Coming to Costa Rica is about YOU time. We get back to simplicity and to this moment. We dive deeper into our authentic self. 

Through MOVEMENT, MEDITATION and HEALING PRACTICES we get present with ourselves and others. We listen, feel, reawaken and share. We tap into our creativity and connect with the life force energy in and around us. 

Maybe you have lots of experience in yoga and dance and have taken part in many spiritual retreats and events, or none, you are equally welcome. 

Sometimes people think that in retreats you have to have it all together, look cool and have a bendy body. Well, no! We love the raw, vulnerable, crying, laughing, powerful, sensitive and wild YOU. We love the work in progress; there is so much to learn about YOU. We also love the connected, centered, clear and grounded YOU. We love the visionary, the artistic and the dreamer YOU. We love the simple, being and breathing in silence YOU. You get the picture – be yourself and come just as you are!

You can find a schedule of a sample day in the Itinerary section. We start each morning with meditation/journaling, followed by a yoga or movement class.

Johanna’s teaching style in yoga is breath orientated cultivating a greater connection and love to one self and others. She invites her students to dive into the flow of breath and movement, balancing with effort and ease and being present in the now. There is often a sense of lightness, acceptance and laughter in her classes. With a holistic approach she blends pranayama, meditation and energy releasing techniques to bring greater wellbeing, balance and rejuvenation on all levels.

After breakfast and later in the afternoon we gather together for a daily group session. Through movement, meditation and artwork you are invited to connect deeper with yourself.

In a free-form dance session some guided warm ups and cooling down techniques will be provided but the rest of the time you get to follow your own energy with a great music playlist. There is no right or wrong way. We will also use other creative methods, such as writing, sound making and art.

It might come as a surprise but the creative work we will be doing does not require you to be a talented artist. Seriously, we can be very critical and self -conscious when it comes to our own unique creative expression. Our united intention for the retreat is to get out of our own way, lose the inner critic and find expression for what is present.

Healing and transformation is a powerful part of the program. During a retreat you are in an energy field where you are supported and this loving energy can bring forth profound healing, insights and new shifts. Johanna’s spiritual approach and over twenty years of experience in transformational work will provide a safe space for these shifts to happen. 

We also have a fun excursion day prepared for you. Visit a 500-year-old Ceiba tree, which was the inspiration for the Tree of life in the movie Avatar. Bliss out at the hot springs by the volcano. Enjoy a sunset dinner with gorgeous lake views. Meet some friendly locals and learn about the Pura Vida life style of the ticos, as the locals are called here.

During our days, in between our group meetings, we allow lots of space for you to relax and rest or to take a dip in the jungle river, read your book in the hammock, commune with the nature, have nurturing conversations with others. There is also a wealth of extra activity possibilities (at an additional cost) you might like to consider, such as a coffee tour, horseback riding, waterfall hike, hanging bridges or stand up paddle boarding. We invite you to follow your own energy on how much activity you like.

Three delicious meals with locally sourced fresh ingredients are prepared for you daily. If you have any food intolerances or allergies, just let us know. 

Your rooms are at Living Forest lodge and separate River View Casita, all with hot water and comfort surrounded by pristine nature. 

In a supportive and nurturing environment magic happens. We come together and we are not the same when we leave.

We would be honored to have you in the tribe!

This ALL INCLUSIVE retreat includes:

• Lodging at Living Forest for 4 nights
• Transportation to and from Liberia airport (LIR). Please check out the pick up times prior to booking your flights
• Three nourishing meals daily prepared from locally sourced ingredients (gluten free and other options available)
• Morning and afternoon workshops with yoga, meditation, dance&movement, journaling, creative and healing practices
• Excursion: Visiting a 500 year old Ceiba tree, hot springs by volcano Arenal and a sun set dinner at a restaurant with beautiful lake views
• The use of beautiful Living Forest’s property, where you can enjoy the jungle river, relax in the hammock, catch a glimpse of toucans, to enjoy the howler monkeys on the river side trees

Only things that are NOT INCLUDED are your air fare, travel insurance and little cash, if you like to purchase some extra tours/services/snacks/souvenirs.

Please fly to Liberia (LIR), officially named Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport.  We are just 1.5 hour drive from the airport. Please be sure when you are booking your flights, that the arrival to Liberia is before 2pm.  If you prefer to travel later, we can help you, but the transport to the retreat location is at your own cost. 

There will be a group airport pick up at 2 -3pm at Liberia Airport the arrival day 22nd February. We will confirm the exact time closer to the time.

The driver can stop in a store on your way to Lake Arenal, so you have a chance to buy some snacks etc if you like.  At Living Forest we will have a Welcome Dinner at 6pm. 

On DEPARTURE day Feb 26th our program finishes late morning. Pick up to the airport leaves at 11am at Living Forest .  You can catch any flights homewards from 3pm onwards. 

You might like to explore by yourself some other areas of Costa Rica after our retreat.  Some retreat participants like to head to the Pacific coast for some fun in the sun.  Please feel free to ask us for recommendations or anything else we can help you with. 

Prior your trip we will send you a Packing List and some other useful information about traveling in Costa Rica. Keep it simple; casual summer cloths with some long sleeves for early mornings/evenings.  Bring a notebook for journaling!

Payment:

A deposit of $500 reserves your trip.

Final Payments are due January 15th, 2019. 

Please write to us if you would like a payment plan.

Cancellation policy:

Deposits are non-refundable.

Payments more than 90 days from the retreat: 50% refundable

Payments less than 90 days from the retreat: Non-refundable

Link:  https://vimeo.com/128820733

“Nestled by a river and jungle, Living Forest is one of the most grounding and rejuvenating places-mother nature abounds...i love the yoga classes taught by Johanna and the other myriad of workshops that she continues to offer. Truly a wonderful experience!”

- Ginny Lamont -

“I have attended Living Forest's yoga class for over a year and it has been a complete pleasure. The setting is quite spectacular nestled in the mountains next to a rushing creek and surrounded by local wildlife. From toucans to howler monkeys they remind you that this is a very special place indeed. 

Johanna is such a great teacher. As I was a complete novice she took extra time with me and encouraged me along the way. Her routines are always different and challenging with a healthy dose of laughter . What is most memorable is the sense of peace and calm after a session. "

- Ron Veltman -

"I was fortunate to participate in an incredibly powerful full moon ceremony led by Johanna during a women's writing retreat at Living Forest. Johanna successfully guided me through the process of releasing a 9 year relationship to the universe to prepare myself for the next chapter of my life. I could literally feel everything that wasn't serving me dissipate during the ceremony. Her yoga classes are also wonderfully grounding!" 

- Maria Joyner -

“Just Being at Living Forest brings me totally in tune with feeling a heightened awareness of what it is to be alive and at one with Nature. Hidden in a lush green rainforest jungle, surrounded by the sounds of a rushing river, tropical birds calls (and colors!) plus families of monkeys occasionally traveling through, Living Forest is absolutely one of the most magical places I've been, and I've been to a lot of magical places!  ;) Johanna makes it all come true with her Joyousness, laughter, and Love. She is a dazzling Lightning Bug of the universe and following her path brings a great sense of peace and joy. That's why I am devoted to her yoga class, where I can experience not only the practice but her divine presence as well. She effortlessly extends a sense of warmth, well-being, and did I mention, joy? it just overflows, like the riverbank after a hard rain. Multi-talented, she embraces many ways to create connection, through dance, music, art, yoga, and her abilities as an accomplished practitioner of such healing arts as cellular memory release. Obviously, I can't say enough! I have received great healing under her guidance and my life has been deeply enriched by her presence.”

- Annie Welch - 

“I enjoyed the yoga classes led by Johann Harmala when I stayed at Living Forest Retreat Center in 2018. She is a good instructor who allowed me to go at my own pace and do what I was comfortable with. It was just enough of a workout that I felt energized afterward. I highly recommend her yoga class!”

- Leah Oviedo, San Diego, CA, USA-

“Johanna Harmala is a very wise soul. I have observed her Sadhana (spiritual commitment & practice) for decades now & been lucky enough to be a recipient of her healing many times. She has spent her life exploring movement & the body & teaches what it really means to feel & attune to the intelligence of the body. There are not many teachers with the depths that she has explored. She can help you change your life. “ 

- Cathy Pearson Yoga Teacher Trainer-Ireland & Bali -