Live the Pura Vida lifestyle with Bleu Lotus Yoga on this seven-day retreat in beautiful Costa Rica. This exhilarating holiday is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that gives you the chance to practice yoga while immersed in a tropical paradise.  There is a fantastic program of activities to help you experience the best of Costa Rica and build great bonds with other adventure seekers and fellow international travelers. Your time in this retreat will rejuvenate you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  

Highlights

• Reconnect to yourself and deepen your yoga knowledge through daily yoga and relaxation practices
• Core teachings based on Hatha yoga. Other styles incorporated include Vinyasa flow, Restorative, Yin, and mindful movement.  
• Immerse yourself in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle
• Volunteer with local girls ages 7-12
• Relax poolside with journaling or your favorite book
• Meet new interesting people with similar mindsets
• Perfect mix of wellness, connection and adventure
• This  trip has been conducted many times prior.  Your leaders are experienced and there are many reviews that will guide you to make the right choice!  Feel free to visit our Facebook page, Bleu Lotus Yoga & Retreats for more info or call us directly at 219-299-YOGA.  We can't wait to hear from you!

Held at one of Costa Rica's oldest and most popular yoga retreat centers, Samasati Eco Resort is situated amongst 250 acres of pristine Costa Rican rainforest on the unspoiled Caribbean side of the country.     

Lynda Schoberth, Trip Leader

Lynda has been teaching yoga for ten years and is a 500-hour level, certified samapati instructor.  After owning a successful yoga studio in Chesterton, Indiana (home of the Indiana Dunes National Park),  Lynda has now turned her focus to bringing the joy of conscious travel to intrepid seekers of all ages, and all backgrounds.   Beginners, intermediate and advanced yogis find her classes interesting and challenging.  She meets you where you are and is keen to guide you to the best of your ability with ease.  Her hands-on adjustments are done great care and expertise.   

A $500 deposit is required to secure your spot for bookings made 90 days or more to departure. There is a grace period within seven days of the booking to cancel for a full refund.  Please purchase travel insurance in the event you must cancel.    

CANCELLATION & REFUND:  

- MORE THAN 90 DAYS PRIOR TO departure: $500 Cancellation Fee

-  Less than 89 days: Full balance forfeited. 

In the case of your cancellation, you may transfer your deposit and/or your reservation to another person if you notify us in advance.   

 In the case of a refund, please allow 14 days for refunds to be processed. 

Leaving a trip in progress, for any reasons whatsoever, will not result in a refund, and no refunds will be made for any unused portions of a trip.  Bleu Lotus reserves the right to cancel any trip because of inadequate enrollment that makes the trip economically unfeasible to operate or because of legitimate concerns with respect to safety, health or welfare of participants. If BLY cancels a trip prior to departure, you will receive a full refund of money paid. We will not be responsible for any refund for non-refundable airline tickets or for any airline tickets or for any airline tickets purchased by the passenger directly from an airline or travel agent. 

ITINERARY CHANGES: The itineraries are subject to minor modifications. Every reasonable effort will be made to operate programs as planned, but alterations may need to occur after final itineraries are sent. 

Travel Insurance is highly encouraged if you have to cancel your trip.  It will save you money, time and frustration.    Please compare policies to find the right one for you.   We recommend Allianz Travel Insurance.  Approx. $160.   www.allianztravelinsurance.com.

Our retreats offer more diversity and attention, giving people of all levels, ages, and stages of life the opportunity to move outside their comfort zone and cultivate personal growth in an authentic, healthy way.  Sometimes we need to step into the unknown to challenge ourselves, or sometimes we just need to unplug from our daily lives to recharge.  

Our instructors are fully trained each with over 500 hours of training and are experienced with anyone new to yoga, as well as the most seasoned practitioner.   

A note about excursions:  about one month prior to departure, we will go over the itinerary via a zoom call and you can decide then which additional excursions you would like to add.  It can get quite busy on this trip so be sure you  leave some room for relaxation!

When we travel, we have a new space, with new relationships, which means new ways of relating to ourselves.  This is the magic of wellness travel.  And to make it more magical, travel laced with intention and connection not only supports this experience of self-discovery but becomes the foundation of your journey.  Everyone you share your retreat with is a reinforcer, a mirror, and a confidant of your becoming.   The experience you have on this trip will be as individual as you are as we all have our own unique way and perspective.  

About a month prior to departure, we will have a group zoom call and the full itinerary will be distributed.  Here you will get to know our group and all the packing information you need.  We are here to support you every step of the way!

You will arrive to Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose.  Common carriers from Chicago include United, American, Spirit Air, Southwest and Copa Airlines.   Your first night is on your own and we recommend staying at one of the surrounding hotels near the airport, such as the Barcelo San Jose.

We will meet at the Barcelo Hotel San Jose by 8:00 am to embark on our five our trip for Puerto Viejo Talamanca.  We will travel in an air-conditioned luxury coach bus giving everyone time to get to know one another and see the breathtaking countryside.   

We will arrive to Samasati in time for check-in, a late lunch and an overview of the property by the staff.  The food is locally sourced and each meal is a treat.  Though the cuisine is vegetarian, chicken or fish is available during dinner for a small additional fee.  As you get settled into your new home, you may choose to take a dip in the pool, hot tub or hike in the mountainous surroundings.  

Our first yoga class will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner in the villa.   

After morning yoga and breakfast, you may choose to visit the Jaguar Rescue Center or choose to go directly to the beach for suntan and a dip in the ocean. Afterwards, enjoy lunch on your own or a sack lunch provided by Samasati.  Then spend the afternoon shopping in the adorable and vibrant town of Puerto Viejo.  Evening gentle yoga with sound therapy will be offered followed by dinner back at Samasati. 

Optional Excursion: Jaguar Rescue Center 

The JRC Sanctuary is unlike any animal experience you’ve had before. The most educational and entertaining tour for all audiences and ages. During the hour and a half of the visit our expert guides will show you the resident wildlife animals, explain their stories, characteristics and the challenges they face. You can see iconic animals like monkeys, sloths, birds like macaws or toucans, deer, snakes, etc. https://www.jaguarrescue.foundation

Following yoga and breakfast, you can choose to relax at samasati or hike to a gorgeous waterfall.   

We return to Samasati in time for lunch and a relaxing afternoon of journaling, meditation training or yoga.  Or, you may choose to join others in our group to go ziplining through the rainforest.  Certainly a must for any adventure seeker! 

After yoga and breakfast, you have the option to relax at Samasati or go on an optional excursion to the Cacao Forest Experience tour at a local cacao farm and culture experience.    The owner or guide will teach you everything you need to know about cacao, chocolate history, tropical wildlife and of course chocolate making.  

We head back for lunch at Samasati and then the afternoon will be spent at a local community center called  "Girls for Success" Center with girls between the ages  of 7 to 12. We will enjoy doing a variety of games, crafts and implementing educational enrichment stations with the girls.  We encourage interaction and co-creation and offer the opportunity to sponsor a student.   In the past, we've done flower arranging, balloon animal lessons, games, created a video mock interview, and facials.  Many other fun and interesting ideas will blossom before our trip! This has truly become one of the most enjoyed parts of our retreat. 

After dinner, there is a special evening of transformative sound and meditation with Gina and Jim. Sound therapy aids  in releasing pent-up emotions and blockages.   It is a time of deep mediation and relaxation that may transform your emotional and spiritual well-being.

After yoga and breakfast, we head to Cahuita National Park for an unforgettable day.  One of the reasons why people love the Caribbean coast is the abundant wildlife. Cahuita National Park is one of the best in Costa Rica to see animals because of the year long lush rainforest.   Cahuita is a wonderful place to see monkeys, sloths, toucans, lizards and even friendly raccoons. 

You can choose to hike to the point, relax and play in the waves on the gorgeous secluded beach, or meander through the lovely town of Cahuita for an alfresco lunch.

We will head back to Samasati mid-afternoon for a later lunch, with the remainder of the afternoon available for an optional massage spa, swimming pool or some some relaxation and reflection on your private hammock.   Some people choose to go horseback riding on the beach during this time as well. 

The evening yoga consists of a closing circle, followed by a celebratory closing dinner and possibly some dancing!   

With an early departure from Samasati, most of the group chooses head to a full day of adventure white water rafting.    The Pacuare River offers Class III & IV rapids and is world famous for its sheer beauty.   A true river gorge, it is flanked by steep, green walls. Here you will enjoy the feeling of total isolation from urban life and the realness of being connected with nature.  The 18-mile, one day run includes a total of 52 rapids.  Few rivers in the world can offer you so many.   This raft trip is optional and is professionally operated.  Those who decline the raft trip will head directly to the hotel in San Jose on a comfortable coach bus where they may shop or relax by the pool.

Arriving from the river trip to San Jose around 5:00 p.m., we will have our last dinner in San Jose as we enjoy our new friendships and memories created.   Your last night hotel accomodations are included.

Our last and final day together in San Jose, we meet at breakfast to say our goodbyes before heading to the San Jose airport on the hotel shuttle.   There remains a special bond created amongst us that cannot be broken.   

We laughed and we cried.  

We opened our hearts. 

We played in nature. 

We learned how to connect deeply with our soul.

We moved beyond our comfort zone.

We nourished and cleansed our bodies.

We unveiled our most authentic self.  

And when we left, we were able to see beyond our limited minds and to once again experience the fullness of our being.  

As time passed, each of us felt a lingering innate sense of contentment that was independent of circumstances or external conditions.  And once we tasted this inner peace and the natural feeling of joy that comes from giving and serving rather than acquiring and achieving, our spiritual growth became a steady and enjoyable journey towards an ever greater awareness of our true nature.  

Through purposeful travel and meaningful experience, you will begin to to feel connected to your true nature ever more deeply and begin to feel the universal energy that connects every human, animal, plant, wave, mountain and cloud. You will discover an inner-strength and a crystal clear vision that you may have perhaps forgotten, and it will drive you to grow to keep going — everyday, cultivating a deeper sense of peace, wellness and and spirituality.  

We hope you will join us!

Peace & light,

Lynda