UPDATE- WE ARE SOLD OUT!!!
We are thrilled to be stepping back into offering our annual Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica! This will be our 10th time offering this wonderful retreat, so it is special on multiple levels. Come join us!
Chandra Cantor and Robin Shaw will be your guides and teachers for the week, teaching twice daily practices that will inspire self-growth and bring you a sense of relaxation, replenishment and joy. The magical rainforest, gorgeous Caribbean sea and daily yoga practices invite rejuvenation and amazement for mind, body and spirit.
Cost includes:
7 nights accommodation
2 yoga classes daily
3 healthy and nutritious meals per day
Excursion to the Cahuita National Park
Transportation to and from San Jose to the retreat center
Pricing tiers
6 Person Dorm Room: $1350
Triple: $1450
Double: $1550
Private Room: $1950
Details & Frequently Asked Questions:
Hello! We are so happy that you are interested in joining our Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica! Please read over these Details and Frequently Asked Questions. We hope that your advance questions get addressed, and you can have an easy time planning your trip. Let Chandra or Robin know if we can answer any other questions that you don’t see listed below. We hope you decide to register for this most relaxing adventure!
How do I register?
WE ARE SOLD OUT!! (Do not) Proceed to Chandra Cantor’s website, www.steppingintobalance.com
Click on the flyer for the retreat, which will show you details about the trip. At the bottom of the page, you can click on the PayPal button, and submit your deposit of $300. You could choose to pay for the entire retreat, or just pay the deposit. You can also give Chandra or Robin a check for the deposit, or more. Make your check out to Chandra Cantor.
Covid Considerations
As we all know, the future path of Covid-19 continues to be unknown. At this moment, it looks very hopeful and positive, both in the United States, as well as in Costa Rica. However, policies continue to change rapidly both in the US and in Costa Rica; we all need to make plans with the utmost care, flexibility, and attention to local regulations and guidelines. Our highest priority is the collective health not only of our participants, but also the local Costa Rican community that hosts us during our retreat. We thank you for reading this closely, and encourage you to be in touch with questions.
Vaccine & Testing Requirements to Attend the Retreat
All participants must be fully vaccinated (proof of vaccination required). Currently, in the United States, that means 2 doses of Moderna or Pfizer, or a single dose of J&J combined with an additional dose of either Moderna or Pfizer. Proof of vaccination is required for the retreat, no exceptions. Additionally, we strongly recommend anyone eligible for a booster to do so prior to the retreat. Here’s a great chart to help you figure out whether you’re eligible for a booster.
All participants must demonstrate proof of a negative PCR test for Covid within 72 hours of the general participant arrival day of Feb 12. (that means the best day to test would be on February 9th)
For everyone’s peace of mind, we will all do a rapid test just before we hop on the bus to head to the Goddess Garden on the morning of February 13. These tests may be at your expense (approximately $15 per test). We may be able to supply tests at a low cost or even free. Stay tuned for that information.
Testing Requirement to Re-Enter the United States
Currently, proof of a negative Covid test (either PCR or rapid antigen) is required to reenter the United States (and possibly other countries). What we currently know is that there are rapid tests available 24 hours a day, with an appointment, at the San Jose airport for $65. There are also PCR and rapid antigen tests in Puerto Viejo for $65 - 130. We will do our best to support this process to create ease and a streamline. More information may come to us as time goes on, as might a change of policy regarding reentering the US, so stay tuned! This test will be your financial responsibility. Keep in mind when booking your return flight, that if you decide to test at the airport this will add time and logistics.
We will be monitoring local testing options -- most of our information comes from this website, which is an excellent resource & is frequently updated.
Contingency Planning & Refund Policy
In the very unlikely event that you test positive for Covid-19 while in Costa Rica (or contract any other illness/injury), please consider what your isolation plan would be. We will do our best to support you in this plan, but any extended stays outside of our retreat are your financial responsibility.
If you contract Covid-19 at the time of the retreat, or before your flight to Costa Rica, we are willing to offer a full refund.
We are excited to have this opportunity to gather together in Costa Rica! We will continue to monitor travel requirements and covid-related health guidelines, and will keep you all updated if changes to these plans are needed. Thank you for your attention to these policies; we appreciate your help in ensuring an easeful and safe gathering for everyone!
Help defray costs for BIPOC, LGBTQ or other underrepresented participants who need financial assistance in order to attend!
We are so excited to be offering an Inclusivity Scholarship (or scholarships!) this year. We envision a world in which everyone is supported and no one is left out. We offer these scholarships based on financial standing, and level of access to wealth, as well as to support individuals who self-identify as belonging to an underrepresented and/or marginalized group, including but not limited to race/ethnicity, sexual identity, gender identity, and/or other unique identities we do not know to name. We invite these individuals to apply HERE.
We will award scholarships as funds allow. The number of scholarships we are able to award is directly related to the amount of donations we receive. Please consider contributing generously!
Thank you for your donation, no matter how small or large.
Booking your flights
You’re registered for the Retreat- hooray and congratulations! Now to book your travel. Travel is your financial responsibility. We will all meet in San Jose for the first evening 2/12/22 (see below), and travel together by way of a private shuttle to The Goddess Garden the next morning 2/13/22.
An important detail: For your flight home, it is best to book a flight sometime after 1:00PM on February 19, 2022, as we will be traveling together by way of a private shuttle from The Goddess Garden to the airport. If you choose to stay on in Costa Rica, or travel on a different day, go for it, however, your shuttle to the airport is your responsibility at that point. Many people choose to spend at least one additional night in San Jose to make travel home easier. If you choose this, room and board will be your financial responsibility, but we can easily help you book a night at the Adventure Inn.
Arrival in Costa Rica
Imagine yourself arriving in a new country, just getting through immigration, and bursting out of the airport into the tropical warmth and sunshine. Taxis and people everywhere, folks beginning their adventures! Welcome to Costa Rica! To get us all landed and arrived, we will all meet up at a hotel close to the airport, The Adventure Inn. This stay at the hotel is included in our Retreat’s cost. We’ll all meet up here, and the next morning, travel together to The Goddess Garden, refreshed and ready to sink in!
The shuttle from the hotel to the The Goddess Garden is about 4 hours. It’s a beautiful, scenic drive, and we’ll stop for bathroom breaks and snacks along the way.
Room and roommate choices
When you register, let us know your room preference: dorm, triple, double or single, and if you have a person or people with whom you’d like to lodge. If you don’t have a roommate preference, we will help match you with a great roommate(s)!
The Retreat
Robin and Chandra are so excited to be your yoga teachers, hosts and facilitators throughout your experience. We will offer two classes almost every day of the retreat, a more vigorous class in the morning, and a more restorative class in the late afternoon; all will be open levels classes (see below). All classes are optional, as you are welcome to nurture your own rhythm of movement any way that feels right for you. We invite you enjoy the retreat for your own needs and desires. Please let us know in advance if you have any requests, yoga- wise, or otherwise. We’ll do our best to address your needs, interests and curiosities.
Level of Yoga
We welcome all levels of yoga, although it’s a great idea that you become at least acquainted with the basics of practice of yoga asana before arriving on this retreat. We will tailor the classes to the group as a whole, offering options for different abilities, listening to people’s requests and interests. If there’s a desire for it, we will offer a more energetic or challenging practice for those who are seeking out a more high level yoga experience. Some of our yoga offerings are not physical in nature at all, and gift you with the opportunity for self growth, as we use discussion, games, partner work and meditation techniques as a vehicle for deeper personal work.
In general, everyone has had an amazing yogic experience on the retreat, and comes home with beautiful, strong practices and a fuller sense of self!
Excursions
As the time comes closer, we will send you a list of excursions to look over, and you can decide what you might want to do once you arrive at the Goddess Garden. There is no need to plan ahead. You can decide if and what you want to do once you are immersed in the setting of the retreat. We give you this list to get you excited about the possibilities, if you choose that route!
There are many excursions available to you during your stay in Costa Rica. You may choose to experience a lot outside of the Goddess Garden’s retreat setting, or you may want to stay close to home. At some point during the retreat, we will all travel together for a day at the Cahuita National Park, a wonderful exploration of the jungle, its flora and fauna, with the wondrously beautiful Caribbean Sea at the jungle’s edge.
Will there other people besides our group at the retreat center with us?
Yes! For the past several years we have coordinated with our dear friend Moti to run our retreats at the same place, at the same time. The Goddess Garden is large enough there there has always been another group there, so we have enjoyed sharing the space with someone we know and like. Moti leads a Contact Improvisation Dance Retreat. We each have our own programing during the days, but use the same facilities for meals and in between time. We have often created opportunities for the groups to experience some overlapping if they choose to and often find friendships forming not only within our group, but with the dancers as well.
How much money do I need to bring?
For the most part, once we arrive at the Goddess Garden, all of our needs are taken care of and no money is “needed” There are some things you may choose to add on such as massages, excursions, wine with your meals…
Other than that, on the day you arrive at the Adventure Inn, you may want to get a meal at the restaurant there. Breakfast is included in your stay, and then we do stop along the road on the way to the Goddess Garden where you may want to buy lunch or a snack.
Remember that the expense for the Covid-19 test to re-enter the US (or other countries) is $65-$130 at your expense.
Everywhere we have been in Costa Rica takes American Dollars, though they will mostly give change in Colones.
You can get by with very little spending money, but most people bring about two hundred dollars. You may also want to bring some small bills for the occasional tip.
There are safes in both the Adventure Inn and The Goddess Garden.