This year’s “Liberated Heart,” A Costa Rica Yoga & Healing Retreat was absolutely astounding. The bonds that were created there among the old mango trees and ocean-vibes were life-changing. Joseph Adams, Alana Quattro, myself, and my little nugget 21 month old journeyed to the land of
Pura Vida early so that we could get our feet on the ground a bit before welcoming our guests. Traveling to far off destinations is always
filled with a little excitement as there is this quality of the unknown. That’s one of the qualities that makes world travel so great. We gained memories and stories to tell our family and friends for a lifetime. Stories that I am sure will be past down through generations. You never know what kind of foot print your inspiring life will leave.
Once our guests arrived, ate a delicious meal, and got a good night’s sleep, they made their way down from their bungalows to the open air yoga shala to do their first Costa Rica, Explorations of Self Retreat yoga class. You should have seen their faces wash over with a cool, calm serenity as they gazed out over the ocean, breathing and moving with guided asana and pranayama by Alana Roach. One of our guests commented later on how this place was going to change her life and how places like this needed to be a little hard to get to because the land felt so untouched by tourism. If you walk out onto the beaches in this little beach town there are usually 10, MAYBE 15 people enjoying the 
beach as well.. and these beaches have plenty of room.. a near by 20 minute hike and you are on a deserted beach. Have you ever experienced something like Leonardo DeCaprio’s, “The Beach?” It’s here. I’ve swam into the Pacific Ocean with friends and gazed back at a beach which was untouched, only inhabited only by the palm trees, hermit crabs, wind, and sky…there’s nothing quite like it. That alone is worth the trip. But there’s more..
Our guests went deep within their hearts, bodies, and minds during their afternoon workshops with Joseph Adams and Alana Renee Quattro. There were tears and 
laughters shared. Everyone was incredibly BRAVE and courageous in their commitment to shed what they felt was blocking their ability to love themselves fully. I was taken back by it.
The food!!! From vegan to pescatarian cuisine, our retreat had it all. The food here was delicious and SO fresh… the breakfast restaurant overlooked the ocean with outdoor 
seating and a lawn that was reminiscent of The Secret Garden. After we ate, we stretched out on hammocks strewn about the lawn or walked into the sea which was just steps in front of the hammocks. Iguanas as big as cats bobbed their heads just feet away from us, and beach dogs came to bid us a, “Buenos Dias!” Heaven on Earth. The dinners were candle lit, and the service AND food was 5 star. Plates of fresh greens, tuna, phyllo dough encrusted lobster & salmon, vegan stuffed zucchini, and home made vanilla ice cream drizzled with fresh 
raspberries were just the tip of the iceberg for what we were served EVERY night with the ocean waves lapping just 20 feet away and our feet digging into the sand…
Our guests enjoyed the safety of this funky beach town after dinner and often walked into town, sharing stories of their lives, getting to know each other and yet they all shared the same sentiment out loud to me several times, “I feel like I have known these women all of my life.” I kept hearing, “Thank you for bringing us together, “ and I even received a, “I have been on retreats before but I have never felt a bond like this with the guests and teachers before. We are family.”
Saying goodbye to one another was difficult but we all KNOW we will see each other again soon. Everything was timed perfectly from start to finish. It was indeed, “Divine Timing.”
Alana, Joey, & I thank you from the core of our liberated hearts for journeying with us to Costa Rica and we invite you to journey with us again Jan 12-19, 2019, same place, same time. Email info@explorationsofself.com or send your $365.00 deposit via paypal to explorationsofself@Gmail.com now to reserve your spot!
So much love, light, and infinite blessings,
Alana Roach
Owner and CEO of Explorations of Self, LLC.
You Can Thrive.
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.”