Meet the Retreats Team
The Shine Retreats Team - Co Founders
Shine Retreats is a collaboration of passions, we do this with a health, creativity and sustainability mindset. Balance is key, we work hard doing the stuff that brings us joy. As much as we are not a woman only team and do have men working behind the scenes, we are consciously in support of women and what we like to call a sustainable business model. Does our work look after us, our teams, our clients, our community, our planet? We make decisions looking into these factors, we do this with gentle care and communication.
Carla Octigan
Carla is the founding owner of Shine Holistic in London, she created her first business in 2003 by combining her passion and belief in complimentary health with her skills as a hairdresser.
Qualifying as a Shiatsu Practitioner and opening Shine, London in 2003 allowed her to choose the best practitioners to work beside. Quality was the key ingredient, now, we invite our practitioners not only from Shine but from our wider health & wellness community. “Community is my passion, creating an authentic and sustainable business model is not an option but an absolute must for me”
The green heart of the Umbrian countryside and a lovingly restored farmhouse, ‘Siliano Alto’ have become home to her dream adventure. To have the opportunity to create this vision with her Bestie, Natalie has been the cherry on top of the icing on of the cake…
Carla is the ultimate host, a passionate foodie, she knows the best spots for ice cream, coffee and hot springs. Never a dull moment and always looking forward, you are in safe hands when in her company and she will be delighted to welcome you on retreat.
Natalie Jackson
Natalie is the Co-Owner of Siliano Alto and one of the co-founders of Shine Retreats.
Natalie and Carla met on their first day of primary school and although oceans apart, they have been inseparable ever since. Joining forces to realise the dream of working side by side, the two make an unstoppable duo and they live this reality with gratitude and joy. Natalie is deeply passionate about fostering health and balance, not just for herself and her family, but also for her clients in Melbourne, Italy, and online.
Drawing from her background in banking, finance, corporate project management, and staff wellbeing, Natalie understands the pressures of corporate life and the challenges of achieving work-life balance. With almost 20 years of experience as a professional kinesiologist, she is dedicated to guiding her clients toward physical and emotional wellness. In recent years, Natalie has enriched her practice by becoming a qualified yoga teacher, adding further depth to her expertise and clinical protocols. Her approach combines clinical expertise with a holistic perspective, creating personalised wellness journeys for each client.
Known for her exceptional awareness and gentle, grounding presence, Natalie creates a safe space for restorative healing and profound insight, whether in a kinesiology session or yoga class.
Sophie McNicholas
Sophie is the 3rd Co-founder of Shine Retreats along with Carla and Natalie.
Sophie met Carla when she began working at Shine London, firstly as part of the reception team but has now been managing our health clinics in London since 2015.
She began her journey in the Holistic health world in 2010 training as a massage practitioner, in 2012, she received a Distinction in her Practical for her level 4 Sports Massage Diploma. Later she qualified in Hydrotherm Massage, Reiki Level 2 and Myofascial Release. She intends to travel to Thailand soon, to get away from Swedish winters (where she lives) to study Thai Massage next.
With a creative background in singing, music and acting, she is curious as to how a creative process can be nurturing and healing. She is very much the driving force behind our creative retreats, bringing a genuine passion and openness to any process. Her daily commitment to journaling is visible in her clear headedness and thought processes and we are eagerly awaiting her first book. No pressure Sophie 😉