Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica

Hi! My name is Lauren, and I am the creator of Nature Yoga Club. My goal is to get all people outside in nature to experience the healing power of yoga. When you feel sunlight or breathe fresh air, you can appreciate the present moment. I’ve just arrived back from an almost three-week-long yoga teacher training in Playa Coyote, Costa Rica. Before going there, I couldn’t have imagined the enormous beaches that curve to the coast into hills of green jungles. Even just looking at the view had a way of making you feel small in the best way possible. The staff at the Salvertierra Retreat were beyond welcoming and kind. Each gardener, cook, housekeeper, and server went out of their way to make our stay truly magical. 21 of my classmates and I set out to learn how to teach yoga and live in the present moment during our time in Costa Rica. Each morning, we woke up at sunrise promptly at 5:30, then walked the beach and grabbed a coffee or tea on our way to our first meditation of the day. About halfway through my stay in Costa Rica, my ritual was to get in a 20-minute surf session in the morning before asana and meditation. Our instructors, Liz Hefferman and Peggy Profant, would always be waiting in our morning meditation spot for the day, which was usually on the patio of the big house. The patio was attached to a large pool deck with an infinity pool that overlooked the ocean facing west. You could always hear the waves crashing on the shore and birds calling out in the distance. My instructors, Liz and Peggy both have over 20 years of experience teaching yoga and have numerous certifications, including E-RYT 500 teaching certification,  C-IAYT international yoga teacher, and Integrative Yoga Therapist certification. Liz and Peggy’s knowledge of alignment has changed the way I move my body. The Soma Institute curriculum started from the ground up. We learned about the feet and what posture habits look like. Specifically, what common misalignment can happen in the body. In the morning, we would do a light movement class before a 15-minute meditation practice, which was supposed to help us sit still for longer periods of time. I would be still as ever and soon became agitated. I quickly became angry when I couldn’t stay with my breath, and my mind would wander to other things. When I noticed that my mind had wandered, I would beat myself up for it. During my time at the Salveriterra retreat, I learned how to come back to my breath during meditation without judgment or drama (most of the time). Imperfect action was a phrase Liz repeated often. It is unreasonable to think every action you take will be perfect or even close to it. Rather, enjoy the imperfection because it is part of the journey.