We had a fun time. Very cool and laid back people, very healthy meals and lots of sun and sea. The folks who run it are super nice and helpful. Friendly folks everywhere we went. We did expect more yoga-focused activities and classes beyond one class a day four times a week. It's more of a hang-out and be social and enjoy the beach and jungle kind of place. Be prepared for lots of steep hiking to all places and lots of wetness, rain, and moldy stuff. We enjoyed the natural beauty and jungle but be prepared for lots of bugs and mosquitos. It is also very remote and you need to call a taxi or hitchhike or rent a bike to get beyond Punta Banco. Overall though, nice chill and wind-down place.

Thanks, Yoga Farmers! I had an awesome experience in your wonderful land. Everything was just wow, and I would have stayed there forever if I could. I liked my own open-air little casita with the shower and compost toilet in the open air as well. The group I was in, the food, the beaches and this feeling of Freedom... Just amazing!

I had the magnificent pleasure of staying at The Yoga Farm for the majority of the month of December for the Jungle Residency Program. It took me this long (it’s now the end of February) because I need to get a grasp onto the most proper words to describe the unique, amazing, eye-opening experience. It changed my life. I am 46 years old. Without divulging a huge trauma dump and leaving you, the reader, reeling with WTF, I will just say that I have been spending the majority of my life shoving myself into roles that I thought I was supposed to be in order to be successful. We have been fed lies our entire life. I am a part of The Yoga Trade website and an ad came through my inbox regarding this Jungle Residency. This was back in May of 2023. The opportunity had been in my mind until the moment I decided to book it because, as I told the folks that did the program with me, my children decided to give me their Christmas lists as a QR Code. So I ran away from home for the month of December. I travelled from Nashville, Tennessee to Miami to San Juan to hop on a 8 or 9 hour bus ride to meet the driver we scheduled. Luckily I met up with some compadres that were also on their way to The Yoga Farm: Dani, Sarah, Russell, and Pam (iykyk). After a long car ride as dusk set in, we arrived at the Yoga Farm in Punta Banco, Costa Rica. Though my driver was able to manage to get up the steep hill to the entrance of The Yoga Farm, I could not help but be excited that at the bottom of that steep hill was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. I grew up on the beaches of Florida and spent a good chunk of my adulthood in Los Angeles, both of which have breathtaking beaches - but not like this. Rustic is a euphemism. We were living in the heart of a Costa Rican Jungle. I was greeted by Silke and Thomi, the esteemed and beautiful managers of the Yoga Farm. With a warm welcome, and the night sky seeping in, we each got shown to our rooms. I booked The Perch. I literally lived in the tippy-top of the jungle. The Perch is nestled high up in the trees with a stunning view of the almost-untouched greenery of the jungle. Y'all, I walked into that abode and I was shocked that it was all in the open to the night air. Granted, it had doors to close up the space, but I did not realise they were moveable doors until I was already comfortable sleeping like a monkey in a tree. When I realised I had an option to close up the beautiful room I was sleeping in, I chose not to because I had gotten accustomed to the night air wafting in at night, the howler monkeys settling in so they could roar like monsters at 5am and the various night animals that I am sure would haunt my dreams should I have come face to face with them making their way into stalking the in the dark. The moment the sun blinked awake from its own rest, it was easy for me to rise and shine as well. The howler monkeys made sure of that. No sleeping in for the wicked 🙂. Our yoga teacher, Sarah Taylor, (follow her on Instagram as themiamiyogini). Sarah was not only a wonderful and knowledgeable teacher, she was intuitive to what our group was feeling each and every day. Some days we were truly wrecked and tired and some days we were ready to fly. She was able to lead us in flows that were both restorative and challenging. Her beautiful energy and raw love for life made even the toughest poses akin to playing like a child. I believe she has secured a permanent spot teaching yoga at The Yoga Farm. Go see her ASAP. On the Farm, we worked together, we played together, and we survived together. It was a most beautiful experience. We celebrated Christmas together with laughs, a ridiculously funny gift exchange, and the most wonderful food. God - the food. It was so good. We were lucky to have Kelly Sullivan (follow her as well on Insta kellysulli) spending the residency with us and with her background as a chef with training in jungle cooking. She was a blessing. I am not too keen on cooking, but we each rotated through different jobs during the residency and cooking was one of them. Our group had some talented chefs because I ate well every damn day. At home I barely eat 2 meals a day--at The Yoga Farm, I ate so, so well for at least three meals a day. Participating in The Yoga Farm’s Jungle Residency reminded me of what it was like to feel pure unadulterated joy. I hadn’t felt that in 40 years. Or more. I did things I have never done, I was challenged in ways like never before. I ran around like a feral child, hitchhiking, playing in the mud, building things, swimming in the ocean…all while surrounded by the most wonderful people I have ever met. Silke, Thomi, Pam, Russell, Dani, Sarah T., Sarah Z., Kelly, Franzi, Anita, Levi (the best masseuse ever - both Lomi Lomi and Thai), and of course Christina and Jake. Les we not forget Jacky and Colin (omg where are you; I want to hang out and laugh) and Billy (follow on Insta @costaricacreation) who taught me to surf. Well, that's a stretch. With his apt teaching, I was able to stand up a number of times, and best of all I didn't die. As this review has gotten abundantly long already, but you, reader, I hope that you understand how important The Yoga Farm is to me. It is something you should absolutely do. It will change your life. yogafarmcostarica.org --Miss you all --Debbie