It was starting to look like the yoga retreat that would never end ... with one flight after the other being cancelled because of heavy snow at home, we ended up staying a whole extra week. Did we mind? Well, here are some of the yogis when they found out that their first flight home was cancelled and they would have to be "stuck" in Costa Rica two more days:
This scenario repeated itself two more times, so we were forced to stay in a perfect climate surrounded by beauty everywhere, and we had to continue eating mountains of fresh, juicy fruit; freshly caught fish; and the world's best coffee.
Costa Rica has a special magic that immediately makes you want to slow down, take a look around, and enjoy. That magic combined with twice-a-day yoga made noodles of our yogis right away. By Day Three I had to abandon my usual call to "pull up any tension that needs to be released and let it go with a big sigh" because there obviously wasn't any tension. They were as happy and relaxed as people could be. We practiced our yoga outdoors: in the rainforest, on the beach, and in one of the most delightful gardens any of us has ever seen. Everywhere we went, the beauty was breathtaking. We did yoga in the rain (we had a roof over our heads but open air all around); we did yoga in the dark, with the songs of the frogs as our music; we were serenaded by the sound of the surf, and we had a beautiful morning session in a garden full of flowers, while a lovely breeze wafted the most beautiful fragrance over us.
Our balances poses were awesome -- steady and strong without the usual worries and busyness that plagues us at home. Our muscles were supple and limber from the warm air and the extra yoga classes. And the yogi minds were in full bloom. When we woke up to rain one morning, I wondered if they'd be upset about it, but I found them all sitting in the yoga pavilion with big smiles on their faces, saying "Isn't it beautiful?!" That's the kind of people I like to travel with! We had good meditations. Some of us had moments of becoming one with nature. We watched the constantly changing sky around the volcano and likened it to a sped-up version of the constant changes of life. When Jorge got nervous on our small plane ride, he said he realized that it was just him and his reaction. Our yoga came in handy often: deep breathing for those who get nervous on planes or to help us up steep hikes, bird-watching without straining the neck, twisting the trunk to look over the side of a boat -- again without straining the neck.
But yoga is just a part of a Joyful Heart Yoga retreat. What else did we do? We walked through cloud forests and rainforests w/ a naturalist guide who taught us about the plants, birds, and animals that we saw. We relaxed in natural volcanic hot springs, visited a waterfall, ate lots of good food and drank lots of good drinks, lounged at the beach, swam in a clear blue ocean and in beautiful swimming pools, had spa treatments, zip-lined, took a boat ride, saw an amazing local fishing operation and a community of pelicans who like to hang out there, we went snorkeling and experienced the world under the sea, visited a coffee plantation, saw amazing exhibits of pre-Columbian art and gold, and heard a pretty good rendition of Ave Maria in the National Theater by one of our local guides. We had time to wander off alone, and we enjoyed each other's company at meals. I always say my groups have the most interesting people -- it was great getting to know each other better, and I can't wait to do it again! I'm working on some YouTube videos of the trip, but in the meantime, enjoy the photos on this page as well as the Costa Ricapage. If you subscribe to this blog, you can see the photos by entering the website and going to "Sandy's Yoga Blog."
Namaste,
Sandy Pradas