• Thomas:  What is your name, where do you come from, and for how long have you been living in Ibiza?

  • Opale: My name is Opale, born in France, and I travelled the world and spent many years in India. In 2005 I decided to grow roots and choose the idyllic island of Ibiza.

  • Thomas : What brought you to ibiza? Does the idea that ibiza is an exceptional location for healing/self-discovery resonate with you? Is this something you experienced yourself? feel free to elaborate.

  • Opale: I discovered the island in 1988, immersed myself in “the Summer of Love” and fell in love with the sense of freedom inherent to the island. Ibiza is known to be a Scorpio island, you hate it or you love it, and it rejects or welcomes you. No in-betweens. For me, it was the beginning of a long journey towards self-inquiry, self-discovery, a journey that still lasts and now coming closer to realise what is present beyond “the Self”…

  • Thomas: How did you start on your path to the vocation you have today?

  • Opale: It started during one of my first trips to India, in 1995, I encountered Yoga and I got rapidly hooked on a very regular practice, that transformed not only my physical body (flexibility, strength..) but also my emotional and mental bodies, as well as the more subtle energetic body.

  • Thomas: Were there significant moments or experiences that led you to want to help people to improve their lives?

  • Opale: The transformation that I experienced myself gave me the determination to continue and later the impulse to share this powerful gift with other human beings.

  • Thomas: Can you describe what drives you to want to help people? What motivates you to do what you do?

  • Opale: I often say that the Yoga practice is not a sport, it is not about competition, not with others, nor with yourself. It is a spiritual practice that uses physical postures or Asanas, to get you to be more present, be conscious of your breath, your sensations, emotions, and thoughts, and accept them. A meditation in motion, so to say. And to share those tools to get people to become more peaceful, calm, and content, is a constant pleasure that fills my heart with immense joy.

  • Thomas: What did you do before you started on the path of healing/helping others? How did that affect/inform the work that you do today?

  • Opale: I was mostly a traveller, a globe trotter for many years, and loved to immerse myself in different cultures, to see the world from their point of view. I discovered there are such big differences in considering “reality” as there are in cultures. In India, I saw more joy and innocence within considered poor countryside people than I ever encountered in Europe. It gave me the hint to investigate: where does sincere happiness come from?

  • Thomas: What methods do you practise? Or what do you offer to your students?

  • Opale: I practised during many years Iyengar Yoga, and Astanga Yoga series, to find more freedom since 2005 in less rigid styles such as Vinyasa flow Yoga, for instance, Hatha Flow, or Sukhita Yoga. I also really like to include Pilates exercises in the classes, as they combine so well.  I often teach Yogilates, a mix of Flow Yoga and Pilates, very intertwined you won’t even know the difference between both practices, as they are tailored intuitively to suit the body best. I also really like to include Pranayama, breathing techniques, and Meditation, as well as restorative Yoga. So the lessons can be tailored for everyone, from total beginners to more experienced practitioners.

  • Thomas: How long have you been practising each? Do you integrate and mix them when working with your students or perform separately?

  • Opale:  I usually starts with Pranayama, and Meditation, then I mostly intertwine Pilates core exercises into the Flow Yoga practice and conclude with a couple of restorative Yin poses. Flow Yoga/ Pilates/ restorative Yoga/ Pranayama/ Meditation can be taught separately, or mixed together depending on the wish and interest of the students. I always adapt the lessons according to the abilities, ailments and wishes of the students.

  • Thomas: Are there any trainings, practices, or teachers that were/are particularly significant to you? If so, which, and what sort of principles/lessons have had such an impact for you?

  • Opale: I was first very influenced by Gérard Arnaud, the French man who introduced Vinyasa Flow in France in the 70s. Then By Hugh Poulton, creator of Sukhita Yoga method, along with his wife Sarah Haden. Along the way I was inspired by Christine May, Prana Flow, And more recently Diana Naya, Fonctionnal Vinyasa. I love to explore and investigate new techniques, new ideas… I believe there is no definite truth or stagnant knowledge. Life is in perpetual movement and so is my learning process. I am not afraid to deconstruct to reconstruct afterwards; to abandon old habits, if they don’t prove efficient anymore. I don’t put anybody above the rest of us, I question. I trust my intuition and invite my students to do the same and learn to take responsibility for themselves.

  • Thomas: Do your offerings take the form of repeat sessions? One off or both?

  • Opale: Because of a long-term experience in various forms of Yoga, 28 years in 2023, I offer tailored sessions, depending on each individual’s experience and body flexibility and injuries. The lesson can last from 1 to 3 hours. The most common length is 1h30. If a group of sessions are booked, we can explore various themes, such as during a retreat.

  • Thomas: What does your typical client look like? Do you find yourself drawn to work with similar types of people? For example of a certain gender, age range, with specific issues, or at similar points in their life? Or do you find a certain type of person or people with certain types of ailments are especially drawn to you?

  • Opale: My students are mostly women between 30 to 70 years old. All ailments can be attended to. Though lower back, shoulder, and hip issues, are the most common in my students.

  • Thomas: How would you describe what you offer the people you work with, What sort of outcomes do you aim to achieve with a person if any? What sort of results could a typical student expect from working with you over a period of time? In other words, how do you help people?

  • Opale: The feedback I get from the students is that they feel more present, conscious and accepting of themselves. They often mention feeling taller, joyful and calmer at the end of the session. They breathe better. And feel lighter in their body and minds. Over a period of time, my students learn to centre and ground themselves, to balance their emotions with more ease. I also talk about values during the lessons, like integrity, responsibility, authenticity and adaptability, which can be used in personal daily life.

  • Thomas: Can you give an example of really positive outcomes you have had with a student? Why they come to you, what benefits they receive and what changed for them as a result?

  • Opale: best to read extracts from Tripadvisor:

  • Tom: Opale is the best teacher we came across simply because she is very grounded and attuned to the technical aspect of the body.

    She has suggested a daily exercice for a back pain I have and it feels much better now! She is also very flexible in terms of style and content you want to do during the sessions.
    Her private class are great and she adapts to every person easily.

  • Simon: From improving us on the basics to helping us practice some of the more difficult positions

  •  M.Y: Although she is foremost a yoga teacher, Opale has also a great knowledge about Pilates and offers excellent classes. Every year we are looking forward to see her again and work on our core

  • Louise: the teaching is Inclusive for all levels, sensitive, but gently encouraging you to get out of your comfort zone and have a go. The meditative side of her teaching was also wonderful with a lot of time spent on the breathing side of yoga

  • Nick: Opale is incredibly knowledgeable and professional in her approach and a superb mentor. Within a matter of days my technique, appreciation of yoga, meditation and pilates skills improved immeasurably. Furthermore, thanks first and foremost to Opale it was an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding experience.

  • Thomas: Is there any advice you would give to somebody who is at the beginning of their self healing journey, or who wants to become a practitioner themselves that would have helped you when you were in the beginning of yours?

  • Opale: My advice is: practice, practice, practice. The results are bound to come.