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Holistic tourism has grown considerably in Costa Rica during the 21st century, and yoga is at the center of this trend. Holistic travelers seek places where they can relax, detoxify and get away from the stressors of modern life. Yoga retreats in Costa Rica are often sought for this purpose, and not just by foreign visitors: Many residents of San Jose are known to travel to Guanacaste in search of yoga.
In recent years, the Gold Coast beaches of Guanacaste have experienced substantial growth in terms of yoga retreats. Costa Spirit, an online directory of holistic retreats and activities in Costa Rica, lists at least six retreats in Guanacaste and six yoga centers near Playa Nosara. Although Costa Rica offers many locations ideal for yoga retreats and centers, Guanacaste is the province with the most per capita yoga in Costa Rica.
At the recent Guanacaste Expo by the University of Costa Rica, yoga exhibitions and workshops attracted a lot of attention, and the ReFLEXion Yoga Camp for Families in Tamarindo Beach in 2012 was a success.
Also in that year, the Costa Rica Star reported on the media focus given to the solar-powered Sanctuary at Two Rivers yoga retreat, which is partly owned by Perrey Reeves, an actress known for playing the part of the long-suffering spouse of Hollywood agent Ari Gold on HBO’s acclaimed series Entourage. This yoga retreat has been featured in the New York Times as being one of the most luxurious in Costa Rica.
The Costa Rican Association of Yoga Instructors (Spanish acronym: ASOYOGA) is the most respected national entity in terms of yoga. ASOYOGA lists two members in Guanacaste: Santa Teresa Yoga and Om Ganesha Shala in Playa Langosta. The latter center is run by Gitanjali, a pleasant woman who has an impressive yoga curriculum: She is certified as a Hatha Yoga instructor by the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center and recognized by the Yoga Alliance. She traveled through India between 2000-2006 and in 2009 for the purpose of enlightenment and learning about her chosen discipline.
With even more yoga retreats and centers expected to open around the Gold Coast in 2014, there is no question that the province of Guanacaste will retain its title as the yoga capital of Costa Rica.
