By Kate Tanner
A New Day. New chance. New effort. New compassion, peace, and gratitude. Peace. Each. Breath.
I wrote that in my journal one night so that I would see it the next morning.
We had a new Yoga Teacher Training program in Costa Rica this last August with Alan Lowenschuss (Allowah Lani) and his assistant, Ali Gardella. The class was small and just the perfect blend – as it always seems to be. Every day was filled with such calmness and focus and their good energy permeated the whole mountain top in Nosara, Costa Rica.
By Chelsea Guibord
This is a phrase that I have heard repeatedly during yoga teacher training in Costa Rica. A primary focus of yoga is working to cease the fluctuations of the mind, a skill that I have found quite challenging. About mid-training, I lost my form in a cobra pose and pulled a muscle in my low back. I allowed the discomfort to flood my mind with thoughts such as, Now I’m not going to be able to practice asanas, If I sit out I’m going to look weak, Why am I the only person and struggling? I can’t fit in with the group when I feel so tired and negative, and so on.
In Yoga the Virabhadrasana II is the name of Warrior 2 pose. The yoga pose came from a fierce warrior named Shiva. Shiva was described of having a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet, wielding a thousand clubs all while wearing a tiger’s skin. It’s understandable why this pose focuses on balance and concentration.Not only is warrior 2 used for balance but this position helps strengthen your lower body and arms, invigorates the body and helps tone the abdomen.
To begin this pose you should take a step forward with your right foot. Bend the knee slightly with toes facing forward. Extend your left leg behind you to the back of your mat. Toes should be facing left of your body. Open your hips to the left, arms out parallel to your legs and take 6 deep breaths. How far back you can take the back leg and how deep you can hold the pose will help determine your flexibility. Start off slow and soon enough you will see a difference.
This was one of my favorite poses that I learned to master during my yoga retreat at Costa Rica Yoga Spa. All it takes is a little concentration and hard work to master these poses and truly see how good they are for the body.
Now its your turn to take your yoga skills from beginner to master. Contact Costa Rica Yoga Spa today to design your retreat and start your life transformation today!
Well, here it is almost New Year’s and Nosara is heating up. Yoga retreats at Costa Rica Yoga Spa are in full swing and thriving yoga adventures are happening. Last night, after a wonderful vegetarian meal with new arrivals to Costa Rica Yoga Spa from afar we had the experience of a lifetime at La Luna Restaraunt with an amazing show of a D.J./ sita player that took the party by storm.
In 20 years, I haven’t seen such talent at the playa. This duo from Argentina and Costa Rica who had another DJ on break was purely magical. 150 people were spellbound by the Jimi Hendrix of sitar backed by electical beats illuminating off the starry night sky. Our guests were amazed and inspired by what Nosara had to offer.
The Blue Spirit and Nosara Yoga crews were out in full force making this the pinnacle equation of unity of the yogic vibe for the Nosara yogi community. A big thanks to Gonca and Gunther for having these musician here in such a special place as it was the classiest showcase yet at La Luna. Costa Rica Yoga Spa has endorsed this band to play here at a later date for our own Yoga retreat mountain reunion party and it will be great to reinvent this magic. All of our guests were taken back and were instantly brought into the realty of Nosara magic.
Thanks again to La Luna for your support and inviting the Costa Rica yoga spa to another stellar event that will be remembered by all. Nothing short of our highest expectations!
If you are interested in learning more about Yoga retreats in Nosara, contact us today!
Costa Rica Yoga Spa guests, yoga and surf instructors, as well as the hosts had quiet a spectacular day on December 21, 2010 which lead to a wonderful evening under the sky watching amazing fallings stars and the Lunar Eclipe here in Nosara. We not only celebrated the Lunar Eclipse, but we also celebrated a belated honeymoon for our guests from Amsterdam. Happy Honeymoon Nicolette and Lennard! Every moon and eclipse song was played with from”Fly me to the Moon” by Burning Spear to “Moondance” by Van Morrison and, of course, “Dub side of the Moon” the whole album. Thanks Eric from Wrightsville Beach, NC for getting us up and thanks Ben for the magical telescope.
This momentous day started with Yoga with our Yoga Retreat instructor, then Surf with Darin, then Surf lessons, followed by a 4×4 beach excursion, a wonderful dinner at sunset and then off to watch Darin, one of the hosts at Costa Rica Yoga Spa, Darin play with the “The Medicine Show” band at the Gilded Iguana. Then there are rumors of Pacha Mama’s sweatlodge and all night trance dance. So my question is when do we sleep? We might want to go to bed early as our favorite restaurant in San Juanillo is featuring a great band from Cuba on Wednesday night. Hold on people it looks like the holiday season is here, even in Nosara, Costa Rica Yoga where it is nice and warm.
If you are interested in enjoying sun, fun and relaxation, we invite you to attend a one of our yoga retreats or to build your perfect vacation here at Costa Rica Yoga Spa. Contact us today to learn more.
Just over a week ago, I flew into Costa Rica to attend a 21 day intensive yoga teacher training course, leaving my husband and our three little ones at home to fend for themselves! The first thing I’d like to say, is that I honestly don’t know how I got so lucky as to have this opportunity. I am very grateful to have that kind of support from my family at home.
My decision to travel all the way to the jungles of Nosara from South Carolina was one for which I can’t really trace a path. My oldest child is now 7, going into 2nd grade, and I have been a stay-home mom since then, leaving a career as an architect. Now that my kids are getting older and they need me in different ways, I feel like I’m ready to step away a little bit and start doing more. Crazy as it probably sounds to a lot of people, I really miss working! The only problem was that I couldn’t figure out what to do with myself. I only wanted something part-time; architecture required a much greater commitment. So, as I twisted and lifted and reached and stretched in my regular yoga classes, agonizing over what direction to go, I suddenly realized that maybe I could do something that I really love doing. Maybe I could become a yoga teacher?
From that moment, something clicked into place, and it was like the decision was already made. I knew nothing about where to go or what kind of program would best suit me. I randomly ended up on a website that looked good to me, the schedule fit, so I booked it. I literally knew nothing about it. And, honestly, I never really even tried to find anything else out about it, which, looking back, is pretty irresponsible. But, I just felt something in my gut that told me this was the right place for me, so I went for it.
Up until the day I left Charleston, my friends and family all told me I was crazy; no one could believe I was just going to take off for nearly a month to a program I knew nothing, really, about. But somehow, I was OK with it. I came to Costa Rica to do a teacher training program, that’s all I needed. I had no expectations… about the people, the program, the weather, the location, the schedule. I didn’t even really know much about the kind of yoga we would practice! But, because of my “irresponsibility,” or rather, conscious lack of expectations, I felt very little anxiety over coming here. I had no preconceived notions of how things should be. With no image or idea to get attached to, I never felt the fear that it might not turn out the way I’d hoped. I figured, whatever was going to happen, would happen, and I’d work my way through and make the best of what I could. Free from expectations, I could “go with the flow” without being negatively affected by the outcome.
Little did I know that my liberating attitude is the whole basis of the style of yoga we’re practicing here! Anusara yoga teaches it’s practitioners to “be in the flow of Grace.” Basically, to let down your guard, accept, release expectations, and go with the flow! This way, I place responsibility on myself alone, depending on no other to provide a certain outcome. All I can do is make an agreement with myself to move toward a goal. At this point, that goal isn’t even clear to me; it’s only a vague idea, but the intention is firming up a bit around the edges. I guess I’ll know it when I get there? Without the expectations, the journey is much more fun, without pressure, and hopefully with a wonderful surprise at the end! What is clear to me, is that I am in the right place, right now, and doing the best I can to move in the right direction.
I am relatively new to the world of yoga. Yes, my wife had dragged me to a yoga retreat class or two in Nosara. But, what am I doing? Stretching and twisting trying to look like all the other women in the class. Oh, I failed to mention that I am 61-yr-old, 6’ 8”, 215 lb. tall man with lots of sports and old-age wounds to think about and try to work around, but I have been able to fake it out so far.
Anyway, about three years ago, my wife and son and I decided to build a yoga retreat and Yoga Teacher Training facility on the ranch our son has owned for years in Nosara, Costa Rica. Originally, we were going to build a house and retire here on this beautiful ranch. But, what the heck, “Gotta have something to do.”
Fast forward, 17 months and here I am in a Yoga Teacher Training class inside the most spectacular setting – a 45’ round, thatched roof ranchito with the most beautiful teak wood posts and floor in Nosara. It is just as breath-taking as the view from high up on this mountain, facing the Pacific Ocean (that, by the way is about 80 degrees f.). The jungle between us and the beach is protected land and no one will ever develop it, so that means no noise, no pollution, no neighbors – just birds, monkeys, cows, chickens, butterflies, iguanas, and other wildlife – and us – forever! Just up the road is Playa Ostional where the Green Ridley turtles come to lay their eggs and that’s why it is protected.
I am now learning at my “old” age what cat and cow is, downward-facing dog, plank, cobra, warrior and tree pose and how to be balanced and not fall on my face anymore. I am taking notes like I did 40 some years ago in school, doing homework and reading the Bhagavad Gita, all to have a much better and understanding of on-and-off-the-matt yoga while practicing Yoga in Nosara.
Thanks to our special friend and teacher, Ashley Ludman, our schooling and guidance has moved us all in a pre-designed path of study and practice in such a way as to keep our stamina, enthusiasm and awareness as high as we can. Each day brings us further along in our physical and mental yoga practice. We start at 6:00-6:30 a.m. and finish at around 8:30-9:00 p.m., but, not to worry, the staff at Costa Rica Yoga Spa keeps us fed with absolutely the best tasting fruits and vegetables, most of which are grown on the ranch or purchased at the nearby organic market.
Working as hard as we do, the proper fuel keeps the body happy. The days and nights are not totally filled with practice – we do have activities in Nosara, from personal time to read, time to relax in our rooms or around the pool or if you are up to it, a hike to any one of the many waterfalls that are flowing at enormous levels as we are in the beginning of what is turning out to be a very, wet and welcome rainy season. I am looking forward to yoga on the beach and already have enjoyed many sunset yoga sessions during our yoga retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica.
I hope that today I have given you a little glimpse of my time and you, too, can remove your fear and open to the graceful yoga world we have here at Costa Rica Yoga Spa. If you don’t become a teacher you will be a better student of a very healthful and graceful life of yoga.
Namaste, Benito
To learn more about Yoga Retreats in Nosara, contact Costa Rica Yoga Spa today.
As a Yoga Teacher, I have been facilitating Yoga Teacher Trainings for the past 8 years. Each time I step into this role, I learn so much more than I expected at the onset of the journey. Coming back to Costa Rica for July Yoga Teacher Training in Nosara, we have a much smaller, more intimate group this time. It is exactly what I needed. After closing the Yoga studio, moving from my house into a new home and studio, I felt like my root chakra was spinning as fast as my third eye (which is entirely way too fast for comfort!)
Arriving here again, I found the space to begin to settle and take some deeper breaths. It’s green season, and the cleansing rains are wiping away the dust from the roads and trees, offering a brighter landscape, and with it, new challenges of living in the flow of nature here in Costa Rica. I am ready to begin instructing Yoga Retreats.
The rains and the circumstances are teachers to me. I take some steps back and realize that being a yoga teacher is not just about the agenda that I have. Learning to be the most skillful teacher is about living consciously and with the highest intentions, in relationship with nature. Of course, through it all, we are diving deep into hours upon hours of Asana practice, Alignment work, Meditation, Pranayama and Theory. Already, I have some amazing yoga teachers surrounding me in the circle. They are reminding me again that Yoga is the fullness of the experience.
So, we have enjoyed flexibility in our days to celebrate during the World Cup finals, take a hike to the waterfall, stop by the neighboring farm to pick up fresh eggs and cheese, dance in the rain, meditate by candlelight and guitar of a local Kundalini teacher, and sit around the dinner table discussing life, dharma and the flow of it all. There are so many wonderful activities in Nosara.
Yoga Teacher Training is the journey of Ananda (supreme bliss) of the complete experience. We accomplish this not only through Jnana (wisdom), but also through the practice of Svadyaya (self-study). In order to see the (S)self in the deepest way, we must be in relationship with the world around us. Every person, element and moment can be a teacher to us, if we allow it.
Pura Vida from Costa Rica!
If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of yoga and becoming a yoga instructor yourself, contact us today to learn about the yoga teacher training retreat we offer where you can receive your 200 RYT certificate.
The Last Week of Yoga Teacher Training!!! It literally is putting one foot in front of the other and pushing through – determination and tenacity took me through. And, knowing all of the benefits I was receiving – and enjoying were great motivators for me. This journey reminds me of the Little Engine that kept saying, “I know I can, “I know I can”. Yes, I can!
I thought forward to Sat. when I will have accomplished something that was completely unexpected – being a certified Yoga Teacher! What an accomplishment that will be – so surviving the rest of the week in poses and contortions that I didn’t think this body could do anymore. But, really, at 67, the thought about wrapping my body into the Bird of Paradise pose – and a handstand – whew, the thought of that one… I keep the mantra, “I know I can, I know I can…in my mind and heart each day during my retreat“.
I peeked at what was on the agenda for the next couple of days – they were written in Sanskrit, but I am learning more of this beautiful language every day – enough that I can only imagine what twists and lifts I will be accomplishing the next day in Nosara. Every day I have embraced and done what a month ago, I would have deemed impossible for a senior, novice yogi. Each day gave me more strength, flexibility and balance which brought me such joy. I loved my eye-opening adventure in this amazing Yoga Teacher Training class.
I look forward to learning more lessons this week – about life and yoga in Nosara.
Come accomplish what you thought wasn’t possible! Start the journey of learning yoga and more about yourself! Contact us today to learn about a retreats at Costa Rica Yoga Spa.
