It was only this past year that I discovered my love for yoga.
I’m not quite sure how I first embarked upon my new interest. More than likely it was the result of hearing everyone talking about yoga classes, posting selfies of their flawless arm stands on Facebook or something like that. I’m typically a pretty curious person, ready to try anything at least once, so looking back on it I think I decided to pursue a bit of yoga just to contribute to the conversation.
As it would turn out, I realized that I truly loved practicing yoga sometime while we were living in Taiwan. Had I learned Mandarin with a bit more dedication this might not have been a problem, but unfortunately my language skills were limited to ordering food and asking how much something cost—not exactly conducive to following directions in downward dog…
This meant that in the beginning of my yoga practice, it was just me, my computer, and the one tiny bit of floor space that existed in our apartment. I familiarized myself with a few websites streaming full yoga classes for free or at a low cost, and despite the limitations, found myself continuing to pursue yoga regularly on my own for over a year. Well, I suppose not completely on my own. Sometime in there Dan became interested in what I was doing, and after he discovered the benefits yoga had for runners and climbers, I soon had a yoga buddy sharing that restricted floor space with me.
Though my very personal practice was better than nothing, I was craving a bit more structure. I wanted a real-life teacher, someone who could notice my rookie mistakes and make the necessary adjustments required. I wanted to become part of a yoga community. Dan and I decided to make it a priority to seek out yoga classes and retreats while we travelled. Of course, there was no better place to start than in Costa Rica.
Surfing and yoga retreats have become quite the chic thing to do in Costa Rica. Honestly, it makes a lot of sense. The two exercises complement each other nicely, and many surfers find they improve with a regular yoga practice. Additionally, Costa Rica is a country without a military or standing army; it’s only natural that a practice rooted in spirituality and harmony would do well in such a peaceful place. But not all surf and yoga retreats are created equally, and we found it difficult to navigate the myriad of opportunities that exist in Costa Rica. Luckily we found Lucero Surf Retreats, who in turn introduced us to their yoga instructor, Francesca.
On the evening of our first yoga class, Francesca glided into Otro Lado with a natural finesse, delicately placing a red flower blossom into the Buddha statue’s lap. She introduced herself quietly, revealing an Italian accent and gentle, mesmerizing voice. We couldn’t have asked for a lovelier yoga instructor if we had created her ourselves.
The electricity in Santa Teresa had decided to cut off for a few hours (as it is known to do), so our first lesson was an impromptu candlelit class. As we moved with our breath, flowing through sun salutations and balancing poses, Dan and I experienced the exact calming energy we needed.
For the remainder of the week, we began our yoga classes at 7:30am, awakening softly to Francesca’s smooth and flowing voice. As the classes were solely for Dan and I, Francesca was able to cater exactly to our personal fitness levels and needs. As expected, our postures and poses improved greatly in just a few short days. Francesca’s graceful instruction even helped me to confidently relax into headstand—a pose I normally don’t attempt without anxiety and a squeal.
Our private lessons with Francesca only affirmed our newfound love for yoga. Just as others have difficulty balancing work, fun, and family, we ourselves have trouble finding the right balance between travel, work, and socializing. We’re still finding our groove, looking for a routine that works for us. And honestly, it’s the learning curve that can be the most exhausting of all. Everyday we are learning more about blogging, social media, managing finances, and building freelance portfolios to make our lifestyle sustainable. We love it, but sometimes it makes us feel as though one more YouTube tutorial might make our heads explode.
I’m constantly discovering that yoga is what grounds and calms me, while stimulating my creativity. The physical lessons learned through each pose correlate directly to our personal lives. Whether it’s going into headstand and learning how to see the world in a new perspective, or reaching to the sky and all the potential within us, yoga encourages us to take time to learn about ourselves, both physically, mentally and spiritually—while taking a break from all the information swarming around in our heads. Dan and I are still very much beginners on our yoga journey, but we look forward to seeing how we progress in the upcoming year. And we welcome the balance it adds to our lives.
We must say a huge thanks once again to Lucero Surf Retreats for hosting our week of adventure through surf and yoga. The experience certainly makes the list of top experiences we’ve had throughout our entire time in Costa Rica. Marieke, Francesca, Mark, Courtney, Nicco, and Baggi—thank you for such a beautiful learning experience!
If you’re interested in reading more from travel bloggers practicing yoga, don’t miss this recent article from eTramping, where Agness talks about discovering her passion for yoga!
Do you practice yoga? Have you ever thought about trying? How do you balance all of life’s demands that pull us in different places?
We were guests of Lucero – all thoughts and opinions remain our own.
Love this description of your yoga experiences!
Thank you!!
Awesome post ! great pictures too
I don’t practice Yoga but I know some people who do and also practice meditation have bought a few of my prints because of the light and tranquility. I do think it really is something worth doing though and even considered it myself, my step father who is currently battling cancer started listening to the music of Deva Premal after it was recommended by me but was recommended by one of my clients.
What he listens to is Gayatri Mantra and you know the very first night he listened in a quiet room just relaxing in almost a meditative state was the first night he slept all night in a awhile. I think Yoga can give us that same connection and balance !!
That place looks like an incredible place to relax !!
Safe Travels
Ed King recently posted…Artist Direct Online Art Sales – The future is here
That’s wonderful- and a good tip for Dan to know that some have bought photos to use with meditation. I’m sorry to hear bout your step father, but that’s great that he has found a way to relax and find balance through meditation. I think a lot of people are in to yoga right now as a way to tighten their bum or whatever else, but there are truly so many spiritual and mental benefits as well. Thanks for the comment!
Yoga is truly amazing. I find it so beneficial for my whole body and my brain. I’ve been more relaxed and calm since I’ve been practicing it. Your yoga place looks amazing, so peaceful and quiet. Your yoga poses are very advanced, well done! I wish I could handstand, but right now I’m doing some basic poses and I hope I’ll get there soon.
Agness recently posted…5 Things To Do For Free In Amsterdam
You can do it!! Thanks for the compliment, though I certainly don’t feel like my yoga poses are very advanced! That’s definitely one of the wonderful things about it though is that there are always ways to improve and grow in the journey! Keep practicing :) Maybe one day we’ll be able to together!
I’m impressed you managed to be motivated enough to keep at yoga for a year just learning via the internet in the home in Taiwan! I really like yoga too, but I almost never do any if I don’t attend a class or am roused into doing it with someone much more experienced. When I was living in Spain for three months last year, I went to classes two or three times a week and found it really helped improve my Spanish listening skills, and of course built up my vocab around body parts immensely!
Sam recently posted…Farewell to Manor Park Station
That’s awesome you were able to take some classes in Spain! I think Spanish classes I could do, and I’m sure you’re right about that being a great way to practice your language skills. I think the only way I was able to keep practicing was because of yogatoday.com I love it- it costs $9 a month now, but you get unlimited access to their free classes that are really great!
I have been practicing Yoga for almost a year now. Similar to how you’ve learned without non-instructors, and vaguely remembering my Yoga classes from school and college days. For me Yoga is not just part of exercise, it’s a lifestyle! I feel really good, with free mind and rejuvenated after a proper yoga session. And I am really keen in taking it to next level by having proper instructor. Your head stands seem so perfect :) I’ve never tried it so far!
You’re right- it is definitely a lifestyle! An instructor makes all the difference (especially if you get a good one!). I definitely couldn’t do a headstand before!
So you had an Italian teacher :) Recently I have been more interested in yoga, I’ve never done before but I’m willing to give it a try at some point. Your post definitely encourages me to do so, thanks!
Franca recently posted…How Munich Changed My Christmas Mood
Haha we did! Her voice was so lovely :) If you are thinking about getting started online, I recommend yogatoday.com It’s $9 a month, but you get unlimited access to their free classes which I find are really, really good. They also have a 9 class beginner series for people who have never done yoga before, and a 30 day free trial if you just want to try it!
I’m a massive yoga fan and I agree that it goes really well with sports like surfing and scuba diving too. I got into it when I was working on a scuba island in Australia but I started purely because it was too hot to do any sports other than swim. I became hooked straight away and now feel weird if I don’t practice at least once a week.
I think yoga and travel go together nicely too. I love trying new classes around the world and getting to practice in exotic places – beats my gym in London any day!
That’s awesome! And you are so right about it going well with travel. That’s actually one of my new goals, to really actively seek out yoga classes abroad. Now that you mention it, I can’t remember the last time I went to a gym! I’ve never though about it complimenting scuba diving, though that makes perfect sense!
It must be so nice to have private yoga sessions. It’s just so expensive here in Europe.
Freya Renders recently posted…Meeting Lesimbi, a young Maasai from Tanzania
I was actually shocked to look at the rates that some private teaches are charging. If you can find an affordable one though, it does make a huge difference, especially for someone like me accustomed to having no teacher :)
I absolutely love this! Thanks for sharing your thoughts around yoga. I am a dedicated practitioner myself, and find that my love for yoga is ever growing. I am not only noticing the physical benefits of the practice, but the mental as well. It has broken down barriers to realizing my true potential, and helping me to shine my true light. Every day brings some sort of new awareness around my body or mind and I can’t get enough!
Please keep us posted on the other cool places you’ve practiced around the world!
Love and light ~
anne recently posted…A new game for yoga blogs: Yoga Photo Roulette!
Thanks Anne! I’m so glad to have recently discovered your blog, and I know it will prove a huge inspiration to me on our travels! I think that’s one reason why I am so in love with yoga at the moment- discovering the mental and spiritual benefits as well. I felt similarly when we trained for our first marathon, but after I sort of felt a void that wasn’t filled by just an hour of cardio. I love how yoga is a lifestyle. I’m still learning a lot of the basics, but I look forward to the journey :)
Love hearing about this! In Bali, surf and yoga also make a perfect fit. It has really been the past year, though, that I realized my love for yoga and even became a yoga teacher. I also struggle, though, with balancing my attempt to start a yoga career with blogging, traveling, etc. If you find the secret, let me know.
Amber recently posted…My 200th Blog Post & Our 2014 Outlook
Bali is where we first realized the similarities between surfing and yoga. That’s super exciting you went for being a yoga teacher! It is a lot to handle but luckily it seems that blogging, traveling and yoga are pretty universal these days. :-)