This March I was able to fulfill one
of my long-term goals -- leading a yoga retreat. My good friend Cindy Ja, owner of Yoga@Cindy's, and I took 21 yogis into the rainforest of Jaco Beach, Costa Rica and immersed ourselves into six days of yoga, healthy food and Costa Rican adventure! We stayed at Hotel Docelunas, a beautiful resort with its own yoga studio perched on a hill overlooking the hotel grounds.
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| Yoga at Docelunas in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica |
Taking yoga on the road was a great experience. It was exhilarating to wake up each
morning to teach to the sounds of nature, natural humidity and breathtaking
surroundings. After class each morning, we enjoyed a typical Costa
Rican breakfast of rice, beans, plantains, tortillas and eggs (called a casado) and fresh fruit - my favorite!
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| Breakfast at Docelunas |
The hotel had lots of wildlife. We spotted toucans eating water apples (a fruit that looks like a red pear) in the trees, iguanas, lizards, poison dart frogs, and even a pizote (a cute little critter that looks like a cross between a raccoon and an anteater.)
There is something very special about being a part of a
retreat experience where people come together for a common purpose of
practicing yoga. The group of yogis that came with my friend and co-leader,
Cindy, and I were such a pleasure to teach. We enjoyed everything from 2 hour
yoga classes twice a day, to waterfall hikes, zip-lining and hanging out with monkeys and wildlife at Manuel
Antonio National Park.
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| White-faced monkey at Manuel Antonio National Park |
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| Zip-lining with the Yogis at Los Suenos |
Going on a yoga retreat is an amazing way to further your
practice and meet great people without the stress of day to
day living. Because of our shared experience, friendships and bonds were made that will definitely last a long time. Yoga and travel go well together because yoga
encourages us to step outside of our comfort zones and explore. It's an experience I will never forget! I can’t wait
for the next retreat!
