Costa Rica Yoga Spa’s surf lessons are above and beyond. While most places rent you a board and if you’re lucky, you will get a surf instructor. We do things very different and very original. Our surf and yoga retreats are designed by Darin McBratney, and offer a one-of-a-kind experience while educating our retreat participates on what there is to know about surfing, in and out of the water!

On your surf and yoga retreat we start you out on the yoga mat, simulating it as a surfboard. We do stretching and conditioning pre-surfing; with emphasis on finding out if you are regular foot or goofy foot. Your surf and yoga retreat instructor will show you how to use your weight, how to stand up and how to stay low.

After practicing this for about a half hour, your teacher will personally show each person how to pick out a surf board that will suit them best. Next, it’s a lesson on how to walk with your board and how to strap your board on a vehicle. Then it’s off to Playa Guiones, the number 1 beach in the world, to learn more about surfing!

Upon arrival your surf instructor will show you how to take the boards off a vehicle. Then it’s off to check out the waves! You will learn how to observe the waves to determine whether or not you should surf, safety first. Then, as Mr. Miyagi once said, “wax on.wax off” – retreat guests will learn how to apply wax and how to use a wax comb for traction on the surfboard.

Following wax lessons, boards will be laid in the sand and it’s time to attach the leash correctly and practice. Instructions on how to lie on your board correctly are often given using yogic terms since our surf teachers are also experienced yogis. This often works out great for people who are somewhat familiar with yoga because there are so many similarities between the two practices. If you don’t know these terms, no biggie, I am sure you will catch on fast.

Breathing is a huge part of learning to surf, which will also be discussed. After a 20 minute verbal and out of water lesson on the sand has been given, you will be ready to venture out in the ocean and put your surf lessons to use!

Whether your 7 years old or 65 years old, our surf instructor’s are skilled with helping all individuals get up the first day. We are not satisfied until everyone is standing up riding that wave.

Some mornings when we are catering a surf and yoga retreat, Darin will lead the mornings with a specially designed class using asanas. This is symbiotic for surfing and when you go to the beach after this class there is no doubt you will be walking on water!

So you see we do things a little different – a little more comprehensive and a little more yogic.

If you are interested in learning more about surf and 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.

Costa Rica Yoga Spa has had its share of Ashtanga, Kundalini and Anusara-inspired yoga this month. Monica, our yoga instructor has returned from a yoga retreat she taught in Aruba. It’s so good to have her back.

We have a new guest chef, Hayley Andberg, from Santa Barbara, California. Hayley is learning Spanish and surfing in between cooking. We continue to use our remarkably talented local chefs as well, who always add that “gourmet” flare to our local cuisine. Our organic garden is being replanted with new goodies right now and our herb garden is expanding as well. Every couple of weeks different local fruits and vegetables begin to ripen and find our way to our table.

Marcelo, from Argentina, has been performing Temascal sweat lodges on Playa Pelada for Costa Rica Yoga Spa guest and the sweats have been unbelievably remarkable with everyone coming out of the lodge and going into the ocean then to the fire and then back for another round, amazing! Darin, one of the owners has been giving surf lessons and nature adventures in the mountains behind Nosara. The 50-foot waterfal next to the yoga pavillion has been flowing nonstop since the rains hit giving a pleasant sound during the yoga practices.

Looking forward to another amazing yoga teacher training from Ashley Ludman starting here July 3rd and again there will be an international mix of people. Surfing in Nosara has been really big lately wich was great for a national surf event last week. We are still waiting on the Olive Ridley turtles to come in on their arribada for all of us to view, hopefully this weekend! We are also looking forward to Sara Antes from upstate New York to be joining the staff her soon, very exciting stuff.

Well a whole lot of peace and a whole lot of love to you all and looking forward to rolling out a mat for you real soon at one of our upcoming retreats!

Namaste

Sebastien Armand, Canada is our Permaculturist (Master Gardener).  He has been hard at work developing structures to protect all of the seedlings from the heat, and last week’s unusual Guanacaste winds. Sebastein has developed an enormous area above our housing and yoga pavilion area for the main garden area.  He has had lots of volunteers helping who have been staying on the Finca to help get ready to feed all of our guests. 

He always welcomes visitors to help him water, transplant, build structures, mix soils and compost. He’s a great teacher and everyone leaves the garden full of more knowledge and inspiration to continue this gift at home. Sebastien is also an amazing chef and prepares so many different dishes for our guests with the organic veggies – and fabulous smoothies with the fruit.

This week he is transplanting 75 more papaya trees from the seeds of papayas that we have served our guests.  They grow amazingly fast and will produce within the year. I can’t count the amount of watermelon seeds – in addition to many already growing – and Passion fruit (Granadilla) seeds are also ready.  In fact, it is a daily occurrence here – we eat lots of fruit and vegetables and we save as many seeds as possible, dry them and plant them back in our gardens – a never-ending, constantly on-going process!!! Soon, I think we will be able to feed most of Nosara!

We also have a separate banana and pineapple area on the lower part of the Finca.  Sebastien and Darin have planted local root vegetables – yampi, which is similar to a potato, and tequisque, quite different than the yampi, but also similar to a potato.  The part of the tequisque that grows above the ground is a common houseplant that you will see in the U.S. and Canada!  And, here it is a wild root vegetable that is a common dish served every week here.  Every water basin for the baby banana trees has been planted with watermelons. The entrance to this area is lined in a variety of citrus trees, with a few mango and papaya trees thrown in.  We do our best to use as much of our available land to plant something that we can serve our guests.  We have well over 500 fruit and nut trees (including carob) on the Finca. Lots of incredible edibles!

We have had artists from the Czek Republic living here for over a month doing artwork for the rooms in the Jungle Lodges.  There work is absoluting outstanding.  Chris and Hannah Atcheson and their children Micky (9) (Icky, ficky, sticky Micky, yo-yo-yo – yes there is a story to that – has to do with a rapper performance during a music night!) and Eva (12-almost) are all artists from the Czek Republic – the kids artwork is – well, almost incomprehensible, even when knowing both of their parents are artists.

Eva drew a whole cartoon series of our dog, Ruby.  Ruby doing yoga; Ruby as a secretary (with a tightly button-upped vest and heels); Ruby as a nun; Ruby surfing, and many more – we stashed these away, because someday…and Micky, drew maps with every person and store, river crossings, etc, like he’s been down that road a hundred times – this was after one trip!…we are still in disbelief of all of this talent that has surrounded us this month.  Hannah’s parents, also from Czek have been visiting, too. Julius, the grandfather is an excellent musician and often played guitar and he and Blanca (his wife) would sing songs in Czek.  It’s fun listening to them sing in Czek because the music was often good ole’ American rock ‘n roll!

Chris is a world-renown bronze metal sculptor.  Check out his website http://www.chrisatcheson.com.  His family is leaving for Czek soon as Hannah, who is a teacher and the children start school next week. Chris will stay on for another two months to finish some paintings and also to work on some sculptures for our resort and a very striking sign for our entrance. We are so honored to have them contribute such outstanding artwork for all of us to enjoy.

Thank you, Atcheson family.  It’s been our pleasure to have your family stay with us – our first guests in the new Jungle Lodge – and watch the wonderment of the children as they learned and experienced new things every day! We love your artwork you have so thoughtfully done for us and our guests to enjoy.