One thing on my bucket list was to go to a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, a country where I lived 23 years ago and holds a special place in my heart.
Last month I got to do the thing, and it was magic. Healing. Restful. What I needed.
First of all, the site was amazing. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific and near the town of Montezuma, Anamaya Retreat Center is intimate and beautiful. The views were spectacular. Only 31 guests who all check in on Saturday and stay a week. The food is fresh, healthy and so delicious. The teacher Harumi is a wise and beautiful soul who taught twice a day classes that left me feeling amazing. I specifically chose her because she's a woman of color (Japanese) and older (in her 60s). By the end of week I had made so many new friends, and what I know now is that yoga people are my tribe. The bodywork I received was profound and healing. Another amazing thing for me was that they had some hula hoops, and I got to hoop in the yoga platform with those views. I taught so many folks to hoop, and it created yet another dimension of joy, movement and connection for me and others at the retreat.
I've been committed to integrating the meditation into my daily life, after getting such compassionate instruction from Harumi. It's been a bit of shock to my body to go back to only a weekly yoga class, and I so miss the views and heat of the tropical rain forest.
I will be uploading photos of my experience, including a video or two of the hula hooping.
