The best thing about being a yoga teacher is that you get to connect with people, and share the magic of yoga!

Here is what some of my participants over the years have to say about their experiences.

PRIVATE RETREATS (Fuerteventura):

I used to practice yoga with Nina in Tahiti 7 years ago, and it has been so nice to practice again and discover at the same time beautiful  El Cotillo in Fuerteventura, an other island which makes this place also so special. I reconnected with Nina after several years and it has been even more extraordinary. I haven't been able to find a person so careful and so acute to teach you "your" special yoga, because Nina can see exactly what kind of asanas, sounds and more yo need.

Thank you so much for those very special moments which make such goodness to your spirit and mind, but also your body of course. Even my 2 children, 16 and 20, loved it.

Loana (Private yoga lessons)

As a beginner, I was very excited to have 1:1 yoga sessions with Nina. She is a great master of yoga that can combine different styles depending on the level and personal needs. She was very inspiring, patient and kind.Clearly explained to me all poses, corrected me when necessary and answered all my questions. I would highly recommend Nina for everyone who is interested in practicing yoga.

Irane (Private Surf and yoga retreat 2022)

Nina is a very passionate yoga teacher who loves to share her passion for yoga and its philosophy. I really enjoyed the way she mixes the practice of the asanas with discussions about the meaning of yoga or even the myths around it.

As soon as you enter Nina’s yoga studio, you feel that the fluctuations of the mind and the external world have been quieted. And soon you will learn that this is what yoga is about. Nina is very passionate yoga teacher who loves to share her passion for yoga and its philosophy.

Nina’s approach to yoga is a good mix of practices and discussions about the meaning of yoga that will make you want to learn more. I found that going to private classes is an excellent way to go deeper and improve your practice in a caring and also fun environment!

Remi (Private lessons/retreat 2021,2022,2023)

I can only recommend Nina’s private yoga classes to anyone interested in yoga. There is no better individual coaching anywhere else. Thank you Nina for your great personality. As a yoga teacher you are unbeatable. Keep it up. I have learned a lot from you and you have been a great companion on my yoga journey. I hope I don't forget everything and can take a little more peace and serenity with me into my everyday life.

Rarely have I felt as comfortable in an accommodation as in yours. It is a beautiful, relaxed and peaceful place. The decor is beautiful and the roof terrace is a dream. Nina as a host is also great, helpful and always trying to make sure everything goes wellI will definitely come again.

Namasté.

Rabea (Private yoga and surf retreat 2021 & 2022)

“Enfin je suis en PAIX/ Finally I am at PEACE”

Un temps de pause, un temps pour moi, une retrouvaille de mon être perdu ... une enveloppe, une carapace qui s’est formée petit à petit au fil des années et qui m’a isolée du monde de lumière et de ma lumière intérieure.

Une carapace qui s’est fendue à mon premier voyage pour laisser entrer une lumière si chaude, si belle si enveloppante....

Un retour pour continuer ce chemin vers ma lumière, avec des doutes, des craintes sur mon aptitude à être seule avec moi même.... à pouvoir franchir cette carapace et m’ouvrir à la beauté de la vie....à pouvoir faire entrer cette lumière pour pouvoir ressentir ma beauté intérieure...

Au fil des jours, mes doutes s’estompent... mes yeux baigner de larmes aperçoivent enfin la lumière, nettoyés des filtres que je m’étaient imposés.

La pratique du yoga m’apaise, me recentre, me fait me sentir en Vie... je suis si bien dans ce corps et mon esprit est si léger, délesté des ses pensées parasites qui n’ont fait que m’anesthésier depuis tant d’années ... je me pose, je fais le vide, je me recentre dans ce corps que j’ai ignoré, détester et mépriser depuis tant d’années...

Je vis une expérience de bien être absolu avec moi -même: enfin je suis en PAIX .

Grace à Toi Nina, à ton accompagnement spirituel et pratique je revis!

English: A time to pause, a time for me, a rediscovery of my lost being... an envelope, a shell which has formed little by little over the years and which has isolated me from the world of light and from my light interior. A shell that split on my first trip to let in a light so warm, so beautiful, so enveloping.... A return to continue this path towards my light, with doubts, fears about my ability to be alone with myself....to be able to cross this shell and open myself to the beauty of life....to be able bring in this light so that I can feel my inner beauty... As the days go by, my doubts fade... my eyes bathed in tears finally see the light, cleansed of the filters that I had imposed on myself. The practice of yoga soothes me, refocuses me, makes me feel alive... I feel so good in this body and my mind is so light, relieved of the parasitic thoughts that have only anesthetized me for so long. years... I ask myself, I empty myself, I refocus in this body that I have ignored, hated and despised for so many years... I live an experience of absolute well-being with myself: finally I am at PEACE. Thanks to you Nina, to your spiritual and practical accompaniment, I live again!

Sonia (Private Surf and Yoga retreat, 2021 & 2022)

"A Magic Week in Fuerteventura”

“Five years ago I was in great need of calm. After sleepless nights with small children and a hectic professional life, I was exhausted. Nina was teaching yoga classes in Oslo, which I had the chance to join. This opened up an entirely new world for me. Her way of talking about life, in combination with the physical practice of yoga (asana) gave me a new way of thinking. Five years after those classes in Norway, I went to visit Nina in Fuerteventura for a weeklong private surf and yoga retreat. I wanted to deepen my yoga practice and learn more. Nina does not only hold deep knowledge about alignment-based yoga, but also shares here knowledge about life, philosophy and a host of techniques to being comfortable and happy in your own skin and mind. She had planned the whole week down to the tiniest detail. As a beginner surfer, I got to learn about surf-technique as well as about the dynamics of the ocean and waves, and breath-hold (apnea) techniques for underwater. I felt safe in the ocean with Nina. I will never forget this week with Nina; and I will go back again! I highly recommend her!”

Maria (Private Surf and Yoga Retreat, November 2019)

°Our perfect November holidays at Fuerteventura…all thanks to Nina and El Cotillo”
Together with my boyfriend we needed a short break out of our hectic reality in Switzerland and we could have not dreamt about better place than Mandala Studio in El Cotillo. Great flat design and fantastic rooftop was only the beginning. The real magic started with the first private Yoga class with Nina. I was doing a little bit Yoga, but without a deep understanding what Yoga really is and how it can help me to understand who I am and what I need. Nina changed it all. Each lesson was a great journey into an Yoga world. At our last class, Nina told me that she always wishes herself that her Yoga students come back home and begin or end their day with a Yoga practice. And that is what exactly I started doing. I cannot imagine a week without me at my home at my new Yoga mate.

I have never met such a Yoga teacher as Nina is. And I think I will never find. That is why I am already planning when I will come back to El Cotillo to enjoy sun, waves and Yoga classes with Nina, this time everyday!°

Justyna (Private Yoga Lessons, November 2019).

"I came to Fuerteventura for one week with a desire to get some yoga practice and decided to sign up for 3 lessons with Nina. When we started… I couldn’t get enough and as it turned out, we ended up practicing everyday! I called it “Ninas week””. Nina gave me a new perspective of yoga – it completely changed my understanding of the practice. She was not only a perfect yoga teacher (warm, supportive but also challenging;), but someone, I could exchange and share life experiences with and simply talk about life… This was an unforgettable time. Thank you Nina for opening my eyes to the beauty of yoga and letting me experience it with you:)"

Ela (private lessons, June 2019)

“Having Nina as a yoga teacher (and as a host) has been wonderful. After a week of morning/evening (sometimes both) yoga classes with her, I can only be grateful for everything I have learned and the good energy I felt after Nina´s classes.

I really appreciate all the care she took in preparing the classes (both the physical and the philosophical part), highlighting not only the things I did right but also giving me tips to improve my practice and looking into detail in each posture we practiced in order to get the most out of it. 

I have been into yoga for some years now, but I have found it very difficult to find teachers with whom I can “connect”, feel comfortable and that make me feel that they actually care about my learning curve and the way I feel. I am so glad I found a teacher like Nina, and having her as a private teacher was delightful!!! I am already counting down the days to go back for another retreat :)

On another note, we made it a bit challenging for her, as it was not only me in the classes – my boyfriend (who had only practiced yoga twice before) came to all the classes with me, and Nina perfectly adapted all the sessions to both levels (and I got my boyfriend to finally start loving yoga as well!).

As for the studio, we were not planning to stay there at the beginning, but it was a great choice. The studio is very cozy and nicely decorated, and the huge terrace is perfect for chilling outside. Also, it is actually very handy having the classes 30 seconds away from home, as her yoga studio is just downstairs. In our opinion, this bit also made the whole experience more pleasant. 

To sum up… thank you Nina for your great energy, your wise lessons, your care and effort, and for making me love yoga even more than what I already did:)  and of course, I would recommend Nina 500% to any yoga-lover (and also to someone who is only curious about getting started with yoga), she is a great professional and a beautiful person.

Namaste,

Clara&Joan”

(Private yoga retreat April 2019)

“I just came back from a week of surfing&yoga at Nina's – a great experience.

Being an absolute beginner in both, surfing and yoga, I expected more or less a hard time with the schedule - the plan was few hours of surfing and a yoga session every day (think sore muscles, feeling clumsy, struggling all the time etc; I have experience with many other sports so I know how frustrating the first steps in a new physical activity can be).

However, Nina has been an excellent, reasonably demanding guide and also excellent motivator, so any frustration of mine has been kept to minimum. Also a friend of mine, who is moderately experienced in both surfing and yoga, had a great time (Nina's reasonably demanding guidance was on a somewhat different level for him).

Additional bonus was that all arrangements were super easy because we stayed at the loft apartment in Nina's house.

The verdict: five stars.”

Alesh (Private yoga and surf retreat May 2019)

SURF AND YOGA RETREATS

“Half of the reason why we booked this particular surf and yoga camp was actually Nina, that is, what we have read about her on the web. And we were not mistaken, it was even much better than we had expected. One of the best vacations that we have ever had. Unfortunately very short... 

We had two yoga sessions a day, one in the morning, one in the evening, and four hours of surfing in-between. We were also a bit lucky, only four of us in the group.

The morning sessions were "to wake you up", not too tough, but also not too easy. The evening sessions were more relaxing, meditation oriented, and we could not think of a better way to end the day.

Not only that Nina is an excellent yoga teacher with such a spirit you can not find often, she is also a very, very good surfer, prepared to help you on the water with her professional advices any time. (She used to be one of the best kite surfers in the world.)

When the famous yoga teacher B.K.S. Iyengar said: “The hardness of a diamond is part of its usefulness, but its true value is in the light that shines through it”, he might as well have had Nina in his mind...

To conclude: we just adore her. And we will be back there in El Cotillo (where she lives now) very soon.”

Lea and Bostjan (attended week-long yoga and surf retreat in Fuerteventura November 2018)

“ I LOVE IT!!! 

It was not only the whole package but the way you made us feel during the entire journey what I liked at most. I could spend time analyzing the retreat as a whole in a more „analytical way of thinking“ but it will never reach the „soft-way“ you made us enjoy it. I’ve never thought before that I could be so impressed and with so energies about joining Yoga in my life. I like the familiar touch you brought into it, even spending your free-time with us and trying to improve us. The passion which with you live yoga got into our souls and I was so impressed about how good Yoga can do to your body and soul.

Soooo…that would be my general feedback about the experience I got with you Nina. I can not say anything bad or wrong…it was awesome how it was and I loved it!

-Alberto (attended week-long yoga and surf retreat in Fuerteventura November 2018)

YOGA CLASSES

"I discovered yoga with Nina during my holiday to Fuerteventura. Her passion and life philosophy brought me a lot both spiritually and physically. Great moments and a meeting with a very nice person...I can't wait to return to the island for a weeklong retreat of yoga. Thanks again for those magic moments."

(Original text in French: "J ai découvert le yoga avec Nina lors de mon séjours a fuerteventura, sa passion et sa philosophie de vie m’ont beaucoup apporté sur le plan spirituel et physique. Très bons moments, rencontre avec une très belle personne ... hâte de revenir sur ton île , pour une semaine de retraite totalement « yoga » .🙏 Encore merci pour ces moments magiques")

-Alexandra (attended semi-private classes in Fuerteventura, July 2018)

 "Nina is a teacher with her own style of practicing yoga. She is fabulous!!! Her classes are a mix of a physical and philosophical practice. She is passionate and transmits her knowledge. She corrects the postures and helps you achieve wellbeing. You would have to go to El Cotillo to find a teacher like her!! A big thanks. Added to that she speaks french perfectly. Each class is different depending on your mental and physical state. I left Fuerteventura enriched." 

(Original text in French: Nina est un professeur qui a sa propre pratique du yoga. Elle est fabuleuse !! Son cours est un mélange de pratique physique et philosophique...Elle est passionnée et transmet son savoir. Elle corrige les postures et vous fait atteindre le bien être. Il faut aller à cotillo pour trouver un professeur comme elle !! Un grand merci 😊. De plus la pratique de langue française est parfaite. Chaque cours est différent en fonction de votre état mental et physique. Je suis repartie de fuerteventura enrichie.)

-Sophie (attended semi-private classes in Fuerteventura, July 2018).

 "Hey Nina, thanks for the nice lessons; nice, strengthening and relaxing lessons and I also learned about the meaning of yoga and its terms, very happy about that! I really appreciate your exact eye for having the right position, there are a few poses I never did the right way and you showed us how to do it. I was really enjoying it and I hope to find similar classes in Switzerland.

-Luana (joined group classes in Fuerteventura, 2018)

 "Thank you so much for these wonderful yoga classes. I love your style of teaching, I learned so much in these 3 days. I love your workshop style and that you are so fully emotional into the yoga philosophy!"

-Marie, Vienna (joined group classes in Fuerteventura, 2018)

Dear Nina,
I finally found the time to write you a feedback and it‘s important to me to do this.
You‘ve introduced me to the world of Yoga and quite frankly I enjoyed it a lot! In my job I usually travel a lot: train, taxi, flight, hotel. In addition my working days are long. As much as I enjoy doing this job I can feel an imbalance both physically and psychologically. For quite some time I‘ve been thinking about how I could manage to bring back some balance to my life while maintaining this job that I love.
And I believe I might have found the answer. After your yoga classes I could literally feel a relief in mind, body and soul, that would last for days to come.

-Nick (joined classes in Fuerteventura, 2018)

"Considering whether you should set aside time to go to yoga and SUP (standup paddling) at Nina´s workshop? Put aside all doubts and open up to grant yourself some wellness. I did, and would recommend it to everyone (also those who have never practiced yoga or tried SUP- Nina is a attentive and considerate teacher.

 Aloha!"

-Lisa-Sophie L. (joined workshop and classes in Norway, 2014-2015)

"I practiced yoga with Nina from 2007 to 2011 in French Polynesia.  Nina was not my first mentor but she certainly has been the most meaningful.  I’ve been looking for a yoga class  where I live now, but none have suited me as well as Nina’s.  Thanks to her and the memory of her courses and her spirit, I still try to practice yoga on my own several times a week. Nina has even inspired me to share my own yoga with others!

Even if she is quite far away now that she has moved, her spirit is so strong that she is always close somehow.

My daughter and son also practiced yoga with Nina and several years after, they still talk about all the good times they shared with her and the other pupils, and about everything they learned from Nina.

Thanks Nina for sharing your spirit strength and especially the correct posture of every single asana.

Aloha, Iaorana, Maeva, Manava, Om, Namaste.

-Loana Viaud (joined regular classes for a period of 3- 4 years in Tahiti 2007-2011)

"Nina and I lived in the same village on Tahiti for a few years and even in this Polynesian paradise where smiles are the norm, she radiated a what I can only call an uncommonly strong, really good vibe. It was wonderful having Nina and her husband in our small community. I´ve been studying yoga since I was 19 and there were no yoga classes in our area of Tahiti so I was thrilled when Nina started teaching. My first yoga teacher (in the US) had been trained by Iyengar himself, so I didn´t think Nina´s classes would come to close to what I had experienced before- but they did!

Her yoga, like her life, is the perfect balance of activity and spirituality."

-Celeste B. (joined group classes for a period of 3-4 years in Tahiti, 2007-2011)

"The day that my path crossed yours, everything changed: I found myself, got in touch with my body, my life, and anything became possible! Thank you for everything you share.

-Elsa Michel (joined group classes in Tahiti, 2008-2010)

"With Nina, you get the best.  Her teaching brings your body and your mind  that feeling of wellness that everyone seeks. Yoga works on your body in a harmonious way, bringing you to the here and now.  The spirit of yoga helps you to appreciate your body and not to judge yourself even if the postures seem difficult. The yogique method of breathing makes you joyful. Yoga helps heal physical and mental wounds . 

I will never forget the sensations, and emotions, the feeling of total harmony of the body and the mind I felt during yoga practice with Nina. I practiced with her for a long time when I lived in Tahiti, and her teachings still help me when faced with difficulties in life."

-Helene Henry Meng. (joined regular classes for a period of 2-3 years in Tahiti, ca 2007-2010)