Nicoya Penninsula, Costa Rica

Imagine waking up in the jungle near Montezuma, Costa Rica to the sounds of tropical birds and monkeys, as gentle rays of sunlight filtering through the trees. Does this yoga retreat sound like a dream? We think so! This yoga retreat will be a week of living up close and personal with nature, disconnecting from work and technology, and allowing the verdant life and flowing waters of Costa Rica to nurture your mind, body, and spirit.

Join us at the amazing eco-retreat The Sanctuary at Two Rivers near Montezuma, Costa Rica, February 18-24, for this magical week in the jungle! The Sanctuary at Two Rivers at the southern tip of a Blue Zone – The Nicoya Peninsula, is a rare Paradise on Earth. Once you settle into the relaxed lifestyle and enjoy the amazing food here you’ll see why locals live so long! The Sanctuary encompasses 40 acres of lush Jurassic forest, exotic fruit orchards, & manicured tropical gardens, all flanked by epic on-site waterfalls. Watch different types of monkeys, birds, coatamundi, agoutis, and more wildlife right outside your casitas. The Sanctuary exclusively hosts yoga teacher trainings and yoga retreats, and the environment is perfect for diving deep into your practice!

Past yoga retreat guests have experienced deep healing on this retreat thanks to the Sanctuary’s magical natural vibes, our deep dive into learning about the chakras, plus the communal group energy and support. Come ready to be open, let go of what’s no longer serving you, and fill yourself up with rich prana!

Check out this video for a closer look at the majestic Sanctuary:

 

Morning Vipasana group meditation

Daily or twice daily yoga and meditation of various styles (Vinyasa, Yin, Yoga Nidra, Pranayama, Restorative) guided by Carrie and Zach. A chance to deepen your practice and grow! Classes will be themed around philosophical concepts in yoga and catered to the group’s needs and interests. All levels are welcome!

Yoga philosophy, breathwork, Ayurveda, and meditation workshops

Special skydeck sunrise yoga and meditation practice with an ocean view

Shared accommodation in one of the Sanctuary’s fabulous sustainably-built casas. Each casa sleeps 2-3 guests in separate beds with mosquito nets, fans, spacious bathrooms, and hammocks on the patio. If you’re coming by yourself you will be assigned a same-gender roommate

All delicious, local, vegetarian or vegan meals and desserts catered by Gaia Gourmet Cuisine

Use of pool, waterfalls, Skylab and trails at The Sanctuary

Guided hike to spectacular waterfalls and beaches

Cacao ceremony, waterfall wellness ritual, and ecstatic dance ceremony

A chance to be disconnected from technology and your day-to-day tasks. Although Wifi is available at the sanctuary, we encourage you to be immersed in the moment!

Hostel accommodation in Montezuma for March 16, the night before the retreat begins. Private hostel for our group only, right on the beach, with waterfalls and tidepools nearby.

Not included:

Transportation to and from Costa Rica and The Sanctuary. We are happy to help you plan and arrange your travel! Shuttle transport from San Jose to Montezuma is $52 per person. Flights from San Jose to Tambor airport are $90-120, then a taxi to the Sanctuary is $50 (can be shared by guests arriving at the same time).

Travel insurance which is recommended to protect your investment

Gratuities for The Sanctuary staff (suggested $60 per person)

 

Surf lesson

Snorkeling, boat trip, and Tortuga Island picnic

Ziplining adventure course near the Montezuma Waterfalls

Yogic Photographic Session with Mason Neufeld  – all proceeds are donated to local reforestation projects!

Massage/bodywork sessions, personal Ayurvedic health counseling, and Reiki sessions can be added during free time as well.

Sunday, February 18

  • Early arrivals and settling in

  • 2:00 pm

    2pm Plant-based lunch

  • Afternoon arrivals and settling in

  • 5:30 pm

    5:30pm Welcome ceremony, yoga and meditation

  • 7:00 pm

    7pm Plant-based dinner

Monday, February 19

  • 6:30 am

    Morning meditation

  • 7:00 am

    Coffee & tea available

  • 7:30 am

    Morning yoga and meditation

  • 9:00 am

    Plant-based breakfast

  • 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

    Silent hike through the jungle to waterfalls and swimming holes

  • 2:00 pm

    Lunch

  • Free time to relax or explore

  • 5:30 pm

    Evening yin yoga and meditation

  • 7:00 pm

    Dinner

Tuesday, February 20

  • 5:30 am - 7:00 am

    Skylab sunrise meditation and yoga practice

  • 7:00 am - 11:00 am

    Silent morning

  • 7:00 am

    Coffee and tea available

  • 9:00 am

    Breakfast

  • Optional surf lesson day

  • 2:00 pm

    Lunch

  • Hike to local beach and beach clean up

  • 5:30 pm

    Evening yin yoga and meditation

  • 7:00 pm

    Dinner

Wednesday, February 21

  • 6:30 am

    Morning meditation

  • 7:00 am

    Coffee & tea available

  • 7:30 am

    Morning yoga and meditation

  • 9:00 am

    Breakfast

  • Optional ziplining excursion

  • 2:00 pm

    Lunch

  • Free time to relax at pool or waterfalls

  • 5:30 pm

    Sound healing

  • 7:00 pm

    Dinner

Thursday, February 22

  • 6:30 am

    Morning meditation

  • 7:00 am

    Coffee &

  • 7:30 am

    Morning yoga and meditation

  • 9:00 am

    Breakfast

  • Optional boat ride and snorkeling excursion

  • 2:00 pm

    Lunch

  • 5:30 pm

    Cacao Ceremony

  • 7:00 pm

    Dinner

Friday, February 23

  • 6:30 am

    Morning meditation

  • 7:00 am

    Coffee and tea available

  • 7:30 am

    Morning yoga and meditation

  • 9:00 am

    Breakfast

  • 10:00 am

    Waterfall Wellness Ritual

  • 2:00 pm

    Lunch

  • 3:30 pm

    Optional inversion and arm balance workshop

  • 7:00 pm

    Dinner

Saturday, February 24

  • 6:30 am

    Morning meditation

  • 7:00 am

    Coffee & tea available

  • 7:30 am

    Final yoga and closing ceremony

  • 9:00 am

    Breakfast

  • 10:00 am

    Departures

Space in 3-person jungle loft with same-gender roommates: $2199

Space in 2-person jungle loft or studio house with same-gender roommate: $2299

A $499 deposit is required to secure your spot. Your remaining balance will be due in 3 installments, the first on or before August 1, 2023, the second on or before October 1, 2023, and the final payment on or before February 1, 2024.

These are the early bird prices which will go up $100 per person on October 1, 2023, so book before then for the best rate! There are two recovery scholarships available at a greatly reduced rate of $1300. Please apply here.

This morning I started my yoga practice before the sun has risen. Moving from dark to light. This reminded me of the photoshoot that I did with @masonneufeldphotography during the @biggerlifeadventures retreat in Costa Rica at March. The site was a half a mile walk to the Ocean.
It was a lot of firsts for me….first time out of the country using a passport…but I knew that I would be held safely in the care of Zach and Carrie. It was some of my first connection to a lot of other people from around the world during the pandemic. Some of the friendships that I made there, I am proud to say are still continuing. It is amazing the magical bond that took place on that retreat, because the friendships I made there are the people I go to when I am having a difficult time. From the darkness of the unknown….to love and light….

-Teri, 2022

The retreat in Costa Rica has the highest of recommendations I could ever give!!

The entire week offered so much challenge, connection, adventure, restoration, rejuvenation, joy, laughs, insight, knowledge, awareness, jungle sounds, delicious meals, consistent practice, relaxation, and (insert at least 101 more wonderful adjectives here)!

On every level, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, I grew and became a better version of myself! A group that started as friendly strangers completely transformed into an intimate and comfortable family by the end of the week! There was true magic, power and energy flow like I’ve never been apart of, and, if I may be so bold to say, EVERYONE was completely filled and changed in their own beautiful way! No one was even close to being ready to leave and didn’t want the jungle retreat to end!

Of course, for anyone who knows Mr Zach (the baddest chef east of the Mississippi) and Sensei Carrie (the baddest yoga instructor I’ve ever known), they are such a beautiful and inspiring duo who offer their whole selves to the retreat and to everyone’s experience! They truly care about everyone and it shows in their personalized approach in how they communicate, educate, serve and enlighten their audience! They make the yoga practice (beyond just the physical movements) a beautiful journey that is so worth becoming intimate with! In a non-pressure, come-as-you-are way, you are treated with all the love and respect!

I continue to reflect back on that week and know it will be one of my life’s highlights! Lifelong connection to the Sanctuary and to the people who I met, made a super great experience into a mesmerizing and awestruck one!

Why you haven’t booked this retreat is beyond me! Do your heart, mind, body and spirit a solid by signing up for this impossible-to-regret experience!
– Jamo, 2022

What Carrie and Zach have created is amazing. I would recommend these retreats to anyone, everyone is healing from something. Carrie and Zach have such a gift and it has been a pleasure to go on two of their retreats and experience moving my body in the different shapes of yoga, learning about yoga, ayerveda, cooking, reiki, and so much more adventures. If you are on the fence, this is your sign to book the retreat

-Kiersten, 2022

My experience at The Sanctuary at Two Rivers in Costa Rica last month was life changing. Immersed in this jungle experience the time felt magical. Accommodations were perfect. The meditation & yoga sessions run by Carrie & Zach were innovative, professional & fun.  Carrie has a beautiful soul of energy & kindness. She is a dedicated and learned instructor. Zach was equally reverent & thoughtful with the meditations he inspired.
Thanks for sharing this experience with me!
-Carol, 2022

My experience with Bigger Life Adventures far exceeded my expectations in every way! I knew it was a recovery/sober retreat and as it has been said, we are all recovering from something. For me it was the stress and isolation of the pandemic plus I wanted to do something special to celebrate my 70th year. Carrie and Zach’s retreat in Costa Rica delivered a week of magical adventure every day. The yoga and meditation, the fantastic food, the healing rituals, the community, the physically challenging adventures and fabulously relaxing down time all submerged in the beautiful Costa Rican jungle. Perfect! Carrie’s depth as a yogi and Zach’s passion for an adventurous life combine to make a wonderful safe place of self discovery for everyone. I absolutely recommend Bigger Life Adventures. 🙏

-Betty, 2022

 

 

 

For travel, you’ll fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose (SJO). From there you can either take a small plane from San Jose to Tambor (book on flysansa.com) and a taxi to the retreat center, or you can take a $52 shared shuttle bus from San Jose to Montezuma. The drive is 5 hours, the flight is 30 minutes. The shuttles in CR are nice, air-conditioned, and comfy. You’ll need to arrive in Montezuma or at Tambor Airport before 2pm on March 12, the first day of the retreat. We recommend giving yourself extra days in Costa Rica if you are able, as arriving a few days early will make your journey more incredible and less stressful. Please check in with me before booking plane or shuttle tickets to confirm your plan will successfully get you there in the right timing!

I’m also happy to recommend destinations and give transport advice based on my Costa Rica experience so feel free to reach out for that! We’re reserving a little guesthouse just for our group for the night of March 11 in Montezuma. So whoever’s in the area arriving that day (I highly recommend arriving early if you can) can share the cost of that place. It’s called Casa Luminosa if you want to look it up and it will be more than enough room for our group. I was there last year and it’s simple but nice. I won’t have the exact cost until we know how many people will be there, but it will likely be less than $50 per person. So, if you are interested in sharing this place the night before our retreat starts, please let me know!

Travel booking option:

Since I get a lot of requests for assistance anyway, I decided to offer a new flight booking service for all my retreat guests and friends!

You provide me with your desired travel dates and airports and I will find you the cheapest, best flights possible and book them for you, no extra charge. 

I’m a pretty good “travel hacker” thanks to years of experience. We can do this together via Zoom to confirm everything or I’ll make sure to triple check everything with you before booking!

This benefits YOU if online flight searching stresses you out or you just don’t find it fun.

Full disclosure, it benefits Zach and I because I book most of our travel using our credit card points. We have a lot of travel planned this year so we need as many points as possible. You’ll reimburse me and I’ll get the frequent flyer miles to fund my own travel habit, haha.

Could be a win win for all of us?

Let me know if you would like my help with this. I know booking a long journey with multiple connections can be a little bit annoying. But there are also ways to make it more enjoyable — 1 day layover in Tokyo, anyone? For the best prices, you’ll want to book these flights at least 4-6 months before we leave. Reach out when you’re ready if you want my help.

-Carrie

Since all retreat deposits and payments are used to secure venues, activities, and supplies, and since canceled spots require extra time and energy to re-fill, all deposits and payments are non refundable. In emergency situations, you may or may not be offered a credit for a future retreat or event, based on the decision of our team. Cancellations due to fear of travel are not transferable or refundable. Cancellations less than 1 month before your retreat are not refundable or transferable. We recommend travel insurance to protect your investment in the event you must cancel.