18 Day 200-Hour Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training in Playa Costa de Oro, Guanacaste

Facilities

Certification

Students who complete the training are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT®).

Curriculum highlights

• A solid foundation in classical Hatha yoga including alignment-based Vinyasa Flow and Restorative yoga within a therapeutic framework.
• An anatomy and biomechanically informed alignment system that helps to address common misalignments and keeps your students safe.
• Modifications and adaptations for all bodies, including special populations such as seniors, pregnancy, and those with injuries.
• Gain insights into your (true) nature through the wisdom of yoga and its philosophy.
• Explore breath work, mantra, and meditation as tools to create vibrant health and wellbeing in your life.
• Learn the art of sequencing yoga classes that honors your authentic voice and meets the needs of your student population.
• Business of yoga and how to build your yoga community.
• Build self-confidence and tap into your amazing potential in a supportive, nurturing environment.
• Train with highly experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate yoga teachers and yoga therapists.

Please note: This teacher training program is approved with Yoga Alliance (Y.A.) and graduates are eligible to register with Y.A. as a Registered Yoga Teacher at the 200-hour level (RYT-200). The therapeutic perspective and curricular components of this program are based on the instructors' registration as a "Certified Yoga Therapist" with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT) and not derived from their status as an E-RYT 500 with the Y.A. Registry as the Y.A. Registry does not certify therapists, solely yoga teachers.

Sample daily schedule

• 06:00 Meditation by the ocean, pranayama, and gentle movement
• 07:30 Breakfast
• 08:30 Yoga asana practice plus techniques or teaching methodology
• 12:00 Lunch
• 13:00 Restorative, gentle, therapeutic practice, or Yoga Nidra. Yoga philosophy, lifestyle, and ethics, anatomy, and physiology, practice teaching.
• 16:00 Afternoon break to rest, swim, or take in the amazing sunsets of Costa Rica
• 18:00 Dinner
• 19:00 Evening session

There will be one full day off mid-way through the program to explore the local area.

Zen Spirit is located about 14 kilometers south of Punta Islita airport in the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica. It has been identified as one of the five blue zones on the planet. They are near Cabo Blanco National Park, Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve, Caletas Ario wildlife refuge.

Therefore, while visiting the tropical eco-resort, you are likely to spot some of Costa Rica’s shyest and most endangered tropical dry forest inhabitants, for example, the black howler monkey, the white-headed capuchin, tropical deer, macaws, eagles, as well as sea turtles. Located at the margin of the more popular hustle and bustle tourist beaches, Zen Spirit guarantees their guests a true retreat experience and the possibility to reconnect with their inner selves.

For instance, there are no hotels or facilities other than private residences on Costa de Oro beach. Because the premise is set on a wonderful long flat gold sandy beach interrupted by river estuaries. You can enjoy world-class surfing as well as kayaking and bird watching in the mangrove, horseback riding, and hiking to waterfalls, star gazing into the dark sky, and much more. In short, it is a nature lovers paradise.

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At Zen Spirit - Costa Rica the cuisine is delicious, healthy, locally sourced, and organic when possible. Most of the fruits and vegetables are organically produced on the Zen Spirit’s farm. When purchasing outside of the estate, the chefs always privilege local organic products. Therefore, by buying locally Zen Spirit is helping the local Costa Rica community.

In brief, it is a truly farm-to-table experience. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free alternatives are provided to all students and included in the price of tuition. For those who prefer to add additional protein sources, there is the opportunity to purchase fish three times a week for a small fee (market prices apply please inquire).

Students who have special dietary requirements are encouraged to let them know in advance as they will do their best to accommodate them. The water at Zen Spirit is fresh and healthy filtered spring water, very refreshing. Fresh juice is served at lunch and dinner.

The beach at Playa Coyote offers swimming, surfing, and other water sport activities. Alternatively, there are horseback rides on the beach, mountain bike rentals, forest hikes, and wildlife watching. Walking along the beach or in the forest, you are likely to see howler and white-faced monkeys, iguanas, snakes, vultures, pelicans, and maybe even anteaters or a wild boar. Flamingos and frigates are often seen around the estuary, and at the rocky Punta Coyote, there are several bat colony caves to explore.

On the southern side of Punta Coyote lies Playa Caletas, where you can see as many as 50 species of bird in a single day. Playa Caletas is also home to an important marine turtle rehabilitation area. Since 2002, the Costa Rican conservation organization, PRETOMA, has monitored and protected the Olive Ridley, Leatherback, and Pacific Green turtles.

Its project is run in collaboration with the local community and international volunteers, who monitor nesting activities, operate "hatcheries" to safeguard the eggs, and help ensure the turtle babies make it safely to sea.

Relatively close by, just beyond the pretty beach resorts of Santa Teresa and Malpais, there are other important conservation projects. The Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve was Costa Rica's first National Park and the reserve that encompasses 1,272 hectares of primary and secondary moist tropical forest and 1700 hectares of the surrounding ocean. It is home to hundreds of plant, animal, and bird species.

Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary and Refuge is a new reserve, created around the limits of Cabo Blanco Park. It stretches to the southeast, towards the town of Paquera. On-going projects at the refuge include the creation of a community Wildlife Refuge, extensive reforestation projects, a wildlife hospital, and an endangered species re-introduction program, for species such as the Scarlet Macaw, Great Green Macaw, Three-Toed Sloth, Spider Monkey, and Baird's Tapir. It is possible to visit the project from the small town of Cabuya, a gateway to both reserves.

Possibilities for your day off include a range of hands-on eco-adventures including zip-lining adventures, one-to-one surf lessons, kayak adventures in the mangrove, turtle nesting tours, a hike to the waterfalls, butterfly farm tour, visit the tourist towns of Santa Teresa, and Malpais, visit the nature reserves, and many other wonderful opportunities.

Spa services are available on-site for an additional fee. Wonderful healing massages are available at an additional cost.

• Full yoga teacher training tuition
• Daily meditation by the ocean, pranayama, and gentle movement
• Eligibility to register with Yoga Alliance upon completion of the course
• A comprehensive 200-page YTT manual
• 6-month access to the 200-hour online YTT content (An essential resource to support you as you move out into the world teaching yoga)
• As-needed mentoring after the program ends
• 17 nights accommodation
• Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner with drinks
• Use of the hotel facilities
• Day off to explore the surrounding area

• Additional activities
• Airfare
• Spa treatments
• Excursions
• Discounted shuttle service for 65 USD (one way) from the airport
• Personal expenses

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.