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Spring Cleanses Were Meant to Be Broken

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So you’ve cheated on your spring cleanse somehow. You feel guilt and shame. Why? Perhaps the cleanse was meant to be done imperfectly.

 

I can’t remember a cleanse that I didn’t do imperfectly. When I was living in Costa Rica years ago, I did my first 3 day water cleanse and guess what? I didn’t just have water. I had the fresh juice from a coconut

and I had bubbly water AND I stopped 2 1/2 days in because I could feel my body needed to. The last two 10 day superfoods cleanses I did, I enjoyed a full cheat meal at least once or twice because my body was craving it and still got tremendous benefits. I trust myself today. I trust that my body may need something else than was subscribed. I use cleanses or re-sets or whatever you want to call them as gentle guidelines to self-growth and purification. They always help me gain more clarity and lead to more peace. Always.

I urge you to allow the imperfections as being PERFECT moments in your, “Cleanse.” The main thing is to not give up on yourself because you decided to listen to YOURSELF rather than the fine print written by someone else.

How have you been imperfect today? How has that led you to trust in YOURSELF more?

 

Do you want to begin your imperfect and powerfully potent journey into health and happiness? Send me a private message to Explorationsofself@Gmail.com to chat about Life and Nutrition Coaching with Alana Roach.

Author:

Alana Roach

Owner & Director of the Explorations of Self Travel Community

Mother, Yogi, Business Owner, Dharma and Meditation Instructor, Surfer, Artist, Singer, Life and Nutrition Coach, Social Media Marketer, Lover or LIFE.

A Rooted Practice for Mahashivarati

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Hello Explorations of Self Community!

This week’s pose is, “Easy Pose,” aka “Sukhasana,” (In Sanskrit, India’s sacred language of yoga) accompanied with the first of the 7 main energy centers in our body called the, “Root Chakra,” or Muladhara.

The root chakra is at the base of our spine, and it is said to connect us to the earth. It governs our sense of security and practicality. When this center is out of balance, one can feel spacey, fearful, and insecure. A regular root chakra balancing practice is necessary to feel more in control of your mind and body.

As we enter the new moon and solar eclipse of February, we may feel a little un-grounded. These new energies can stir up old energies that are no longer serving us, and while they come up and out to leave, it is most necessary to find stillness through this mindful practice.

I love guiding my clients through gentle breathing and visualization exercises while in this pose. If you would like to try this at home, find a blanket, pillow, or yoga prop to sit on, and let’s get started.

1. Fold the blanket in half or thirds so that you have a half a foot length to sit on. If you have a pillow, make sure it is also about this height. Come to sit on the edge of your prop. First extending your legs out, and then gentle bending your knees to find a comfortable position with your shins crossed, guiding each foot behind opposite knee.

2. Gaze down to make sure that to make sure that your feet are relaxed and that there is a bit of a space between your pelvis and feet.

3. Allow your pelvis to stay neutral. Guiding the bottom tip of your tailbone towards the earth, while lengthening the crown of your head towards the sky.

4. Rest your hands gentle on your stomach. Close your eyes, and start to center your mind by focusing on your breath, , feeling your abdomen rise and fall.

5. Visualize your root chakra as a swirling 4 petaled lotus flower at the base of your spine. Every breath in you see your flower grow brighter and brighter, and with every exhale you see it spin faster and faster. As it spins, you may notice old energy leaving this energy center as dark and oily drainage. This is completely natural and to be expected during this meditation. Breathe slowly and rhythmically. Inhale through the nose slowly, and exhaling through the mouth while creating an, “O,” shape with the mouth as you exhale slowly. Syncing your breath with your visualization will enhance this sadhana or spiritual practice.

6. Stay with the visualization for about 10-20 breaths.

7. Feeling grateful for this time that you have taken to connect with yourself, smile softly, and blink your eyes, slowly coming back into the room to continue on with your day, a little more centered, calm, and happy.

 

So much love,

Alana

Alana Roach, founder of Explorations of Self, “A Mindful Travel Community.”

Yoga, Integrative Nutrition, Reiki, Tantra, Shamanista, Travel Enthusiast.

Contact me: info@explorationsofself.com

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIN.

Six O’ Clock, Queens Land Time

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It blows my mind how a day wraps up so quick, even when you aren’t working anymore. It’s a Sunday afternoon here in Coolangata, Australia. For those of you who don’t know where the heck this place is, pull up a map of Australia and pinpoint Cairns with one finger and Sydney with the other. Slowly pull your fingers together and when they meet, you should be highlighting an area called the Gold Coast.

…

The Stories That Lead Us From Presence

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We were walking together down the white sandy beach of Costa Rica in the late morning of November. Each of us silent, tired from the sun and the ocean waves, trying to keep pace with one another but exhaustion kept us staggered. There were three of us and as we walked two of us would veer toward one another and the third would be walking as the outlier. I observed as it seemed some sort of energy drew us together and then apart again, but the unified intention of getting to our destination kept us going in the same direction. …

Best Yoga Retreats in Costa Rica for 2016

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My first dance with Costa Rica travel was when I was 28. It had been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. So, when I finally stepped off of the plane into unknown territory, I knew I had found my calling. Now traveling is a part of what I do for a living. Beyond that, it is a part of my path as a yogini. I have never traveled long distances without yoga. It has been the crux of my international experience from the very beginning. I have done yoga in the Himalayas and at the ocean levels near the equator. Yoga has imbibed me with the sacred energy that each place holds. I become a part of the culture and lands, and they become a part of me. Yoga is a unifying practice, and what better way to unite with a new place than to hit the mat.

Costa Rica is one of those places that enchants you. So enchanting in fact that my partner and I decided to move there after our very first visit. We made our way to the coast line and called it our home for over 6 months. Since moving back to the States this past March, I travel back to Costa frequently to teach, travel, play, learn and restore. The air is fresh, unscathed by mass pollution, the food is ALIVE, not touched by chemicals or altered in any unnatural way, and the people are incredible. They care about their land and make a point to keep it safe, maintained and sustainable. I have never seen a symbiosis between people, animals, and the earth the way I have witnessed it in Costa Rica. I hope that if you have been there, you continue to go, to grow, to learn, to laugh and connect. If you haven’t been, I hope that this has peaked your interest. There is no time like the present. Traveling is true education and I have heard that people are happier spending money on traveling the world than accruing it for years just to say they have. I travel every chance I get. My soul is richer for it.

Here are the best yoga retreats in Costa Rica for 2016

1. I am You and You are Me: A Costa Rica Yoga Experience with Alana Roach

Costa Rica Surf Sunset

I lead a retreat for a week in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, beginning on the 3rd Saturday every January. This is where I lived and continue to teach beach side retreats. The first time I stepped off of the bus and walked to the edge of Santa Teresa’s beach, I was struck by it’s raw beauty. There were waves that seemed to be about 8 feet high and surfers for miles in every direction. These were the kind of waves I had seen in movies. The kind that inspire you to move crossed borders and take up surfing as a lifestyle. There were beautiful, unbroken shells all over the beach, hermit crabs running in every direction, and a mixture of cultures scattered to sunbath and read. I sat in awe with a silly smile on my face thinking of just how beautiful this all looked as it glistened afternoon sun.
I thought to myself, “THIS is Costa Rica.”

My retreat sits atop of this incredible ocean view, nestled in a palm tree fortress called “Tropico Latino.” You can’t help feel like royalty with 2 outdoor yoga decks, canopied in the shade that overlook the Pacific Ocean, beautiful, private bungalows and beach houses that were made for lounging, food that is fresh and simply out of this world breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a staff that is accommodating to every need.

This year’s retreat has nearly sold out so please keep Alana Roach’s, Santa Teresa Yoga Retreat on your radar for next January and register soon!

2. Yoga in Paradise: A Celebration of Life with Rob Schultz

This Feb 6-13th, Rob Shultz leaLa Fortuna Costa Ricads a Hatha based yoga retreat in La Fortuna, Costa Rica.  Near by to the most active volcano on these lands, Arenal, La Fortuna is bountiful in hot springs and waterfalls. This grounding excursion will allow you to chose from many different day excursions while getting your fill of yoga twice daily.
A Celebration of Life’s mission is to get us back in touch with our passionate, create, inspired, and joyful nature. For most of us, we are surrounded by noise pollution, media, tasks, cars, lights, and other distractions, that we can forget what truly matters. This is one of Costa Rica’s best retreats because it is a return to YOU through simplicity, nature, and restoration.

3. Finding Peace Within: A Costa Rica Retreat With Day Yoga

Costa Rica Yoga Retreat

Feb 28- March 6, 2016, Devon Schmidt & Brandy Erazo lead a 7 night retreat in Playa Uvita, CR. This retreat includes 3 whole foods meals a day, round trip transport to and from the airport, 2 daily yoga and meditation classes, personal retreat time, and a bonus 20 hours of training for those enrolled in Day Yoga’s 300 hr teacher training or those looking for CEU’s through Yoga Alliance.

With beautiful beaches, rainforests, a funky local town, ziplining, and a visit to the Arenal Volcano, there is never a shortage of adventure with these two yogis! Devon and Brandy offer a unique array of workshops that include subtle body anatomy, arm balances, and thai yoga adjustments. Daily classes include gentle, vinyasa, yin, restorative, and yoga nidra. You are sure to leave this retreat unbound, untethered, and ready to take on the world with a full breath in and a relaxed exhale.

4. Summer Solstice Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica with Julie Sichlau

Montana Azul

Begin your summer with Julie Sichlau in the surroundings of National Park Chirripó. During the summer solstice the light is at it’s strongest to mirror our blooming transformative energies with-in. There is an inner stirring to cultivate an awareness of our heart’s beckoning, and this is the perfect time/space to let your heart run wild.

Julie is a special soul who doesn’t just speak of yoga but lives it. Envision yourself in the open air shala, gazing at the lush greenery and the blue skies as you explore an invigorating. pranic, fluid yoga flow by day by late afternoon your cup will run over with a balancing and soothing yin practice.

This is a truly nurturing Costa Rica retreat.

“Manifest your dreams and goals, whilst creating space for deep gratitude of living from a state of pure being and infinite love. Practice your power of shining brighter from within.” Julie Sichlau

5. Renew and Rebalance in Costa Rica—Re-Turn to Yourself with Lisa Feder & Dana Baruch

Best Yoga Retreat

June 25- July 2, 2016 Rounding out my top 5 best Costa Rica retreats are Yoga and wellness teacher, Lisa Feder with life coach and educator Dana Baruch. They dedicate an entire week of empowering and exploring the many beautiful facets of you through yoga, meditation, coaching, creative exploration, journaling, and service to others.

They welcome all levels of experience at all stages of life to come re-connect with and rekindle your natural, authentic spirit. Laughter and fun is a guarantee.

You will be pampered by the True Nature Education staff from the moment you step off of the plane and onto the La Cusinga lodge. The eco-lodge and retreat center in Uvita is tucked away in the hilltops giving you a sense of royalty as you look out onto your view of sweeping oceans, sandy beaches, natural pools, and beautiful rain forests. This is Costa RIca’s most famous ecosystem ad by pure presence alone, you will be forever captivated.

∞

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

Create a story that you want to read. One that plays on your senses and makes you feel alive. I know so many people who tell me that I am so lucky to live the life I do. I agree except it’s not so much luck as it is faith. If I can dream it, I can do it. It takes action, a firm regiment of positive next steps, and a lot of taking life by the reigns. It requires us, as yogis, travelers, and budding explorers to close our physical eyes, take a deep breath, and allow our inner sight to lead the way to the best yoga retreats in Costa Rica or simply taking that first step in getting your passport. Dare to vision, dream, and explore, and keep me posted because I for one, can’t wait to watch the journey that is you, unfold.

 

Yoga RetreatAlana Roach  is a International Yogi currently based out of Annapolis, MD. Formerly adorned by the city lights and the busy streets of America, she was then whisked away by the illustrious path of yoga and took to traveling the world to share it with others. A few years back she started to write about the transformation she undertook by  practicing conscious meditation. She practices and teaches varied styles of yoga at Ruahstudio.com, leads international retreats with Truenatureyogawellness.com, loves surfing, being in nature, and enjoys a good belly laugh. She is on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, and can be reached by email alanaroachyoga@gmail.com

Travel is the best education

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Years ago, when I was backpacking near the Himalayas in Sikkim, I met a man. His name was Marshall. He had been traveling for several months all over Nepal and settled near the Holy Lake Katchipuri where I was also hauled up for a week’s stay. He was soft spoken, stuck to himself mostly, and had a sort of zen quality that the other guests mistook as self-indulgent, but I knew… I could feel his God-centered-ness. His sense of belonging. Perhaps it’s because I was becoming that way, too. I was far away from home and yet I had never felt so at home in my life. Traveling had widened my horizons and both beat me down and built me back up all at the same time.

I’ll never forget what this 45 year old college professor from the United States, Marshall, told me one fine day in the rolling hills of Lake Katchipuri. He said, “You’ll learn a million times more traveling than you would spending a million dollars on graduate school. Save your money and see the world. That is where true education is.”

I value education, in all forms.. but what he said really resonated with me, and I continue to learn from those places and people I encounter all over the world. You are my teachers, both land and tongue… and I thank you, from the bottom of my swelling heart.

Register for my next adventure abroad

What I Learned From My Man Detox

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“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha

It’s been so challenging to confront myself over the past couple of months. So very challenging to look at myself in such a raw space of utter confusion about who I am and what I require to be happy. I am on my own for the first time in years.

On occasion I will cry and say, “Did I do the right thing?”

When it comes down to it, I wasn’t happy for a long time. I grew. I sat in the rainforest and on the beaches of Costa Rica and I questioned everything. I let go of everything I thought I knew and I welcomed whatever the Universe had in store for me. I surrendered. 

The next thing I knew I was packing my bags and headed North only to plunge head first into another relationship. It was short lived. It was like a fairy tale and then a nightmare. Initially I thought I was getting what I deserved, a night in shining armor. Someone to heal all of my wounds. When he turned dark my heart quivered. Here I am again. What am I doing wrong?

Despite the encouragement of mentors and my community to stay single for a time so that I could grieve the loss of my long term lover, I didn’t listen. I stayed the course. I continued to open myself up to “love.” I kept attracting men that could not treat me the way I required because I couldn’t treat myself the way I require. They were broken because I was broken.

I decided to go on a 40 day Man Detox like Jesus fasted in the desert. I could commit to 40 days. If I needed to I would extend it out from there. It has been a journey. There have been trials and tribulations. I have been tested! I have fallen and then gotten back up.

Here is what I learned.

  1. A partner won’t complete you. No matter how how you try to wash away your emotional lows and amp up your highs with something outside of you, the journey to fulfillment starts within.
  2. Girl friends are priceless. Surrounding yourself with a community of loving women is like nestling into a garden of sparkling jewels. You are held in beauty and reflected back your magnificence.
  3. Guys friends are priceless, and they are people too.  When you get out of a relationship it is easy to loathe the opposite sex. Even if it is subconscious you may have an aversion to treating the opposite sex with decent and respect. The challenge comes when you are attracted to the friend. When it comes down to it, we are all made of the same stuff. Be kind. Honor each other. Let your community rise up around you. Male and female.
  4. I am pretty cool. So are you. In fact, we are really, really, really cool. I never had a chance to get to know that on my own before. If you are constantly looking outside of yourself for validation, you never getting into the meat of it for yourself. It creates a pattern of outside affirming which is a really tough habit to reverse when it a partnership if you are already in a rhythm of it. However it is doable no matter where you are in  live. Breathe in your beauty. Love yourself in all moments, through the laughter and the tears.
  5. I don’t have to grow, “Perfectly.” I have the gift of forgiveness. I have fallen down several times on this path to myself.
  6. Resisting Temptation is a bitch. Oh my goodness. I am certainly not as steadfast as Jesus. I can only try. I have to pat myself on the back though because as much as it makes me chuckle.. the last time I was asked out on a date during this detox, I got to respond with, “I can’t. I am on a MAN FAST!” I am pretty sure his eyes grew two sizes, like, “What did she just say to me?” That’s right boys, a man fast, aka, man-tox.
  7. God is good. All the time. Trust that you are taken care of and what lies ahead of you is unfolding in a golden path.
  8. I am sexy. You can be sexy and not be promiscuous or in a partnership. You can fall in love with your Shakti energy and let it blossom the Goddess you were meant to be.
  9. I look forward to being with myself. When you strive to be with people constantly what are you trying to escape? Being alone can be a beautiful experience! Get to know the soul peering out of that body. You are Divine and worth getting to know.
  10. I can take care of myself.  Compassionately tell the voice in your head, that tells you won’t be able to do this on your own, “I bid you adieu!” It is so empowering to know that you can do this on your own. You are powerful Goddess. During this process I have been learning how to self-sooth when I get sad or lonely. You can hold yourself like a small kitten and imagine the Creator stroking your hair. You can do this with gentleness and strength.

Have you ever done this? What were your greatest lessons?

Manifest Your Next Yoga Holiday

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Yoga retreats are a beautiful launch pad for incredibly deep and long lasting change. They create a container that is unlike any other and if done in a tranquil, remote setting one can experience true liberation from old, life suppressing habits. They can completely reset your immune system, flushing out toxins with daily yoga, rest, nourishing food, and laughter. They can allow us to cry like no one is watching in a safe place where no one is judging. They excite the soul is ways that is beyond measure because you are simply tapping into the overflowing well stream of who you really are when you follow your dreams.

“Respond to every call 

that excites your spirit.”

Rumi, The Essential Rumi

So all if this sounds great, but you are wondering how you are going to get there. That is a beautiful place to be. Let’s start the process of manifesting what you truly desire with 3 simply steps.

The new year is upon us. Astrologically it is a time of creating the change you wish to see in your life. What is your passion? How can you bring that passion into fruition? 3 simple steps have led me to lead a life of passionate purpose. These 3 steps are simple but not always easy. They take a lot of inner courage, faith, and allowance. Simply put, these steps are.
1.Ask. Asking for what you truly desire in life is the first time. Write it down. Really go into your heart space and design the life you crave as if no one would get hurt by your decisions. Breathe into the moment when you look at these beautiful creations that you have laid out at the feet of the Universe. Close your eyes and visualize what these things would look, feel, taste, smell, and simply be like.

2.Believe. Know that the life you most desire, desires you just the same. That’s right. The Universe works in this way. If you believe that when you put out trust, love, and faith into every request, you will be on your way to receiving the same in multitudes. Stay open minded. Sometimes these great boons will come in many fashions.

3.Recieve. It takes a little bit of training to allow yourself to stay in the highest vibration. I am not saying to through your feelings out of the door. Not at all. Just remember to honor what  feelings and emotions come up and then bring it back to what is good in your life right now. Believing that all is how it should be in this moment and KNOWING that all is coming. Know that you are worth it. Yes, YOU! You, divine, you. You are worthy of these blessings. When doubt creeps in, shift your mind back to the affirmation, “I am worthy.” You will be amazed at how the Universe supports you in your beautiful endeavors!

Manifest a yoga retreat with me in any of these Divine locations.

I’ll see you on your mat, living the dream.

Details on eosretreats.com

Sincerely,

Alana V. Roach

E-RYT, Reiki, Intuitive Healer & Medium, Wellness Retreat Leader

eosretreats.com

alanaroachyoga.com

explorationsofself@gmail.com

Explorations of Self: A Costa Rica Yoga Experience 2015: Memoirs of Retreat Leader, Alana Roach

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Lynne Roye Photography https://www.facebook.com/lynne.roy.9
Lynne Roye Photography
https://www.facebook.com/lynne.roy.9

The sun is rising through open shaded windows and as I peer out onto the horizon I see beautiful lush green palm trees swaying in the calm whispering breeze. Beyond that is the sparkling swells of the deep blue sea. Infinitely undulating it’s majestic tides onto the pebbles  below. I have arrived to a luscious dwelling of sacred secrets and lucrative blessings from the nurturing Mother Earth, from Gaia. I have arrived in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica on the Nicoya Peninsula to lead Explorations of Self: A Costa Rica Yoga Experience with True Nature Education and Tropico Latino.

We are groggy from the previous days travel but there is a synergistic energy that is pulsating through each and every one of us on this morning. Yoga is at 7am and as I put the water onto boil for herbal tea I am filled with a sense of overwhelming joy and sense of, “New beginnings.” This retreats hold a special energy in this new year. This week holds the first New Moon of the 2015 and what a New Moon it will be. This year is one of owning our truth, our power, and letting go of the old. What a great platform this space is for this phoenix of transformation.

What a great group this is. There are 10 of us total. Auspiciously, in numerology, “The number 10/1 brings all sorts of new changes into your life, and there seems to be an element of luck within those energies.  Through this vibration you have the insight to recognize and understand the needs of humanity, and the ability to bring peace and harmony to all. Number 10 resonates with the vibrations and energies of leadership, optimism, confidence, independence, creative powers, success, energy, originality, adaptability, determination and individuality.”

As we all sit this morning and close our eyes I start to sense each of our energies mixing and melting into One. I feel the anticipating, the nervousness, the excitement, the beauty, the love, start to collide with nature’s womb of creation. As we begin to flow and breathe together, I feel the energies become focused, harnessing a careful Qi that is telling of the powerful week to come. As we Aum out, I now know that everything I have done in this previous year was to prepare for this. This is a coming out and into our life’s Purpose. This is the beginning of the beginning. This is the exploration and owning of our Higher Self and Soul Purpose. The Higher Self that is connecting to everything and everyone. This retreat is about delving into our heart’s deepest yearning and living from that place of JOY.

Aside from the esoteric beauty of our tropical oasis and spiritual sangha, we are nurtured by the pampering atmosphere and staff of Tropico Latino as well as the extraordinary guides of True Nature Education. We are greeted every day with warm smiles from Tropico Latino’s Shamballa restaurant staff as we sit down to eat our delicious meals. The food is local, fresh, and mouth watering to the taste, smell, and sight. I am in heaven on earth. To go from such a nurturing, communal meal time, to the picturesque beach just steps away every day makes me remember what life is all about. Real life. Not the life that we leave behind when we come here, but the life that we ARE inside and in all moments whether we are here or not. The sky turns violet and a cool blue, and as the sun goes down it shoots a bright pink portal that beams it’s fluorescent rays behind a flock of pelicans skimming the ocean’s swells for sustenance. A gathering of beautiful people come to watch the ritualistic sunset over the Pacific. I lived here, in Santa Teresa, for 6 months before leading this retreat. I can tell you that the incredible community of the Nicoya Peninsula are people of the sun. We fill up on it’s light and honor it’s beatific majesty. Worshipping the sun isn’t even something one has to consciously remember to do because the luminous spirit of Helios ( Greek for sun, meaning Most High ) beckons to us every evening around 5:30pm. There are people who feed on the sun’s light and after experiencing it’s power for myself, I am starting to understand how that is possible. Being here reminds me that anything and everything is possible.

There is so much to participate in. While some are deciding to fill their days with Tortuga boat tours & snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking, spa massages, facials, wraps, and zip lining; others are finding that their journey on this trip is to go within and find stillness on the beach. I honor every one’s individual path and trust that they are guided in every moment of everyday by their inner wisdom. Every morning and early evening we join together honor our inner journey on the mat. Every class is guided by the co-creation and intermingling of our collaborative energies. Morning vinyasa’s focus on different aspects of our chakras and emotional + physical balance in the organs as well as detoxifying the system. The evening classes are hypnotic, restorative yoga nidras sometimes beginning with gentle movement and deep, chanting, integrative breathing to allow the body and mind to receive a fully relaxed state. After each class I see a wave of calm brush over everyone’s being and I can feel our connections deepen as our heart’s soften. Yoga means to unite, to yolk. It brings us together by aligning the body, mind, spirit and then that space within connects to the same alignment within you. This brings us to a space where we realize there is no other. There is only One. One breath, one pulse, one spirit, one Universe. We are one in Costa Rica and always in life.

There is a surprise for the group on the 5th day of retreat. I have arranged to hold a sweat lodge (Or Temazcal in Spanish) with a beautiful man and local shaman, Oso. His name means, “Bear,” and his energy holds true to his name as he is strong and majestic. He joins us for dinner the night before the lodge with our divine goddess and guide from Tropico Latino, Maria. She serves as the interpreter for Oso so that he can answer any and all questions. 5 out of the 9 on retreat decide to partake in the Temazcal, yet all of us as a whole create group and personal intentions to transform in the lodge. We hold class the evening before we head to the top of a mountain to hold our sunset ritual. Each of us envision our worries going into the fire and our dreams being born into reality. Each on of us holds space for the group to create new possibilities and lasting change. Temazcal’s are rebirthings. It creates space for us to spring forth out of the ashes and step into our power.  As the 5 of us head to the top of the windy dirt road in the back of a truck with 30 other particpants from different yoga retreats, we know we will never be the same. The sweat lodge is set in the center of a loop that is carefully laid out to create an infinity symbol. On the other side of the lodge there is the communal fire where the coals are getting their heat. It takes all day to prepare Temazcal and I am so honored by Oso, Maria, and the fire keeper because their care for our transformation is so prefusely apparent. They are taking care of us as if we are family. I am brought back to the, “One-ness.” Yes, these beautiful souls ARE our family. It is a choice. A choice to take care of one another and lift each other up! We sing beautiful mantras with Oso’s lovely wife as their children dance around the fire. When it is time for us to enter the lodge, we split up into male and female sides. Women enter first and we create two rows on the left as the men enter next to create two rows on the right. There will be four rounds of sweat. Representing the four directions NSEW and the four elements. We will sing 4 songs from the Lakota tradition in each round and then open the doors in the front and the back. We hold each other as we begin to sweat and the hot coals, one by one, are brought in. As we receive the 8th coal, Oso shuts the flaps and we begin to sing. “Sit up tall to align the chakras with Mother Earth and the Universe,” He says. I do. I sit tall and I sing loudly. I envision my chakras pouring open and all negative energies dissolving and being transmuted into the fire. Every one is more and more intense. We continue to support each other by breathing deeply, connecting with one another, sending reiki, singing mantra, sending love, and speaking out loud our prayers for hope, healing, and positive change. At the end of our last round we slowly exit the lodge and take showers. We are fed fruit and given water. We gaze into each other’s eyes knowing we are forever changed. I have dropped fully into my divine purpose. We all have. This is the beginning of the rest of our lives. What an incredible way to round out this incredible exploration of Self in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica.

Whatever happens from here on out can only grow from healthy soil. We are blossoms amongst a field of blossoms. As they say in the Lakota tradition. Ahau Mitakuye Oyasin (All my relations/we are all related) and Namaste. I look forward to continuing the tradition of growth through explorations of self abroad in Costa Rica 2016. Join me Jan 16-23 with co-facilitator Lindsay Worek for, “I Am You and You Are Me: A Costa Rica Yoga Retreat!” Contact True Nature Education to REGISTER NOW!

EOS: A COSTA RICA YOGA EXPERIENCE!
EOS: A COSTA RICA YOGA EXPERIENCE!

Testimonials from the heart from Explorations of Self: A Costa Rica Yoga Experience, 2015

“ Just returned from a Yoga retreat  at the Tropico Latino, in Santa Teresa. The staff, my ocean view bungalow,the pool,food and setting were top notch. Alana is the true Goddess.She is knowledgeable,thoughtful,beautiful  and passionate about her teachings and practice. Spa treatments by Maria really helped with some pain I was going thru. This was a great place for Yoga lovers,its magical. for surfers its a dream come true. Josie went beyond and above , and was always there making sure we were taken care of. What a wonderful  experience, my first time in Costa Rica, thank you  “

Lynne Roye

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” ~ Joseph Campbell

“Explorations of self 2015 with Alana  Roach completely changed my life. I had never traveled internationally before and there was so much fear surrounding going on this trip. With some loving compassion kindness and grace Alana helped me to make the choice to take the trip that would forever change my life. As soon as I signed up for the trip things started to shift for me and the universe completely supported what I was supposed to do. It was an amazing process to watch unfold and then to actually be there was mind blowing. While I was on this trip my higher self completely expanded and I stepped into the person that I am meant to be. I met some beautiful people form amazing connections and will forever be grateful for this experience. Thank you so much to Alana Roach and True Nature Education. My hope for all is that everybody gets to take a trip like this that will enable them to go within themselves that will transform and change them for the better. Namaste.”

Lindsay Worek

” The Explorations of Self, A Costa Rica Yoga Experience with Alana Roach for me was truly a life changing event. This being my first yoga retreat, I didn’t know what to expect. I quickly realized the love and energy that surrounded everyone present and Alana re-kindled this energy everyday with her guided meditations along with the yoga sessions. Alana’s love and compassion inspired me to challenge  myself in all aspects of my life. I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend this event.   I am eagerly awaiting my next opportunity to attend another event with Alana.”

Scott Beacom

“The Explorations of Self Yoga Retreat led by Alana was one of the best experiences of my life.  I can truly say for me, it was life changing.  Her guidance and teaching helped me to really let go and be in the present like never before. She took the time to connect with each one of her students on a personnel level with patience, compassion, and love. She has a real gift for feeling the energy of the class and tailoring the physical practice and meditation to fit the moment. Alana has this light about her that shines very brightly, you can’t help but feel a sense of ease and comfort.”

Fred Dolbow