Azulfit Team
Our team is warm, experienced, compassionate and caring. Most importantly, they genuinely love what they do and care about your experience.
Whether new to yoga or Pilates, or an advanced practitioner, our teachers’ talent, warmth and passion will ensure that you are challenged and guided along your journey, on the right path, at a pace that’s right for you – from the very first step.
Founders
Jamie Isaac
Master Pilates Teacher
As a lifelong surfer, yoga lover, and Classical Pilates aficionado, Jamie founded Azulfit and Fluid Life Pilates Studio to share his passion for mindful movement and vibrant living.
A Peak Pilates® Master Instructor and Teacher Trainer, Jamie is also a 2nd Generation Master Pilates Teacher and one of the world’s pioneers in Pilates retreats, having designed and led transformative programs for over 17 years and counting. His retreats in Fuerteventura & Southern California attract students from around the globe, combining classical technique with a holistic, inspiring approach to wellbeing. He is a lifelong student of movement and wellness and is always developing our retreat offerings, alongside our teaching team, with your best experience at heart.
Driven by a deep belief in the power of mindful movement to change lives, Jamie’s greatest joy is witnessing the transformations—physical, emotional, and personal—of his students. When he’s not teaching, you’ll find him surfing, cheering on his kids in the pool, or sharing mindful movement online at Azulfit 365 and on Pilates Anytime.
Karissa Isaac
AZULFIT CO-FOUNDer
A geneticist by training, Karissa brings a deep understanding of the mind–body connection to everything she does. A passionate advocate for holistic wellbeing, she believes true health comes from balance—nourishing the body, calming the mind, and connecting to purpose.
Guided by this philosophy, Karissa co-founded Azulfit with Jamie to create a space where guests can experience genuine transformation through Pilates, yoga, and mindful living. She is a certified Reiki practitioner and also studied Ayurveda at the Dogwood Botanical School of Medicine.
Together, Karissa and Jamie have led retreats, events, and workshops around the world, sharing their belief that wellness should be accessible, joyful, and sustainable.
A former America East record holder in the 200 Butterfly, Karissa’s love of water continues to shape her life. Now based in Carlsbad, California, she still finds ways to share health and presence in the pool—coaching young swimmers and inspiring others to move with intention.
Behind the scenes, Karissa oversees Azulfit’s guest experience, website, and marketing, and develops its stunning location retreats. Most importantly, she supports the Azulfit team—ensuring they have the care, inspiration, and guidance to make every guest’s retreat truly unforgettable.
Surya Retreat Team
Charlotte Mulvany
Yoga & Meditation Teacher
Charlotte started her journey with us as a young yogini and volunteer in 2012, a six month experience which quite literally changed her life.
Charlotte feels that everyone has the power to be strong, healthy and happy, whatever their age.
As a passionate, experienced yoga practitioner, studying as a therapeutic counsellor, she believes that sharing yoga within the focus and calm of the retreat environment can help each guest feel nurtured and inspired to connect with the seed of their potential, and flourish.
Using the tools of kindness, positivity and laughter she blends traditional yoga asana (postures) with modern concepts to develop skills, strength, and mobility and to leave guests feeling confident with a meaningful practice both on and off the mat.
As a long time student of yoga and anatomy, Charlotte loves to share both physical movement and meditation practices, supporting students to grow their practices and inspiring them to live mindfully with intentionality.
Her yoga classes are designed to empower and energise and leave students feeling great in their body as well as with renewed calm and clarity.
Charlotte loves the powerful energy of this incredible island and will guide and support guests through their retreat experience and beyond on their journey.
Jo Dombernowsky
Pilates Teacher & Nutrition Advisor
Jo Believes in the power of food and movement to improve health, boost energy and wellbeing. Jo has designed the menus at Azulfit. Jo loves sharing her passion and knowledge for nutrition with our guests and helping them experience the incredible energy that plant based food can bring.
Jo is also an experienced and passionate Pilates instructor. Students will leave her classes feeling inspired and more confident, as she supports each guest towards a deeper understanding of their practice, developing the skills to progress safely and quickly in their practice.
As an advanced practitioner and yoga teacher, Jo draws from a wealth of wellbeing and movement studies to be sure every class meets the needs and goals of every guest.
Jo also offers Pilates reformer classes which allow guests to enjoy variety in their movement practice whilst improving their core and lengthening and strengthening muscle.
An avid surfer, Jo has lived on Fuerteventura for many years and loves to share this beautiful island with her family and likeminded souls. She loves seeing the amazing progress of each guest within the retreat environment.
Tanya Özcerkes
Pilates, Movement and Meditation Teacher
Tanya guides with kindness, empathy, and joy, bringing a calm and uplifting presence to everything she does.
Whether she’s leading a Pilates class or a soundbath, she approaches each moment with professionalism, intention, and care. Her teaching blends technical expertise with a heartfelt connection, helping every participant feel supported, challenged, and inspired.
Beyond the studio, Tanya is an integral part of our hosting team, ensuring that every aspect of your retreat experience—from the classroom to your guest room—is seamless, thoughtful, and filled with love. Her dedication to creating a nurturing, welcoming environment makes each visit to Surya Retreat truly special.
Lindsey Todd
Yoga & Meditation Teacher
Lindsey’s love of yoga began 20 plus years ago. When she found herself in New Zealand surrounded by a group of high vibing Yogis, her whole world changed.
Discovering how yoga could positively change her own life, over 20 years ago, Lindsey’s journey of self development lead her from being a caring registered nurse to become a yoga teacher.
With her nursing background, Lindsey has a unique and insightful way of observing each student’s body, along with their physical and emotional needs.
Understanding that every body is different with different challenges, her heartfelt, loving and kind approach helps all students feel nurtured, seen and safe.
Lindsey leaves guests feeling confident to progress and supported, as each student is empowered to create space in their body and mind, ready to deepen their personal practice.
With an open and warm character, Lindsey enjoys connecting with all students, open for a chat or to talk through any questions about their practice or personal yoga goals.
Lindsey shares both flow yoga classes and deep, blissful yin yoga classes. So be ready to feel safe, supported and nurtured whilst feeling inspired to take your yoga practice deeper.
Gary Solomon
Customer Service & Business Manager
Gary is a real team player and helps with many aspects of the Azulfit experience, always bringing a healthy sense of humour along with care and support to his role.
Gary left his corporate job in the UK to join the Azulfit team, adding his much-welcomed experience working for a large UK tour operator to the Azulfit mix.
Gary will support you through your booking experience, and will make sure you have all your questions answered and information at hand to help you feel at ease and excited about your upcoming stay with us.
Not just a quick mind, Gary loves cycling, triathlons and SUP. He can often be found out on his bike or catching some waves on his paddleboard, making the most of the beautiful island that he now calls home.
Rakel Garcia
Retreat Manager + Guest Care
Rakel studied tourism in Bilbao and has a love for sharing the island and wellbeing with our guests. She is passionate about animals and loves horses, also having studied equine tourism. She ensures our team are looked after with professionalism, compassion and care and this allows our team to care for our guests!
She is mom to two and has a brand new baby, and family is very important to her. She is fluent in Spanish and English and also speaks French, Italian, German and Basque!
She is a very important part of our operations team, heading up our staff development and HR, to ensure we are always providing the best experience for not only our guests but our staff as well.
She hopes you will enjoy your stay with us at Surya retreat!
Vicky Przybylska
Guest Experience Manager
Vicky brings warmth, energy, and a love for hospitality to Surya Retreat.
Originally from Poland, she combines her passion for creating welcoming experiences with her dedication to making every guest feel truly cared for. A loving mom, Vicky delights in sharing her enthusiasm for wellbeing, comfort, and personalized service with everyone who visits.
At Surya Retreat, Vicky plays a key role in our guest experience, ensuring each stay is meaningful, memorable, and filled with personal touches that make you feel at home. Her kindness, attention to detail, and joyful spirit make every visit special.
We’re lucky to have Vicky on our team, and she looks forward to helping you make the most of your time at Surya Retreat!
Paul ‘Gecko’ Birchmore
Project & Site Development
From the very start of Azulfit Gecko has been part of the retreat family, helping with projects on the original location and sharing time as an integral part of the community.
He has a real love for nature and brings this passion to the Azulfit gardens, creating the amazing grounds and spaces for every guest to experience and enjoy.
He keeps the site running beautifully and is always creatively planning on ways to bring new experiences or beautiful spaces for guests to share.
His love for nature and animals extends even to diving with sharks, as well as his primary love of football!
Miro Bogar
Kitchen Manager
Miro is a warm, experienced and caring leader who works with his team to ensure that our guests experience the amazing tastes of the Azulfit cuisine, but that they also have all the energy they need to enjoy the retreat experience.
Always with time for both his team mates and every guest, Miro is a wonderful member of the team.
Marco Onori
Plant based COOK
Marco has been working as a cook and in gastronomy for more than 10 years. He is kind, organized, efficient and always has a smile or encouraging word for everyone.
He has the magic touch with flavours and cares deeply about his work, his family and our guests. We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with Marco!
Roberto Taylor Valenzuela
Kitchen Assistant
Robert is a kind caring and gentle soul, always there to greet you with a smile.
He does so much for our team, big and small, from filling the kitchen with song and smiles to ensuring all of our supplies are in stock to cook the most delicious meals.
He is a genuinely wonderful human and when he is not in the kitchen he is either surfing (he is an incredible surfer!), working on projects at home and raising his amazing daughter who he is very proud of!
Carola deGenst
Guest Care
Loves working within the calm and tranquil retreat setting making sure every guest has all they need, creating a clean, caring and calming environment.
Carola has live on Fuerteventura her whole life, and although she’s spent time away from the island, she has always returned. She now lives here with her family spending time with her daughters and sharing the island lifestyle.
She loves the island’s beaches and being in the ocean, and has a passion for free diving in the crystal waters.
Carola brings a smile to her work and loves to bring happiness to every guest by making their experience a comfortable, and relaxing one.
Rosana Pardo
Guest Care
Rosana always goes above and beyond to deliver excellent guest care, and works hard to support her team. She is kind and thoughtful and always puts her best into the experience so guest comfort is at the heart of each experience.
Azulfit Guest Instructors
Erika Godzsak
Fitness Instructor and Marketing
Erika has a passion for all things fitness and wellbeing and brings her wealth of experience to support our team at Azulfit!
Erika brings her energy, organizational skills, and passion for wellness to Surya Retreat seasonally. Having lived in London for many years managing a busy restaurant, she thrives in fast-paced environments and knows how to create seamless, memorable experiences.
At Surya Retreat, Erika can lend her talents to many areas – as a fitness instructor, marketing support, and guest experience lead, ensuring every visitor feels welcomed, cared for, and fully supported throughout their stay.
We’re thrilled to have Erika on our team, and she looks forward to helping you make the most of your time with us at Surya Retreat!
Rachel Blunt
Guest Yoga Teacher
Rachel loves to encourage playfulness and wonder within her yoga practice, her classes and life. She is a highly experienced teacher, hosting her own retreats, teaching and exploring the world.
Rachel’s commitment to empowering those around her is inspirational and her ability to form lasting and genuine connections with people and raise them up is a true gift.
You can expect to practice anything from Hatha to Vinyasa to Yin to Partner Yoga and all with a few giggles along the way.
Andrea Everingham
Guest Yoga Teacher
Andrea is the founder of OneYoga Studio in Manchester and one of the UK’s finest and most fun teachers.
With her natural and empathetic teaching style and infectious enthusiasm, Andrea is a perfect fit to join the Azulfit team. She delivers a fun and accessible practice for all levels, yet always with a depth and authenticity that allows all levels of practitioner to feel challenged, yet safe and supported.
Naturally approachable and caring, her passion is to bring the joy and release of yoga to her students. Her captivating, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed approach continues to attract a strong following of committed yogis both in her studio and through retreats across the globe.
Sarah Warman
Guest Yoga Teacher
Sarah is a true child of the world. With a passion in life to travel, meet new people and experience as much as possible, making her classes feel rich, authentic, nourishing and empowering. As well as traveling and teaching yoga, you can also find her beautiful Mandala artwork on My Mandala Yoga.
With a depth of experiences that have given her a broad love for the planet, its wonderful people and a better understanding of our interconnectedness Sarah loves helping people feel supported and encouraged to reach for their best potential.
Sarah believes that vitality is paramount and loves to share with others how to explore more healthy, sustainable ways of living. She loves how the power of yoga connects the mind, body, breath and spirit. Sharing both traditional flow and deep nourishing yin practices, classes with Sarah are fun, explorative leaving guests feeling nurtured, calm and confident to discover their own vitality.
Helen Clough
Yoga & Meditation Teacher
As a young traveling dancer, Helen has lived a vibrant and exciting life and brings. these experiences with her warmth and understanding to every class and practice.
Helen. believes yoga is a place to reconnect with our body in a freeing, liberating, creative, fun and playful way. With a love for vinyasa flow, and Jivamukti, she also loves to share the healing power of yin and restorative yoga, to leave every guest feeling confident and empowered to develop their practice. Classes with Helen will connect you with yourself as well as leave you feeling supported and belonging to the greater yoga community.
Jigyasa Shiv
Yoga & Meditation Teacher, Teacher Trainer
Jigyasa is a really fun and authentic teacher of yoga. She has turned her love of learning into a lifelong pursuit, and loves sharing this with her students.
Jigyasa is a Traditional Yoga Teacher and Energy Therapist with a Modern twist.
Originally born and trained in India, Jigyasa has been living on the beautiful island of Fuerteventura teaching Yoga and practicing Energy Therapies. Classes with her will help you heal your Body, Mind and Soul and connect better with your inner-self. Her classes provide a good mix of Chanting, Pranayama, Asana and Meditation.
Jigyasa strongly believes that Each body is different and dedication can bring in great results.