Thank you for helping deepen my relationship to my birth, and to encourage me to write my own epic story.
I am interested in understanding the memories of birth. For the past year, I've been traveling around the world and interviewing women about their birth stories. A big focus of my project has been on understanding mothers' perspective of giving birth, including the memories that have been passed down by their ancestors.
I've spent a lot of time listening to others this year. Yet, I realized that to better tap into the memory of birth, I'd have to dig a little deeper and get a lot more personal. I decided to join Lucy's two-part Epic Retreat in 2023, which was based in two places, on Milos Island and in the mountains of Zagoria. I did this retreat alongside my mother.
The Epic Retreat was about writing the story of our lives before we formed identity. Who was I before I had words to speak? And when I was a newborn baby? What about before that, when I was only energy, and spirit. Who was I then? These are some of the question Lucy prompted us to grapple with during the retreat.
How? Well, first, by connecting to our bodies through yoga. By getting active and with that activity connecting to out breath. And then, by going deeper into our breath, in meditation, and letting the air and oxygen carry us into the subconsious parts of our memories.
On this retreat I traveled back to the memories of my birth several times and from different perspectives. Lucy helped me connect and give space to the emotions that were a part of this experience. Giving myself and my emotions space helped me recognize how my birth experience was, and still is, imprinted on me. Space and recogntion also allow me to let go of what no longer serves me.
Doing this retreat with my mom was special because it allowed me to see some of the powerful threads that connect us. These are connections that arise from my life growing up with her, from the experience of being birthed by her, carried in the womb by her, and perhaps, even connections from past lives we have shared. It wasn't always easy to process emotions alongside my mom during this retreat, but doing so allowed me to realize that some of the emotions I have carried are also hers.
A newborn's memory of birth is largely influenced by what their mother is experiencing. Babies remember. And now I remember. Lucy's retreat helped me realize that not only do women carry experiences from their ancestors into their births, but also, they can carry their mother's experience of birthing them. And perhaps, when we are ready to give birth, we carry all this with us--our experience of being born, our mother's experience of giving birth, and beyond.
Lucy is made of magic. Within a few sessions, it's easy to realize she is a portal. She can sense things energentically that perhaps we have forgotten, or don't realize we are somehow still attuned to. Lucy supports us to tap into those knotted energy points and helps us get the flow going again. She has a gift that is rare to find in someone. It is even more rare to find it when it is being shared, the way Lucy
shares it with so many of those she meets.
Thank you for helping deepen my relationship to my birth, and to encourage me to write my own epic story. Until next time! I will be back again.
Indiana
Artist, birthkeeper, and traveler. Creator of @birthstorycircles
October 2023
If all kinds of love can be expressed through poetry…Lucy is one of those special people, who “will hand you the pen”, and inspire you to start writing - living your life through love.
Although having lived on the same island as Lucy for over 30 years and hearing her name from different people and at random moments of my life, I had never really met her. Two years ago, I had a sudden neurological problem and that's when the door really opened and my journey towards her began. My physiotherapist had recommend I met with Lucy, as she strongly believed she would be the only one who would be able to help me deal with the pain and as I later on realized, the fear this pain had built up within me. She was an amazing blessing in so many ways, an angel who came to help me. Breathwork in combination with special exercises and awareness practices, got me through those months, helping me come out of them, a much stronger and open hearted person in multiple ways.
Since then Lucy has become a “special part” of my life. I exercise with her, do Yoga, TRE, have been learning how to meditate, I join her as often as possible on her Sunday Breaths with lovely people from all over the world and I was blessed in October 2023, to follow her and Barbara, on the Epic 2 retreat in Zagori, Greece. The retreat was one of the most kind, lovable and powerful experiences of my life. Last but not least, any conversation one has with Lucy can become inspiring, enlightening and so much more, but they are also conversations which “help you make your way back home. Help you make your way back to your heart and your dreams”.
Lucy is truly a special and unique person, with a big heart and a great sense of humor. Her scientific knowledge of the human body and the way it works, moves , reacts to external and internal stimulation, her deep insight of the human psyche and her deep spirituality, make Lucy a blessing for whoever meets with her. A combination so healing , kind and humble , which one will feel and see her light however little their interaction may be with her.
For me Lucy is a healer, a teacher, and she inspires me. Whatever she does, is always wrapped within “endless” generosity, kindness, acceptance of each one’s uniqueness (with an amazing ability to point out one's strengths and charisma so one can start using them as tools in life) and so much faith in what each one of us truly holds in our hearts and how much “bigger’ we could become in beautiful ways.
I feel blessed to have her in my life and I am deeply grateful that our roads met. Lucy is Love… Lucy is hope.
January 2024
Amaryllis Grypari ,
Mykonos , Greece
“I feel a sense of calm just thinking about Lucy”
I’d heard wonderful things about Lucy for many years before our paths finally crossed. It wasn’t until we met that I realised she was so much more than “the best yoga instructor in Mykonos”. Prior to meeting in person, I joined Lucy’s online breathwork sessions during the first lockdown.
I was immediately hooked by her ethereal presence, even over the airwaves, and I have to say those sessions were one of the things that helped to keep me calm and sane during that period. Finally, when we were ‘let out’ Lucy and I met face to face, and I felt an instant connection. Her wisdom and intuitive perception were like a big warm hug, and I wanted more of it!! I’d been considering joining the first Love and Magic Retreat in Milos which was happening a few months later, and after getting to know more about Lucy I was convinced it was something I needed to try and make time for. As it turned out, the retreat coincided with a fairly dramatic change in my life, and so ended up being extremely timely for me. The week I spent in Milos delivered everything that was promised in that Love and Magic title. It was so much more than I had expected, and there was absolutely no doubt about how much thought, love, care and attention to detail Lucy and Barbara had put into ensuring the participants felt supported in our journey toward renewal and healing. I absolutely felt that throughout the entire experience, and even when I returned home. The love and care we received from Lucy and Barbara overflowed easily amongst the group, and this fostered a real sense of safety that quickly and easily brought us all very close together in the most harmonious way. Apart from the retreat work we did, we also had plenty of time to enjoy the magnificent island of Milos as a group, and individually. When we needed our own space to process, the time was there for us, and when we needed to just go out and enjoy each other’s company there were ample opportunities to do it. I absolutely loved the group of people on this retreat, and many of us continue to support each other even after getting back to our own lives. Once home, Lucy’s generous online group breathwork sessions were a wonderful way to stay in touch with, and develop the work I’d done in Milos. I also did some private work with her over the following months, and her healing and calming presence really helped give me the strength I needed for some monumental changes I was making in my life.
As soon as we knew the dates for the following retreat in Zagori I had no hesitation in signing up. I have to say I was wondering how Lucy would top Milos, but as soon as we all met at the airport I had no doubt we’d be experiencing more magic. Once again, Lucy and Barbara had put so much time and thought into every single detail of the retreat, from the yoga and healing work to the extra activities they organized. Zagori is such a magical location, but add Lucy and Barbara to the landscape, and the alchemy is amplified tenfold! For me personally, the activities outside of the yoga, breathwork, TRE and energy work really harmonized and intensified the breakthrough moments I experienced during the week we spent in Zagori. The final breathwork session in the ancient pools of Papigko was something really very special for me.
_JPG.jpg)
Another wonderful group of people came together, four of whom (including me) had been in Milos, and once again the love and support flowed so easily from Lucy and Barbara to the group. I’ve learned so much about myself in the past twelve months, and subsequently made many positive changes in my life thanks to the insights, friendships and experiences I gained from participating in the two retreats. I really cannot wait to join Lucy in Costa Rica sometime in the future for more of her love and magic, and feel truly blessed to have her and Barbara in my life these days!
Toni
August 2021
"It was refreshing, calm and nurturing."
It took me weeks to finally decide to attend Lucy’s yoga retreat. As a new mother and with a lot of other challenging things going on in my life I was already vulnerable enough and I was afraid of being with people I didn't know and most importantly a teacher that I didn’t know! I finally succumbed and I can not express how mind blowing this experience was for me. It opened my eyes to magic, to healing, to truth. Lucy takes you to a place where you have been before but only as a child and it is so refreshing. A time and a place where honesty prevailed and vulnerability and feelings were not awkward or to be afraid of. It was refreshing, calm and nurturing - all the things that I needed at a very hectic time in my life. The retreats have ample time to take for yourself in between workshops and yoga and combine a wonderful balance of calm and physical strength. Lucy is kind, calm and extremely experienced especially when it comes to stripping down years of a thick wall to exposing the real, true you - the best you!
One of the best things I have ever done for myself, I couldn’t recommend Lucy and her retreats more.
Chiana
October 2018
"Inspired, Stronger, Lighter, Grateful."
I love Lucy! I have had the pleasure of experiencing her work in public yoga classes, one-on-one rebirthing sessions and most recently in private personal training sessions.
I adore Lucy for her vast knowledge of the human being and for how she combines working with the body, mind and spirit. Sessions with Lucy are always unique, creative, challenging & empowering. At the same time she has such a sweet, gentle and light spirit that makes you laugh and not take yourself too seriously. She will help you see your old belief patterns and will encourage you make those shifts you are longing for, either physically, mentally or emotionally.
When I leave a session or class with Lucy I always feel inspired, stronger, lighter and really grateful for life.
Dagmar Spremberg, the founder and director of Montezuma Yoga in Costa Rica.
“Thanks to the high ones!”
Lucy has been an inspirational gift in my life in many ways and at many levels. Gratitude wells up when thinking about the many sessions that we’ve had and the life changes that she has accompanied me on — sometimes in person (when I was in Costa Rica) and frequently by Skype from New York.
I first met her in a group yoga class (Jan 2013) and found her to be so perceptive on my body that I engaged her for personal trainings. During those we did some breath work that opened up a whole new domain in our work together of rebirthing doing circular breathing.
Over the past year and a half working with Lucy, I’ve gone through some major life transitions. During that time, we have had many enlightening conversations that have been instrumental in my choices on various paths in life. She has been a huge factor during that period in my growth at physical, emotional and spiritual levels. She is talented and wise in all of her offerings. Her clarity and connection to the Divine is always there and ever so powerful.
In each session with Lucy (rebirthing, personal training or yoga) I have felt embraced by her heart, supported by her wisdom, and pleasantly challenged by her honesty and precise perceptions. I am also grateful for the many inspirational readings and thoughtful sayings which she shares from both the moderns and the ancients.
Thanks to the High Ones for sending this supportive soul to us!!
Douglas Gardner
New York, USA
April 2014
.jpg)
"Healing!"
I think Lucy is an angel sent to me by the Divine.
I went to Costa Rica in desperate need for a break, a pause from a hectic life that was consuming me. After a reiki session with Lucy’s friend, Dianne, she recommended for me to try breathwork. I decided to give it a try since I realized I was more than anxious or sad; I was in true emotional pain. I went back to Costa Rica three months after for Lucy’s retreat.
Lucy’s work is amazing. Her yoga is very unique. It works muscles and areas you easily forget exist and it leaves you with a feeling of calmness and appreciation for everything around you, starting with yourself.
The breathwork is a surreal powerful experience. It can resurface old memories, emotions, and reconnect you with your soul. The discussions we had about our experiences since we were babies were very in depth as well. They developed in such a way that it was hard not discover new things about yourself.
And Lucy herself is a wonderful human being. She has a light that illuminates everything around her. Her love and intuition make her and her work very exceptional. That week in Costa Rica was quite remarkable. I felt that I had started to let go of some of the weight that I had been carrying around for so long.
After the first workshop I had with Lucy, I attended to her Love Retreat two weeks later, and this experience was even more extraordinary. I felt loved and understood. Furthermore, I felt that Lucy saw beauty through my pain and reminded me that I was still a beautiful lovable creature. She also reminded me that my intuition was still within myself, right there where I had left it, and that I just needed to close my eyes and trust myself. That’s such an incredible feeling.
Those experiences with Lucy were very healing, and I am very grateful to her as she showed me the path to regain myself by nourishing my soul and freeing my spirit.
A. Bracero
February 2018
"YOGA that sends you to another level for all ability levels."
"You do yoga, you, really?"
One look at my rather round rump and my thunder thighs offers no hint that I am a yoga fan. And when I tell people I have been attending some incredible classes they look at me in disbelief.
And I don’t just like it – I DO YOGA.
That’s right, moi, rotund moi with thick thighs and big butt.
I go to classes and I have even spoiled myself with a wonderful retreat in Costa Rica this past February.
Why? Two words- Lucy Hamel
Now let’s be fair-Lucy has been my dear friend for 25 years so I may have a slight bias toward her. She has instructed me in fitness on and off throughout that time—aerobics, personal training and now yoga. She has watched my body expand and helped me to shrink it back down again with artful sculpting. (Currently I am in the “expanded” version of fluctuating body weight!)
I can tell you that she has taken me on many a journey of self-exploration and introspection throughout our relationship and it has always helped me to effectively see me.
This summer, on a sabbatical from retail, I have had time to attend her yoga sessions at the Aphrodite Beach Hotel. 3 times a week, from 7 until 8:30 pm, on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday, she leads her students through a journey of increasing their confidence in themselves as they learn to control each area of their bodies through thoughtful breathing. There are all the usual yoga poses and movements of flow, but it is in the small quiet things she says during the class that force you to transcend to another level of thought, as she reminds you of voices from the past, challenges you have met in the present and focusing on future hopes. I often find myself dripping profusely in sweat as I try to hold a pose or perform a difficult movement, and yet I am grinning from ear to ear as I enjoy my own thoughts and taking pride in my progress. And progress is a loose term—I have gone from daily medicating chronic back pain to being medicine free for more than a month now.
She is a true teacher and healer; she observes you closely, points out a weakness or a strength and helps you to improve. She is aware of nuances in your body by simply watching how you move, and she adjusts her program accordingly to let each student participate at their own level – whether novice or experienced. She will show you how to make small adjustments in a movement that is troubling you so that you can succeed.
The beauty of Lucy is … she travels and takes her talent and intuition with her.
She is in Mykonos Spring through to the Fall. You can come to one of her yoga classes at Kalafati, or you can schedule a one on one session with her. At the end of September, she will run a retreat in Mykonos entitled, “An Ageless Life,” at Panormos. In November, she is off to Verona, Italy for a weeklong retreat exploring discussions of love (after all, this was where Romeo and Juliet gained infamy.) From January until March she will be back in Costa Rica, with a retreat scheduled for the end of February.
Take a look at her web site to really get to know what she can offer you as well as the specifics on her retreats. One or two sessions with Lucy and you will be sold.
No, you will probably not find me doing a hand stand anytime soon, or dropping the extra kilos I have been carrying around with me too long now—I would have to stop eating well and drinking with my pals—and that is definitely not going to happen! But you will see I have plenty of energy, more bounce in my step and my endurance remains steady—after all, last month I made it to the top of Mount Kythnos on Delos and down in 105 degree temperatures!
Stacey Harris-Papaioannou
August 2017
Glowing Feedback From The Previous Ageless Retreat and Self Esteem Retreat
As a wife and mother of two working in the corporate world, getting
away for a whole week to practice yoga with Lucy was a serious decision but one of the best and most important decisions in my adult life! I thought I would be spending a week of intense yoga. In addition to that, Lucy immersed us into an eye-and-soul-opening experience where the yoga seamlessly and effortlessly morphs into soul-searching and self-discovery.
I attended the Self-Esteem Retreat during which Lucy helped me de-bunk many past childhood myths I had held on to as my truths..She helped me rewrite my life-story and realize that my past as a baby, child, teenager and young adult was not full of the “drama” I so enjoyed complaining about! She opened my horizons as a parent and an individual, how to teach my children self-love and how to embrace others with compassion.
I highly recommend this journey to anyone who wants to re-programme their hearts and souls. The phenomenal yoga (the body follows suit to the wonderful emotional changes incurred by the profoundly fun way Lucy delves into your essence) is just the cherry on the top!
Everything Lucy does nourishes the NOW. I have no words to describe the gift that is Lucy…
Prior to the Ageless Retreat, the last time I felt so alive in my life was when I learned to ride a bicycle as child. As always with Lucy’s retreats, this was nothing I expected. Exactly what I needed where everything is so predictable and structured in my life. It was so full of magical surprises! Breakfast turns into mindful breathing, yoga turns into life coaching, a simple excursion turns into rebirthing and a “free night on the town” turns into joyful surrender to life!
Being “ageless” is not about being fit or eating raw. It’s about conditioning our hearts, souls, minds and bodies to never stop learning new things and to never stop experiencing the TODAY, the NOW. It is about reveling in the surprises of life: the good, the bad, even the ugly.
That’s what keeps us feeling alive. In respect to the yoga, I effortlessly accomplished asanas I had never been able to master even in my youth. My posture, flexibility, physical strength and endurance mirrored all my internal positive changes Lucy had magically weaved in throughout the week. As I left for home, I had fallen hopelessly in love… with my ever-growing self!
Ioanna Elena Markou, the Vice Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of Cityscape Investment & Property Services
May 2014
"Transformations."
I was introduced to Lucy during a time in my life of huge changes, personally and professionally. Not only has she guided me to a place of increased confidence and calm, in addition her intuitive gifts have brought clarity to my world. She solidifies my own doubts and fears accepting the past, present and future and without judgement and has set me on the path that I need to discover for my own personal growth. Combining yoga, breath work, rebirthing and group games in her retreats, she has helped me to rediscover my own inner strength dealing with the challenges of everyday life. She is truly an angel . . . Thank you Lucy for being you!
Susan Bartholomew
New York, NY
June 2012
"Play, Be Strong, Be Gentle: Yoga Classes With Lucy"
Lucy’s yoga class is the reason I practice yoga today. Lucy’s practice has been described as challenging, therapeutic, refreshing, inspiring and playful. You find yourself learning more and more about your body. You learn to listen to it, appreciate its abilities and embrace the changes you discover through your practice with curiosity and trust. More than the sequences in her class, it’s the little details Lucy will mention, which you hadn’t noticed before.
You may suddenly understand your strength and how to use it to balance yourself or even realize how powerful your breath can make you.
Lucy also adds different elements which keep you connected to your practice. May that be her different music playlists that motivate you, make you smile during an asana or even jump in some cases, or adding the wall to the practice to challenge your strength while adjusting your alignment.
Apart from her creative ways of making you feel alive in your body, Lucy tends to make her classes meaningful by setting an intention at the beginning of class. Leading you through the practice by this set intention, you see yourself releasing emotions in certain asanas. You may be strong in one and vulnerable in another. Your emotions will tell you where you’re at. Though, by the end of class, you will listen. You might listen to a soothing song, an inspiring affirmation by Lucy, your breath; you feel grateful and you feel worthy for all you are and have.
Many people learn so much from Lucy and carry it in their hearts after class straight into their everyday life. Lucy reminds people in her class how to play, how to be strong and to be gentle with themselves.
Barbara
Personal Trainer/Yoga Teacher
May 2014