Casa Retreats
Meet the Team
/ the people who make Casa what it is /
Our People
Casa Retreats is held by a collective of creative minds, devoted guides, and grounded visionaries — each embodying our values of artistry, integrity, presence, and care.
Whether leading from the mat, shaping the visual world of Casa, or anchoring the experience behind the scenes — everyone who makes Casa what it is brings the same thing: full presence and genuine dedication.
Founder · Creative Direction
Lauren Coleman
/ the person behind Casa /
Lauren Coleman has been teaching yoga since she was sixteen, with more than fifteen years of experience across Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Bikram, Yoga Nidra, and retreat-based practice.
Before founding Casa, she worked in the corporate office of Chanel in New York City — developing a deep understanding of luxury, detail, beauty, and the craft of brand experience.
After years of teaching, traveling, and attending retreats around the world, Lauren noticed a gap. Places that were often beautiful, but experiences that felt hollow — too performative, too scripted, or built on the premise that people needed to be fixed.
Casa was created as something quieter. A retreat company rooted in thoughtful hospitality, nature-immersed homes, daily movement, meaningful meals, and an unhurried pace.
"Somewhere along the way, wellness became more commercial, more performative, and more focused on what people should do. Hospitality became more focused on what people should have. I became more interested in how people feel — and in creating spaces where beauty, movement, conversation, nature, and time could quietly do their work."
— Lauren Coleman, Founder of Casa Retreats
Head Facilitators
Guides on the Mat
/ decades of experience, present in every room /
Lauren Coleman
Founder · Senior Yoga Teacher
Alignment-forward teaching shaped by Vinyasa, Hatha, Bikram, Yin, Restorative, Hot Pilates, and Yoga Nidra. With fifteen years of practice and a senior teacher's instinct for pacing, Lauren leads with clarity, rhythm, and deep respect for the body — creating a room where every level feels held and challenged equally.
Danny Ciccolini
Movement & Recovery Specialist
Danny's work bridges strength, mobility, recovery, and mindful movement — drawing from functional strength training, Animal Flow, inversion therapy, breathwork, and cold exposure practices. As part of the Casa collective, his sessions complement the rhythm of each retreat — building sustainable wellbeing that extends well beyond a single week away.
Chris Olstrom
Lead Facilitator · Mexico & Costa Rica
16+ years of practice and teaching across Bikram, Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga, and Inferno Pilates. Chris brings structure, breath, playfulness, and mindful intensity to every room — including weeks at Art Villas Uvita and Casa Maya Ka'an, where guests return for the way his sequencing meets them exactly where they are.
Nicole Stumpf
Lead Facilitator · Mexico
25+ years of experience making advanced practice feel intelligent, accessible, and deeply supported — blending yogic philosophy with progressive sequencing. Nicole has guided Casa retreats in Mexico, bringing decades of practice to the morning and evening sessions at Casa Maya Ka'an with a quiet authority guests remember.
Creative Collective
The Quiet Architects
/ brand, objects, and the sensory world of Casa /
Casa Creative Collective
Beauty is not decoration. It is how something is held.
From the practice room to the table, from ceramics to scent — Casa is shaped by people who understand that every intentional detail is part of the experience.
La La Suarez
Artist & Creative Director · Mexico City
A multidisciplinary artist shaping Casa's visual language and object design through refined, intentional pieces rooted in material, memory, and place. Her work brings a quiet rigor to every Casa surface — from sculptural objects to the printed details guests carry home.
José Juarez
Artist & Product Development · Oaxaca
An interdisciplinary artist working across architecture, sculpture, ceramics, and functional design — helping Casa turn craft into genuine connection. José leads ceramics and hands-on workshops at Mexico retreats, where guests work alongside him in his Oaxaca-rooted studio practice.
Jonathan L'Épée Urbani
Photographer & Creative Director · France
Photographer, creative director, and native French speaker with deep local roots and over fifteen years shaping immersive travel experiences in France. Jonathan bridges storytelling, culture, and gastronomy — connecting Casa guests to French elegance, simplicity, and the country's mindful way of life.
Curious about a Casa retreat?
The best way to understand Casa is to have a conversation. A twenty-minute call to understand what you're looking for, answer any questions, and see whether Casa feels like the right fit.
Inquiries are usually answered within a day. — Lauren
Last updated · June 2026