Clients Reviews
Note: Bridal Reviews are on Wedding Services page. Many other recommendations at: www.SayulitaLife.com/carmela
Recommendations from Retreats
Meditation Journey and Sound Healing for Surf and Fitness Retreat Punta de Mita
Thank You, Carmela. The ladies loved the whole experience of your meditation journey and sound healing. They were profoundly moved. Shanti Tilling, Fitness and Surf Coach,Retreat Leader, Punta de Mita, February, 2018
Yoga Nidra Journey and Sound Healing at Haramara Retreat
Thank You for sharing your magic with our retreat group at Haramara. Everyone absolutely LOVED the experience which had a powerful impact. You are a gifted healer. Renee Gauthier, Yoga Teacher and Retreat Group Leader, San Diego, December 2017
Yoga Nidra with Carmela was a Highlight of Our Retreat!
For the third year in a row, and I intend to invite her back again and again, Carmela has been a special guest at my week-long yoga retreat in Sayulita. We were gifted with a Yoga Nidra session with crystal bowls and then an in-depth discussion where my students were able to experience some profound shifts in awareness. All in just two hours! Carmela creates a very safe space for the practice and is an extremely skilled facilitator. I have been teaching for more than 20 years, leading yoga retreats all over the world, and I highly recommend working with Carmela whether on retreat, at one of her classes in town, or a private session in her home studio. Carla Wainwright, Yoga Teacher and International Retreat Group Leader, Prince George, BC Canada,
February, 2017
Beautiful Goddess!
Carmela is a beautiful treasure to behold and a powerful goddess as well. Her presence at my yoga retreats have affected my students strongly. She gently nudges your edge of comfort to break free into the next layer of your being. And that is even before the Nidra begins! Her magical singing bowls teamed with the Nidra Meditation Journey and her knowing,wise presence is a perfect combination. My yoga retreats are very spiritual in nature. I ask my students to go within and really look at what's there. Carmela's Nidra class has always assisted them with that. Some feel peaceful afterwards and some broken wide open. It's ALL GOOD! Thank you Carmela! We all appreciate you so much.
Andrea Binder, Yoga Teacher and Retreat Leader, Whidbey Island, Washington, November, 2017
Life Transition Retreat for CEOs
Thank You, Carmela, for creating and facilitating a great Life Transition Workshop for our professional group of male CEOs.
We really enjoyed the Yoga Nidra Meditation with Crystal Bowls, as it was new and wonderful experience for us that tied the whole retreat theme together.
Greg Kwong, CEO Retreat Coordinator, Punta Mita, November, 2015
Amazing Guest Teacher at our Las Diosas Retreat
I have been working with Carmela for an entire season for private Yoga Nidra sessions and I absolutely love her!! Including her in our Goddess yoga/surf/SUP retreat was a given since we wanted to share with our clients what she has shared with us, which is: support, uplifting energy and Goddess guidance! Carmela is naturally very good at holding space and her background in psychotherapy shines through. She is qualified, intelligent, charming and lovely. I look forward to our next journey with her!!! Eva Estlander, Yoga Teacher and Las Diosas Owner, Sayulita, October, 2015.
Insight: Yoga Retreat Presenter
Carmela Carlyle was the guest yoga teacher for the yoga retreat leading a session which included an informative introduction to the ancient psychological yoga technique and a bit about the contemporary medical research supporting its efficacy.This was followed with an iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation Journey accompanied by her crystal bowls. A facilitated an insightful discussion with our group after the journey was helpful for participants. Carmela is an impressive, professional facilitator.
I was particularly interested in this experience as I am a Physician and a student of Integrative Psychotherapy for the past 15 years. I followed up with a private session in her home yoga studio to further explore my curiosity. It is my opinion that this is a safe and elegant method of guiding self exploration into the world of duality . It is based on the the wisdom of Patanjali and its purpose is to integrate the dualities within us to bring us toward wholeness and healing.I would highly recommend Carmela Carlyle as a facilitator both in groups, and one-on-one.
Dr. Barend Grobbelaar, M.D., British Columbia, Canada, February, 2013
Guest Teacher at our Yoga Retreat in Yelapa
Carmela created a wonderful customized Yoga Nidra Journey to The Heart Chakra Session for our yoga group at the Sky Temple in Yelapa. It was an ideal acitivity to enable retreat participants to integrate all that they were learning and to process what was coming up for them, with an extra dose of bliss. She is an inspiring teacher who can enrich the retreat experience with an infusion of joyful energy and expertise. She is masterful at adapting her teaching to meet the needs of the retreat theme. Thanks so much Carmela! Jean Grant-Sutton, Yoga Teacher, California, March, 2015.
Spiritual Warrior Empowered with Yoga Nidra Journey at Retreat
Carmela Carlyle, your Yoga Nidra medicine made a huge difference in choosing to lift my inner shadow veils last week during our yoga retreat. Yes I am a "Baddass Goddess Spiritual Warrior" ready to serve and invite all of my dreams now!!!
Sommer Joy Albertson, November, 2016.
Laughter Yoga for Our Group
Carmela,Thank You for the incredible experience. Your Laughter Yoga workshop for our group was AWESOME!!! I'm still giggling. Thanks for bringing great light and love into my life!! Very Good...Very Good...Yay!!!
Jacie Knight, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 2016.
Goddesses Walk Among Us!
Reviews for Goddess Ceremonies and Celebrations
Amazing Guest Goddess Teacher!
I have been working with Carmela for an entire season for private Yoga Nidra sessions and I absolutely love her!! Including her in our Las Diosas yoga/surf/SUP retreat was a given since we wanted to share with our clients what she has shared with us, which is: support, uplifting energy and Goddess guidance! Carmela is naturally very good at holding space and her background in psychotherapy shines through. She is qualified, intelligent, charming and lovely. I look forward to our next journey with her!!!
Eva Estlander, Yoga Teacher, Sayulita, Mexico, October, 2015.
Carmela's Goddess Workshop for our Las Diosas Yoga Surf Retreat
This October's Las Diosas Retreat was a special one indeed! The reason being that our Yoga Nidra teacher, and Goddess role model, Carmela, hosted our two hour Divine Feminine workshop for our girls in the 7Day yoga, surf and SUP Retreat we host here in Sayulita. We asked Carmela to join us, as Eva and I have been working with her twice a month for the past year in private Yoga Nidra sessions while building our Las Diosas Retreat program.
Not only has she been our advocate, but she is a walking inspiration, incredible yoga teacher with decades of practice and experience, and we knew our girls would love her Divine presence, performance and wealth of wisdom and humour. And we were right! Everyone adored her, and drew personal magic from her workshop. I would recommend Carmela's teaching, psychotherapy and Goddess services to any woman looking to dive deeper within themselves to find their gold, while having a hoot-and-hollering great time doing so. Leah Nicole Tisdale, Las Diosas Yoga and Surf Teacher, Sayulita, Mexico. October, 2015
Amazing Guest Goddess Teacher!
I have been working with Carmela for an entire season for private Yoga Nidra sessions and I absolutely love her!! Including her in our Las Diosas yoga/surf/SUP retreat was a given since we wanted to share with our clients what she has shared with us, which is: support, uplifting energy and Goddess guidance! Carmela is naturally very good at holding space and her background in psychotherapy shines through. She is qualified, intelligent, charming and lovely. I look forward to our next journey with her!!!
Eva Estlander, Yoga Teacher, Sayulita, Mexico, October, 2015.
Carmela's Goddess Workshop for our Las Diosas Yoga Surf Retreat
This October's Las Diosas Retreat was a special one indeed! The reason being that our Yoga Nidra teacher, and Goddess role model, Carmela, hosted our two hour Divine Feminine workshop for our girls in the 7Day yoga, surf and SUP Retreat we host here in Sayulita. We asked Carmela to join us, as Eva and I have been working with her twice a month for the past year in private Yoga Nidra sessions while building our Las Diosas Retreat program.
Not only has she been our advocate, but she is a walking inspiration, incredible yoga teacher with decades of practice and experience, and we knew our girls would love her Divine presence, performance and wealth of wisdom and humour. And we were right! Everyone adored her, and drew personal magic from her workshop. I would recommend Carmela's teaching, psychotherapy and Goddess services to any woman looking to dive deeper within themselves to find their gold, while having a hoot-and-hollering great time doing so. Leah Nicole Tisdale, Las Diosas Yoga and Surf Teacher, Sayulita, Mexico. October, 2015
Goddesses Galore: Birthday Celebration and Ceremony
Goddess Carmela is a true blessing who came into my life for a reason! I was suffering a horrid ear infection in Sayulita and a dear friend brought me to her Yoga Nidra and Mexican Chocolate Meditation workshop. Carmela's professionalism, beauty, wisdom, grace, knowledge and HUMOR shone through . . . and I was HOOKED! She was obviously the Goddess I needed to host my 40th celebration! Back in Healdsburg, California I invited 40 woman for my 40th birthday, all dressed in white, for a delicious day of ceremony and ritual with catered chocolates and teas, wining and dining. Carmela orchestrated yet another life-changing two-hour session that was the perfect ceremony to set great intentions for my 40th year. The Goddess Gathering consisted of a foot bath with gardenias, great laughter, meditation, movement, and a closing fire ritual. Carmela’s message was profound ~ each and every woman who attended my gathering was deeply touched!
I highly recommend Carmela for any event and I know every time I have the chance, whether when I return to Sayulita, or here in Northern California, I will be making time to see her.
Tray Schlarb, Interior Designer, San Francisco, CA, 2016
Reviews for Private Sessions: Integrative Counseling with Yoga Nidra Meditation Journey
Truly Life-Changing Experience
:I am a yoga teacher and had heard of Carmela from another yoga teacher. I was able to talk my husband into taking the Couples' Yoga Nidra Meditation Journey with Carmela after getting his feet wet in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction class at home. I quickly learned that not only was he in for a treat, but so was I. In very short order, Carmela was able to unearth and cultivate individual journeys for each of us based on perfectly crafted questions. Her years of experience in psychotherapy, yoga, meditation, and life made the whole experience, though deep and raw, very comfortable, warm, and safe. The meditation with singing bowls was, for lack of better words, true bliss. In this space, my husband and I found a new sacred space in which we really bonded at a level that we hadn't in years. It was truly magical. I would highly recommend this practice to anyone visiting Sayulita.
Sami, Anchorage Alaska, November 2017
Magic Journey!
Living in Sayulita last winter, I attended two of Carmela's Yoga Nidra Journey sessions (group classes) and found them incredibly healing. When I returned this year, I booked a private session with Carmela for my partner and I, as well as another session for myself. Carmela worked with us to create a custom journey experience, and we were each able to have a unique individual journey during our session together. My partner had never practiced Yoga Nidra prior to this session, and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Carmela even provided us with divine tumeric-infused Mexican chocolates before and after we meditated. We left our session feeling grounded, more closely bonded, and relaxed. We simmered in the post-journey bliss over margaritas and ceviche and proceeded to have meaningful and connected conversations based on our experience together. My private session with Carmela was even more divine, and I left feeling light, relaxed and borderline elated. There is nothing like a Yoga Nidra journey with Carmela.
I can not recommend a partner or private session with her enough. If you want to go deeper into the essence of you, with a genuine and wise goddess as your guide, let Carmela take you there. She is incredible! Sarah L, Scientist, Bar Harbor, Maine, March, 2017.
My experience with Carmela: Profound
I have studied Hypnotherapy, NLP, Time Line Therapy, Shamanic Journeying, and practiced different forms of yoga. I am currently studying Medical Qigong. The first time I attended one of Carmela's Integrated Restoration Yoga Nidra and Dark Chocolate Meditation workshops, I was amazed at the power of the practice, so I began seeing her for private sessions where I could identify "that which I hold to be true" and then travel to the "opposites", which are also true, but often negated by my self-critic and attachment to past experiences. Holding these opposites was such powerful healing for me. Carmela is skillful, smart, highly intuitive, direct and kind. Her well-articulated journeys (using my words) enabled me to dive deep into my healing work that has yielded practical lifestyle changes that I am truly grateful for. With Carmela's support and guidance, I was able to shine a light into the shadows of my old beliefs that were holding me back from accepting my whole self, claiming my personal power, and honouring my essential true nature.
I will certainly be seeing Carmela next year when I return to Sayulita! Laura Lee Connery, Vancouver, Canada, 2016.
Couple's Journey: Gift for the body, mind and soul
My partner and I joined Carmela for a private Yoga Nidra Journey before our friends' wedding, and we are still feeling the benefits of holding that space with her. Beyond Carmela's soothing voice and calming environment, she gently shares a very deep wisdom. We felt seen, heard and guided. Carmela created an experience that was easy to understand and gave us a platform to continue doing work in our relationship. The delicate touches of sound and aroma, mixed with her obvious dedication to her dharma made this an experience that we will continue to come back for. Sayulita is blessed to have this gem of a human serving up the sacred. Thank you Carmela, your heart's path is illuminating the way.
Jessie Carlson, Wenatchee, Washington, USA, November, 2016.
Journey Beyond Psychotherapy to Inner Peace & Healing
Carmela is, very simply, an extraordinary practitioner and gifted healer. I cannot recommend her highly enough.
I came to Sayulita at 41, burnt out and feeling desperate, hopeless and lost, despite years of therapy and personal development. On a whim I decided to attend one of Carmela's workshops and then decided to embark on a series of one to one sessions. I very quickly felt the benefits of the yoga nidra, it felt like very potent medicine and I could feel it fundamentally impacting my levels of anxiety and depression. My overall sense of wholeness and wellness started to increase over the sessions.
Carmela insightfully guided me to examine and let go of old beliefs that no longer serve me, to hold and release long-held emotional distress, to learn new techniques of coping with recurring anxieties and to gain the courage to move forward with a significant life transition.
It difficult to describe exactly how it works, but the sessions are founded in exploring
the belief that as humans we create dualities that then cause us suffering.
She and I would talk for a little and she would record my words to include in the meditation protocol. Keenly observant and adept at encouraging me to bravely face the tough issues, she also made the journeys deliciously creative and enjoyable. I always felt very safe lying down on the mat, supported by silk pillows, guided by her voice and Tibetan bowls to an altered state of awareness. My breath deepened. My body relaxed. My mind cleared. I created an inner sanctuary for self-trust and ease. The journeys were each very individual and profound. I discovered where I hold emotions in my body. Ancestors visited me. Images emerged. It was a hugely transformative and healing experience where I feel I have been fundamentally able to grow and change in a way that takes me much closer to achieving my heart's desires.
Wendy R., London, Client 2014.
a gift for the body, mind and soul
My lover and I joined Carmela for a private Yoga Nidra Journey and we are still feeling the benefits of holding that space with her. Beyond Carmela's soothing voice and calming environment, she gently shares a very deep wisdom. We felt seen, heard and guided. Carmela created an experience that was easy to understand and gave us a platform to continue doing work in our relationship. The delicate touches of sound and aroma, mixed with her obvious dedication to her dharma made this an experience that we will continue to come back for. Sayulita is blessed to have this gem of a human serving up the sacred. Thank you Carmela, your heart's path is illuminating the way.
Jessie Carlson, Yoga Teacher, Wenatchee, Washington, USA, November, 2016
"Date Night" Treat: A session with this Goddess!
I am so happy that I took a chance and booked a private session with Carmela for "date night" with my husband. We have been traveling and working non-stop and naturally became a bit disconnected. I take Carmela's Tuesday and Thursday night yoga classes whenever possible and they've always worked magic on my body and soul. When thinking of something creative to do with my husband, I went out on a limb and booked Carmela. She welcomed us into her beautiful home studio and treated us to the most enlightening and relaxing time. We started with discussion and organically transitioned into a gentle class of yoga nidra, sound healing and meditation. My husband and I both emerged from our cocoons feeling safe, supported, heard, relaxed, and healed both individually and as a couple. I cannot say enough good things about Carmela's ability to guide you into this space.
I highly recommend treating yourself to a session with her!
Mandy Burstein, Yoga Teacher, La Jolla, California, January 2017
Intuitive and Smart
Carmela drew me in with her yoga classes, the first of which was a yoga nidra workshop with chocolate (handmade locally in Sayulita) a powerful and seductive combination! And I also attended her evening hatha yoga classes at Hotelito.
For my one-to-one sessions, Carmela intuitively brought together my needs from her wealth of experience, academically and from life. After an initial conversation on her tranquil green circular sofas, she led me through my personal yoga nidra meditation journey. Lying down comfortably, her voice is soothing and calm and she uses sounds created using her crystal bowls to resonate deeper into your body, to your chakras. Together, we put together the multi-sensory recipe for my inner sanctuary, a place I felt safe and at peace, a place I can visit as often as I need. The idea that I came away with specifically from the nidra is balance, recognising both sides of feelings and their emotions and bringing them together as an integrative whole.
As a person trying to get away from polar thinking, it felt good to find the integrated in-between.
Carmela is a very gifted, smart, lady and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending her.
Beth, United Kingdom, February, 2015
Best Healing Practice for Everyone
I have had the lovely experience in working with Carmela a handful of times over the past two years. Every time her Yoga Nidra Sessions have helped me with an array of issues I have been dealing with throughout my life. Carmela is a very professional and spiritual woman who also works with soldiers with PTSD, brides, yoga teachers, and all of us stressed-out business people on vacation!
If you are ready to look inside and work on what is causing your pain, anxiety, stress and loss of sleep, Carmela will provide you with tools and an experience to alter the way your brain processes these feelings and thoughts. Although Yoga Nidra is hosting in SF I have not been able to find an equivalent of healing than I have experienced with Carmela. I will be visiting her every time I go to Sayulita and encourage any of you to give it a try you will not be disappointed. Thank you, Carmela for such a wonderful healing experience. Alicia F., San Francisco, CA, November, 2015
Healing Through Grief: My Experiences with Carmela
I first met Carmela a year ago, on a visit to Sayulita and attended her Meditation workshop with Mexican chocolates. I was recently widowed and the session unleashed a lot of grief for me. I realized Carmela is not only a yoga instructor, she has many other skills and lots of experience to offer.
I returned to Sayulita a year later, hoping to attend more sessions with her. I first did a yoga class and then a private counseling and yoga nidra session at her charming home. The session was very valuable to me in helping me recover from my loss. Carmela indicated that Integrative Restoration Nidra Yoga can change the patterning in one's brain and I have found that to be true in subtle but powerful ways.
Susan, Retired Registered Nurse, Vancouver Island, B.C., January, 2015
Yoga Nidra Bliss
I am an advanced yoga practitioner and have been exposed to a few Yoga Nidra sessions in the past. I loved the deep relaxation that it provided and the natural flow of conscious thoughts and realizations. I scheduled 2 private sessions with Carmel and was excited to go on a new journey. She starts the sessions with an intro into the history and science of Integrative Restorative Nidra. It has been used as intense psychotherapy as well as for personal self-inquiry and mindful relaxation.
We then discussed my goals I wanted to achieve through the journey and what is currently influencing my life for the good or bad. This part is key as Carmela really challenges you to look within and identify the source and place the body is holding the emotion. You then get to lay down in her breezy meditation room while she talks you through the journey accompanied by the soothing sounds of singing bowls. What happens during this part of the session is up to you, and I encourage you to give it a try. You leave there with new insights and a mindful place to go during times of stress, also feeling deeply relaxed. I recommend these sessions to anyone who is trying to deepen their understanding of self-inquiry or find a path for healing. I will definitely connect with Carmela again on future trips to Sayulita to go further down the path. Namaste~
Darah, British Colombia, November, 2014
Thank You for your loving and healing energy
I love sky diving, running and yoga. This knee surgery has been hard, scary, and very painful. Doing the Yoga Nidra Meditations with you before my surgery to ease the anxiety really helped. Now, after the surgery, I am going to my Inner Sanctuary, holding the opposites and it is really good for my mind and for managing the pain. As you say “I am healing every day.”
Kathy, Amazing Hostal, Sayulita, Mexico March, 2014
Carmela is all about Healing and Enjoyment of the Journey.
With a compelling sense that this was for me and the memory of one yoga class with Carmela at Hotelito Los Suenos with the singing bowls and laughter during a visit months before, I made contact with her inquiring about Private Integrative Restorative Yoga Nodra Meditation Journeys. I knew only what I had read which stirred up more not knowing. Time for trusting my intuition...
Now, after 5 journeys, I can say that Carmela creates a comfortable and secure environment along with her well-grounded presence so that I am provided with the opportunity to travel within my customized journey securely and attentively to my self. The process is in the present and the journey is inward. I have experienced the sense of emotional defusement of beliefs that no longer work for me through exploring the validity of opposite beliefs or emotions held simultaneously by me within. You gotta try it to know it for yourself!
Mary, A Journeyer, Louisanna, USA, December, 2013
Truly Life-Changing Experience
:I am a yoga teacher and had heard of Carmela from another yoga teacher. I was able to talk my husband into taking the Couples' Yoga Nidra Meditation Journey with Carmela after getting his feet wet in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction class at home. I quickly learned that not only was he in for a treat, but so was I. In very short order, Carmela was able to unearth and cultivate individual journeys for each of us based on perfectly crafted questions. Her years of experience in psychotherapy, yoga, meditation, and life made the whole experience, though deep and raw, very comfortable, warm, and safe. The meditation with singing bowls was, for lack of better words, true bliss. In this space, my husband and I found a new sacred space in which we really bonded at a level that we hadn't in years. It was truly magical. I would highly recommend this practice to anyone visiting Sayulita.
Sami, Anchorage Alaska, November 2017
Magic Journey!
Living in Sayulita last winter, I attended two of Carmela's Yoga Nidra Journey sessions (group classes) and found them incredibly healing. When I returned this year, I booked a private session with Carmela for my partner and I, as well as another session for myself. Carmela worked with us to create a custom journey experience, and we were each able to have a unique individual journey during our session together. My partner had never practiced Yoga Nidra prior to this session, and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Carmela even provided us with divine tumeric-infused Mexican chocolates before and after we meditated. We left our session feeling grounded, more closely bonded, and relaxed. We simmered in the post-journey bliss over margaritas and ceviche and proceeded to have meaningful and connected conversations based on our experience together. My private session with Carmela was even more divine, and I left feeling light, relaxed and borderline elated. There is nothing like a Yoga Nidra journey with Carmela.
I can not recommend a partner or private session with her enough. If you want to go deeper into the essence of you, with a genuine and wise goddess as your guide, let Carmela take you there. She is incredible! Sarah L, Scientist, Bar Harbor, Maine, March, 2017.
My experience with Carmela: Profound
I have studied Hypnotherapy, NLP, Time Line Therapy, Shamanic Journeying, and practiced different forms of yoga. I am currently studying Medical Qigong. The first time I attended one of Carmela's Integrated Restoration Yoga Nidra and Dark Chocolate Meditation workshops, I was amazed at the power of the practice, so I began seeing her for private sessions where I could identify "that which I hold to be true" and then travel to the "opposites", which are also true, but often negated by my self-critic and attachment to past experiences. Holding these opposites was such powerful healing for me. Carmela is skillful, smart, highly intuitive, direct and kind. Her well-articulated journeys (using my words) enabled me to dive deep into my healing work that has yielded practical lifestyle changes that I am truly grateful for. With Carmela's support and guidance, I was able to shine a light into the shadows of my old beliefs that were holding me back from accepting my whole self, claiming my personal power, and honouring my essential true nature.
I will certainly be seeing Carmela next year when I return to Sayulita! Laura Lee Connery, Vancouver, Canada, 2016.
Couple's Journey: Gift for the body, mind and soul
My partner and I joined Carmela for a private Yoga Nidra Journey before our friends' wedding, and we are still feeling the benefits of holding that space with her. Beyond Carmela's soothing voice and calming environment, she gently shares a very deep wisdom. We felt seen, heard and guided. Carmela created an experience that was easy to understand and gave us a platform to continue doing work in our relationship. The delicate touches of sound and aroma, mixed with her obvious dedication to her dharma made this an experience that we will continue to come back for. Sayulita is blessed to have this gem of a human serving up the sacred. Thank you Carmela, your heart's path is illuminating the way.
Jessie Carlson, Wenatchee, Washington, USA, November, 2016.
Journey Beyond Psychotherapy to Inner Peace & Healing
Carmela is, very simply, an extraordinary practitioner and gifted healer. I cannot recommend her highly enough.
I came to Sayulita at 41, burnt out and feeling desperate, hopeless and lost, despite years of therapy and personal development. On a whim I decided to attend one of Carmela's workshops and then decided to embark on a series of one to one sessions. I very quickly felt the benefits of the yoga nidra, it felt like very potent medicine and I could feel it fundamentally impacting my levels of anxiety and depression. My overall sense of wholeness and wellness started to increase over the sessions.
Carmela insightfully guided me to examine and let go of old beliefs that no longer serve me, to hold and release long-held emotional distress, to learn new techniques of coping with recurring anxieties and to gain the courage to move forward with a significant life transition.
It difficult to describe exactly how it works, but the sessions are founded in exploring
the belief that as humans we create dualities that then cause us suffering.
She and I would talk for a little and she would record my words to include in the meditation protocol. Keenly observant and adept at encouraging me to bravely face the tough issues, she also made the journeys deliciously creative and enjoyable. I always felt very safe lying down on the mat, supported by silk pillows, guided by her voice and Tibetan bowls to an altered state of awareness. My breath deepened. My body relaxed. My mind cleared. I created an inner sanctuary for self-trust and ease. The journeys were each very individual and profound. I discovered where I hold emotions in my body. Ancestors visited me. Images emerged. It was a hugely transformative and healing experience where I feel I have been fundamentally able to grow and change in a way that takes me much closer to achieving my heart's desires.
Wendy R., London, Client 2014.
a gift for the body, mind and soul
My lover and I joined Carmela for a private Yoga Nidra Journey and we are still feeling the benefits of holding that space with her. Beyond Carmela's soothing voice and calming environment, she gently shares a very deep wisdom. We felt seen, heard and guided. Carmela created an experience that was easy to understand and gave us a platform to continue doing work in our relationship. The delicate touches of sound and aroma, mixed with her obvious dedication to her dharma made this an experience that we will continue to come back for. Sayulita is blessed to have this gem of a human serving up the sacred. Thank you Carmela, your heart's path is illuminating the way.
Jessie Carlson, Yoga Teacher, Wenatchee, Washington, USA, November, 2016
"Date Night" Treat: A session with this Goddess!
I am so happy that I took a chance and booked a private session with Carmela for "date night" with my husband. We have been traveling and working non-stop and naturally became a bit disconnected. I take Carmela's Tuesday and Thursday night yoga classes whenever possible and they've always worked magic on my body and soul. When thinking of something creative to do with my husband, I went out on a limb and booked Carmela. She welcomed us into her beautiful home studio and treated us to the most enlightening and relaxing time. We started with discussion and organically transitioned into a gentle class of yoga nidra, sound healing and meditation. My husband and I both emerged from our cocoons feeling safe, supported, heard, relaxed, and healed both individually and as a couple. I cannot say enough good things about Carmela's ability to guide you into this space.
I highly recommend treating yourself to a session with her!
Mandy Burstein, Yoga Teacher, La Jolla, California, January 2017
Intuitive and Smart
Carmela drew me in with her yoga classes, the first of which was a yoga nidra workshop with chocolate (handmade locally in Sayulita) a powerful and seductive combination! And I also attended her evening hatha yoga classes at Hotelito.
For my one-to-one sessions, Carmela intuitively brought together my needs from her wealth of experience, academically and from life. After an initial conversation on her tranquil green circular sofas, she led me through my personal yoga nidra meditation journey. Lying down comfortably, her voice is soothing and calm and she uses sounds created using her crystal bowls to resonate deeper into your body, to your chakras. Together, we put together the multi-sensory recipe for my inner sanctuary, a place I felt safe and at peace, a place I can visit as often as I need. The idea that I came away with specifically from the nidra is balance, recognising both sides of feelings and their emotions and bringing them together as an integrative whole.
As a person trying to get away from polar thinking, it felt good to find the integrated in-between.
Carmela is a very gifted, smart, lady and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending her.
Beth, United Kingdom, February, 2015
Best Healing Practice for Everyone
I have had the lovely experience in working with Carmela a handful of times over the past two years. Every time her Yoga Nidra Sessions have helped me with an array of issues I have been dealing with throughout my life. Carmela is a very professional and spiritual woman who also works with soldiers with PTSD, brides, yoga teachers, and all of us stressed-out business people on vacation!
If you are ready to look inside and work on what is causing your pain, anxiety, stress and loss of sleep, Carmela will provide you with tools and an experience to alter the way your brain processes these feelings and thoughts. Although Yoga Nidra is hosting in SF I have not been able to find an equivalent of healing than I have experienced with Carmela. I will be visiting her every time I go to Sayulita and encourage any of you to give it a try you will not be disappointed. Thank you, Carmela for such a wonderful healing experience. Alicia F., San Francisco, CA, November, 2015
Healing Through Grief: My Experiences with Carmela
I first met Carmela a year ago, on a visit to Sayulita and attended her Meditation workshop with Mexican chocolates. I was recently widowed and the session unleashed a lot of grief for me. I realized Carmela is not only a yoga instructor, she has many other skills and lots of experience to offer.
I returned to Sayulita a year later, hoping to attend more sessions with her. I first did a yoga class and then a private counseling and yoga nidra session at her charming home. The session was very valuable to me in helping me recover from my loss. Carmela indicated that Integrative Restoration Nidra Yoga can change the patterning in one's brain and I have found that to be true in subtle but powerful ways.
Susan, Retired Registered Nurse, Vancouver Island, B.C., January, 2015
Yoga Nidra Bliss
I am an advanced yoga practitioner and have been exposed to a few Yoga Nidra sessions in the past. I loved the deep relaxation that it provided and the natural flow of conscious thoughts and realizations. I scheduled 2 private sessions with Carmel and was excited to go on a new journey. She starts the sessions with an intro into the history and science of Integrative Restorative Nidra. It has been used as intense psychotherapy as well as for personal self-inquiry and mindful relaxation.
We then discussed my goals I wanted to achieve through the journey and what is currently influencing my life for the good or bad. This part is key as Carmela really challenges you to look within and identify the source and place the body is holding the emotion. You then get to lay down in her breezy meditation room while she talks you through the journey accompanied by the soothing sounds of singing bowls. What happens during this part of the session is up to you, and I encourage you to give it a try. You leave there with new insights and a mindful place to go during times of stress, also feeling deeply relaxed. I recommend these sessions to anyone who is trying to deepen their understanding of self-inquiry or find a path for healing. I will definitely connect with Carmela again on future trips to Sayulita to go further down the path. Namaste~
Darah, British Colombia, November, 2014
Thank You for your loving and healing energy
I love sky diving, running and yoga. This knee surgery has been hard, scary, and very painful. Doing the Yoga Nidra Meditations with you before my surgery to ease the anxiety really helped. Now, after the surgery, I am going to my Inner Sanctuary, holding the opposites and it is really good for my mind and for managing the pain. As you say “I am healing every day.”
Kathy, Amazing Hostal, Sayulita, Mexico March, 2014
Carmela is all about Healing and Enjoyment of the Journey.
With a compelling sense that this was for me and the memory of one yoga class with Carmela at Hotelito Los Suenos with the singing bowls and laughter during a visit months before, I made contact with her inquiring about Private Integrative Restorative Yoga Nodra Meditation Journeys. I knew only what I had read which stirred up more not knowing. Time for trusting my intuition...
Now, after 5 journeys, I can say that Carmela creates a comfortable and secure environment along with her well-grounded presence so that I am provided with the opportunity to travel within my customized journey securely and attentively to my self. The process is in the present and the journey is inward. I have experienced the sense of emotional defusement of beliefs that no longer work for me through exploring the validity of opposite beliefs or emotions held simultaneously by me within. You gotta try it to know it for yourself!
Mary, A Journeyer, Louisanna, USA, December, 2013
Integrative Hatha Yoga Classes at Hotelito Los Suenos
An energizing way to tap into true life force!
Carmela's Integrative Yoga Class at Hotelito Los Suenos offers so much depth and openness, I would literally get on a plane to Sayulita to experience it! I have practiced at many studios with many teachers in San Francisco and what I really like most about Carmela's sunset yoga class is that she keeps me in the present. It is slow, mindful, classic hatha yoga with meditative awareness and crystal singing bowls. Those bowls will take you on an inner spiritual journey while deep delicious poses keep you connected to the now. It's a beautiful experience for all levels.
Christine Monique, San Francisco, CA, February, 2017.
I'm loving Hatha with Carmela
I was drawn to Carmela's weekly Hatha yoga class at Hotelito Los Suenos mostly because the crystal singing bowls sounded intriguing. And while she expertly added in the bowls into our movement which was absolutely lovely, it was the class itself that was the delightful surprise. In this day in age, when yoga in the states is all about how hard, hot, and deep you can make it, Carmela reminds us of yoga's roots and it's purpose: to prepare the body for meditation. Her years of teaching experience, education, and passion for yoga are evident with every cue. Add in Hotelito's new yoga palapa which allows the day's changing light and the breeze from the ocean to move across the floor and the sound of the waves and birds to gently fill the senses and you have a tropical meditative experience. This practice reminds us to slow down and take time away from vigor, allow time for alignment, and allow breath to fully fill the body. Isn't that what vacation is all about?
Sami, Yoga Teacher, Anchorage, Alaska. October, 2017
Excellent Post-Surf Yoga Session
My boyfriend and I spent 2 weeks in Sayulita in November 2014 and were lucky to find Carmela's classes our first week. We attended 4 of her classes (Tuesday & Thursday at the open air Hotelito Los Suenos) and wanted to pass on our recommendation. I am an experienced yogi and was looking for the perfect post surf-class. Carmela's class is hatha based and each class is unique. She starts each class with a theme to think about, as well as a focus for the asanas. For example, one class may be a focus on shoulders and hips which are typically the areas of stiffness and stress post surfing. Carmela is an absolute professional with so many branches of knowledge in the body and mind to offer, it was a pleasure having her guide our practice. I found the poses quite challenging as they were held for long enough to work deep into the body.
My boyfriend is a 6'3" muscular build and he also found the classes challenging yet the perfect remedy to cure the sore spots after a long day on the water. The cherry on the top was her use of the crystal singing bowls. She would strike and play them thoughout class, each one resonating with a different chakra. At the end she plays them through savasana and the tones dance with your energy channels and calm the mind. Thanks again Carmela for sharing your positive energy with us and creating an inspiring practice! Until next time! :)
Darah, Edmonton, British Columbia, Canada, November, 2014
Pure Bliss
I have attended Carmela's slow Hatha Yoga over the past year and it has always been a great treat. The class is always well balanced and I love how she incorporates kundalini breathing and the use of mudras. Her playing the crystal bowls throughout the class is very therapeutic and relaxing. I also had the pleasure of attending one of her irest yoga nidra workshops which was a new yoga experience for me. It was an incredible journey that brought a deep sense of peace and relaxation to me, I would highly recommend it. Carmela is a very gifted teacher that Sayulita is lucky to have, her classes have enriched my experience here greatly:)
Janna, Mexico, October, 2013
Eye Opening Experiences!! Discovering Integrative Yoga and Yoga Nidra
Carmela is amazing! She is so tuned-in, and I'm not just talking about the sound of her beautiful crystal bowls!
I work in television and came to Sayulita expecting to go, go, go ... power yoga, SUP, hikes, etc. Instead I tore the ligaments in my ankle one week prior to the trip, and was quite frustrated. Despite being forced to be still, I couldn't resolve it in my head to slow down. Then I went to Carmela's Integrative Yoga Class at Hotelito Los Suenos. I was amazed at her energy, her words, the true power I felt so good attending the class, even while having to modify all of the poses.
Still unable to relax, yet forced to with my injury, I reached out to Carmela to try her private Yoga Nidra session. I had never tried it, had no idea what to expect. But this journey opened my eyes, my heart, my body, my mind... A complete exploration through all the koshas. Carmela is intuitive, intense, insightful, involved in every moment. She guided this process, but through my words and feelings. I truly appreciated how much energy she put into the entire session. I know now that Yoga Nidra is a healing tool, I can see it as a powerful enhancement and supplement to meditation. I look forward to continuing a path of self awareness now that I am home. And will not forget the encouraging, healing introduction to this process Carmela gave me.
Jennifer, San Francisco, CA, November, 2014
Perfect Yoga Class for Active Bodies and Busy Minds!
The first time I walked into Carmela's class I was over-come by the sensation that I was in the right place at the right time. Carmela's teaching is truly a treat to the busy mind and active body. Though the lure of chocolate was what originally what attracted me to Carmela's Integrative Restoration Yoga Nidra Meditation Journey with Mexican Chocolate (who could resist?), I was surprised to find the experience profoundly healing, balancing and exactly what my athletic body needed. As the owner of an eco-lodge and an avid SUP surfer, life is busy, active and rarely relaxing. I was delighted by how quickly Carmela's iRest Yoga Nidra brought me to a state of deep relaxation, allowing me to release tension and revitalize every cell in my body. When my stress levels are high I know that it's time to head to Carmela's Yoga Nidra workshop!
Alternatively, for days when my body is craving more stretching, movement and deep breathing, I love Carmela's Slow Hatha Yoga class. This class is medicine for my tight, sore, muscles and a wonderful reminder to calm my mind and open my heart.
Many fantastic yoga teachers have taught yoga at my eco-lodge and Carmela is truly one of the best.
Tamara Jacobi, Jungle Girl, San Pancho. Mexico, January,2014
Weekly Delight
I began attending Carmela's Slow Yo class at Hotelito Los Sueños several months ago. Carmela's evening classes are the gift I give to myself each week. They are a chance to slow down the mind, strengthen the body and open the heart.
I love the different hand mudras she teaches each week, and enjoy how each class allows us to set an intention and grow through a weekly practice. Carmela's classes are wonderfully designed to welcome all levels of yoga practice, from beginners to advanced students looking to deepen their yoga.
Cori Jacobs, San Pancho, February, 2014
Thank You, Carmela
I have been working with Carmela for six months, and she is really helping me with different yoga techniques according to my needs at each session. From slow yoga to improve my surfing, to yoga nidra to restore my health and balance. She has a unique vision of health with an impressive curriculum.
Dr. Diego Navarro, M.D., Sayulita, October, 2013
Opening to Spacious Awareness with Carmela
Carmela is an extremely gifted yoga teacher and iRest yoga nidra facilitator. I had the great pleasure of attending her Slow Hatha Yoga classes at Hotelito los Suenos last summer. Her soothing voice and the beautiful sounds made by her singing bowls allowed me to fully relax into the yoga postures.
Since I was recovering from a back injury, I was comforted by her extensive knowledge of the body and its limitations, and felt safe when she urged me to go at my own pace and make the yoga 'my yoga'. Each class ended with a guided meditation accompanied by the singing bowls, and each time I found myself relaxing completely and opening to spacious awareness.
Twice I visited Carmela at her private studio for iRest yoga nidra journeys. Again, her voice and the sounds of the singing bowls created a completely safe environment within which I was able to journey deep inside myself. Carmela worked through my dualistic thoughts, beliefs, and emotions with me, resulting in a very deep, intense release. The spacious awareness stayed with me for several days.
Romana, BC, Canada, July, 2014
An energizing way to tap into true life force!
Carmela's Integrative Yoga Class at Hotelito Los Suenos offers so much depth and openness, I would literally get on a plane to Sayulita to experience it! I have practiced at many studios with many teachers in San Francisco and what I really like most about Carmela's sunset yoga class is that she keeps me in the present. It is slow, mindful, classic hatha yoga with meditative awareness and crystal singing bowls. Those bowls will take you on an inner spiritual journey while deep delicious poses keep you connected to the now. It's a beautiful experience for all levels.
Christine Monique, San Francisco, CA, February, 2017.
I'm loving Hatha with Carmela
I was drawn to Carmela's weekly Hatha yoga class at Hotelito Los Suenos mostly because the crystal singing bowls sounded intriguing. And while she expertly added in the bowls into our movement which was absolutely lovely, it was the class itself that was the delightful surprise. In this day in age, when yoga in the states is all about how hard, hot, and deep you can make it, Carmela reminds us of yoga's roots and it's purpose: to prepare the body for meditation. Her years of teaching experience, education, and passion for yoga are evident with every cue. Add in Hotelito's new yoga palapa which allows the day's changing light and the breeze from the ocean to move across the floor and the sound of the waves and birds to gently fill the senses and you have a tropical meditative experience. This practice reminds us to slow down and take time away from vigor, allow time for alignment, and allow breath to fully fill the body. Isn't that what vacation is all about?
Sami, Yoga Teacher, Anchorage, Alaska. October, 2017
Excellent Post-Surf Yoga Session
My boyfriend and I spent 2 weeks in Sayulita in November 2014 and were lucky to find Carmela's classes our first week. We attended 4 of her classes (Tuesday & Thursday at the open air Hotelito Los Suenos) and wanted to pass on our recommendation. I am an experienced yogi and was looking for the perfect post surf-class. Carmela's class is hatha based and each class is unique. She starts each class with a theme to think about, as well as a focus for the asanas. For example, one class may be a focus on shoulders and hips which are typically the areas of stiffness and stress post surfing. Carmela is an absolute professional with so many branches of knowledge in the body and mind to offer, it was a pleasure having her guide our practice. I found the poses quite challenging as they were held for long enough to work deep into the body.
My boyfriend is a 6'3" muscular build and he also found the classes challenging yet the perfect remedy to cure the sore spots after a long day on the water. The cherry on the top was her use of the crystal singing bowls. She would strike and play them thoughout class, each one resonating with a different chakra. At the end she plays them through savasana and the tones dance with your energy channels and calm the mind. Thanks again Carmela for sharing your positive energy with us and creating an inspiring practice! Until next time! :)
Darah, Edmonton, British Columbia, Canada, November, 2014
Pure Bliss
I have attended Carmela's slow Hatha Yoga over the past year and it has always been a great treat. The class is always well balanced and I love how she incorporates kundalini breathing and the use of mudras. Her playing the crystal bowls throughout the class is very therapeutic and relaxing. I also had the pleasure of attending one of her irest yoga nidra workshops which was a new yoga experience for me. It was an incredible journey that brought a deep sense of peace and relaxation to me, I would highly recommend it. Carmela is a very gifted teacher that Sayulita is lucky to have, her classes have enriched my experience here greatly:)
Janna, Mexico, October, 2013
Eye Opening Experiences!! Discovering Integrative Yoga and Yoga Nidra
Carmela is amazing! She is so tuned-in, and I'm not just talking about the sound of her beautiful crystal bowls!
I work in television and came to Sayulita expecting to go, go, go ... power yoga, SUP, hikes, etc. Instead I tore the ligaments in my ankle one week prior to the trip, and was quite frustrated. Despite being forced to be still, I couldn't resolve it in my head to slow down. Then I went to Carmela's Integrative Yoga Class at Hotelito Los Suenos. I was amazed at her energy, her words, the true power I felt so good attending the class, even while having to modify all of the poses.
Still unable to relax, yet forced to with my injury, I reached out to Carmela to try her private Yoga Nidra session. I had never tried it, had no idea what to expect. But this journey opened my eyes, my heart, my body, my mind... A complete exploration through all the koshas. Carmela is intuitive, intense, insightful, involved in every moment. She guided this process, but through my words and feelings. I truly appreciated how much energy she put into the entire session. I know now that Yoga Nidra is a healing tool, I can see it as a powerful enhancement and supplement to meditation. I look forward to continuing a path of self awareness now that I am home. And will not forget the encouraging, healing introduction to this process Carmela gave me.
Jennifer, San Francisco, CA, November, 2014
Perfect Yoga Class for Active Bodies and Busy Minds!
The first time I walked into Carmela's class I was over-come by the sensation that I was in the right place at the right time. Carmela's teaching is truly a treat to the busy mind and active body. Though the lure of chocolate was what originally what attracted me to Carmela's Integrative Restoration Yoga Nidra Meditation Journey with Mexican Chocolate (who could resist?), I was surprised to find the experience profoundly healing, balancing and exactly what my athletic body needed. As the owner of an eco-lodge and an avid SUP surfer, life is busy, active and rarely relaxing. I was delighted by how quickly Carmela's iRest Yoga Nidra brought me to a state of deep relaxation, allowing me to release tension and revitalize every cell in my body. When my stress levels are high I know that it's time to head to Carmela's Yoga Nidra workshop!
Alternatively, for days when my body is craving more stretching, movement and deep breathing, I love Carmela's Slow Hatha Yoga class. This class is medicine for my tight, sore, muscles and a wonderful reminder to calm my mind and open my heart.
Many fantastic yoga teachers have taught yoga at my eco-lodge and Carmela is truly one of the best.
Tamara Jacobi, Jungle Girl, San Pancho. Mexico, January,2014
Weekly Delight
I began attending Carmela's Slow Yo class at Hotelito Los Sueños several months ago. Carmela's evening classes are the gift I give to myself each week. They are a chance to slow down the mind, strengthen the body and open the heart.
I love the different hand mudras she teaches each week, and enjoy how each class allows us to set an intention and grow through a weekly practice. Carmela's classes are wonderfully designed to welcome all levels of yoga practice, from beginners to advanced students looking to deepen their yoga.
Cori Jacobs, San Pancho, February, 2014
Thank You, Carmela
I have been working with Carmela for six months, and she is really helping me with different yoga techniques according to my needs at each session. From slow yoga to improve my surfing, to yoga nidra to restore my health and balance. She has a unique vision of health with an impressive curriculum.
Dr. Diego Navarro, M.D., Sayulita, October, 2013
Opening to Spacious Awareness with Carmela
Carmela is an extremely gifted yoga teacher and iRest yoga nidra facilitator. I had the great pleasure of attending her Slow Hatha Yoga classes at Hotelito los Suenos last summer. Her soothing voice and the beautiful sounds made by her singing bowls allowed me to fully relax into the yoga postures.
Since I was recovering from a back injury, I was comforted by her extensive knowledge of the body and its limitations, and felt safe when she urged me to go at my own pace and make the yoga 'my yoga'. Each class ended with a guided meditation accompanied by the singing bowls, and each time I found myself relaxing completely and opening to spacious awareness.
Twice I visited Carmela at her private studio for iRest yoga nidra journeys. Again, her voice and the sounds of the singing bowls created a completely safe environment within which I was able to journey deep inside myself. Carmela worked through my dualistic thoughts, beliefs, and emotions with me, resulting in a very deep, intense release. The spacious awareness stayed with me for several days.
Romana, BC, Canada, July, 2014
