MEET THE TEAM
Each member of our team has been handpicked for their expertise and experience. More than that, we’re a just a bunch of really nice people.
YANA VALTCHANOVA
Founder / Ideation Expert
With 20+ years of advertising experience under her belt, Yana founded her own ad agency 8 years ago to escape the industry’s egotism. Her passion for yoga, surf and mental wellbeing developed after experiencing constant burn-out and hospitalisation. Based in Cape Town, she is a mother of a child with special needs. Her passion for exploring the world and connecting people, led her to Sri Lanka where she met Priyal at his surf retreat and a friendship was formed. Together with her mom Anelia this idea was created. She’s known in her circles as a dog-whisperer, but Yana is looking to change the world – one person at a time.
PRIYAL KIRAMAGE
Founder / Surf Guru
Priya’s lifelong love affair with surfing kicked off in his beach hometown of Madiha, in Sri Lanka. After Australian surfers brought surfing to his shores, Priyal gave it a go and sealed his bond with the ocean’s waves. He has always felt at home in the deep blue. Fuelled by his new-found passion for surfing, Priyal launched his first surf school in 2012 and it bloomed into a success, riding the wave of a tourist boom. Two years later, he started Surf & Yoga Sri Lanka, a surf retreat that, this this day, helps people chase wellness and waves.
DR ANELIA VALTCHANOVA
Founder / Psychiatrist / Mindfulness Expert
A medical doctor, who also has her Doctorate and PHD in Health Science, Anelia has always had a passion for using the mind to treat the body and practice mindfulness. Taking a holistic approach to wellness, she has practised psychiatry for 25 years, and is always driven to help people. A well-travelled citizen of the world who has settled in South Africa, Anelia has a global understanding of what makes people tick. She believes in living a full, rounded life and is an art-lover and avid theatre-goer.
TASHA
MENTASI
Surf Therapist
Tasha Mentasti was born in the surf city of Durban, Kwazulu-Natal. Surfing came naturally to the sporty kid and thanks to her dad’s influence she made surfing her career and sport of choice. After travelling the world for 12 years as a professional surfer, Tasha has now dedicated her time to giving back to the sport that she gave her everything. Her passion is adaptive surfing, which is a real heart project for her. She takes on people with various disabilities and teaches them to surf.
georgia SHUMANN
Yoga & Pilates
Georgia has been practising Yoga for over 20 years, and teaching professionally since 2010. Her journey began in India in 2001, where she studies the Hatha and Iyengar traditions. She has expanded her teachings to Vinyasa, Forrest and Restorative Yoga. Her fascination with physiology and rehabilitation led her to complete a Pilates teacher qualification, but her passion lies in facilitating movement and breath work for mental and emotional wellness, regulating the nervous system.
Meghan WERNER
Yoga
Meghan began teaching yoga in the US in 2007 and she relocated to South Africa in 2011. She has done extensive training primarily in the USA and Costa Rica in hatha, vinyasa, pre/postnatal, kids’ yoga, and “Street” yoga – a curriculum geared towards homelessness, addiction, and trauma. Her teaching style is precise, grounded, and accessible. She loves loves teaching yin and restorative styles as much as energising and athletic sequences. Meghan also runs local health beverage brand Theonista.
JADE RICHARDS
Clinical Psychologist
coming soon
"We're all about the good vibes!"
Ready to have the week of your life?
VILLA
Luxuriously decorated and perfectly positioned on a hill in Scarborough, our unique property is just 300 metres from one of the best surfing spots in South Africa.
PACKAGES
All our packages include delicious meals prepared with local, seasonal, ingredients, as well as our full retreat programme as well as surfing lessons and yoga classes.
LOCATION
Undeniably one of the most beautiful seaside towns in the world, Scarborough is a hidden gem with many well-kept secrets.
