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
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 lea
ds 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
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
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
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.
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“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.
Alana 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
Alana’s love for yoga came from firsthand experience with just how powerful the practice is. “In 2009, Yoga found me. Inside the studio, she experienced a deep sense of belonging, but the most profound part was what happened after. “I felt as though I was at true peace. I finally knew what the word meant. Until that moment, I had just understood it cerebrally. There is something profound to be said about Peace dropping into the heart.”