Escape the daily grind and find solace in the Rest & Revive. Step away from the hustle and bustle and give yourself the gift of relaxation. 

Join Emily on this escape to the cloud forest of Costa Rica to recharge and revitalize, with every moment devoted to your personal well-being.

Wake up to the sounds of rainforest wildlife and breathtaking views, perched high in the volcanic hills of Alajuela, 4,900 feet above sea level. Enjoy fresh, healthy and delicious meals, daily all-levels Yoga and meditation practices, including evening Yin, Restoratives and guided Relaxations.  Experience a watsu water massage, relax by the pool, or adventure out to experience a cloud forest canopy zip line, waterfall hike or coffee plantation tour.

Pura Vida Retreat and Spa is one of Costa Rica’s most sought-after retreat locations, offering eight acres of natural beauty, exquisitely maintained gardens, outstanding hospitality, and a variety of accommodations to suit your wishes.

You’ll be guided through this 6 night / 7 day retreat by seasoned teacher Emily Vendemmia.

The Costa Rican motto “Pura Vida” is more than just a slang term, but a conscious way of living. Simply translated, it means “simple life” or “pure life”, but really it is a mindset of being with the flow of things as they arise. Not surprisingly, Costa Rica has been named one of the happiest countries in the world. We invite you to join us on this special retreat / vacation as we dip our toes into this Pura Vida way of life!

We’ll meet just a short shuttle ride from the San Jose International Airport at our home for the week – a spectacular property perched high above the volcanic hills of Alajuela.  The sounds of the rainforest and sunrise will be your alarm clock as your bio-rhythms re-set. You’ll be nourished by healthful meals and mountain air, and be met with a daily offering classes and activities.

Your retreat center offers some of the best spa services and therapies in Costa Rica, plus opportunities to experience some off campus excursions.

INCLUDED In your week, on Wednesday, you can choose one of the following full day adventures:

Hot Springs Adventure
Like most excursions in Costa Rica, part of the adventure is just getting there. Participants will cross the central mountain range—a unique opportunity- to reach their destination. Upon arrival a short hike will take you through a secondary growth forest which ends in the property’s private reserve of awe-inspiring mostly primary growth forest. There you will find the hot springs in the heart of the rainforest, where you can relax and immerse yourself in seven warm, healing volcanic hot springs pools. The pools vary in temperature, depth and mineral content, but the mineral-rich waters with therapeutic copper-salt have profound healing properties and will help restore and improve your natural energy levels. A delicious lunch follows.

Whitewater Rafting Adventure
Experience an unspoiled Costa Rican day with an action-packed Whitewater Rafting Adventure on the Pacuare River. Enjoy total isolation from urban life in this exotic and untouched natural world, where sloths, toucans, parrots, coatis, magnificent blue Morpho butterflies and brightly colored frogs are common sights. Unique views of this virgin tropical rainforest area will delight and amaze as you navigate the rapids and maneuver the twists and turns of the river. Halfway through our journey, we stop to enjoy a delicious river-side lunch, then finish up the trip at Siquirres, our own private Exploration Center, where you can take a shower, change and enjoy the gardens and terrace.
Before we begin, we will gear you up with a life jacket, helmet and paddle, followed by a full safety briefing for this guided, moderately challenging whitewater rafting adventure.

Skywalk and Wildlife Boat Adventure
This adventure kicks off at Villa Lapas Reserve and Wild Life Sanctuary, one of most biodiverse regions of the country. A 4 kilometer trail winds and meanders through this 400-acre private reserve and over five bridges, suspended 70 feet above the forest floor. These bridges offer a perfect birds-eye-view of the canopy’s flora and fauna, while leaving the creatures of the forest virtually undisturbed. Enjoy lunch and a break for souvenir shopping after your sky walk, then step into a boat for a two-hour boat ride along the Guacalillo river canals, a 20-minute bus ride from Villa Lapas. As you glide through the water, you’ll spot howler monkeys, bright scarlet macaws and other species of tropical birds among the lush Pacific Coast mangroves.

Other excursion that are possible to join during the week include:

Waterfall Gardens Adventure:
One of Costa Rica’s most popular destinations, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, near the Poas Volcano, offers five stunning waterfalls and 3.5 kilometers of walking trails that wind past the country’s biggest Butterfly Observatory, through gardens swarming with vivid hummingbirds, to the cloud forest, ending in sweeping views of the waterfalls. Other attractions include a serpentarium, frog exhibit, bird watching areas and a Tica House. (Fun fact: tico and tica are colloquial terms for male and female natives of Costa Rica.). Friendly, knowledgeable local naturalists are your guides for this up-close and personal look at Costa Rica’s natural resources. (offered Monday $65pp)

Cloud Forest Canopy Zipline Adventure – offered on Monday between breakfast and lunch.  This longstanding family-run business located on a 450-acre private estate where the proprietors operate a western cedar plantation and sawmill. This breathtaking canopy tour – one of the most beautiful in the country – is situated in a cloud forest at the foot of the Barva Volcano in the heart of the Braulio Carrillo National Park Forest. Climb a staircase to a platform located at the top of an ancient oak tree. Once above the forest, zip line across from platform to platform via interconnecting cables. The birds-eye-view of the Costa Rican cloud forest is truly awe-inspiring. (offered Tuesday, $65pp)

Please plan to arrive to San Jose International airport on the start date of your restreat. Your retreat begins with a 6:30pm dinner, followed by a short opening session, and ends with breakfast on the last day of your retreat.  Check-in time at Pura Vida is 2 pm. Check-out is 11 am.

We will collect participants’ travel plans well in advance and will arrange your airport transfers (included as part of your retreat!).

Costa Rican law requires your passport be valid for at least 90 days after the date you enter the country. Please check your passport’s expiration date now. A $29 non-residency departure tax will be due when departing Costa Rica, though most major airlines now include this cost in their ticket price.

The climate in the mountains of Costa Rica’s Central Valley is beautiful year-round with warm days (70s-80s F) and mild nights (60s F). The sun rises at 5:30 and sets around 6:00 all year long. North America’s winter is Costa Rica’s summer, and late February-early March is full of verdant flora and fauna.

What to pack:

• Passport
• Comfortable yoga clothing, plus some warmer layers in case of chillier nights
  
• Closed-toe shoes in case you decide to do jungle excursions. You may also enjoy a walk or run through the surrounding coffee fields.
  
• Light jacket / poncho in case of rain
• Personal Toiletries. Note: Soap, shampoo and conditioner are provided. Hair dryers are available.
• Insect repellant (Though the high elevation makes Pura Vida mosquito-free, you may encounter mosquitos on excursion.)
• Bathing suit / Sunscreen
• Hat
• Journal and pen
• Refillable water bottle (Pura Vida’s water is filtered with a 1-micron and UV filters.)
• Flashlight, headlamp or cell phone flashlight
• Note: electronic adapters are not needed
• Cash for tips in small bills (US$ are accepted almost everywhere, but it is unlikely that change can be made. ATMs are a taxi ride away.)

Emily Vendemmia

Emily is the Co-Founder of True Moon Yoga and is known for her strength, flexibility and raw teaching style. She found Yoga in 2005 and fell in love with the way that it calls practitioners to grow not only physically stronger but also mentally and emotionally.  She took her first training in 2007 and shortly afterwards opened her first yoga studio.  She opened several studios through the 2010s and continuously evolved her practice and teaching style.

Her life took a turn after a car accident that left her with broken vertebrae and a shattered hand. Two surgeries, multiple skin grafts and eight pieces of metal later she was recovering and determined to come out stronger than ever. As Emily recovered she incorporated resistance bands into her yoga practice which became the basis for her new direction in her practice and teaching.

A proud single momther of 2, Emily created True Moon Yoga to start fresh with a renewed focus on building a supportive community where her students and teachers can develop themselves physically and mentally. Calling on her years of research, practice and self-exploration Emily develops myriad yoga-centered classes that go beyond traditional poses to incorporate weights, bands and cardio in ever changing routines that prevent all students from plateauing. Emily and True Moon also offer unique teacher training courses in multiple yoga styles as well as her proprietary classes.

Enchanting accommodations scattered across meticulously landscaped grounds, each designed to delight with views of lush gardens and majestic mountains.

A $595 deposit will secure your place on this retreat. The balance can be set up to run in easy auto-payments though March 2025.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Airfare to San Jose
• extras such as massages and special excursions (ex.canopy zipline)
• Travel Insurance
• Gratuities to Center staff

Refunds and Cancellations: Refund less deposit ($595) before March 1. 2025. No refunds after March 1, 2025. In case of personal emergency cancellation, you may transfer your reservation directly to a family member as long as you notify One Yoga Global 30+ days in advance.  Due to arrangements made with our vacation hosts, there can be no exceptions to this policy.

If you place a deposit, the balance due will be set to charge in equal installments starting the month after deposit through March 2025, unless other arrangements are made.

We HIGHLY recommend that you consider purchasing Travel Insurance. Travel insurance companies like AIG Travel guard and Trawick International offer policies that insure your investment in case you need to cancel (including “cancel for any reason” coverages), coverages for expenses incurred due to to weather & travel delays, personal property loss and emergency travel medical.  Please review policies carefully to choose the coverage you need.

We recommend that you consider purchasing trip insurance to protect your investment. AIG Travel Guard and Trawick International are two providers that we recommend. Please review policies carefully to ensure they provide the coverage you need.

We recommend that you consider purchasing trip insurance to protect your investment. Trawick International and Travel Guard are two providers that we recommend. Please review policies carefully to ensure they provide the coverage you need.