Doors to the Wild Self
In March, I attended to a yoga retreat in Costa Rica with Bigger Life Adventures. Ray and I have been busy traveling in Florida and doing wildlife photography. We've kept ourselves so occupied that I haven't had time to reflect on the amazing experience of the retreat until now.
I met Carrie and Zach, who run Bigger Life Adventures, last year while attending a 300 hr Yoga Teacher Training with Lakshmi Rising. I instantly appreciated their authenticity, vulnerability, and passion for sharing yoga with others. Their retreats are focused on healing in nature, stepping outside of your comfort zone, experiencing an adventure, all with delicious plant based cuisine and trauma informed yoga, and completely alcohol free! The way they have designed their retreats couldn’t be more aligned with how I love to live my life.
On arrival day, Ray dropped me off to the property and I was so excited to catch up with Carrie and Zach, explore, settle in, and meet the other participants. I was immediately in awe of the beautiful view at Finca Camino Nuevo. I settled into my room and enjoyed the view until our opening ceremony in the afternoon.
View from my room at Finca Camino Nuevo
Later that day we gathered in a room with many beautifully painted doors, and as the theme of the retreat was “Doors to the Wild Self”, we all introduced ourselves and chose a door that spoke to us. I chose a door that had a Resplendent Quetzal painted on it. Of course being a wildlife photographer, I was drawn to the door with a bird on it! The rest of the evening we spent enjoying a delicious dinner and spending time singing by a glorious fire.
The next morning after meditation, yoga, and a delicious breakfast— the group was picked up to go climb Strangler Fig Trees with Palo Vivo, an organization dedicated to education and conservation! What an incredible way to begin the retreat! This was the most unique experience I have ever had! I have hiked through the cloud forest many times in Costa Rica, but never have I been able to climb, barefoot, in these massive trees! I felt so connected to nature and to the rest of the group. Having the support of the group below, everyone cheering one another on, and getting to experience the view of the forest from that higher perspective was just so special.
I believe this retreat was an excellent balance between time for activity and time for rest and reflection. There was plenty of time to be together as a group as well as opportunity for solitude. I think one of my favorite aspects of the retreat was the inviting, welcoming atmosphere that Carrie and Zach create and foster. They are both so genuine and authentic and allow for everyone to show up, as they are.
In a world that often emphasizes conformity and external validation, embracing authenticity allows individuals to express their genuine selves without fear of judgment. This fosters trust and openness in relationships, creating a foundation for meaningful interactions, which is exactly the environment that is needed on a yoga retreat.
Highlights from the retreat included a guided nature walk of the Monteverde Cloud Forest, twice daily yoga sessions with Carrie, every single plant based meal and treat created by chefs Zach and Selena, relaxing by the pool, and nightly hot tub time under the stars! I also really appreciated that Carrie included multiple workshops on yoga philosophy, because yoga is so much more than a physical practice. We even had a chance to visit the local river and bask in the beauty of refreshing small waterfalls and pools.
One of the most challenging, yet rewarding parts of the retreat was the traditional temescal. A temescal ceremony, rooted in Mesoamerican traditions, serves as a spiritual and physical cleansing ritual. We crawled on our knees to enter the domed structure, which symbolizes the womb of Mother Earth, and in complete darkness, we embarked on a journey of renewal and reflection. The temescal was heated with large stones from the river that had been heated on the fire. As water was poured on the heated stones, steam enveloped the temescal, and we sang, chanted, and just breathed. There were four occasions when the door to the structure was opened and fresh cool air from the outside world entered. When the door was opened, we were also given an opportunity to leave. After the third door, I was feeling overwhelmed in every way and decided to leave. Thinking back if I had waited even 10 seconds for some of that cool outside air to seep in, I think I would have been able to complete the whole journey and stay through all four doors. I don’t feel disappointed in myself for leaving when I did, but I do think of it as a learning opportunity. This was definitely the time throughout the retreat that I was most out of my comfort zone. And I believe the lesson I learned was that embracing discomfort can ultimately be the key to growth, to transformative experiences and deeper self-awareness.
The retreat closed with a special evening including time to reflect on the experience as a group, cacao and ecstatic dance! There’s nothing like a little cacao to get your heart open and ready to get your groove on. Ecstatic dance is a freeform movement practice that invites everyone to connect with their bodies and express themselves through dance in a safe, non-judgmental environment. This was a wonderful way to wrap up the retreat, letting go of inhibitions, cherishing the present moment, and embracing bliss and authenticity on the dance floor.
I am so thankful for every aspect of the retreat that allowed me to self reflect, to push myself, to rest, to reconnect with my yoga practice, to feel my physical strength and to nurture my emotional strength, and to deeply connect with nature, the others in the group, and to my wild self!
I feel very fortunate to know Carrie and Zach and already be signed up for another adventure with them in Thailand coming up this November. If you have ever felt the draw to attend a yoga retreat I couldn’t recommend Bigger Life Adventures more!
