Make the Best Use of Yoga Vacations Costa Rica

Written By: Prasanth23

Costa Rica is the best place to have your Yoga retreat for the serene atmosphere of the place contributes to the factors of concentration and meditation that considered vital in the practice of Yoga. The experienced Yoga trainer associated with Yoga vacations Costa Rica is adept in making you understand the basics of Ashtanga Yoga, the eight limbs of the school of Yoga with ease. You would be delighted to attend to the Yoga training sessions that are normally held in the picturesque hilltops in Costa Rica.

As a Yoga aspirant you have every reason to feel happy about the opportunity to learn the basics of one of the oldest philosophical traditions of the world founded by sage Patanjali several centuries ago. It is important to know that the system of Yoga aims at the spiritual growth propelled by different techniques of meditation ably supported by various types of asanas or Yoga postures. These postures should be practiced only with the help of a Yoga trainer. Hence the purpose of Yoga vacations Costa Rica is to aim at sharpening the thinking faculty of the mind through various techniques that culminate in spiritual absorption.

The performance of asanas is considered one of the most vital aspects of Yoga learning because of the fact that the asanas go a long way in improving your general health too if practiced with precision. Each asana has its own benefits and it is up to the learned Yoga trainer to teach the rudiments of the practice of asanas thereby helping you progress in terms of both spiritual and mental growth. Many a Yoga aspirant was benefited in the past by the Costa Rica Yoga training institute in the sense that he or she could experience higher level of thought and behavior when it comes to mental progress during the Yoga training camp.

Enjoy Yoga and Enliven Yourself at Costa Rica Yoga Retreat

Written By : iluv2write4u

Costa Rica is a beautiful place and draws many tourists every year. It is a place of much activity, fun and adventure. There are many exotic retreats, hotels and spas that are crowded by many people that have a memorable time indeed. Yoga is especially the preferred choice of the visitors whenever they arrive in Costa Rica and it relieves them of all tiredness and makes them fresh to do other activities.
The Costa Rica Yoga Hotel is situated at a location that has got a lush tropical landscape. The adults and students come here to perform yoga that calms their soul, body and mind respectively. In fact there are many hotels that provide yoga classes at an affordable cost indeed. Any one who does yoga at Costa Rica Yoga Hotel will notice that it is different from that which is done at other places like a city studio respectively. Furthermore, there are only a few hotels and retreats that specialize as Costa Rica Yoga Hotel by providing the yoga in the truest sense possible. This also includes a yoga practice that is performed every day and is inclusive in the package.

Any one who joins a yoga class starts from a beginner level and then moves up each successive level or stage. There is are intermediate and an advanced stages where new and different techniques have to be learned and practiced as well. The Costa Rica Yoga is immensely an invigorating experience for people of different age groups and that there is training packages for all respectively. Therefore, the yoga becomes the preference for the inhabitants, as well as tourists and families whenever they come to Costa Rica.

For those who are aspiring teachers and trainers, there are package deals available for them. Through these deals they can learn the right techniques from the professional Costa Rica Yoga masters and then teach them to the students gradually as well.

Montezuma Yoga

By Angela Boltz

Aside from the decision to actually leave Montezuma at the close of the yoga retreat, the most difficult part of my week there was making it through an entire Savasana without drifting off into daydreams about the organic breakfast buffet served directly after our morning yoga session. Not bad living, one might say. I’d say…. not bad at all.

Montezuma, Costa Rica, located on the Nicoya Peninsula, is just one of those places. One of those MAGICAL finds that feels more like a sacred moment in space and time than an actual destination. Here, it seems, life supports you in kicking off the flip-flops, feeling the bare earth beneath your feet, and connecting with whatever natural rhythms move you.

In my humble opinion, this place was made for a yoga retreat.

If you’re looking for a resort, you’ve gotten off the bus at the wrong stop. Keep on going north and you’ll find one of those up in Tamarindo. Montezuma is a simple town, full of simple pleasures, just perfect for the modern or not-so-modern Bohemian. It’s not that Montezuma lacks style. The local culture exudes refined taste in just about everything…. from food, art, clothing, philosophy, and music. However, if you are expecting a steamy 20-minute shower before dinner or a good night sleep on a Sealy Posturpedic, you are sure to bedisappointed.

Montezuma Yoga, run by Dagmar Spremberg, is a true celebration of all that is natural. One morning of asana in the yoga pavilion is enough to shed the burdens of a lifetime. With a breath-taking view of the Pacific coast, the smell of Ylang-Ylang wafting past your nose, and the dueling sounds of waves and howler monkeys, the senses are encouraged to new heights while the mind discovers a brand new level of quietude.

Should you choose to spend your day at the retreat center, you’ll likely discover many flavors of relaxation. Private eco-friendly accommodations, including several rustic bungalows nestled inside a lush Mango Grove, are the perfect place to lie in hammock and do, well… whatever you wish. In my case, many intentions for private reflection turned, rather, into peaceful afternoon napping. In it’s true holistic spirit, Montezuma is Chock-Full O’ Bodyworkers whom you can often find spreading their energy around the retreat center. If your first daily yoga practice has left you craving healing hearts and hands, I recommend scheduling a massage session with Cordula, she is a truly gifted, local therapist whose presence I am grateful for having shared, and whose vibration is still coursing through my body.

In Montezuma, you can actually feel the thickness of prana in the air. In a gentle effort to soak it all in, you may find yourself wandering away from the comfort of the retreat center during afternoon downtime. If independent adventure isn’t your style, there are plenty of options for planned excursions, such as surfing, hiking, and horseback riding. For a uniquely special, soul-satisfying experience, try boating to Tortuga Island for a day of snorkeling. If you are not much of a joiner (or your budget is tight), private exploration of this coastal rainforest can occupy hours of the day. Montezuma boasts endless miles of pristine coastline and over twelve waterfalls alone. We’ve lost more than one yogi this way whom, after missing the evening yoga class, has coming running down the footpath to dinner with bright eyes and stories they can’t wait to tell. Trust me. It happens to even the most dedicated of students….and teachers

And speaking of dinner… if ever a meal has been a spiritual experience, this has been both the place and the time. Our pre-arranged dinners at Playa Los Artistas, a traditional Italian restaurant, were a blissful experience. Well-prepared, family-style portions of fresh fish and organic seasonal greens (coupled with a Caipirinha or two) were the perfect way to satisfy the belly and the soul before of a slumber indicative of a day well spent.

If you are like most of us traveling yogis and yoginis, you don’t need the glitz and glam of a high end yoga vacation. Many of these retreats, despite the hefty pricetag, offer little in the way of intimacy with attendees, at times, reaching into the hundreds. What we are seeking is true, honest-to-goodness, organic connection. And Montezuma Yoga is just the place. Ongoing retreats, with skilled yoga teachers from around the globe, vary in cost. However, Dagmar offers “yoga only” prices for those who’d like to find accommodations and meals elsewhere, ensuring that her retreats are affordable and that yoga remain the priority of her business. She also hosts private retreats, which can be arranged in accordance to the needs of each individual group.

Living My Dream

Dagmar Spremberg

I grew up in a small town in Germany and I remember already as a teenager I always dreamed of a life on the beach, in the sun and under palm trees. Of course, it seemed such a cliché and like a very far away dream, I never thought that it might actually happen one day … but like it is with our dreams and visions, somehow you keep them in the subconscious mind and they have their own energy and power……
In 1991 I traveled for the first time in a faraway tropical land, which corresponded to that dream: Costa Rica. I lived in a small seaside hotel in Montezuma, which belonged to a German woman and her family and I was very touched and inspired to see that there actually are people who live this dream … .. but of course I still didn’t think it could ever be me. So I went back to Hamburg with my husband, back to my life and career in the music industry, which was quite exciting and fulfilling, but deep inside me I still had that longing, I wanted something more from life….

On my 30th Birthday, I suddenly knew “now or never”. It was just a feeling in my gut but it was so strong, I knew I had to follow it …. So I left my life in Germany behind, quit my well paid job, left my husband and traveled with 2 suitcases into an unknown adventure to Los Angeles. There were at least my palm trees, the beach and the sun … I started a small agency for photographers, and organized photo productions. It did not take long before I first came into contact with yoga and found my wonderful yoga teacher Christi Minarovich. Initially skeptical, I listened to her stories and the yoga philosophies , to let things go, accept where you are, things will fall into place…….not really what I had learned in Germany, where I was more the type of person pushing forward rather than letting go and sitting and waiting what happens next… … but there was something that immediately touched me deeply and gave me hope, strength and confidence and so I soon started learning to let go more and more and to rather rely on my intuition.

I learned to breathe, to find the beauty in life, I started to soften and surrender, and suddenly more and more doors started opening for me … Yoga gave me a new view of life, new sense of purpose and the answers to many of my questions….After 3 ½ years in Los Angeles I moved to New York where I continued working for photographers and to deepen my yoga practice. Here I found Elena Brower and Anusara yoga and I loved it so much that I went 4-5 times a week to yoga.

And then I booked my trip to Costa Rica in 2000, that should change everything … I went back to the place where I had been so fascinated and touched in 1991: Montezuma. 9 years later it was still there, a small fishing village, sleepy and quiet, it had not changed much. And how it happens in life, I soon fell in love with the owner of the Hotel Los Mangos. On the property there was an open pavilion that was previously used as a restaurant, but had just been closed two months before my arrival. Open Air, with a wooden floor and overlooking the sea. … The perfect quiet place for yoga! I thought about bringing yoga teachers from the U.S. and organized and booked the first retreat with my teacher Elena Brower for November 2001. After September 11 happened, I packed my suitcases in NY and decided to jump fully into my new adventure in Costa Rica. And then it hit me: here I was, 20 years later, in my dream of life by the sea… everything seemed to fall into place easily for me, I just needed to say yes to open new doors … An incredible feeling of Bliss!
So when Elena came for her retreat she encouraged me to become a yoga teacher myself and so I started training as a yoga teacher in New York. For more than 10 years now I am living my dream and it is the yoga which always continues to encourage me to see the good, the opportunities, the possibilities in every moment. To trust and believe in my own power and intuition, and to breathe through difficult situations and challenges …

Yoga has taught me to be soft and to give space. Myself, and therefore also everybody else. I’ve learned from my own experience to first shift things for myself and then everything else will shift with you.
I have now found the relationship I always longed for, but it was not until I shifted myself that I was able to meet the man of my dreams.

It is the most beautiful gift for me to share my passion for yoga with other people in my classes and see how fast transformation can happen. How people are calmer, happier, more radiant with yoga. It is not important for me to bring your foot behind your head and to get into difficult asanas, but that you feel good about yourself , so that you will find clarity and peace and strength and learn to trust yourself.
I love to empower people to live their dream.

Dagmar Spremberg lives with the Swiss artist and musician Daniel Gautschi, in Montezuma. He plays the magical instrument called Hang in Dagmars yoga classes and they perform frequently in Costa Rica and Europe.
Together they will lead a Yoga & Hang Music retreat to Roatan, Honduras Jan 5-11, 2013.
Dagmar’s Yoga videos are available on her website as well as Daniel’s CD “The Gaudan Project – Hold Still”.

For more information please visit
www.montezumayoga.com
www.lacandelacostarica.com

Vida Asana Retreat Center, Playa Hermosa

There’s something mystical about Costa Rica yoga surf retreats at the Vida Asana Retreat Center in Playa Hermosa, Jaco, on the Central Pacific coast. Tucked away in a secluded patch of forest, the center nevertheless remains an accessible sanctuary for those who seek refuge from the madness of city living, and a haven for those in search of themselves. It’s no wonder guests who come to this Costa Rica resort for yoga and surf retreats feel as if their very souls are refreshed by the experience.

Yoga classes at Vida Asana are conducted by its founder and owner, Rosemarie Galluccio, an internationally recognized hollistic health practitioner with over 20 years experience. Rosemarie combines elements from ashtanga, bikram and anusara yoga to create smooth flowing retreats that relieve stress, calm the nerves and improve strength and balance. Yoga retreats in this Costa Rica surf resort are conducted in the open air studio, where the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves as the wind caresses the forest foliage contribute to a an amazing opportunity to bond with nature. There are five other in-house instructors at the center, and teachers from all over are also welcome to bring their yoga or surf retreats to this Costa Rica forest sanctuary.

Vida Asana is a place of transformation and slowing down. This Costa Rica yoga and surf center offers various retreats and classes in different styles of yoga, as well as Pilates and many other disciplines. Every element within Vida Asana is geared toward assisting this personal transformation. The restaurant serves up fresh and healthy vegetarian delights for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sushi nights are also a welcome treat for seafood lovers in this Costa Rica yoga and surf center. Retreats can be physically, mentally and emotionally demanding, so the fresh bounty from the sea is an excellent way to reward students. Costa Rica yoga surf retreats not just nourish the soul, but the body as well.

The beaches of Playa Hermosa and nearby Jaco are outstanding surf meccas that complement Costa Rica yoga retreats. Vida Asana is just minutes away from these surfside playgrounds and is very accessible to visitors staying at beachfront resorts in these areas. Playa Hermosa produces consistent waves all year round. The three-and-a-half mile beachfront opens up to swells from all directions. The area attracts many experienced surfers who take on the challenge offered by the excellent waves. The waves at Jaco are less challenging, and more suited to novice surfers. Surfing and yoga are perfect partners for yoga retreats here in Costa Rica.

Vida Asana promises unforgettable yoga and surf retreats in the heart of Costa Rica. This sanctuary of wellness, peace and transformation is less than two hours of travel coming from the airport in San Jose. If you are booked for a stay in one of the beach resorts on Jaco, a 10-minute taxi ride will take you to Vida Asana, where you can enjoy the natural beauty of Costa Rica during your yoga and surf retreats.

Montezuma Yoga

By Angela Boltz

Aside from the decision to actually leave Montezuma at the close of the yoga retreat, the most difficult part of my week there was making it through an entire Savasana without drifting off into daydreams about the organic breakfast buffet served directly after our morning yoga session. Not bad living, one might say. I’d say…. not bad at all.

Montezuma, Costa Rica, located on the Nicoya Peninsula, is just one of those places. One of those MAGICAL finds that feels more like a sacred moment in space and time than an actual destination. Here, it seems, life supports you in kicking off the flip-flops, feeling the bare earth beneath your feet, and connecting with whatever natural rhythms move you.

In my humble opinion, this place was made for a yoga retreat.

If you’re looking for a resort, you’ve gotten off the bus at the wrong stop. Keep on going north and you’ll find one of those up in Tamarindo. Montezuma is a simple town, full of simple pleasures, just perfect for the modern or not-so-modern Bohemian. It’s not that Montezuma lacks style. The local culture exudes refined taste in just about everything…. from food, art, clothing, philosophy, and music. However, if you are expecting a steamy 20-minute shower before dinner or a good night sleep on a Sealy Posturpedic, you are sure to bedisappointed.

Montezuma Yoga, run by Dagmar Spremberg, is a true celebration of all that is natural. One morning of asana in the yoga pavilion is enough to shed the burdens of a lifetime. With a breath-taking view of the Pacific coast, the smell of Ylang-Ylang wafting past your nose, and the dueling sounds of waves and howler monkeys, the senses are encouraged to new heights while the mind discovers a brand new level of quietude.

Should you choose to spend your day at the retreat center, you’ll likely discover many flavors of relaxation. Private eco-friendly accommodations, including several rustic bungalows nestled inside a lush Mango Grove, are the perfect place to lie in hammock and do, well… whatever you wish. In my case, many intentions for private reflection turned, rather, into peaceful afternoon napping. In it’s true holistic spirit, Montezuma is Chock-Full O’ Bodyworkers whom you can often find spreading their energy around the retreat center. If your first daily yoga practice has left you craving healing hearts and hands, I recommend scheduling a massage session with Cordula, she is a truly gifted, local therapist whose presence I am grateful for having shared, and whose vibration is still coursing through my body.

In Montezuma, you can actually feel the thickness of prana in the air. In a gentle effort to soak it all in, you may find yourself wandering away from the comfort of the retreat center during afternoon downtime. If independent adventure isn’t your style, there are plenty of options for planned excursions, such as surfing, hiking, and horseback riding. For a uniquely special, soul-satisfying experience, try boating to Tortuga Island for a day of snorkeling. If you are not much of a joiner (or your budget is tight), private exploration of this coastal rainforest can occupy hours of the day. Montezuma boasts endless miles of pristine coastline and over twelve waterfalls alone. We’ve lost more than one yogi this way whom, after missing the evening yoga class, has coming running down the footpath to dinner with bright eyes and stories they can’t wait to tell. Trust me. It happens to even the most dedicated of students….and teachers

And speaking of dinner… if ever a meal has been a spiritual experience, this has been both the place and the time. Our pre-arranged dinners at Playa Los Artistas, a traditional Italian restaurant, were a blissful experience. Well-prepared, family-style portions of fresh fish and organic seasonal greens (coupled with a Caipirinha or two) were the perfect way to satisfy the belly and the soul before of a slumber indicative of a day well spent.

If you are like most of us traveling yogis and yoginis, you don’t need the glitz and glam of a high end yoga vacation. Many of these retreats, despite the hefty pricetag, offer little in the way of intimacy with attendees, at times, reaching into the hundreds. What we are seeking is true, honest-to-goodness, organic connection. And Montezuma Yoga is just the place. Ongoing retreats, with skilled yoga teachers from around the globe, vary in cost. However, Dagmar offers “yoga only” prices for those who’d like to find accommodations and meals elsewhere, ensuring that her retreats are affordable and that yoga remain the priority of her business. She also hosts private retreats, which can be arranged in accordance to the needs of each individual group.

Living My Dream

Dagmar Spremberg

I grew up in a small town in Germany and I remember already as a teenager I always dreamed of a life on the beach, in the sun and under palm trees. Of course, it seemed such a cliché and like a very far away dream, I never thought that it might actually happen one day … but like it is with our dreams and visions, somehow you keep them in the subconscious mind and they have their own energy and power……
In 1991 I traveled for the first time in a faraway tropical land, which corresponded to that dream: Costa Rica. I lived in a small seaside hotel in Montezuma, which belonged to a German woman and her family and I was very touched and inspired to see that there actually are people who live this dream … .. but of course I still didn’t think it could ever be me. So I went back to Hamburg with my husband, back to my life and career in the music industry, which was quite exciting and fulfilling, but deep inside me I still had that longing, I wanted something more from life….

On my 30th Birthday, I suddenly knew “now or never”. It was just a feeling in my gut but it was so strong, I knew I had to follow it …. So I left my life in Germany behind, quit my well paid job, left my husband and traveled with 2 suitcases into an unknown adventure to Los Angeles. There were at least my palm trees, the beach and the sun … I started a small agency for photographers, and organized photo productions. It did not take long before I first came into contact with yoga and found my wonderful yoga teacher Christi Minarovich. Initially skeptical, I listened to her stories and the yoga philosophies , to let things go, accept where you are, things will fall into place…….not really what I had learned in Germany, where I was more the type of person pushing forward rather than letting go and sitting and waiting what happens next… … but there was something that immediately touched me deeply and gave me hope, strength and confidence and so I soon started learning to let go more and more and to rather rely on my intuition.

I learned to breathe, to find the beauty in life, I started to soften and surrender, and suddenly more and more doors started opening for me … Yoga gave me a new view of life, new sense of purpose and the answers to many of my questions….After 3 ½ years in Los Angeles I moved to New York where I continued working for photographers and to deepen my yoga practice. Here I found Elena Brower and Anusara yoga and I loved it so much that I went 4-5 times a week to yoga.

And then I booked my trip to Costa Rica in 2000, that should change everything … I went back to the place where I had been so fascinated and touched in 1991: Montezuma. 9 years later it was still there, a small fishing village, sleepy and quiet, it had not changed much. And how it happens in life, I soon fell in love with the owner of the Hotel Los Mangos. On the property there was an open pavilion that was previously used as a restaurant, but had just been closed two months before my arrival. Open Air, with a wooden floor and overlooking the sea. … The perfect quiet place for yoga! I thought about bringing yoga teachers from the U.S. and organized and booked the first retreat with my teacher Elena Brower for November 2001. After September 11 happened, I packed my suitcases in NY and decided to jump fully into my new adventure in Costa Rica. And then it hit me: here I was, 20 years later, in my dream of life by the sea… everything seemed to fall into place easily for me, I just needed to say yes to open new doors … An incredible feeling of Bliss!
So when Elena came for her retreat she encouraged me to become a yoga teacher myself and so I started training as a yoga teacher in New York. For more than 10 years now I am living my dream and it is the yoga which always continues to encourage me to see the good, the opportunities, the possibilities in every moment. To trust and believe in my own power and intuition, and to breathe through difficult situations and challenges …

Yoga has taught me to be soft and to give space. Myself, and therefore also everybody else. I’ve learned from my own experience to first shift things for myself and then everything else will shift with you.
I have now found the relationship I always longed for, but it was not until I shifted myself that I was able to meet the man of my dreams.

It is the most beautiful gift for me to share my passion for yoga with other people in my classes and see how fast transformation can happen. How people are calmer, happier, more radiant with yoga. It is not important for me to bring your foot behind your head and to get into difficult asanas, but that you feel good about yourself , so that you will find clarity and peace and strength and learn to trust yourself.
I love to empower people to live their dream.

Dagmar Spremberg lives with the Swiss artist and musician Daniel Gautschi, in Montezuma. He plays the magical instrument called Hang in Dagmars yoga classes and they perform frequently in Costa Rica and Europe.
Together they will lead a Yoga & Hang Music retreat to Roatan, Honduras Jan 5-11, 2013.
Dagmar’s Yoga videos are available on her website as well as Daniel’s CD “The Gaudan Project – Hold Still”.

For more information please visit
www.montezumayoga.com
www.lacandelacostarica.com

Vida Asana Retreat Center, Playa Hermosa

There’s something mystical about Costa Rica yoga surf retreats at the Vida Asana Retreat Center in Playa Hermosa, Jaco, on the Central Pacific coast. Tucked away in a secluded patch of forest, the center nevertheless remains an accessible sanctuary for those who seek refuge from the madness of city living, and a haven for those in search of themselves. It’s no wonder guests who come to this Costa Rica resort for yoga and surf retreats feel as if their very souls are refreshed by the experience.

Yoga classes at Vida Asana are conducted by its founder and owner, Rosemarie Galluccio, an internationally recognized hollistic health practitioner with over 20 years experience. Rosemarie combines elements from ashtanga, bikram and anusara yoga to create smooth flowing retreats that relieve stress, calm the nerves and improve strength and balance. Yoga retreats in this Costa Rica surf resort are conducted in the open air studio, where the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves as the wind caresses the forest foliage contribute to a an amazing opportunity to bond with nature. There are five other in-house instructors at the center, and teachers from all over are also welcome to bring their yoga or surf retreats to this Costa Rica forest sanctuary.

Vida Asana is a place of transformation and slowing down. This Costa Rica yoga and surf center offers various retreats and classes in different styles of yoga, as well as Pilates and many other disciplines. Every element within Vida Asana is geared toward assisting this personal transformation. The restaurant serves up fresh and healthy vegetarian delights for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sushi nights are also a welcome treat for seafood lovers in this Costa Rica yoga and surf center. Retreats can be physically, mentally and emotionally demanding, so the fresh bounty from the sea is an excellent way to reward students. Costa Rica yoga surf retreats not just nourish the soul, but the body as well.

The beaches of Playa Hermosa and nearby Jaco are outstanding surf meccas that complement Costa Rica yoga retreats. Vida Asana is just minutes away from these surfside playgrounds and is very accessible to visitors staying at beachfront resorts in these areas. Playa Hermosa produces consistent waves all year round. The three-and-a-half mile beachfront opens up to swells from all directions. The area attracts many experienced surfers who take on the challenge offered by the excellent waves. The waves at Jaco are less challenging, and more suited to novice surfers. Surfing and yoga are perfect partners for yoga retreats here in Costa Rica.

Vida Asana promises unforgettable yoga and surf retreats in the heart of Costa Rica. This sanctuary of wellness, peace and transformation is less than two hours of travel coming from the airport in San Jose. If you are booked for a stay in one of the beach resorts on Jaco, a 10-minute taxi ride will take you to Vida Asana, where you can enjoy the natural beauty of Costa Rica during your yoga and surf retreats.