Yoga for me has been a journey within, a practice of remembrance to our most connected self and an exploration deeper and deeper into our true essence: all loving, at peace and at home.

Claudia Gallo

Originally from San José, Costa Rica, Claudia Gallo (RYT-500) is a yoga teacher, retreat facilitator, and space holder with over a decade of experience studying, teaching, and guiding transformational experiences around the world. Her path has been shaped by years of travel and immersion in diverse cultures, with a strong foundation in Southeast Asia, India, and the United States.

Claudia completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in India at Himalaya Yoga Valley in 2011, followed by her 300-hour training in New York at YogaWorks in 2017. Throughout her journey, she continuously deepened her practice through workshops, mentorships, and ongoing study, always drawn to creative, integrative, and embodied ways of sharing the yoga tradition.

While her roots are in strong, alignment-based practices such as Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Hatha, Claudia’s teaching has naturally evolved toward slower, more intuitive, and restorative approaches. Her deep interest in healing modalities led her to explore Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, nervous-system regulation, sound healing, ceremonial work, expressive embodiment, creative writing, and art-based practices—all of which now form an essential part of her work.

After returning to Costa Rica, Claudia has been actively collaborating with yoga studios, retreat centers, and wellness communities, facilitating retreats, workshops, and special events designed to support reconnection, emotional integration, and inner balance. Her offerings are rooted in nature, ritual, creativity, and presence, creating spaces where people feel safe to soften, feel, and remember themselves.

With a background in sports and adventure, and as a third-generation instructor, Claudia brings both strength and sensitivity into her teaching. Her classes and sessions are well-structured yet intuitive, grounding yet expansive. She places special attention on clear alignment cues, breath awareness, and nervous-system safety, making her offerings accessible to beginners while still nourishing for experienced practitioners.

Claudia’s guidance is often described as calm, nurturing, and deeply present. Her voice and pacing invite students inward, creating an atmosphere of trust and ease. Whether guiding movement, stillness, sound, or creative exploration, she meets each group with authenticity and care, allowing space for each person’s unique process.

Committed to sharing wellness in an integrative, functional, and human way, Claudia believes that true transformation happens when we slow down enough to listen—to the body, the heart, and the wisdom already within. Through her classes, circles, ceremonies, and retreats, she invites others into a gentle return to balance, embodiment, and full trust.

Sessions & Experiences Offered

Yoga Classes

I offer a wide range of yoga styles, including Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga, Hatha, Yin, Restorative, and Yoga Nidra.

While I am well-versed in dynamic and structured practices, my signature teaching leans toward slow, mindful flow and deeply restorative, nervous-system-balancing classes.

My classes emphasize:

• Breath-led, intuitive movement

• Somatic awareness and embodied presence

• Safety, adaptability, and inclusivity for all bodies

• A balance between strength, softness, and inner listening

Each class is thoughtfully curated to meet the energy and intention of the retreat, whether grounding, revitalizing, or deeply restorative. I adapt seamlessly to the style and rhythm desired by the retreat center while maintaining a soulful, conscious approach.

Cacao Ceremony + Embodied Movement

A heart-opening ceremonial experience combining ritual cacao with a guided embodied movement and dance journey.

These ceremonies are designed to gently soften defenses, awaken intuition, and create a safe container for emotional release and reconnection.

Each journey may be:

• Thematically guided (elements, cycles, intention-setting, release, rebirth)

• Or open and intuitive, allowing participants to move what is ready to be felt

The focus is not performance, but presence—inviting participants to listen to their bodies, express authentically, and reconnect with joy, sensuality, and inner truth.

Sound Healing (Crystal Bowls)

A deeply immersive sound healing experience using crystal singing bowls, designed to calm the nervous system and invite profound rest.

These sessions support:

• Deep relaxation and stress release

• Integration after emotional or physical practices

• Meditation, Yoga Nidra, or restorative postures

Sound is used as a gentle guide into stillness, allowing participants to drop beneath the mind and access a state of harmony, clarity, and inner spaciousness.

Art Therapy & Creative Expression

Intuitive, process-based art experiences that invite participants to reconnect with their inner artist—no previous experience required.

Rather than focusing on technique or outcome, these sessions emphasize:

• Emotional expression and self-discovery

• Playfulness, curiosity, and release of perfectionism

• Symbolic exploration and meaning-making

Art becomes a mirror—revealing what words sometimes cannot—and a powerful tool for integration and insight.

Creative Writing & Journaling

A sacred, gentle space to reconnect with the inner voice through guided writing, journaling prompts, and visual or somatic meditations.

These sessions help participants:

• Access clarity and emotional truth

• Move through inner blocks or transitions

• Give language to what is already alive within

Writing is approached as a form of meditation and self-listening—raw, honest, and freeing—rather than something to perfect or edit.

Authentic Relating

Facilitated relational experiences that invite participants to connect with one another through presence, empathy, and grounded self-expression.

These sessions offer:

• Tools for conscious communication

• Practices for listening without fixing

• Safe exploration of boundaries, needs, and emotions

The emphasis is on slowing down, speaking from the heart, and cultivating deeper connection—with oneself and others.

Circles & Sacred Gathering

I facilitate different types of intentional circles, each held with care, respect, and emotional safety, including:

• Women’s circles

• Grief and loss circles

• Blessingway / rite-of-passage circles

These gatherings honor the power of community, shared humanity, and ritual. They provide a space where participants feel seen, witnessed, and supported—without pressure to perform or explain.