28
Feb
2025
Sam and I recently embarked on a journey to Reunion Island, not just to experience its beauty but to reconnect with a cherished friend—Charlotte Giraud-Carrier. Our visit centered around meeting her on yet another stunning French Island in the remote Indian Ocean, sharing our love for acroyoga and slacklining, and living like locals for a few weeks. After all, it had been nearly a decade since we last saw her.
I first met Charlotte at the 2014 YogaSlackers Cochise Thanksgiving Climbing Retreat—an unconventional Thanksgiving gathering in the Arizona desert, where we celebrated with yoga, acroyoga, slacklining, and climbing. Back then, we were already questioning traditional Thanksgiving, but we hadn’t yet fully articulated why.
Born and raised in France, Charlotte was living in Winnipeg when we met. We connected over our shared backgrounds in marine biology. At the time, she was pursuing a PhD, while I had already ‘retired’ from mine, choosing instead to dedicate myself to teaching and helping people play—my true passion. Sam and I like to think that we had a positive influence on Charlotte. Shortly after, in June 2015, she joined the YogaSlackers teacher training, and years later, she also made the leap into teaching yoga and acroyoga full-time.
Now, we joke about being ‘retired’ marine biologists, though our careers have shifted towards inspiring others to become the best versions of themselves. To be clear—we’re not advocating for anyone to abandon their studies! But we do hope to inspire people to recognize what brings them joy and to find ways to connect their passions with their careers.
This was the second time Charlotte welcomed us into her home. Our first visit was in New Caledonia, where she hosted seven YogaSlackers teachers, including Sam and me. This time, it was a more intimate visit—just the two of us. We truly got to live like locals, something we always cherish when traveling. We balanced adventure with daily life, like doing computer work from her balcony while gazing at the sea. This trip had it all.
We taught two distinctive weekend workshops for Charlotte’s AcroYoga group. The first focused on the foundations of acrobatics and slacklining. In the second, we explored how slacklining can enhance acrobatics, diving into more advanced Slackro. Charlotte’s students embodied a wonderful mix of dedication, attention to detail, and a playful, laid-back attitude—qualities that Charlotte clearly nurtures in her weekly lessons.
Between the workshops, we found time to hike, swim, and explore the island. Oh, and we managed to kitesurf once too! Reunion Island is like nowhere we’ve been before. Every inch of the island is breathtaking—from dramatic sunrises to painted sunsets, it feels like nature’s most incredible artist has crafted the landscape.
The hikes are steep and challenging, but the views make every step worth it. It’s amazing how much adventure is packed into such a small island. Whether you’re into climbing, diving, trail running, hiking, paragliding, mountain biking, or kitesurfing, Reunion Island offers endless exploration, though it may not be for the faint of heart!
We can’t recommend Reunion Island enough. Charlotte teaches yoga in the mornings and evenings and hosts a weekly acroyoga class on the beach. And we’ve heard there may even be a new monthly slackline class in the works!
Where will we meet Charlotte next? It seems like Reunion Island will be her forever home, but that doesn’t mean our adventures together have to end! Perhaps we’ll meet again for a retreat on yet another stunning island. Yes, you guessed it—we’re dreaming up a new retreat filled with yoga, acroyoga, slackline yoga, and our shared love for the ocean. Stay tuned for more details on that soon!
