze gedegen basis heeft Brenda haar geheel eigen geluid gevonden om les te geven en mensen te begeleiden; met heldere aandacht en zachte kracht geeft zij
haar lessen en therapie vorm. Zij heeft een scherp oog voor wat zich afspeelt bij een ieder die haar lessen bezoekt, waardoor deelnemers na de les het idee hebben dat de les speciaal voor hen was.
Brenda geeft zowel zachte hathayoga en vinyasa alsook YinYoga en meditatie.
Meerdere malen per jaar geeft zij miniretraites van 1 dag en daarnaast ten minste 1 keer per jaar een langere retraite waarin rust en ruimte voor jezelf, jezelf mogen ontwikkelen en liefdevolle aandacht centraal staan.
Website: junoyoga.nl
Yoga styles
Hatha yoga
Hatha in Sanskrit is also translated as the “sun” and the "moon.” This refers to the balance of masculine aspects (active, hot, sun) and feminine aspects (receptive, cool, moon) within all of us.
We also refer to the body and mind, movement and stillness, breathing in and breathing out, feminine and masculine energy, holding onto and letting go, tension and relieving.
Hatha yoga is a path towards creating balance and uniting those opposites.
During the class the instructor will work with asana's (postures), pranayamas (breathing exercises) and meditation.
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Yoga nidra
Yoga nidra is a state in which the body is completely relaxed, and the practitioner becomes systematically and increasingly aware of the inner world by following a set of verbal instructions.
This state of consciousness is different from meditation, in which concentration on a single focus is required. In yoga nidra the practitioner remains in a state of light withdrawal of the 5 senses (pratyahara) with four senses internalized, that is, withdrawn, and only hearing still connects to any instructions given.
The goals of both yogic paths, yoga nidra and meditation are the same, a state of meditative consciousness.
It is among the deepest possible states of relaxation while still maintaining full consciousness. In lucid dreaming, one is only, or mainly, cognizant of the dream environment, and has little or no awareness of one's actual environment.
Yoga nidra results in conscious awareness of the deep sleep state.
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Acro yoga
Acro yoga is a physical practice which combines yoga and acrobatics.
Acro yoga includes many types of (mostly recreational) partner and group acrobatics in which at least someone is lifted.
As such it also draws on traditions of circus arts, cheer-leading, and dance acro.
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Acro yoga is more vigorous than many traditional forms of yoga as exercise.
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Yin yoga
Yin yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga as exercise, incorporating principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with asanas (postures) that are held for longer periods of time.
For beginners, asanas may be held from 45 seconds to two minutes; more advanced practitioners may stay in one asana for five minutes or more. The sequences of postures are meant to stimulate the channels of the subtle body known as meridians in Chinese medicine.
Yin Yoga poses apply moderate stress to the connective tissues of the body, with the aim of increasing circulation in the joints and improving flexibility.
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It is a more meditative approach to yoga, its goals are awareness of inner silence.
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Go to retreats
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