30-Day Yoga Teacher Training & Wellness Immersion in Costa Rica's Rainforest

The 200-hour curriculum at Abhyasa is rooted in three yoga styles: Hatha (alignment, energetics, sequencing), Restorative (meditation, surrender, relaxation), and Ashtanga Vinyasa (discipline, flow, tapas). On top of the physical practice, you'll study philosophy and history, subtle bodies, pranayama, kriyas, mantra and chanting, mudra, meditation, the art of adjustment, anatomy, and intelligent sequencing. There's also a strong component on trauma-informed and nervous-system-aware teaching, which is a modern addition to a fairly traditional program.

The school is built on the framework of the four elements — earth, water, fire, and air — with spirit as the thread that carries them. Each element is meant to teach you something about how to approach your practice and your life: earth to meet the body where it is, water for emotional fluidity, fire for discipline and courage, air for openness and connection. It sounds abstract on paper, but in practice it gives the month a coherent through-line that the teachers return to in their classes.

The lead teacher is Shaka Xolani, who founded the school. She started with Hatha and Iyengar in 2002, found Ashtanga in 2008, and has a master's degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from SOAS University in London. Training alongside her are several other instructors with different backgrounds — Carly Brown for trauma-informed yoga and sequencing, Mariela Viquez, a local Iyengar teacher and Reiki master from Puerto Viejo, Adri Kamala for alignment and Ayurveda, and Amani Gaillard for meditation and Reiki. So you get a range of teaching styles over the month, not just one voice.

The location is the untamed Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, a quieter and more biodiverse corner of the country than the Pacific tourist trail. Puerto Viejo has a strong Afro-Caribbean culture, and the reserve around Samasati has been protected since 1996. You're not studying in a sterile studio — you're in a rainforest with monkeys in the trees and the ocean below.

What's included

- Airport pickup & drop-off - 29 nights accommodation (per the option selected) - 3 daily vegan meals - Fruit and snacks available all day - Full 200-hour teacher training curriculum and certification - Certificate upon successful completion - Course manual - Two excursions to experience the local community - Use of Samasati's grounds and facilities: pool, jacuzzi, jungle trails, waterfall - Shuttle transport from San José to the venue at start, and back at end - Pre and post retreat support from the team - WiFi connection

What's not included

- Flights costs - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Yoga Alliance registration fee (paid separately by student) - Additional treatments (massage, energy work, psychic readings, Ayurvedic consultation) - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Optional vegetarian, fish, and meat meal options