yoga retreat

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Our April 2024 Yoga Retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

on October 27, 2023

A quick note before you read: this retreat already happened, back in April 2024. We kept the post up because the week still looks a lot like this. Our next retreat is November 14 to 21, 2026 at Casas Kismet in Nosara, and there are a couple of spots open (you can book here). Dates are also set for April 10 to 17, 2027 and November 13 to 20, 2027. Booking for those isn’t open yet, so keep an eye on our retreats page or get on our email list to hear first.

From April 6 to 12, 2024, we spent a week at Casas Kismet Yoga Resort in Nosara, Costa Rica. Here’s what it looks like from the moment you land, because the week still runs the same way.

A Five Parks Yoga retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

Getting there

You fly into Liberia, Costa Rica, and the drive to Nosara takes you through the countryside of Guanacaste. Check-in at the resort is between 2 pm and 8 pm. That first evening there’s a welcome class, which is the easiest possible way to meet everyone.

The days

You’ll probably hear the howler monkeys before you hear an alarm. Each morning starts with a class that wakes you up, and each evening ends with one that helps you rest. Erin and our teachers lead both, all levels welcome, and every class ties into the theme of the retreat. Meditation and breathwork are woven in too. Our Morning Jungle Flow and Heart Opening Sunset class both come from our retreat series, if you want to see for yourself.

One fun extra: Matt films while we’re there, so you might end up in one of Erin’s YouTube classes. No need to be camera-shy, and no pressure if you’d rather stay out of the shot.

A Five Parks Yoga retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

The studio and the rooms

The yoga studio is open-air, with views over the ocean and the jungle. Rooms range from dorm-style suites up to private penthouses, so there’s something for most budgets.

The beach and the food

When class is done you can walk to the beach or hop on the complimentary shuttle. Meals are shared, made with local, organic ingredients, and they’re where a lot of the good conversations happen.

A slower pace

Casas Kismet sits in Guanacaste, in one of the world’s blue zones, the places known for people living long, healthy lives. You notice it. Things move slower there, and after a day or two, so do you. Give it a week of yoga and unhurried conversation, and people tend to go home with a little more room in their heads.

If you want an adventure

Free time is yours, and Nosara has plenty to do if you want it. These are all booked separately:

  • Surfing
  • Canopy zip line tours
  • Birding
  • Horseback riding
  • Kayaking

Practice with us from home

Until you can get there, the Mandala Flow class and the Balance and Flow in the Jungle class were both filmed live in Costa Rica. There’s also a whole collection of classes filmed in Costa Rica, and the Class Finder will help you find the right class for any day.

See our upcoming yoga retreats in Costa Rica here

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Matt SampsonOur April 2024 Yoga Retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

Our November 2023 Yoga Retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

on May 30, 2023

A quick note before you read: this retreat already happened, back in November 2023. We kept the post up because the week still looks a lot like this. Our next retreat is November 14 to 21, 2026 at Casas Kismet in Nosara, and there are a couple of spots open (you can book here). Dates are also set for April 10 to 17, 2027 and November 13 to 20, 2027. Booking for those isn’t open yet, so keep an eye on our retreats page or get on our email list to hear first.

From November 4 to 10, 2023, we spent a week at Casas Kismet Yoga Resort in Nosara, Costa Rica with a group of people who mostly arrived as strangers. Here’s how that week was put together, which is still how we put every retreat together.

A Five Parks Yoga retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

Two classes a day

Erin taught twice a day, and every class was all levels and built around the retreat’s theme. Mornings were about waking the body up. Evenings were about slowing it back down. For a feel of the mornings, try the Expansive Flow class, which was filmed outdoors in Costa Rica. For the evenings, the Medium Flow Deep Stretch class is close in spirit.

Meditation and breathwork

Guided meditation and breathwork sessions were part of the week too. They’re a nice counterweight to the physical practice, and for a lot of people they turn out to be the part they take home.

A Five Parks Yoga retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

A journal

Everyone got a journal. There’s no assignment. Some guests fill it every day and some use it once, on the plane home. Both are exactly right.

The meals

Three healthy meals a day were included, made with local, organic ingredients. There were vegan options alongside chicken and fish.

Free time

There was plenty of it. You could take a dip in the pool or hike the property. Or just lie in a hammock. For anyone who wanted more, these were available as extras:

  • Zip-lining
  • Monkey tours
  • Surf lessons

Casas Kismet

Casas Kismet is a boutique retreat center and vacation rental property in Guanacaste, built with sustainability in mind and a lot of care in the details. Guanacaste sits in one of the world’s blue zones, the places known for people living long, healthy lives. You can feel the slower pace the minute you arrive.

Price and what wasn’t included

For that November, early bird pricing started at $1,599. Current pricing lives on our retreats page. These weren’t part of the package:

  • Airfare and travel insurance
  • The airport shuttle (we can help you arrange it)
  • Laundry, which was available for a small fee
  • Specialty drinks and spa services
  • Extra excursions

The resort had free Wi-Fi, and a professional photographer was there to capture the week.

Bring a piece of it home

If you can’t make a retreat, we filmed plenty of classes in Costa Rica. Our Morning Yoga classes are a good place to start the day, and our Evening and Bedtime classes are a good place to end it. And if a week of practice makes you want to go further, take a look at our yoga teacher training in Costa Rica.

Learn more and check availability at: https://fiveparksyoga.com/yoga-retreats/

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Matt SampsonOur November 2023 Yoga Retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

Our April 2023 Yoga Retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

on January 10, 2023

A quick note before you read: this retreat already happened, back in late April 2023. We kept the post up because the week still looks a lot like this. Our next retreat is November 14 to 21, 2026 at Casas Kismet in Nosara, and there are a couple of spots open (you can book here). Dates are also set for April 10 to 17, 2027 and November 13 to 20, 2027. Booking for those isn’t open yet, so keep an eye on our retreats page or get on our email list to hear first.

In late April 2023 we took a group to Casas Kismet Yoga Resort in Nosara, Costa Rica for a week of yoga. This is what that week looked like. Honestly, it’s pretty close to what every one of our retreats looks like, which is sort of the point. We found something that works and we keep going back.

A Five Parks Yoga retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

The days

Every day started with a morning class to get you moving and ended with an evening class to help you settle. Erin taught both, and they were all levels. You don’t have to be able to do anything fancy, you just have to show up (and even that is optional, nobody takes attendance). If you’re curious what those classes feel like, the Morning Jungle Flow and the Heart Opening Sunset class both come from our retreat series.

Breathwork and a little quiet

Alongside the yoga there was guided meditation and breathwork. Everyone also got a personal journal. Some people write in it every day and some barely open it. Both are fine. It’s just there for whatever comes up during the week.

A Five Parks Yoga retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

The food

Three meals a day were included, made with local, organic ingredients by the kitchen at Casas Kismet. There were vegan options alongside chicken and fish, so everyone ate well without having to plan a thing.

Free time

The structured part of the day leaves plenty of room. A lot of people spend their afternoons in the pool or in a hammock. Others go off exploring. There’s no wrong answer.

Where we stayed

Casas Kismet is a boutique retreat center and vacation rental property in Nosara, and it’s run with real attention to sustainability and to the little details. Every retreat we’ve hosted since November 2017 has been there, which tells you how we feel about it.

What it cost and what wasn’t included

For that April week, early bird pricing started at $1,599. Pricing for upcoming retreats is on our retreats page. The package didn’t include these:

  • Airfare and travel insurance
  • The airport shuttle (we can help you arrange it)
  • Laundry, which was available for a small fee
  • Specialty drinks and spa services
  • Extra excursions

The resort had free Wi-Fi, and a professional photographer was there for the week, so you could actually be present and still go home with photos.

Practice with us until then

You don’t have to wait for a retreat. The Balance and Flow in the Jungle class is a long, flowing one filmed live in the jungle, and there’s a whole collection of classes filmed in Costa Rica. The Class Finder will help you find anything else. And if a week in Nosara leaves you wanting to go deeper, Erin also leads yoga teacher training in Costa Rica.

Everything about our upcoming retreats is here: https://fiveparksyoga.com/yoga-retreats/

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Matt SampsonOur April 2023 Yoga Retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica