About Le Dôme and about me
When I look back on the life path that eventually led me to create Le Dôme, I realise that the story was not written in advance. My name is Claire, and my journey started in 1996 in a small town in Normandy...
I first discovered yoga aged 16
...when I pushed open the door of the only yoga studio in Dieppe, my home town. The people there were all in their 50s, and their command of their bodies was incredible. I was 30 years younger than them and had been dancing for years, but I couldn’t come anywhere close !
After a few classes, I quickly became impressed by the power of the yogic breathing exercises, pranayama, and of the asanas (postures).
I was immediately captivated and, in spite of my youth, I persisted.
After each class I felt alive, at once serene and full of energy.
And then... I became a Parisian
I graduated from the Cours Florent (theatre school in Paris) and began my hyperactive life as an actress. At the age of 29 I felt that I was losing touch with myself as I tried to fit everything into my frantic day-to-day programme.
Exhausted by running to auditions, the daily routine and the urban pollution, I was in desperate need of more energy !
It was during this period that I received my first reflexology treatment :
an experience which immediately projected me into another dimension. I would later learn that this ancient technique acts directly on the nervous system, and that each zone of our feet corresponds to an organ or a function of the human body. As one session followed another, I became less stressed. My bodily tensions were relieved and positive emotions took over. Above all, I had discovered something essential : that this technique could regulate my body naturally.
Shiatsu, reflexology and energetic therapy
I have always been fascinated by Japan and by complementary medicine, and I decided to take a course in shiatsu organised by Michel Odoul. I had found my true calling ! At the Institut Français de Shiatsu (French Shiatsu Institute) where I trained, I also learned how to decode the language of the body to help people find long-term relief thanks to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
At the same time, I qualified at the Institut Français de Réflexologie (French Reflexology Institute). Here, with Elske Miles, I studied South African foot reflexology, characterised by the use of a very light touch, as well as the more penetrating techniques of oriental reflexology. I also studied aromatherapy, the art of liberating energetic blockages through the use of essential oils.
In 2012, I became Michel Odoul’s assistant at the IFS before opening my own cabinet in the 17th arrondissement (district) of Paris as a Shiatsu therapist and reflexologist.
People consult for back pain, rheumatism, anxiety, burn-outs... Simply by using the pressure of my palms and fingers, I am able to have an effect on all the meridiens (the energetic channels that flow through the body). And the results are astonishing...
Between yoga mat and tatami
In the meantime, I had moved my yoga practice up a gear. I tested various styles of yoga at different stages of my life : vinyasa, ashtanga, Iyengar, Yin, kundalini… As I accumulated different teachings, travelled the world to go on retreats and practised meditation, I developed a visceral need to practise. My yoga practice had become a precious ally in all my combats, helping me to recentre myself and shaping my body and my spirit. I went to numerous studios all over the capital and explored a vast array of practices. Did you know that there are more than ten different types of yoga ?
Releasing tension, balancing body and mind, restoring the circulation of energy :
the connection between shiatsu, reflexology and yoga was obvious.
In 2017 I began a 200-hour professional training programme to qualify as an instructor in hatha and vinyasa yoga. One year, and one baby, later I obtained my yoga teaching diploma from Yoga Alliance International.
Creation of a centre dedicated to wellbeing through yoga and energetic treatments
For the next chapter of my story, the action shifts to Portugal…
With my partner, our son and Lucien (my Siamese cat with blue eyes), I left Paris in the autumn of 2019 for Lagos. When I arrived in this beautiful town in the Algarve, I soon realised that all the classes here were given in English. This can be a real obstacle to yoga practice for non-anglophones, especially for beginners.
I then had an idea which at first seemed something of a daydream : a project to create a francophone centre in the Algarve entirely dedicated to yoga and to energetic therapies.
Whilst hatching my project to create Le Dôme, I had already begun my yogic activity at Praia da Luz. A fabulous group of apprentice yogis from Lagos and its surrounding region decided to put their trust in me… and the progress they made was phenomenal.
As happened to so many others, the Covid put my projects on hold for a while.
But I was not to be defeated ! I adapted my practice and started giving online courses during the first lockdown. I then continued during the second lockdown, accompanying yogis who connected to the classes from all over the world !
Meanwhile, the project to create Le Dôme had slowly been taking shape...
Every small detail has been taken into consideration to receive you in a friendly atmosphere and in welcoming, luminous surroundings.
Le Dôme’s vocation is to enable residents and visitors to enjoy the benefits of yoga, shiatsu and foot reflexology in the Algarve.
Le Dôme provides a space of anchorage and balance for all those who want to play an active role in maintaining their health.
Are you ready to come and relax with us ?
Namasté,
Claire
