Costa Rica retreat was a truly grounding and magical experience. The setting was beautiful and we were nourished with beautiful meals. Laura & Shirley were deeply authentic, creating a safe and supportive space throughout the journey. It all felt intentional and deeply healing. I came home feeling steady, inspired, and deeply connected to myself. Grateful for this experience.

Rooted & Rising Yoga Retreat Hosted by Dr. Laura Foster & Shirlee Williams🩷 There are retreats — and then there are experiences that meet you exactly where you are in life and give you exactly what you need 💞 I came to Costa Rica deeply needing rest, restoration, and reconnection. Like many women, I arrived carrying life’s challenges and transitions, hoping to refill my cup and reconnect with myself in a deeper way. At this stage of my life, it felt especially meaningful to step away and immerse myself fully in this experience. This retreat became so much more than I expected. From the moment we arrived, Laura Foster and Shirlee Williams were approachable, kind-hearted, generous, and attentive to every detail. They ensured we were beautifully cared for throughout every moment of our stay. Most importantly, they created a safe and supportive container where we felt held, heard, and comfortable being real. It was a space where vulnerability felt natural and respected. The breathwork and yoga classes were transformative. They guided me into places within myself that I didn’t even realize were ready to be expressed or released. The breathwork sessions contained the most beautiful songs where many of us felt gently cracked open. Sometimes tears flowed — not from sadness alone, but from release, clarity, and connection. We co-regulated our nervous systems collectively and lovingly on the mats🩷 During our retreat, we participated in a Tamascal ceremony, cooled off in the river, and playfully covered ourselves in clay in a joyful mud bath. We watched a breathtaking sunset at the ocean, and some of the women even learned how to surf. The beaches in Costa Rica are simply stunning - the ocean water was so warm and inviting - some of us playfully surfed the waves with our bodies! It felt so invigorating and I felt a child like joy & wonder I hadn’t felt in a long time! Monkeys moved through the trees during practice, cicadas and birds sang loudly in the heat of the day, and the lush jungle reminded us how alive everything truly is. Each day we were nourished by private chefs preparing vibrant, colorful and delicious meals. The fresh local fruit was incredible, juicy & delicious, and the Costa Rican coffee is simply the best in the world! Laura and Shirlee ensured we had freshly brewed coffee ready each morning for us — it became a beautiful ritual to begin each beautiful day. During the retreat there was laughter, dancing, connection, and joy. Often the dancing was totally spontaneous and unfolded naturally at the end of the day or practise when we were unwinding and enjoying one another’s company. Many of us rediscovered our strength and remembered the importance of weaving more play and lightness into our lives. I arrived needing restoration and rest. I left feeling more grounded in my body, clearer in my heart, and gently strengthened from the inside out. Laura and Shirlee went above and beyond. They delivered far more than promised and created an environment where growth, healing, connection, and empowerment could unfold naturally. This retreat was a beautiful reminder that no matter what season of life we are walking through, there is always space to reconnect, renew, and rediscover our aliveness. There is something about combining a beautiful backdrop like Costa Rica - the beauty and vast aliveness, and lushness, colour & sounds of nature there; with yoga and breathwork — it made it so much more magical, grounding and healing for our bodies, minds, emotions and spirits. Laura and Shirlee are soul led, beautiful, open hearted, generous, compassionate, kind, and fun loving women! They really have created such a transformative, uniquely magical and richly grounding & healing experience & safe container for women to be held, empowered & nurtured. We were truly blessed to have the most beautiful (inside & out), authentic, kind hearted, open and warm group of women that we could possibly have for this retreat! I feel so blessed to know Laura, Shirlee and all of the incredible ladies at this retreat! The connections we made were truly remarkable and I know we have made lifelong, meaningful connections here…and for that I am truly grateful. 🩷🙏 The accommodations for the retreat were stunning, beautiful, and comfortable! The Casitas that we stayed in were beautiful, clean and restful. We felt very safe and extremely well cared for our entire stay. I felt beyond accommodated for from the moment we signed up for this Retreat! It was wonderful to be able to relax by the pool and unwind or read a book or just rest during our free time, or take a dip to cool off and refresh ourselves at any time of day or night. I am so deeply grateful to Laura and Shirlee for this beautifully transformative, healing and grounding experience and for their thoughtfulness at every step. I also attended a yoga retreat hosted by Laura Foster in 2019 in Costa Rica. I remember before I went on that retreat, it was something I put on my vision board that I really wanted to do. This is now my third retreat that I have been on that was hosted by Laura Foster! Every time I sign up and do a retreat with her it is a dream come true for me. I would highly recommend Laura and Shirlee‘s future retreats, and all the services that they offer. They are a gift to the world and I wish every woman I knew could meet them and attend their wonderful retreats!🩷🙏 With deep gratitude and much love, Debbie Metherall.🩷

I am so grateful that I said yes to the Rooted + Rising Retreat in Costa Rica. Laura and Shirlee cultivated such a powerful, intentional experience that truly brought me back home to myself. Their leadership, presence, and genuine care created a space where I felt both supported and inspired. They held such a safe, trusting environment that allowed me to gently process long-stored emotions and release stories that no longer serve me. The deep connection formed with the other incredible women made the week unforgettable — filled with meaningful conversations, personal growth, laughter, and so many playful, joy-filled moments. It was more than a retreat — it was a reset, a remembering, and a return to what matters most. I will carry this experience with me for a long time. 🤍 Angelle Batten

This was my second retreat with Laura and first with Shirlee. Prior to the first one I had never met Laura and prior to the second, I had never met Shirlee. Without knowing either one of them, I have learned that they are two of the most amazing humans that I have ever met! Put them together to lead a woman's retreat and you will have an experience that will live on in you forever. The details are taken care of, all you have to do is show up! From the most wonderful accommodation and nourishing, farm to table, food to adventures, yoga/fascial and breath work sessions, connection, laughter, tears, support, love and fun...you will feel and experience it all. You will be seen, heard and held. These women are as real as it gets. For both of my experiences, I showed up solo and the connections that I made with the other women were instantaneous. I would, and will, show up solo again and again. They have the gift of drawing in the most amazing group of women that help them hold you. Friendships that will last a lifetime. I can assure you that the only thing you might regret is not saying YES to yourself and them. These are your people ;)

Surprising — in all the best ways. It’s honestly hard to summarize this Costa Rica retreat with Laura and Shirlee because it exceeded my expectations at every level. The accommodations were stunning yet grounding. The food? Nourishing, vibrant, and somehow both indulgent and deeply healing. The people? Soul sisters I didn’t know I was missing. What truly blew me away were the results. The breathwork and yoga experiences were next-level — not just relaxing, but transformative. I had breakthroughs I didn’t even know I needed. There’s something powerful about being held in a space that feels both safe and expansive at the same time. And the connections… deep, soulful, authentic conversations with women who show up fully? Priceless. I waited two years before saying yes to this retreat. Now I’m wondering why I waited at all. I can’t say enough about this experience — and if I have anything to say about it, this will be an annual yes from here on out. If you’re on the fence, let this be your sign. 💫