Diving Into Her True Self: The Story of Carolina Benzi
The Island’s Calling: Carolina Benzi is one of the most respected names in yoga Fuerteventura today. However, long before earning that reputation, she was someone else entirely: a researcher, an academic, a woman with a scientific mind and a heart quietly searching for something deeper.
Today, Carolina is a senior yoga teacher and teacher trainer, co-founder of NALU: Mind Body Surf, and director of Nereya Yoga School. However, her journey began long before any of these titles existed. This is her story.
A Seeker’s Genesis
From Carolina’s words:
“There was a moment when I looked in the mirror and said, ‘I want more. I want to feel alive, to live immersed in Nature.’ I left behind the academic path I’d been shaping, packed my bags, and headed to India. It was a leap into the unknown, away from safety but towards my true self. What felt like a free fall at the time has turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Her First Teacher: The Ocean
Carolina’s path to yoga did not follow the usual route. From a young age, her first contact with breathwork and meditation came unconsciously, through freediving, which has been part of her life since childhood. Long before she knew the formal practices of pranayama and mindfulness, the ocean had already begun teaching her how to breathe and how to quiet her mind.
From Academia to Mat
Carolina holds a BA in Modern Languages and an MA in Cultural Studies and Policy. As a result, her early career led her towards academia, where she specialised in Cultural and Gender Studies and worked as a university researcher. Meanwhile, her personal yoga practice deepened, rooted first in Ashtanga Vinyasa and Gosh traditions, before eventually finding its way to non-dual tantric traditions and Swami Rama’s lineage.
The Shift
However, something did not add up. As her practice grew, Carolina began to feel an increasing disconnect between the academic world and her spiritual seeking. Her days felt endless, split between studying yoga, teaching, working at university and freelance work. Eventually, she made a choice: she left academia to follow her true calling.
Freelancing and Forging Her Own Path in Fuerteventura
“With time, practice and the invaluable support of mentors, I became first a teacher, and then a teacher trainer. I’ve completed over 1000 hours of training in Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Meditation, Philosophy and Yoga for Pregnancy.”
This decision changed everything. Carolina moved to the Canary Islands and opened a surf and yoga school with her partner, close enough to the ocean to keep practising freediving alongside teaching. That project eventually grew into NALU: Mind Body Surf, based in El Cotillo, Fuerteventura.
A Rich Lineage
Her teachings draw from a rich lineage blending classical and modern Hatha Yoga, non-dual Tantra and Advaita Vedanta. Along the way, she has studied under respected teachers including Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Sudhir Rishi and Chrissie Chung, among many others. Each of these teachers has shaped her integrative approach, where body, mind and spirituality remain in constant dialogue.
More Than Yoga: A Bridge Between Cultures
Carolina’s connection to language runs just as deep as her connection to yoga. With her academic background in Modern Languages and years spent living, working and travelling across different cultures, she also teaches Italian, English and Spanish, both to individuals and within corporate wellbeing programmes.
Two Ways to Connect
For Carolina, language and yoga are not so different. Both are tools for connection. Both ask you to slow down, listen and truly show up. Whether on the mat or in conversation, her approach always centres on building genuine confidence and connection.
Yoga Fuerteventura, Now Online
Today, Carolina teaches yoga almost entirely online, through her Online Yoga Studio, making her practice accessible to students far beyond the island itself. This did not happen by accident. Instead, it reflects her belief that yoga should reach people wherever they are, not only those lucky enough to live nearby.
To learn more about her story and her approach, you can read her about Carolina page.
A Teacher of Teachers
Carolina’s commitment to yoga extends beyond her own practice. As director of Nereya Yoga School, she now leads Yoga Teacher Trainings, inviting others to go deeper into their own study, whether they wish to teach or simply understand yoga on a more profound level.
“I balance my roles as a yoga teacher, entrepreneur and D&I consultant, continuing to foster wellness in both individual and corporate spheres. My academic background continues to shape how I approach teaching, with a deep appreciation for critical thinking and a foundation of rigour, ensuring that everything I share is rooted in knowledge and sincerity.”
A Life Rooted in Practice in Fuerteventura
Carolina Benzi’s journey, from academic researcher to a leading voice in yoga, is a story of following an inner call, even when it meant leaving behind what felt safe. Her teaching reflects exactly that: rigorous, honest and deeply human.
As Carolina continues to guide students through yoga, both online and in person, she invites everyone to slow down, breathe, and rediscover what it means to feel truly alive.
“I believe in embodying wisdom through yoga, movement and nature.”
