Day 1  We will arrive in San Jose where we are met by our Costa Rican guide, Roger Madrigal (Madri) and we’ll board our bus for the beautiful drive to the Monte Verde cloud forest. We will be able to see hundreds of acres of virgin forest that are rich with wild and plant life. This area is estimated to contain over 2,500 plant species (among them 420 different kinds of orchids), 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, and 120 reptilian and amphibian species. We will get to know each other over our first Costa Rican dinner. A short ceremony and meditation after dinner will help unite our group and our journey together.

Day 2   First chakra and the Earth element
We will begin our first yoga class on the grounds of our hotel. Our class will focus on building our asanas from the ground up. To further our studies of our earth element we will go on a nature hike led by a naturalist and visit the beautiful hummingbird gardens. There is truly much of the earth element to experience at Monte Verde.

Day 3    Second Chakra and the Water Element
Again yoga class will begin in the morning on a beautiful patio area overlooking the pond - this will create images of flowing water to help us in our flow class. We will add a little bit of partner yoga into this class to explore the flow of energy between people. We will explore more of the water element within us as we ride a jeep over the Continental Divide to Lake Arenal where we board a boat for crossing. After settling into our new hotel at the Arenal Volcano area, we will have time for an afternoon hike to a beautiful waterfall with a crystal clear pool for swimming.

Day 4    Third Chakra and the Fire Element
This morning’s class will be heat producing. With the active Volcano Arenal in sight, we’ll be finding the fire within by practicing poses which produce heat and therefore cleanse our body. After our invigorating class we will experience more fire element as we travel up to the volcano observatory and walk in the path of old lava flow.

Day 5    Fourth Chakra and the Air and Space Element
An outdoor yoga class with an emphasis on pranayama and the science of breath will start this day. We will really feel the air after we horseback ride up to the top of a small mountain and observe the wildlife as we travel by zip line through the forest. In the afternoon we can explore and experience the rainforest  From high in the air with a specialist on the hanging bridges tour.

Day 6    Fifth Chakra and the Sound Element
We will enjoy our last morning at our Arenal hotel by listening to the nature sounds of the forest. We will have a fun and playful class this morning making some sounds and chants of our own to explore our own sound element. On the drive to our next location we will stop at the LaPaz waterfall. With water dropping over forty feet, this natural landscape has a lot of sounds to experience. While listening to native Costa Rican music on the journey, we will also stop by a museum to learn about the natural and cultural history of the area.

Day 7   Sixth Chakra and the Light Element
We gain most of the information about our surroundings from our eyes. In yoga class today we will practice seeing things from a different angle. A few inversions and some eye exercises will help us this morning. To view nature from a different perspective we will be traveling by raft down the Sarapaqui River. Along this Class III river we will be to experience tropical places that are not easily accessible by foot.

Day 8     Seventh Chakra and the Thought Element
As we prepare for our journey back home, it seems appropriate that we focus our thoughts on our journey together. Our class this morning will be a little slower, but perhaps more thoughtful than any other. We will focus on meditation and relaxation before our trip back to San Jose and home.