We were lucky to catch up with Carla Stefanelli recently and have shared our conversation below.

Carla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

Absolutely. I used to work relentlessly in marketing, specifically for the Hispanic market in the U.S. My clients were demanding, my boss was intense, and because many were on Pacific Time, the workdays stretched well into the evening. It was a high-pressure environment in a small agency where everything felt like it needed to be submitted yesterday —constantly urgent, always on.

At the same time, yoga had become a steady part of my personal life, my sanctuary in times of chaos. I decided to sign up for a yoga teacher training, not with the intention of becoming a teacher, but simply to deepen my practice and understanding.

But something shifted. As soon as I finished the training, I started teaching here and there, in my spare time—and I fell in love with it. I felt a kind of connection and purpose I had never experienced in my corporate life. It wasn’t just the movement—it was the way teaching lit me up from the inside.

Still, I hesitated. I kept one foot in the marketing world, working long hours while squeezing in classes and events on the side. But the more I taught, the more alive I felt. The contrast became impossible to ignore. Eventually, I reached a breaking point. My body was tired, my spirit was stretched thin, and I realized: I could either keep forcing myself to fit into a life that drained me, or take a leap into something that actually made me feel whole.

So I took the leap.

It was scary and uncertain, but choosing yoga wasn’t just about switching careers—it was about choosing myself. It taught me that fulfillment often lives on the other side of fear, and that sometimes, the life you’re meant to live is waiting for you to be brave enough to claim it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Carla Stefanelli, a 500-hour certified yoga teacher, wellness educator, and content creator based in Miami.

I like to call myself a mindful movement master—thanks to my extensive background in professional flamenco dancing 💃, years of being a total fitness addict, and my deep love for learning. I’ve taken several courses in somatic practices, and through that journey, I’ve come to truly understand that movement is medicine. When we combine movement with breathwork and somatic awareness, we don’t just feel better—we become more regulated, more grounded, and ultimately, more present humans.

That philosophy is what inspired me to create Yoga Flush…

I’m the founder of Yoga Flush, a style I created that blends conscious movement, dancing, somatic practices, and intentional breathwork to help students feel strong, grounded, and connected—both on and off the mat.

My journey into this work started in the corporate world, where I spent years in marketing, often working long hours in high-pressure environments. Yoga was my personal escape—my way to recalibrate. Over time, it became so much more than a practice. It became a calling.

What started as a personal journey led to a professional transformation. Since then, I’ve led hundreds of classes, curated retreats, hosted events, and collaborated with brands to create meaningful wellness experiences.

Beyond weekly classes, I offer:
• Transformative yoga retreats that merge yoga, hiking, nature, and community, that I plan with my friend and business partner Luisa Carnevali
• Workshops focused on specific yoga poses, sequencing, and embodied awareness
• Wellness consulting for events and brands
• Corporate wellness experiences, including custom workshops, mindfulness-based classes, and team-building retreats that use movement and breath to foster connection, focus, and stress relief

• Yoga teacher mentoring, providing personalized guidance to help instructors grow in confidence, creativity, and authenticity—whether they’re just starting out or looking to refine their teaching

What truly sets my work apart is my background in diverse movement dynamics—from professional dancing to somatic studies and fitness—gives me a unique understanding of the body as an integrated whole. This allows me to move differently, teach differently, and guide students in a way that’s both intelligent and intuitive. And at the heart of it all, I’m a teacher who leads with passion—for movement, for people, and for the power of coming home to yourself.

I’m most proud of the community that’s grown around this work—the students who come back week after week, the teachers I’ve helped grow, and the people who tell me a single class or retreat helped them reconnect to themselves.

If there’s one thing I want people to know, it’s this: Yoga is more than poses. It’s a way to come back to yourself. And I’m here to help guide that journey—with love, creativity, and purpose.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Funny enough, I recently shared a reel about this very topic! While training and knowledge are obviously important, I believe there’s another layer that plays a huge role in finding success, especially for yoga teachers, but really for anyone carving their own path.

There’s a framework I once came across (I wish I knew who to credit!) that really stuck with me. It’s a triangle with three points:
• What you want (your goals or passions)
• What other people need (the market or your audience)
• What you know deeply (your unique expertise or background)

When you find a way to operate at the intersection of all three—that sweet spot in the center of the triangle—you tap into something powerful. That’s where authenticity meets purpose and impact. I really believe that aligning these three elements is key to creating something sustainable, fulfilling, unique and successful.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As a Venezuelan immigrant, resilience isn’t something I learned from one defining moment—it’s something that became part of who I am. Like many of us, I left my country with my heart in my hands—filled with fears, but also hope.

The journey of leaving home, navigating cultural shifts, rebuilding from scratch, and constantly adapting to new environments has taught me more than any training ever could. Even after more than a decade in the U.S., I’m still navigating the complexities of immigration, still working my way to stay in the country I now call home, and still doing my best to continue working in alignment with my passion. This is something that affects me deeply and at times makes me very anxious; however, yoga has taught me the impermanence of things and has helped me accept the situation.

Every visa renewal, every job uncertainty, every unknown along the way has been a reminder of how much strength it takes to keep going—not just for myself, but for the work I believe in. My resilience shows up in that quiet persistence, in the way I keep showing up, creating, teaching, and holding space—even when the ground beneath me doesn’t always feel stable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carlainmotion.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carla.inmotion?igsh=MWh5a3BlMmgyNWI1NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits

Gustavo De Marmol
Fabiana Sebastiani