Studio Spotlight: CASA C ALMA

We are two founders, Vio and Anissa, with two different paths and that’s exactly what makes our story so special. Vio discovered yoga over ten years ago in Brazil. For her, yoga became a grounding practice and later, when she moved to Germany, a powerful way to arrive, connect, and feel at home in a new country. Anissa discovered yoga in Germany, in Frankfurt very practically, through a fitness studio. What started as movement soon became a mental and emotional balance: a way to support body, mind, and soul in everyday life.

For both of us, yoga always was about balance, self-care, and creating space for ourselves. Over time, this personal practice naturally led us into teaching. Anissa began teaching in Munich across various studios and later opened a pop-up yoga studio, which sparked the desire to create a more permanent space. Vio, meanwhile, built her teaching journey independently in Munich, growing her own community - German and Brazilian - from the ground up.

About a year ago, Vio approached Anissa with the idea of searching for a space together. Vio imagined something small and intimate, Anissa envisioned something bigger and in the end, we met right in the middle. What we created is a space that feels authentic, warm, and intentional. We love hosting, holding space, and pouring our hearts into what we do. That’s why CASA C ALMA has become what it is today: a place that feels like home, where people walk in and instantly feel comfortable, welcome, and held.

Rather than being shaped by one single teacher or guide, our practice has been influenced by many different people, styles, and approaches over time. This openness has always been very important to us, both in our personal yoga journeys and in the way we run our studio today. We are genuinely curious and open to exploring different yoga styles, spiritual practices, and perspectives, whether they are modern, traditional, new, or long-established. What matters most to us is that the practice remains undogmatic and integrates contemporary insights, such as modern movement science, mental health awareness, and nervous system regulation.

We believe that life moves in phases, and so do we. Each phase calls for something different: sometimes a more physical practice, sometimes a more mental or emotional one. Yoga, in our view, should adapt to life, not the other way around.

Our trainings, experiences, and teaching styles are shaped by many influences, and we consciously choose what resonates most with us in each moment. This same philosophy is reflected in our class schedule and community offerings. Rather than following one lineage or one voice, we create space for diversity, evolution, and authenticity.

Anissa secretly held the idea of opening a yoga studio long before she ever completed her first teacher training. She has always been deeply intuitive and driven by feeling, and the vision of having her own space, a place she could shape with heart and intention, was there from the very beginning. This vision first took form through a pop-up yoga studio, which was met with a lot of positive resonance and confirmation that this dream was meant to be pursued further. After that experience, Anissa began searching seriously for a permanent space - a journey that took quite some time and required a lot of patience. At the same time, Vio was nurturing her own vision of opening a small, intimate yoga studio in Munich. About a year ago, the two came together and decided to join forces. While Anissa initially imagined something larger and Vio something much smaller, they chose to meet in the middle and create something that felt right for both of them.

They met countless times, had long conversations, clarified their values, and very intentionally defined what they were looking for. They envisioned a quiet backyard space, beautiful windows, a warm floor, and a location close to nature, ideally in the Dreimühlenviertel, near the Isar, where urban life and natural surroundings meet. A place that would allow them to connect studio life with outdoor and nature-based events, especially in summer.

When they finally stepped into the space they are in today, there was an immediate sense of knowing: this is it. Everything else could be built around it. From there, the process unfolded step by step, writing business plans, organizing finances, taking out loans, and slowly shaping the space with care and intention.

Eventually, all of this led to the opening of CASA C ALMA: a warm, welcoming home, a retreat within the city, a place where people can arrive, exhale, and truly feel held.

When people enter the studio, the first feeling we want them to experience is a sense of coziness and coming home. You step into what feels like a beautiful living room, warm, welcoming, and intentional. Color plays an important role in our space. We believe life is full of color, and that energy should be reflected in our surroundings as well. The studio feels vibrant yet grounding, expressive yet calm.

There is a shared living area with a comfortable couch, inviting people to arrive slowly, enjoy a cup of tea before or after class, and simply be. The shala itself feels spacious and light-filled, with a beautiful floor that quite literally carries and supports you throughout your practice. Light is essential to us: soft, warm, and atmospheric. Candles are placed throughout the space, creating a cozy and calming ambiance. Even though the room feels open and expansive, it never feels distant or cold.

Our intention is that people feel as if they are coming home, into warmth, ease, coziness and connection. A place where you can meet familiar faces, make new friends, practice together, and slowly grow as a community. It’s a space to land, to breathe, and to share the experience of moving and being together.

Our mission is to create a space where every person can find a practice that truly fits their life, their body, and their current phase. We believe that yoga should meet people where they are, not ask them to be anything other than who they already are.

Openness and authenticity are at the core of everything we do. We want our studio to feel inclusive, honest, and real. A place without performance pressure or expectations. There is no need to achieve, prove, or push. Everyone is welcome exactly as they are.

Our work is guided by three core values: authenticity, community, and lightness. These values shape not only our classes, but also the way we connect with people and hold space.

We want the experience at our studio to feel easeful, supportive, and uplifting, a place where people feel seen, safe, and welcome. That’s why our guiding motto is “ALL WAYS WELCOME”: all paths are welcome, all bodies are welcome, all colors, all genders and all phases of life are welcome here.

Above all, we want people to leave the studio feeling comfortable, cared for, and at ease. We want them to feel that their time with us was meaningful, in whatever way they personally needed it to be. For some, that might mean deepening their physical practice or growing in their yoga journey. For others, it might mean slowing down, reconnecting with themselves, finding calm, having fun, or simply sharing time with friends. We honor all of these intentions equally. Our wish is that everyone who comes through our doors feels that their intention has been met, whether it was growth, rest, joy, connection, or presence.

Ultimately, we hope people leave feeling so good and so welcome that they want to return, bring their friends, and share their energy with the space. Because every person who practices here contributes to making the studio an even warmer, more vibrant place.

Our core intention is that every person who comes to our studio can find a practice that truly fits them. There is no single dogmatic philosophy that everyone has to follow. Instead, we are guided by three core values: authenticity, lightness, and community.

Creating an environment where people feel comfortable, respected, and safe is essential to us. Everyone is welcome, regardless of background, gender, body shape, experience level, or life situation. Our only philosophy is inclusion: every person is welcome exactly as they are.

We believe that there is a form of yoga for every phase of life and every individual. That belief directly shapes our offerings. Our schedule is intentionally diverse, ranging from more traditional practices such as Kundalini to very modern movement-based approaches like Inside Flow or Budokon.

People can come to meditate, to surrender, or simply to be held by the space, for example through sound baths or deeply restorative practices. Even when someone is injured or going through a challenging phase, there is always a way to practice: through Yin Yoga, somatic movement, or simply by absorbing the energy of the room.

Our teaching philosophy is not about prescribing one right way. It’s about creating options, holding space, and trusting that each person knows - or can discover - what they need in that moment.

Our vision for the future is deeply rooted in building a strong, connected community. Even in a time where many people move from studio to studio, we want this space to be a place people return to, a place where familiar faces meet again, connections grow, and a sense of belonging develops. We imagine people staying after class, sharing time together, meeting on weekends, and creating relationships that go beyond the mat. Community is not something that happens automatically, it grows when people feel welcome, seen, and connected, and that is something we want to continue nurturing intentionally.

At the same time, we want to keep expanding and evolving our offerings. By introducing a wide range of classes and formats, we aim to reach an even broader audience and meet people in many different life situations and phases.

One of our highest priorities is to stay curious and modern. We don’t want to get stuck in one way of doing things. Instead, we want to grow with time, stay open to new ideas, and keep learning, both as teachers and as space holders.

We hope the studio continues to grow alongside the community, evolving together. And who knows, maybe one day, this space will even grow into a second home somewhere else. For now, we are excited to see what unfolds and to walk this path together with the people who make this place what it is.

Community events and workshops are a big part of what we do, and we’re excited to continue expanding this aspect of the studio.

In March, we are hosting a special event with Matt Giordano from Connecticut, who will be bringing his Journey of Bliss experience to the studio on March 4th at 6:00 PM.

In addition to special guest events, we offer a variety of recurring formats throughout the year. These include monthly Inside Flow to Yin & Sound, Align to Flow workshops, as well as regular Kundalini Activation sessions and Sound Baths.

We are also planning teacher immersions and a breath work training, creating spaces for deeper learning, exchange, and professional growth within the yoga community.

During the summer months, we’re looking forward to hosting a large community picnic, bringing the studio energy outdoors and creating a relaxed space for connection beyond the mat. Something that feels especially close to our hearts are our regular Brazilian-inspired community events. These include monthly Forró dance nights, where beginners are always welcome. These evenings celebrate movement, music, joy, and cultural exchange and they beautifully reflect the spirit of openness and lightness that defines our studio.

More than anything, we want to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who walks through our doors, practices with us, shares their energy, and helps shape this space.

We are genuinely grateful for every single person who comes to the studio, and we hope that everyone who enters feels safe, welcome, and at home. Whether you come to move, to rest, to connect, or simply to be - you belong here.

This studio exists because of the people in it. Every class, every conversation, every shared moment adds to the atmosphere and the sense of community we are building together.

Our door is always open - ALL WAYS WELCOME - and we look forward to growing, learning, and sharing this journey with you.