yoga & ayurveda
to find your way back home

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here.

I’m Eliza Coolsma, I’m originally from the Netherlands, lived in Madrid for 11 years and now live in Italy with my husband and 3 kids.

I’m a yoga teacher, yoga teacher trainer and owner & founder of The Natural Yogi with a background in Ayurveda and Vinyasa Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Pre- & Postnatal Yoga, Children’s Yoga and journalism.

I haven’t always felt at home in the ‘yoga world’. sometimes it felt a little empty.

As if some part of it was missing. Or: if I had to be a certain way in order to practice yoga (strong, happy, positive, etc.).

But there’s no prerequisite for yoga.

Just like birds, trees, oceans and stars, we too are an important part of this tapestry called life, just as we are, we have a purpose. We belong to Mother Earth.

So all of you is welcome here. There’s no fixing. Only remembering.
This is what I invite us to do on our mat.

CHOOSE YOUR PATH

  • practice

    Practice with me at any time. My ever growing Yoga Video library is full of classes, courses and trainings.

  • Study

    Dreaming of sharing yoga with others? Join my 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in Madrid!

  • Teach

    If you're already sharing yoga, I'm here to support you on your path. Mentorships help to evolve your practice & teaching.

  • ‘I have had the pleasure of co-teaching a teacher training with Eliza for the last 4 years and what struck me when I first took her class and still stands true is how fully she embodies so much of the wisdom of the yogic tradition. Eliza exudes a deep kindness that fills her students with a sense of love and support that allows deep transformation to arise. She is greatly knowledgable about Yoga and Ayurveda and presents them with depth and accessibility. To study with Eliza is to have your trust in humanity restored and to learn how to personalise and nourish yourself profoundly through the yogic practices.’

    Lucy McCarthy

  • ‘When I first started practicing yoga, I felt overwhelmed by the “yoga world.”  Then I found Eliza’s classes in 2018, and I learned that Eliza’s response is clear: look at what nature is doing.  Her breath-led, accessible Ayurvedic yoga classes profoundly changed how I practice (and now teach thanks to her guidance!)  She’s a teacher with many years of wisdom under her belt, yet is still always humbly learning more. She is a community builder and kind friend.  I’m looking forward to taking her classes and trainings for many many more years.’

    Sarah Terracciano, student & Teacher Training alumna

  • 'Practicing with Eliza is such a special experience. She makes you feel connected to her and others practicing - despite it being online and even at times recorded (as I am in a different time zone). Her classes feel organic, yet still so intentional; challenging, but with levels of modifications so we can meet on our mats where we are in that moment; she is so knowledgable, but she shares with us in a way that is so open and accessible. And most importantly to me-  she makes yoga JOYFUL!! It is a gift to meet her on the mat.'

    Joanne Grey, Hongkong

  • ‘Ever since I took my first class at The Natural Yogi over 3 years ago, I instantly found community. Eliza, all of the teachers and other students have been so welcoming and accepting from the start. I later took the 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2022 from which I learned so much and gained the confidence to start teaching. Eliza has been so supportive of me on my journey as a teacher through her mentorship program.’

    Rebecca Leffingwell. student , mentee & Teacher Training alumna

  • ‘Eliza is such a skilled teacher. She held the space for us masterfully and shared core principles of this thousands-years-old science in an accessible way.’

    Indre Velaviciute, Yoga Teacher Training & Ayurveda for Yoga Teachers alumna

  • ‘Eliza teaches in a very sensitive and holistic way. At the end of the course, it felt to me as if all the puzzle pieces of my own yoga knowledge were coming together and becoming a whole.’

    Marie Philipp, Ayurveda for Yoga Teachers alumna

‘When I first started practicing yoga, I felt overwhelmed by the “yoga world.”  Then I found Eliza’s classes in 2018, and I learned that Eliza’s response is clear: look at what nature is doing.  Her breath-led, accessible Ayurvedic yoga classes profoundly changed how I practice (and now teach thanks to her guidance!)  She’s a teacher with many years of wisdom under her belt, yet is still always humbly learning more. She is a community builder and kind friend.  I’m looking forward to taking her classes and trainings for many many more years.’

Sarah Terricciano, student & Teacher Training alumni

TRAININGS, CLASSES & RETREATS

  • How to Organise & Teach a Yoga retreat

    WORKSHOP FOR YOGA TEACHERS
    October 4 - 8-9:30pm

    In this 90 minute workshop, I’ll spill all the beans on how to plan a yoga retreat (and how not to ; ) from my experience of teaching yoga retreats for the past 12 years.

    You’ll walk away from this workshop with a clear plan for your next (or first!) retreat.

  • TUSCANY RETREAT

    YOGA & EMBODIED TOUCH RETREAT
    October 30 - November 3 2024

    Join osteopathic manual therapist Jonathan Ahladas & yoga teacher Eliza Coolsma for this 5 day healing retreat in the Tuscan hills. This unique retreat combines the wisdom of the ancient practice of yoga & Ayurveda with techniques that will allow you to re-establish the internal communication within the mind-body system.

  • Teacher Training

    200 hr TRAINING IN MADRID
    April - December 2024

    Do you feel the calling to humbly share the teachings of yoga with others? This comprehensive mindful, Vinyasa flow 200 hour teacher training co-taught by Eliza Coolsma and Lucy McCarthy who between them have over 25 years of teaching experience will give you a solid grounding in how to offer mindful, intelligent and transformative yoga classes.