• “Her love, patience, and dedication have been life-changing.”

• “In a short time, Carmen had a profound impact on my life.”

• “She created a safe space where I could truly grow and become myself.”

✨ About Carmen

Hi, I’m Carmen. 🌺

I’m 72, and if there’s one thing life has taught me, it’s that there is no one right way to be a woman, to age, or to live a meaningful life.

I believe in loving and accepting ourselves as we are while staying curious, moving our bodies, trying new things, laughing, learning, and supporting one another along the way.

My own life has taken many turns.

I grew up in Brooklyn after coming to the United States from Ecuador as a child. I became a CPA and built a career in accounting, finance, and operations.

I married, became a mother, went through divorce, and eventually found myself creating something completely different.

🌺 The Goddess Store & Studio

In 2001, I opened The Goddess Store & Studio in Downtown Hollywood, Florida.

For more than 15 years, it became much more than a store.

Women came to shop, but they also came to dance, take classes, gather, talk, laugh, learn, and connect.

That community became one of the great loves of my life.

Eventually the physical Goddess Store closed, but the Goddess never really left me.

And she will always be here, just always evolving as we do.

Not as a place where someone tells women how they should live.

Not because we need to be fixed, healed, or transformed into some "better" version of ourselves.

But as a community where women can move, love, laugh, explore, support one another and celebrate who we already are.

💃 Movement Has Always Been Part of My Life

I've danced for most of my life.

Over the years I've explored Shakti Dance®, yoga, belly dance, Flamenco, salsa, bachata, Biodanza, ecstatic dance and other forms of movement.

These days you can often find me on a salsa dance floor. 💃

I don't move because I'm trying to turn back the clock.

I move because I'm alive.

Movement brings me joy, keeps me connected to my body and reminds me that aging doesn't mean disappearing from our own lives.

My hope is to share that joy with other women — whatever their age, experience, body or ability.

You don't have to be a dancer to dance.

🌎 A Life of Curiosity

Travel has also been one of my greatest teachers.

I've been fortunate to experience places and cultures throughout Latin America and around the world — including Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Jamaica, India, Nepal, Bali, Egypt, Morocco, Spain and Italy.

I love the music, movement, traditions, art, food and especially the people I've encountered along the way.

My Ecuadorian roots have become increasingly meaningful to me as I've gotten older, and they are part of the inspiration for where I hope Goddess Store & Studio will go in the years ahead.

💗 Where I Am Today

I'm still learning.

I'm still dancing.

I'm still traveling.

I'm still dreaming.

I'm still figuring things out.

And I'm perfectly okay with that.

Today, Goddess Store & Studio is slowly coming back to life through movement, women's gatherings, coaching, community and our growing online Goddess Shop.

And someday, I hope that journey will also include beautiful products created by Indigenous and Latin American artisans and opportunities for women to travel, move and experience places like Ecuador, Peru and Colombia together.

But we're taking it one step at a time.

Because Goddess Store isn't about following a guru.

It's about women walking beside one another.

🌺Come As You Are

You don't have to become a Goddess.

You already are one.

Come dance with us.
Come laugh with us.
Come share your story.
Come exactly as you are.

Move • Love • Live

With love,
Carmen 💗
Founder, The Goddess Store & Studio

✨ Movement, Training & Studies

More than 25 years of exploration, training and experience in dance, movement, yoga and women's practices.

💃 Dance & Movement

2nd Level Certified Shakti Dance® Instructor — The Yoga of Dance
Certified by Dharma Devi & Sara Avtar

Bellydance Instructor — Certified
18+ years of study with Maja Nile, Myriam Eli & Maria Jammal

Flamenco Dance Training — since 2006
Training with Miguelangel, Mayeelu & Marina Torres

Salsa & Bachata Training
with Yura Cantillo • YC Dance Studio

Biodanza — The Dance of Life
Study and practice since 2009 with Hilda Restrepo

Ecstatic Dance Training
with Dunya McPherson

Goddess Tara Dance Training
with Prema Dasara

Tantric Dance of Feminine Power
Training with Vajra Ma

🌿 Additional Studies & Practices

My journey has also included many years exploring spiritual and traditional practices from different teachers and cultures.

Reiki Master — 1998
Certified by Ken Jepsen

Moon Mother® / Womb Blessing Training
with Miranda Gray

Q'ero Wombkeeper Rite — 13th Rite

Munay-Ki Rites

Tibetan Palm Healing

Access Consciousness Bars®

Kundalini Yoga Practice — since 2002

Shamanic & Curandera Studies

These experiences are part of my personal journey and have shaped how I think about movement, community, and life. No single practice defines me or Goddess Store & Studio today.