Magic happens when you gather in company, away from your hurried life. Get out of your house and out of your head while soaking deeply in your yoga practice. A mental rest from technology and rejuvenation of your spirit in beautiful, wild places. Join us, wont you?
January 1-9, 2022
Please contact us if you are interested in joining us on this retreat at weloveyou@thebymc.com
**Please also note that any proceeds earned beyond necessary expenses for this retreat always remain in the immediate community, directly benefiting the lives of some of our long-term local friends and their families, children, health clinics and schools. These relationships are over a decade long, we cherish them deeply, and are grateful to have the chance to give resources in this way.
When was the last time you did something just for you, and just because it was fun or healing or beautiful? Because it brought you utter, unabashed joy? This retreat has become almost mythical, as seekers venture far afield to the wild, off-grid jungles of the bio-diverse Osa Peninsula in Southwestern Costa Rica for 8 nights of renewal, replenishment, land connection and joy. The environment and land alone are worth the trek to marvel alongside all manner of monkeys, sloths, exotic birds, brilliant healing plants and more, and then pair that with twice-daily yoga/movement/Ayurveda/nervous system regulation practices adapted for group level and time of day, beachfront sunrise meditations, self-massage techniques, Ayurvedic self-care rituals, pranayama and restorative yoga sessions and more, plus all your delicious, healthy, whole-foods meals thought up and made fresh by local chefs, and you are welcomed into the healing arms of being present with this shit show of a year, and with whatever you need to grieve, let go of, celebrate or process. We welcome you..**
This is one of our best decisions EVER- to have stumbled our way to the wild so that together we can soak in this beautiful life, reflect on the year ahead, and make space for some deep and needed self-care. Please join us this year for so many reasons: thoughtful yoga and movement classes, beautiful Ayurvedic self-care rituals, a deep and incredible place to process grief and loss or celebrate beauty and survival, plenty of pranayama/meditation, incredible surfing (the perfect place to learn or play!), miles of unpopulated beaches to wander and allow your mind to soften and clear, invigorating waterfall hikes, restful hammock-swinging and long languid afternoons with a book, cannonballs by the pool, and all the incredible jungle life all around to stir your soul. There is a reason we come back here again and again to our south of the border family home, and we invite you into the magic of the Osa with us again this year. We love to bring our community to this wonderful healing place to unite in the spirit of yoga, sangha and the wisdom of nature. Our hosts are like family for us, and a source of such good medicine and friendship for all these years.
This retreat sells out every year, so please don't wait if this is your year! A non-refundable $500 deposit will secure your space. Come and celebrate YOU at the turn of 2022 with us! Payment plans are available, just ask.
Major highlights include:
Surfing/Swimming: A private, pristine surf break is a stone's throw from your yoga deck and front porch, and Boca is a perfect place for new surfers to learn to surf as well as for more experienced surfers to enjoy long rides in perfectly warm, un-crowdeded waters. Our friends Eddie and Michelle, the surf instructors that live onsite, happily tailor your lessons to fit the high tides. There is also one large swimming pool, one small cold "chatting" pool, teeming tide pools, great nearby spots for ocean swimming, and a freshwater stream for soaking just a few yards from the ocean.
Tree Climbing and Rappel: The Matapalo, or gigantic Strangler Fig Tree, is one of the most incredible things to see down here! After an informative guided hike with a local plant guy (maybe you'll eat some termites along the way?) perhaps you will want to climb it? At the top, there's a viewing nest--nearly 450 feet over the ocean! Once you are expertly harnessed, you'll be able to jump out of the tree, hanging weightlessly like a beautiful ripe fruit. Definitely one of the biggest highlights for the adventurous!
Dolphin Boat Trip, Snorkel and Animal Wildlife Sanctuary: Always a huge highlight, the Wildlife Sanctuary is an animal rescue center accessible only by boat and is completely surrounded by Piedras Blancas National Park. It is one of the most interesting and worthwhile animal sanctuary projects in Costa Rica; a local enterprise wholly committed to providing wildlife rescue and rehabilitation for orphaned, injured and displaced animals indigenous to the southern zone. You'll travel by boat across the Golfo Dulce, where you might be surrounded by dolphins, turtles and other marine animals (once there was a whale shark!) with a few spots to swim and snorkel the reefs (if the conditions are right). For many, this intimate look into the rescue of animals has been life changing. It's possible that you'll meet rescued monkeys, sloths, toucans, macaws, kinkajous, tayras, peccaries and more.
Cacao Growing/Making Tour and Tasting: Take an afternoon trip to tour the local Finca Kobo, a permaculture farm and organic cacao plantation, where you can learn about permaculture, chocolate-making, conservation of the rainforest and sustainable agriculture. Learn why the source of your chocolate purchases truly matters, and learn about how indigenous folks are working with this medicinal plant locally.
Bodywork/Massage/Acupuncture: Treat yourself to an incredible massage in the private, open-air, beachfront palapa, or schedule an acupuncture session with the skilled, professional on-site practitioners of several healing modalities. You'll get to experience the calming ocean breeze and the sound of the waves crashing nearby while being cared for by high-caliber healing arts practitioners in an absolute paradise.
Land-based plant medicine and skin care: We spend an afternoon creating lovingly homemade local rainforest preparations from nature herself, including fruit and clay-based facials, edible body scrubs, and healing, wildcrafted local products you can take home to remind you of the medicine and land of the Osa. We sustainably gather organic ingredients like local cacao beans, ripe papayas, local coffee, local riverbed clay, ylang ylang flowers that dangle overhead, freshly cracked coconut milk, medicinal plants and beautiful local fruit to make up the majority of what are used to refresh, heal and connect.
Bird Watching: As an amateur birdwatcher, I am delighted and breathless over the birdlife and its abundance, as well as the ease with which the most incredible species are seen. On the Osa Penisula alone they say that there are over 400 species of birds, and even the shortest excursion produces sightings of 40-50 species sometimes. Common sightings of scarlet macaws, roadside hawks, toucans and tropical kingbirds are seen daily or even hourly, and rare birds include slaty trogons, blue-crowned mot-mots, red-legged honeycreepers and loads of tanagers and rare hummingbirds. Quick excursions and longer trips can be arranged. I carry my binoculars everywhere! My good, longtime friend Felipe guides these trips and he is a naturalist with a wealth of indigenous storytelling, history and love for his country.
Ocean Kayaking: Take a trip into town at sunset and paddle through the mangrove forests, or leave after dark to experience the spectacular bioluminescence of the Osa.
Prices Include 9 days and 8 nights of lodging, 4 daily meals and all yoga/self-care classes:
Prices do not include taxi fare from airports, international flights and short in-country flight. These expenses, depending on airline prices, generally run around $900-$1200. Travel hints, a packing list, and other help will come via email once you decide to join us! WE EXTREMELY RECOMMEND TRAVEL INSURANCE AT THIS TIME DUE TO COVID CONCERNS.
Due to its special nature, this retreat has its own cancellation policy. Please review!
Please note that the $500 deposit is non-refundable and secures your spot for the retreat. Full payment is due by November 15, 2021. We know that life happens and unforeseen situations and circumstances can change and impact your plans. Our cancellation/refund policy is listed below. Once again, we strongly encourage you to purchase travel insurance so that you have more travel related protection in case you need it. We regret that we are unable to give refunds or discounts for arriving late, leaving early, flight cancellations, travel delays, injury, family emergencies or illness.
Cancellation before September 1, 2021 receive a full refund less a $50 administrative fee..
Cancellation between Sept. 1- Nov. 15, 2021: receive a full credit less your $500 deposit and a $250 cancellation fee. The credit can be applied towards next year's Costa Rica retreat. After Nov. 15, 2021 there will be no refunds or credits possible.
Other COVID-related stipulations for this trip:
Currently Costa Rica is doing an amazing job, and more than 50% of its citizens have had access to vaccinations and healthcare. We expect that to only increase in the coming months. Generally we don't believe in tourism to recovering countries that do not have the financial and healthcare resources to care for their people while we, as comparably wealthy Northern Hemisphere/American folks, can get vaccines and healthcare and thus travel wherever we wish. We are monitoring the vaccine and COVID situation in Costa RIca carefully over the next few months and if we need to, we reserve the right to cancel the trip if it seems that COVID numbers are spiking there (or here) or that they have not been able to make vaccines or virus-related healthcare available to the majority of their citizens and residents. We hope you will understand, even if you don't agree with us. If we cancel the trip on our end, we will announce this by December 1, 2021 and all deposits will be refunded.
Deposits you’d like to put down after October 1 must go through me, Lisa Mae, directly, as well as any final balance payments, which are due by November 15th. You can contact me at sassyneedles@gmail.com and I will get in touch with you about how you can pay; this will either be by check or Venmo or possibly PayPal. You can also leave me your phone # at 503)516-8123 and I will call you to get your payment sorted out.
CURRENT VACCINATION PROOF IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND THIS RETREAT. Please email your vaccine card proof to me at sassyneedles@gmail.com as soon as you decide to register.
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