What people say…

Valentine

Forrest Yoga & Breathwork retreat at Nøsen, January 2025

Ilias is an extraordinary and very gifted teacher. The retreat in the beautiful Norwegian mountains in Nøsen was simply magical. I was able to deepen my yoga practice and connection to myself, but also rest and get the headspace I need to reflect on some important aspects of my life.

Tracy

Forrest Yoga Foundation Teacher Training 2023-2024

My friend Leigh introduced me to yoga 15 years ago, as a way to balance my running. I have enjoyed my daily practice since that time. Despite her best efforts I was not interested in the spiritual side or connecting with myself in a deeper way. Two years ago, I took a class with Ilias and something shifted, I cried. My husband also took this class and gave up his membership where the class is held. Ilias is teaching Forrest Yoga in a way that changes lives. You can chase the change, be curious, get enveloped in understanding or not. November 2022 Ilias and Charlie Speller offered Forrest Yoga Teacher Training and I paid in full the first day it was offered. It has been the best investment of my life.

Why should you work with Ilias or take teacher training? It is simple, you are reading this, so you are searching for ways to live a better life. Perhaps you are even searching for a bigger purpose, you want to help heal the world but do not know how or even where to start. I do! You start here. You start now. You do the Teacher Training and make such deep meaningful connections with fellow students that you know you will be friends for life. You get guided by Ilias in a shocking and deeply loving way to start living life the life you crave, the life the planet needs. Stop reading what others think, take a deep breath, and do what you are being led to do, contact Ilias NOW and start your journey to a better future.

Anne-Kjersti

Regular student, private client, retreat participant

I have been doing Forrest Yoga with Ilias nearly five years. Before that I tried many other forms of yoga. All helpful.

But when I discovered Ilias, my life started to change.

The practice is challenging - you meet yourself both in body and soul. But it’s safe because Ilias knows anatomy - he is a master in scanning everybody, finding our needs. And he is present for everybody who wants. Floating around in the classes with his hands (Forrest Yoga ambulance). He has a strong presence. He knows all of us by names and body (and we are many). What really changed me was when I started one to one practice. I am an artist (film director) and I have struggled with blockage for nearly 20 years. Often without realizing it. It comes from traumas (and grief). In the one to one we could focus on my special needs. That improved my poster and practice. But the real change came when he performed Energy Medicine healing on me. It is hard to explain how and why, but the change came after a short time: My blockage disappeared. Now I am creative as never before. My colleagues are happy to work with me, and projects are blooming. I know it can be hard to belive in this. I am surprised myself, but it’s the truth!

Emily

Forrest Yoga & Breathwork Retreat at Nøsen, January 2025

Tusen takk for magiske dager på Nøsen. Jeg var forberedt på etterlengtet alenetid og å teste ut en ny form for yoga, men kom hjem med så mye mer.

For det første har kroppen min føltes helt annerledes; jeg vil si det er en annen kropp. Jeg har vanligvis daglige smerter i knærne, hoftene og skuldrene, og har hatt det over en lengre periode. Da jeg dro var disse borte, og leddene i kroppen min føltes sterke og myke på samme tid. Jeg har på en intuitiv måte forstått grunnene til disse smertene, og jeg er utstyrt med en verktøykasse for å møte dem. De første dagene av retreaten var fylt med mye tankekjør, som er vanlig for meg, men etterhvert slapp det, jeg fikk en avstand til det, og jeg opplevde å få plassert en del tankemønstre i rett boks, det vil si - jeg slapp ansvaret for dem, og opplevde å sette fokus tilbake på mitt liv, mine valg og mine oppgaver her i livet.

Mest overraskende var det jeg opplevde på det sjelelige plan; det er vanskelig å beskrive med ord, men jeg vil si det kjentes ut som en etterlengtet kontakt med kjernen i det som er meg. Jeg er ikke ensom lenger. I tillegg opplevde jeg en kontakt med noe mer og større - kall det hva som helst - og en klar følelse av støtte, hjelp og retning.

Siden jeg kom tilbake har jeg endret en rekke vaner, som jeg vet jeg vil holde på. Blant annet starter jeg nå hver dag med Forrest yoga!

Så, en stor takk til Ilias, alle deltakerne og Nøsen. Jeg gleder meg til neste anledning, og vil anbefale å jobbe med Ilias til alle som er klar for å møte livet og seg selv - fremfor å løpe fra det (det er for slitsomt i lengden).

Görel (68 years old)

Forrest Yoga & Breathwork Retreat at Nøsen, January 2025

I attended a 4 day Forrest Yoga Retreat at Nøsen in January 2025, lead by Ilias Kousis. I have been practising regularly with Ilias for 5 years. On this retreat he definately took us to a higher level. Pre-breakfast intense 2,5 hour yoga sessions and exploratory 3 hour afternoon sessions have left me feeling more spacious, stronger and healthier. In addition I had heart warming & caring days with a wonderful group of participants.

Nøsen is the perfect setting. We practised our yoga looking out on stunning snowy mountain scenery, highlighted by the sun, the moon & the evening star. The atmosphere at Nøsen is influenced by true work of the heart. The staff are all volunteers, including interesting internationals and «Back In the Ring» locals. The Nøsen values are clear in all that is said and done.

I am truly grateful to have been part of this amazing experience. I encourage anybody who has the oppurtunity to attend a Forrest Yoga Retreat with Ilias!

Mette

Forrest Yoga Foundation Teacher Training 2024-2025 participant

What an experience this has been, just after one part of the teacher training I have learned so much. I would really recommend this to everybody that wants to learn more about Forrest yoga, them self and then some to take this course.

With the guidance of both Charlie and Ilias I have discovered how much more capacity I have and I have become more at ease in my body and because of that I do feel lighter and more joyful.

Don’t get me wrong, it has been hard, emotional and challenging, but with the safe space that Ilias and Charlie provide It never feels scary. They have both stood by my side the whole time giving that extra push, emotional support, guidance in yoga poses or just straight up seeing me and who I really am. They are both amazing human beings. I am very exited for the next modul in a couple of months.

Ilias: Thank you so much for this experience and all the love, support and triggers you have given me. I really feel I have grown and at the same time found my way back to this person that is really me. You really are amazing.

Elisabeth

Forrest Yoga Foundation Teacher Training 2024-2025 participant

I want to thank you for how greatly you set the safe athmosphere in the group. The words that comes to my mind is acceptance & support. The feeling of being held, supported and pushed, with a great balance between the three.

Pia

Forrest Yoga Foundation Teacher Training 2024-2025 participant

Charlie and Ilias, you guys are 200 percent here and thanks you so so much. This week has been a very big step forward form me physically and mentally.

First I ve seen in every trainee a little bit of myself, some of them more some of them less of course, so I ve assimilated why the gossiping was something totally banned from Forrest yoga and I try to practice that principle everyday by seeing the beauty in all people. I realise that before I will try to see defects in people and try to fix them from there, but from now I want to try to switch by first seeing what is beauty in people ...

After an other point that I ve learn is that there is a tiny line between addiction and behaviour from Cross horse ridding to rave to squatte graffiti writer to ketamine and crack user I pass the details that I had to go through with this lifestyle . All those years my addictions to adrenaline Ive been killing me slowly... my point is that now I m aware that the addiction Is moving in different direction, yeah 2 years ago I was drinking maybe 6 -8 double expresso ,I was enjoy at work deadline when everything is almost collapsing and bang it work very good at the end, that the addiction. I was aware of it but now it s very clair. It s risky is unsave and it can destroy the a little world that I ve around me. And thank for u two and Ana to explain it in a very very honorable way.

Intense that we finish the trainning class with Hammock .... :( is still a layer there.... dammm I just can t it paralyse me I know I ve to go throught that. IT 'S titing my throat just to wrote about it. i will pratice home maybe with some music

Voila feedback I m so so happy to make that choice I feel followed up I feel heard I feel safe and calm, this trainning is a door opener to a beautiful way and thank u for being here for us.

Tove

Forrest Yoga Foundation Teacher Training 2024-2025 participant

Grateful for taking the step participating in the Forrest Yoga teacher training! I just finished part 1 of the training, and feel a sense of weelbeing in my body that I’ve been longing for. Less pain, and more breath and clarity. There have been challenging times, and I have a lot left to learn, but we all came through and I’m looking forward to learn more :) Ilias and Charlie have been amazing teachers on this ride, and I’m also thankful to our assistent Valentine who helped with hands-on assist, and the whole group of great people to share this with!

Erik

Regular student, Private client, Nøsen Retreat Jan. 2025 participant

Attending the yoga retreat with Ilias has been a deeply transformative experience for me. Through Forrest Yoga, a fantastic and powerful form of yoga, I have experienced strengthening both physically and mentally. Although the exercises can sometimes feel challenging and almost impossible, they provide a deep sense of mastery. I have noticed how I gradually develop a better connection with my body and gain greater control and awareness of my own limits and strengths. One of the most valuable experiences I take away from the retreat is the feeling of having increased my capacity to feel again. During the retreat, I experienced that something which had been blocked within me was finally released. Which directly impacted my well being and. I was even able to measure the effect concretely through my heart rate monitor: The Sunday after the retreat, the data showed a quicker shift to parasympathetic activation, indicating deeper relaxation and calmness. Previously, I had been experiencing a consistently low stress levels characterized by sympathetic activation, likely due to unresolved emotions triggering thought patterns that kept me in a constant state of alertness. I wholeheartedly recommend Ilias' yoga retreat to anyone looking to get closer to themselves, build strength, and find new calmness in both body and mind. Thank you so much, Ilias, for your presence, knowledge, ability to create a safe and inspiring space and that you always walk the extra mile for your students!

Laila

Forrest Yoga Foundation Teacher Training participant, Oslo 2024-2025

Hei🙏🏼Takk for helt nydelige og nærende dager. Disse prosessene har vært virkelig intense, råe og gjennomgripende, det føles som om jeg både på kroppslig og emosjonelt nivå har hatt totalrenovering, og ikke minst alle de grensene som er utvidet på hva jeg trodde var mulig å få til!!

Denne utdanningen er dyptgripende, transformerende og helende. Jeg har tatt mange utdannelser, denne har definitivt vært den beste, enda mitt mål ikke var å bli yogalærer.

Jeg føler hele mennesket er ivaretatt, i tillegg til det spirituelle aspektet som ble en sann gave for meg.

Ilias, du solgte dette inn som et viktig, helende og utviklende steg for meg, og du holdt ord og mer enn det. Takk til deg og Charlie for en modig, fantastisk og grensesprengende konsept! Dere utfyller hverandre på en nydelig måte. Fra hjerte takk❤️ jeg gleder meg allerede til siste del🙏🏼

PS: Nå føler jeg meg både mørbanket, sårbar og gjennomsiktig som om jeg ikke har forsvaret mitt på plass🧐

Stian

Regular student, Energy Medicine Private client

Jeg og min bedre halvdel har hatt gleden av en-til-en coaching og energy medicine med Ilias det siste året. Ilias har med sin solide kompetanse, sin intense kraft og herlige glimt i øyet hjulpet oss med en å løse opp i og fjerne energiske blokkeringer. Dette har vært til stor hjelp innen flere aspekter i livet vårt. I tillegg elsker vi begge å delta på Forrest yoga timene til Ilias. Han er helt klart vår favoritt blant yogainstruktører i Oslo. På timene hans får du også jobbet med energien din, får påfyll av hans store visdom og strekt ut deler av kroppen du ikke visste om. Elsker hvordan dette stimulerer dypet i hjerne, hjerte og energifelt! Samtidig får du en solid dose treffsikker humor med på kjøpet.

Görel

Regular student

Ilias Kousis is a true healer. I have been practising Forrest Yoga regularly and frequently with him for 5 years. In addition to being an outstanding yoga instructor he also has the gift of healing. On several occassions he has helped me recover from different ailments. Last week he helped cure a severe spell of RLS (restless leg syndrome) which was very painful and had been disrupting my sleep over a period of 10 days. After one FY session I was good to go. After the 2nd I slept deeply and uninterrupted through the whole night. Nothing less than magic!

I am so thankful for being able to keep fit and healthy without the use of medicines or other artificial stimulants. Full credit to Ilias for this luxury. Gratitude!

Görel (67 yrs)

I recently attended the 6-Day Forrest Yoga and Energy Healing Retreat with Ilias, and it was truly an incredible experience! The retreat offered the perfect chance to slow down, detox, and reconnect with nature while diving into a daily yoga practice. Vale de Moses, nestled in the mountains of Portugal, is a magical yoga retreat center surrounded by beautiful forest landscapes, with a stunning studio that overlooks the valley. The peaceful atmosphere, woodland walks, refreshing water dips, and deep, restful sleep made the experience unforgettable. The cozy accommodations and nourishing veggie meals only added to the sense of well-being.

Ilias is a wonderful instructor—his guidance during yoga sessions was both grounding and inspiring. The private healing session with him was especially powerful, helping me release deep pain and emerge feeling lighter and more balanced. The daily structure, with morning yoga and evening classes that included emotional processing, bodywork, and breathwork, was incredibly healing. Ilias was so attentive, working with each of us through the postures with care and focus.

The retreat not only helped me reconnect with myself on a deeper level but also created a beautiful sense of community with others on a similar journey. I left feeling lighter, stronger, and filled with gratitude for the entire experience. If you're looking for a retreat to recharge your body and soul, I can't recommend this experience enough!

Rachel

Portugal Retreat 2024

I'm back to "real life" and I just wanted to say that I'm really grateful for the week at the retreat with all of you. It was my first experience with forrest yoga and it was pretty amazing; all the transformation that I experienced, not only during the yoga pratice but also afterwards in the energy healing sessions. I want to deeply thank you for guiding me trough all this amazing experience. I'm sure I will bring all of this always with me and I hope to see you soon in your next event!

Filipa

Portugal Retreat 2024

Hanne

Portugal Retreat 2023

“Måten yoga retreatet har påvirket meg i etterkant av oppholdet er at jeg har blitt flinkere og mer bevisst på at jeg må leve i nuet. Spesielt de to meditasjonene “ Death meditation” og “wiser self-meditation” var veldig effektive for å få det til. De har bidratt til at jeg har sluttet å sette begrensninger for meg selv her og nå, noe jeg tidligere har gjort ved å utsette ting fordi jeg tror jeg ikke har vært klar eller god nok sånn som jeg er nå. Jeg har hele tiden tenkt at jeg må vente til jeg er mer klar, eller har endret meg til noe bedre og “gått ned de siste to kiloene”.

De to meditasjonene fikk meg virkelig til å endre tankegangen min. Venner og familie har merket en stor forandring med at jeg nå plutselig gjennomfører ting de har anbefalt for meg og ønsket at jeg skulle gjøre, men som jeg hele tiden har utsatt og sagt jeg ikke har vært klar for. Mange har sagt at de er veldig stolte av meg, fordi etterhvert så begynte folk å tvile på at jeg noen gang kom til å gjøre det jeg nå har begynt med.

Den største barrieren jeg har brutt har vært det at jeg endelig har lastet ned dating-apper og blitt åpen for å gå på date med folk. Tidligere har jeg hele tiden tenkt at folk ikke vil like meg sånn som jeg er nå, så derfor har jeg tenkt at det ikke var vits i å la folk bli kjent med meg på den måten. Men nå etter retreatet i Portugal så har jeg vært på flere dates og åpnet meg mer opp for folk! Jeg har ikke funnet den perfekte matchen enda, men jeg har endelig klart å ta et stort skritt på veien mot det.

Jeg er helt sikker på at den fine gjengen og innholdet på ettermiddagstimene på Vale de Moses var med på å forsterke troen min på meg selv og gjorde meg klar for å bryte det som har vært en veldig stor barriere for meg!”

“I've been practicing with Ilias for more than 1.5 years now, and his classes, immersions and retreats have made a huge difference in my personal development during this time.

I have fixed my knee, which used to swell up and need hospital treatment 1-2 times each year. I no longer experience back pain and a stiff neck. More importantly, I have a significant decrease in feelings of fear, negative self-talk, stress and overwhelm. And when these feelings come, they don't take as much space as they used to. I know they will pass.

I feel really strong! I enjoy life more. I'm grateful for my health. I'm grateful for the people around me. I'm grateful for my kids. I'm grateful for my job. And I dare to live bigger, especially after going deep in Ilias' Forrest Yoga and Energy Healing retreat in Portugal summer of 2023. Right now I feel amazing, I'm expecting my fourth child (a baby I've wanted for a long time, but didn't really dare to go for), and have just started a new challenging and rewarding job (which I never thought myself capable of a few years ago).

I thank Ilias for the part he has had in this journey! And I'm also at a point now where I can take credit for myself, and say that I am very proud of the consistent deep work I have put in.

Namaste”

Kjersti

Portugal Retreat 2023

“What I especially love about your classes is the number of poses you offer, the variety within the patterns and the sequencing. The precision of your instructions - it is as if you could see me from across the room with your back turned to me. The enthusiasm you bring to every class. Then, of course, there is your unique mix of poetic phrases and swearing, which touch me and make me laugh. The one thing you don’t like is sloppyness on the mat - or in life. The one reflects the other. I have taken the message to heart.

Your teachings have - among many other things - liberated my 65 years old shoulderblades. They are now dancing joyfully on my back. I know there is more to come.”

Inger

Regular student in group classes, immersions and privates

“I needed to take some time for myself in a peaceful environment, and I discovered Ilias’s retreat at Vale Moses in Portugal. Something clicked right away, and I was really happy to see that my intuition was on point once I joined Ilias, his wife, and the fellow yogis in Portugal.

Ilias is very passionate about his work and super kind at heart. He pushes us, while accomodating many variations to respect our limits. The week has been a great opportunity to recover, rest, and progress and the benefits have lasted for much longer than the week itself!

Looking forward to join for other retreats and events!”