YOGA RETREATS, PRIVATE SESSIONS & STUDIO CLASS TESTIMONIALS
Hear What Others Have to Say
The Women’s Empowerment Retreat was exactly what my soul needed, I left the retreat feeling inspired, confident and ready to take on my future. The retreat was everything I imagined a yoga retreat would be and more. I knew going into it that I was already going to love the yoga part of the retreat but what I didn’t expect was to benefit so much from the workshops! I am so grateful for all the inner work we did because I experienced many breakthroughs and learned so much about myself in the process. The beautiful location, the resort, the yoga classes, the food, meditations, journaling, free dancing, pranayama, excursions, bodywork and camaraderie … all of it was life changing.
Carole definitely overdelivered and lead this retreat from a place of experience and compassion. She is wise beyond her years and I always feel fully supported in her presence. Carole’s extensive training, knowledge and life experiences shine through in everything she teaches. Carole shows up for her students as a friend, an equal and a wise and humble teacher. Her authenticity inspires me to live my life from a place of acceptance and confidence too. Carole is a beautiful soul both inside and out and I don’t believe this retreat would have been as meaningful for me if it weren’t for her. I plan on implementing many of the practices she taught us and am excited to see where the next chapter of my life takes me.
Cindy Boes
Empowered: Women's Retreat, Tulum, Mexico 2021
I booked my Women's Empowerment Retreat hosted by Carole Frey at Amansala in Tulum on a whim and not knowing what to expect. I had no idea who Carole was, looked at the website for the resort maybe twice, and skimmed through the description on a random booking website. Is that risky? Yes. Was it worth it? 100x YES.
The resort itself was pretty awesome. I have stayed at a few different places in Tulum and this was by far my favorite. All of the staff (special shout out to Antonio and Carlos the tour guides and vibe keepers) were so nice and accommodating. It truly feels like you are apart of their family. They have two cute resident dogs well :). The grounds and rooms were beautiful and you can't beat the view! The included food was very healthy and delicious every time. They're are tons of activities available outside of the ones that are included with the package that you can add on as well as onsite spa services. 10/10.
The structure of the schedule couldn't have been better. There is a good balance of free time and activities. If you wish to have a little more free time or want to skip out on some things you are welcome to do so. (I would suggest taking advantage of all that is scheduled though!) The yoga classes were all different and I loved getting the opportunity to try new things outside of my regular practice. Carole goes above and beyond your typical vinyasa flow class.The workshops brought people to laughter, joy, and even tears. They were extremely powerful. There is also a healthy dose of meditation and breathing practices that I have been integrating into my daily life.
Carole is truly a top tier human. She brought all of the elements of an unforgettable experience together gracefully. She is also really fun and cool <3. I plan to attend her retreats in the future so hopefully I'll see you there! Long story short if you are thinking about pulling the trigger JUST DO IT.
Sable Grayson
Empowered: Women's Retreat, Tulum, Mexico 2021
Carole's Empowerment retreat to Tulum exceeded my expectations in every way! I signed up hoping for sun, beach, relaxation, meditation and daily yoga practices but got so much more. I was reminded during the trip how important self reflection time is, the value of seeking your purpose, and the true healing effects of meditation. Through Caroles morning and evening meditation sessions I was able to rediscover my own personal inner strength, as well as gain insight into how I wish to focus my efforts going forward with regard to life and business. I was reconnected with what is truly important to me and am now able to focus all of my energies working toward renewed personal goals. I will continue to use the meditation techniques that Carole taught us in order to reground myself and remain focused even back in the “real world”. I was also able to connect with and get to know 10 amazing, diverse, powerful women that I’m sure to remain in touch with in the future. And as for the sun, beach, and relaxation….the resort is beautiful, rooms are comfortable and spacious, the beaches are all white, fluffy sand, the food is fresh and healthy, and there is plenty of time for reading and relaxation :). I can’t wait to do it again!!!!!
Kimberly Lewis
Empowered: Women's Retreat, Tulum, Mexico 2021
This was a huge, scary commitment for me- with small children at home it seemed impossible to leave and to spend that amount of time and money on myself but I did it and I am so happy I did. It was such an amazing experience that I didn’t know I needed till I was there. Carole was absolutely wonderful!! She is such a beautiful soul, working with her was a delight. I would highly recommend taking a retreat with Carole, I can’t wait to go again.
Jenna Buehner
Empowered: Women's Retreat, Tulum, Mexico 2021
I loved the Empowered Women's Retreat lead by Carole. The retreat center was magical, the yoga shala where we practiced was open and faced the ocean as we did our morning flow. Carole was very knowledgeable in yoga techniques, self love practices, and empowerment practices. I learned so much about myself and the other women and really enjoyed our time together. I would highly recommend Carole's retreats, she really put a lot of love into every detail. xoxo
Amber Talmage
Empowered Women's Retreat, Tulum, Mexico
This past November, I traveled to Tulum, Mexico with Carole A.k.a. Free Spirited Wanderer. I was so grateful for this opportunity to connect with part of my culture and my roots which have long been left undiscovered.
The staff were so friendly, even remembering to bring out cream for my coffee when they saw me in the morning. I stepped out of my comfort zone snorkeling in the Grand Cenote, taking a salsa lesson and sharing my journaling thoughts with the group.
I find Carole ‘s yoga classes to be challenging yet easy to follow with her prompts. I want to thank Carole for creating the safe space for women, and what a beautiful group of women, to be able to talk freely,laugh with each other and cry with each other.
This retreat allowed me to expand my yoga practice beyond Asana. ❤️
Rachel Santiago
Empowered: Women's Retreat, Tulum, Mexico
If you are looking for a yoga teacher, life coach and are ready to change your life – look no further!
I recently completed a 6-week Ashtanga program with Carole and it was life changing! When I decided to do this program, I told Carole that I was looking for a practice that I could do every day. I also wanted more mental stability from the anxiety I was experiencing in my life. I had worked with Carole before and attended many classes at Melting Point, I had made yoga a priority and that was a turning point in my life for me. Something still felt like it was missing, like I wasn’t able or ready to embrace all that yoga had to offer and what it truly meant to practice yoga.
I am a busy mama of 2, working full time from home with my husband who also works full time. Our schedules are crazy, and Carole was so accommodating to what worked for us. I opted to have her come to the house to work with me, which was a 30-minute drive for her each way. Carole was never late! In fact, she usually arrived early and if we went over our 1-hour time slot and she felt I needed more from her, she would stay and make sure I received the time that I needed that day. This is what I mean by Carole is intentional. It wasn’t about the time we were spending together; it was about making sure her student felt fulfilled and ready for the next step in Ashtanga.
Within 1 week of working with Carole, I could feel a change within myself from the inside to the outside. My anxiety started to settle itself, I was at least able to talk myself down from an anxiety attack and follow breathe work that supported my nervous system. Once my body opened to Ashtanga and I was able to really do all of the binds and inversions, my whole attitude/outlook changed on a daily basis. I wake up excited to embrace the day and have zero fear of the possible anxiety I might meet during my day because I know I have control over my mind now. I have a more ‘go with the flow and accept things for how they are’ approach to life now, that is what these 6 weeks have done for me! Carole made it easy to embrace this program and yoga as a healing tool, not just exercise. Carole is so intentional and present with her time. Whether it was counting out Sun Salutations or Navasana for me while I focused on my breathe or it was a hands-on assist that my body completely needed and accepted – Carole was there to support me. Every phone call, every text, every time I needed her reassurance or her acceptance or her motivation, she showed up for me! I can’t brag enough about Carole as a teacher, coach and yoga instructor.
Carole didn’t just make my physical Ashtanga practice a priority to her, she made my spiritual and mental yoga practice a priority as well. Within the 6 weeks, we studied Ashtanga full primary series, 8 limbs of yoga, Ayurveda, meditation and breathe work. I realized quickly that all of these go hand in hand in a yoga practice. Once I released my ego and allowed myself to embrace all Carole had to offer and her coaching, my life began to flourish in every way.
Just like I chose to invest my money in Carole, she invested herself in me and in return changed not only my physical practice but changed me as a person! When I reflect on these 6 weeks, I feel so much fulfillment and gratitude. I feel proud of myself because I completed a training that is physically demanding but more than that, mentally and spiritually demanding – and I showed up for myself every day! None of this was possible without Carole. I tried for many years to create a yoga practice and breathe work practice for myself, nothing seemed to stick for me until I invested my time and money in Carole & Ashtanga.
Carole believes in badass women doing badass things, she believes in all living beings and embraces all cultures and people – she will inspire you to be better and work harder! Not only do I have a physical yoga practice that is kick ass, but I have a heart, mind and soul that know how to flow with me now too.
Thank you, Carole Frey, the freespiritedwanderer for leading me and guiding me. I couldn’t be more grateful for our time together and look forward to growing more under your teachings!
Jami Hayes
Private Client
Meeting Carole for the first time involved my very first experience with hot yoga. Being a novice I had no idea what to expect. My sport of choice was running and going to the gym. Needless to say my flexibility was nonexistent but I was well acquainted with painful joints and muscles...
I had so much trepidation and insecurity going into this practice but within a couple of Carole’s classes she completely set my worry at ease not to mention her compilation of music(less important but it helped me find peace and connection). The more I got to know her the more I wanted to learn. Her insightfulness and life experiences were fascinating. She made it very clear that yoga was not something you had to qualify for. It was something that you had to feel. After a couple years of practice I decided to take Carole’s teacher training. This was a stretch completely outside my comfort zone but with Carole’s encouragement I did it.
Being a student of Carole was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve been lucky enough to have in my life. Her vulnerability and open heart comes through if you’ve ever been fortunate enough to have a conversation with her or take her class. Though she and I are at different places in life age-wise, we share a bond that I will treasure forever. Putting into words what this sweet loving soul means to me as a friend and a mentor is quite difficult. To sum it all up if you are lucky enough to share time with Carole you will take something away from it and I guarantee she’ll help you find something in yourself that you didn’t realize was there all the time.
Susan Brown
Yoga Student
Yoga has been something that I have done at various intervals throughout the course of my adult life and admittedly, I had gone for several years without unrolling my yoga mat. I would look at class schedules at our local studio and try to convince myself to signup but felt like I had been too far from my practice to be able to keep up with a group class. Last year I had the opportunity to join my sister-in-law and her fiancé for a private yoga lesson with Carole and it was exactly what I needed to reignite my yoga practice. My husband and I joined these sessions and twice a week Carole guided us through an awakening of our (very rusty!) yoga capabilities. One of the most impressive things about Carole’s teaching style is that she had the ability to lead 4 individuals with vastly different ability levels and have each of us excited to start class, encouraged by our personal progress, and satisfied that we had accomplished a challenging hour on our mats. Through intentional sequences and inspirational guidance that promoted mindfulness and focus, Carole’s classes were the perfect start to the day. She also offered appropriate modifications when one of us had a specific issue we were working through and enabled our participation even when we weren’t physically 100%. After several months, I am grateful that the safe space Carole created has allowed me to not only regain my confidence in my yoga abilities but also help to reset my frame of mind to reinforce the importance of holistic wellness – and excited to also be taking my practice to the next level this fall at one of Carole’s yoga retreats in Costa Rica! Highly recommend anyone looking to reengage or expand their practice to start their journey with Carole!
Nicole Lewis
Private Yoga Client
I have been a student of Carole’s for 2-1/2 years! Her passion for sharing Yoga is what drew me in to begin my Yoga practice. Every practice she comes with a purpose and a message, I keep coming back. 😀
Carole’s retreats are AMAZING, I have participated in 2 retreats. She brings her PASSION, PURPOSE and MESSAGE much wider and deeper. Everybody gets filled and leaves feeling renewed and perhaps knowing themselves a little better. In addition friendships are made. Her “MM” Scotty is in the background making sure everything goes well.
I highly recommend experiencing Carole’s retreats! And if living in the Charlotte area taking her classes.
Wade Nyquist
Attends daily studio classes, workshops, Willow Falls Retreat 2019 and True Nature Retreat at Seven Springs 2020
I met Carole several years ago when I started practicing yoga again in my 40s. Immediately, I knew her abilities as a teacher were special. I found myself searching her classes out, all over town. Carole has a way of connecting with each of her students, even in large classes. Her Ashtanga practice, teaching experience and knowledge of the human body equip her to instinctively know what my body wants to do, and may be willing to do, even when I am not! She consistently offers just the right amount of encouragement for steady progress. Her physical assists are perfect, and her verbal cueing is impeccable. I love the way she says when leading through a certain posture, “maybe one day bringing your torso between your legs,” which helps me see where the posture can be with continued practice. Carole has a gift for teaching and I highly recommend joining her!
Sarah Rynne
Attends daily studio classes
Ayurveda testimonial
I really enjoyed my introduction to Ayurveda with Carole and Mary. I had no prior experience with this ancient sister science to yoga, but I can say that just as yoga has changed how I think about my body and my personal connection with those around me, Ayurveda has changed how I think about my immune-system, food, and my daily routines. It really tied my yoga practice into other facets of my life that will ultimately lead to being more balanced in everything that I do. In addition, the timing of the course was perfect as it coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, and with so much being out of my control it was nice to learn new tools that I could control in order to boost my immune system and my outlook on the world. The Ayurveda daily habits we learned to practice improved both my physical and mental health and I can honestly say that I expect to be practicing them for the rest of my life. I am so grateful to Carole and Mary for sharing their time and their knowledge of this ancient science and I look forward to continuing to learn more in the future.
75 minute Yoga class testimonial
I’ve been practicing yoga for about six years and have had several different instructors in all different locations, with several different types of practices. What I really appreciate about Carole’s 75 minute class is the balance and pace - she provides the perfect balance of warm-up, ensuring ample core engagement for your practice, her vinyasa flow is fluid but the pace is not so fast that you can’t fully engage each pose, and the repetition of the poses ensures that you feel the full benefits. She always finds a way to add another level of difficulty and pushes you to challenge yourself and to not be afraid to fail and she is always adding something new (and challenging), most of which I usually have to go home and practice, which is a great thing because she forces me to challenge what I think my body can do. But my favorite part is always the well-earned, extended savasana at the end of her 75 minute practice, where I can disconnect and rejuvenate to take on whatever comes next. Those 75 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays have become an integral part of my week and I try hard not to miss them!
Kimberly Lewis
Daily Yoga Student & attended Ayurveda Series
When I first experienced yoga with Carole, I knew she was wise beyond her years. Though I myself had practiced and taught yoga as a physical therapist for over two decades, I still learned a great deal from Carol’s approach to yoga, breath work, and Eastern philosophy. She embodies what she teaches. Her kindness and passion is infectious and I am always grateful for anytime I get to spend with her. I always come away inspired.
Melanie Seeley, MPT
Yoga Student & Private Client
My daughter and I have been on two of Carole Frey’s yoga retreats and they were wonderful experiences. Carole is an incredible instructor and teacher, and the retreats really helped both of us expand our yoga practices, physically as well as mentally. The retreats were both in unique and beautiful locations, with plenty of outdoor space for practicing and exploring. Carole was very well organized and her teaching included diverse yoga practices, breathing techniques, and classes on yoga philosophy and history. We made a lot of new friends and it really built a sense of community among the attendees and within our yoga studio. I highly recommend Carole Frey’s yoga retreats to anyone, whether they are a beginner looking to learn more about yoga or an experienced yogi who wants to further their practice.
John Harris
Attended Willow Falls Yoga Retreat 2018, The Journey of You Yoga Retreat 2019
Carole is one of the most knowledgeable, passionate and authentic yoga teachers I know. She wholeheartedly lives and breaths what she teaches and through her, I have been introduced me to so many amazing tools and experiences that have changed my life for the better!
Carole is very welcoming, has a warm presence and radiates positivity! When Carole teaches a class, workshop or hosts a retreat she is 100% there for her students. She is always so generous in sharing her vast knowledge of yoga asana, yoga philosophy, Ashtanga, Ayurveda and Pranayama!
I am grateful for the positive changes that these practices have brought into my life. I am always in awe of her knowledge, her willingness to share her philosophies, her authenticity and of course her free-spirit! She really is the embodiment of a modern day Goddess! I am forever grateful that I get to be a student of hers.
Cindy Boes
Yoga Student
Being a dedicated 'power class ' yogi for the the last 12 years, I have visited many, many studios around the Charlotte/Concord area always in search of the right fit for me. I happen to find Melting Point through a very close friend that was a previous instructor at this studio. Being new to Melting Point, I of course tried many different classes and instructors. I found my class and teacher "home" after I took my first class with Carole. Her teaching style is about alignment, strength, encouragement, experience, growth and warmth. Not to mention, I have always loved her diverse range of tunes during class. I have absolutely enjoyed getting to know Carole over the last two years and would always recommend her class to any yogi that is looking to grow their practice and their learning of the amazing practice of yoga.
Anne Platts
Attends daily studio classes
Carole’s yoga retreats have been such a wonderful experience and getaway! The retreats offer so much more than yoga; such great company and activity. I should know as I’m trying to make my fourth in as many years. Carole has such a great way pulling together an itinerary that flows yet doesn’t feel too packed. Great yoga and related education coupled with great food and other non-yoga activities in a setting that’s been both fun and relaxing. I appreciate what you do Carole!
Michael Strange
Attended Hot Springs Yoga Retreat 2017, Willow Falls Yoga Retreat 2018, The Journey of You Yoga Retreat 2019
For me, this retreat was perfect and I felt better leaving there; tired but strong and motivated! The schedule was packed in but thoughtfully. The fire ceremonies were great and offered a rest. All of the classes were so different and I got so much out of them. But it's not for the faint of heart! I also think it was a great amount of people and offered diversity. The food was amazing and exploring the property was cool too. I also liked the idea of a off campus hike and swim! I would definitely recommend Carole's retreats!
Sarah Ethier
Attended The Journey of You Yoga Retreat 2019
My best advice is to go to a yoga retreat. I had a beautiful time. Carole worked tirelessly to bring together a truly exceptional and affirming experience. You get to go to an awesome place, do some yoga, have some free time to do any activities your heart desires, eat amazing home cooked meals with great new friends.
Danielle Jones
Attended Willow Falls Yoga Retreat 2018
AUTHENTIC FEMININE MASTERMIND; 12 WEEK WOMEN'S COACHING PROGRAM TESTIMONIALS
Hear What Others Have to Say