Meet the Founder
Sophie Eva Allison
Corporate HR Consultant | Competitive Acrobatic Gymnast | MSc Business Psychologist | 1000+ hour trained Yoga & Barre Coach | Strength Trainer | Breathwork Coach
I’m creating what I once needed.
But over time, I realised there was more to life than that.
Hey, I’m Sophie – founder of Eva Retreats. And this isn’t just a business. It’s a patchwork of all the places, people and turning points that brought me back to myself. I grew up as a third culture kid – British, South African, raised in the UK, and constantly surrounded by movement, travel and newness.
From a young age, I trained as an elite acrobatic gymnast. I was driven and disciplined. Add high academic pressure and a talent for people-pleasing, and I spent most of my life pushing. Hard.
While living abroad in Zurich, building my career as a business psychologist, I found myself seeking more: I wanted community, clarity, and a slower, more embodied way of being.
There was no clear map, so I started drawing my own.
Alongside my day job, I started retraining as a movement coach, quietly at first. I began blending what I knew about the body and the brain, creating classes that felt warm, non-dogmatic, and joyfully inclusive. Over time, what started as a side project became something I couldn’t ignore. So I took the leap.
I learned that mindful movement isn’t about being zen or touching your toes: it’s about returning to yourself, one soft exhale at a time.