Gifts from my Costa Rica Yoga Retreat

Sometimes life turns out differently than you expected, and you end up all the better for it... this Costa Rican Yoga retreat I just returned from last week started out as something I thought I was doing for others, and ended up being something I realized I needed and was giving to me in countless ways. Through the whole experience I grew, I reconnected with a dear old friend, and I experienced a quality of rest and presence that settle so deeply within me, I feel in many ways reset, altered, and yes, I’ll say it, at peace. 

I am grateful for the entire unfolding, starting with the huge “YES” in me when my good friend and fellow Yoga Therapist Cline asked me to co-lead with her. Putting on this international retreat was the actualizing of a dream I’d only recently let myself have (at one time it felt too far out of reach, something I didn’t dare to even dream of or think I was capable of). I’m grateful for the experience of the cooperative work it took to plan, and the inspiration it provided to finally redesign my entire ancient website and email system. And the comfort zones it pushed in the promoting of myself and my services - something challenging for me but that I felt invested in with my whole heart. I am also grateful for the facing of fears (around failure, OMG not failure!) it required of me when we decided to cancel (not enough people able to join us), and the love I got to show myself when the (familiar) feelings of guilt and unworthiness came around deciding to still go just for myself. Lots of growth just leading up to the retreat, which happened to also be a beautifully messy time with quite a few other factors surfacing a lot of grief for me... A perfect time to treat myself (although reluctantly) to a retreat. 

And then came the 12 days of unwinding, breathing with the waves, oodles of quiet time, soulful and supportive conversations and songwriting with a dear friend, nourishing and delicious food (prepared by others - no kitchen duty for me! so entirely luxurious!), the tropical blissful warmth (oh so happy this makes my Italian rooted soul), and having literally no agenda but to go with the impulse of the moment. For me this meant boundless 3ish hour yoga sessions, naps, journaling, a ting of ocean play, tinkering around on my uke, singing to myself and doing absolutely nothing (which compared to my normal existence of being so tied to the “schedule” and “activities” was a rehydration of an essential piece of myself). There is so much to be grateful for. 

I have come to reclaim my belief in the importance of this sort of respite, for myself, and for all of us. We are all deserving of giving to ourselves. I am deserving (and I’ll keep saying it to myself if I need to cuz it’s true). Love to all of you friends! I hope you are giving to yourself in ways that bring you joy and peace. 💗 It’s so very important. 🙏

Click on the picture below to see a series of pictures of our stay at the beautiful Resort Hacienda Del Sol, and at the tranquil Air BNB in Playa Hermosa. Enjoy!

Follow this link ( Click here! ) to see more pictures of our trip and hear the song we wrote together while we were there!