Yoga Retreat Costa Rica- Ashtanga Yoga Mama

Irena is such a beautiful person inside and out. It’s hard to put into words how incredible this retreat has been. The views, the beach, the activities, the yoga. Everything was perfect and 5 nights flew by too quick. I came from NYC stressed and anxious and left it feeling like myself again. Irena is so helpful with your yoga practice no matter what stage you are in, and tailors the practice to you. If you are looking to enhance your yoga practice and make a lifelong friend, then book with Irena!!! the best yoga instructor I’ve ever had!!!

If you’re looking for rest, relaxation, yoga and to get away from it all in a remote location then this is the retreat for you. I was a solo traveler looking and wanted to be in a smaller group and it was perfect for my needs. Irena provided such a wonderful experience at her yoga retreat and was the perfect host. Her yoga was catered to our needs and she provided much needed corrections, all with the sound of the waves crashing in the background.

I stayed at Casa Blanca, next door to the main house and it was absolutely perfect with a gorgeous infinity saltwater pool and stunning view for watching the sunsets. The food was fresh, delicious and catered for my gluten and dairy sensitivities.

This retreat had everything I needed and surpassed my expectations. I am so grateful to Irena for providing an experience that was so wonderful I will cherish it for years to come.

Such a beautiful, wholesome experience. Irena is a lovely Yoga teacher and host. The place is gorgeous with lovely views, trees etc!
The food was delicious, so fresh every morning and evening. We ate a variety of everything. Thank you ever so much, I hope to come back soon!

This is a peaceful, quiet yoga retreat that is highly customized for your needs. The pace of the retreat was perfect for me- yoga twice daily with time for relaxation or other activities in between. Irena is a lovely, kind instructor who is very knowledgeable about yoga and helps you work your way into poses. I have multiple food allergies and they were all respected- the food was amazing. I’ll definitely go again and highly recommend.

Incredible experience. Everything about this Yoga retreat was perfect. Amazing host, yoga was individualized for my level and knowledge. Food was fantastic and our host Irena helped us organize unique and memorable excursions. Location is beautiful very private and steps to a beautiful quiet beach. Looking forward to going back! Highly recommend!

It’s hard to know what to add to so many glowing reviews. They are certainly all true.

My wife and I got the idea to do a yoga retreat just as something fun to do together. After a little bit of looking online we found Irena. We didn’t really know what to expect – I haven’t done a lot of yoga and my wife has done more, but had certainly never been on a yoga retreat. We’d also never been to Costa Rica before nor too many places that felt quite as remote. The retreat was as wonderful as anything we would’ve imagined.

As everyone says, Irena is a great instructor, in part because of her own evident love of yoga and decades-long dedication to the practice. On top of that though, she’s just a really accommodating and thoughtful person, which makes her a great instructor AND a great host.

You could tell she had genuine interest in what would make the trip nice for us… like what meals were prepared or what was stocked in the kitchen for us, or how much (and what difficulty level) yoga to do each day, or what local activities she could arrange, or probably even how much of her company we might want outside of yoga sessions (we really enjoyed her company btw…!).

The location is probably everything you imagine it would be from the pictures. Many of the photos look like they were professionally staged, but the place really does look like this. The house, an inviting lap pool, a bamboo-adorned wooden deck, and a rustic outdoor yoga pavilion beside an open lawn, are all set close together high up on top of a tall bluff with one-of-kind views of the ocean and sunsets.

The food was excellent. Chefs came in to cook super fresh, delicious, healthy meals – an after-yoga brunch and an early evening dinner. Irena had fresh local fruit and healthy snacks sitting out in the kitchen for us.

By the way, not only the chefs, but the housekeeper, the drivers, the masseuse, and everyone in Irena’s extended “team” were all friendly, sincere people. Everything about the experience just felt good. Combine this all with yoga and meditation a couple times a day and it was a really really special time.

Some additional notes that might be helpful:

- The beach is stunningly beautiful. At the same time, expect a more austere, rocky, gravelly beauty with sometimes unforgiving waves and currents, rather than soft, beach-towel sand or friendly surf to play in. The beach allows for unforgettable walks, but make sure to bring appropriate footwear for sharp rocks and occasional rivers that must be waded through.

- The area is remote. Whatever clothes you travel in will definitely be the fanciest thing you need to bring. There’re no formal attractions, shops or restaurants anywhere nearby. (ATM’s neither… bring plenty of cash)

- My wife said to mention that the massage she got was her best one ever.

Thank you so much to Irena for making such a warm and wonderful experience for us. We hope we will come back soon!

The retreat location was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. My room was spacious, yet cozy and the pool and yoga area overlooked the ocean. The best part was Irena though. She made me feel welcomed right away and was accommodating with dietary restrictions and with adding activities, such as surfing and a massage, to the yoga schedule.

Now, let’s talk about yoga. I’ve been practicing for about eight years and since the yoga sessions were all 1:1, Irena was able to help me with micro-adjustments that made a huge difference. She’s very observant, and adapted the yoga sessions to what my body needed i.e. restorative after surfing or working around my shoulder injury.

Besides that, the food was delicious and plentiful, and the common areas invited relaxation. Thanks Irena for a wonderful stay! It was a pleasure being at your place.

Wow, Irena’s yoga retreat was incredible! It was the most relaxing way to rest and recharge while taking in breathtaking oceanfront views. Irena is super kind and supportive, and will meet you where you’re at in terms of skill level— I felt challenged but supported as a beginner. The homemade meals were delicious and healthy (and some of my favorites in Costa Rica!) The retreat was everything I could have hoped for and more! I hope to be back again at some point :)

Irena's retreat was truly life changing. After going through a lot of grief and trauma over the past few years, I wanted to gift myself a solo journey. It was even more magical that I ever imagined. She helped me learn a lot more about yoga and meditation, leaving me feeling so much stronger in my practice. I highly recommend doing the horseback riding as well, the Paso Fino's are such wonderful horses. My guide's horse actually danced on our sunset ride! The food is truly amazing as well, the chefs both in the morning and at night are so talented, it's like eating at a gourmet restaurant for all your meals, but in the privacy of a beautiful oasis. The sunset was early, too and then you can sit and float and star gaze at the beautiful sky before falling asleep to the sounds of the ocean waves. I cannot wait to come back here. The community of awesome people Irena has built this with are so lovely. It truly is a spiritual and soul cleansing experience.

I just stayed 5 nights at Irena’s retreat . I was looking at a yoga retreats in Costa Rica and I’m so happy I picked this one ! It’s very private , there are very limited amount of guests that can stay there. I had an amazing experience. Irena was an excellent host not to mention the best yoga instructor. The food was outstanding and super healthy! The weather and the beach was perfect. I’m so grateful for my experience 🙏

This yoga retreat was a deeply therapeutic experience. Irena is a wonderful yoga teacher. This was my first ever yoga retreat, and I was worried that I was signing up for too much by choosing Ashtanga. Though I've done yoga for years, recently it's been off and on and I was soo out of shape. Irena is a beautiful soul. She has a deep perceptive read on her students. She started off slow and then built the intensity to be challenging but not something out of reach. She is just absolutely wonderful. The whole experience was beautiful. The care she took with my food and wellness made me feel that she cares deeply about the wellbeing of her students. The location is amazing - remote, gorgeous and completely natural. Waking up to the sound of ocean waves, doing yoga surrounded by nature - it all was deeply calming and healing. Can't wait to be back.

I loved my experience with Irena in Costa Rica.
I was stepping out of my comfort zone to participate in a yoga retreat when I don't have anything close to a yoga body. After a divorce and Covid quarantine I had put on a significant amount of weight and I needed a restart.
Irena was wonderful working with my body. I had been losing mobility in my right shoulder but it was such a slow progression that I had gotten used to it. Irena worked with my shoulder on the first day and continued to make my shoulders a focus during the week. Amazing.
Because my body wasn't used to daily yoga we used our afternoon sessions to take beach walks instead of a second practice.
Much gratitude.
I loved my time with Irena, I loved the location, and the food was amazing. I highly recommend it.

This retreat was magical… the location is very peaceful and remote, perfect to recharge and unwind. Irena is a beautiful
Human being with vast amounts of yoga experience. She has such a beautiful teaching style and saw potential in me that I didn’t even know was there. She helped me push more to my edge while in yoga so I really felt I was learning and teaching my body new ways of movement and how to better be in a posture. The food was incredible and the spaces were nice to sleep in. I would highly recommend this place for anyone looking to reconnect with themselves.

Incredible relaxing week! The perfect getaway!
Irena is beautiful host who made me feel immediately comfortable and at home.
The Yoga practices were spot on, individual, educating, motivating and inspiring.
The place is Magical, good energies, comfortable, beautifully designed with everything I was hoping to find.
The food was fantastic, very fresh and local.
The Property staff were extremely friendly and very helpfully.
I had an amazing week and I will definitely go back again! I can highly recommend to everyone who wants to have a relaxing soul soothing experience.

Update 6/2023
I just left after my 2nd retreat with Irena. When I arrived I thought I was not going to get far since I hadn’t practiced as much as I wanted to since my first visit. I have a torn hip labrum that causes me all kind of pains. Irena worked with me to losen you my hip, back, psoas, and all areas.
I made a lot of progress in a short time. Thank you @ashtangayogamamma for working with my body, with progressions that allowed it to open up and move better!

And thank you always to Norma, Kevin, Wendy, and Jason for making my food, keeping my space clean and the grounds beautiful.
I cannot recommend Irena enough 🧘🏼‍♀

6/2022
I don’t know where to start. This was an amazing experience. Irena is fantastic in so many ways. Her yoga teaching is phenomenal - adjusting each session to my body and its needs.
She has a chef come in the morning and another for dinner - both make delicious nutritious meals and will adapt to what you like. All very fresh.
The place is clean and open. Right overlooking the ocean. You can walk on the shore and never see anyone.
My routine was very rejuvenating. I got up before our first yoga session to sit with the ocean, waves, and birds, maybe read a bit. Irena would come for our morning session which I was amazed by each time. I’ve been doing yoga for years and she taught me such great alignment for MY body.
Then delicious breakfast made by Norma ❤, followed by a few hours to do what I wanted. Usually a walk on the beach and reading with some swims in the pool. And one day a fantastic massage. Before dinner a second session with Irena, stretching my body out in ways I didn’t know could be!
Delicious dinner made by Mau 🙏🏻.
All followed by great conversation with Irena - asking her about yoga and anything else I felt like.
The evenings were beautiful sunsets and relaxing.

This is so much more than a yoga retreat with a group of people. It has deepened my practice in so many ways.
Thank you Irena!

This has been one of the most blissful experiences I have every had. Irena holds an amazing space for everyone, the meditation and yoga practice was beautiful, the food was astonishing and all of this in the most breathtaking surroundings.
I will definitely be coming back!

This place is truly magical. If you’re looking for somewhere to wind down and just focus on yourself this is exactly the place for you. Irena is truly amazing and has extensive yoga experience that she shares in a wonderful way with her great energy. The house has the perfect location, the food is amazing, I am definitely coming back!

What a beautiful gift to myself!
This retreat was more than I could have dreamed- Irena’s instruction is tailored to meet you where you are at- gently guiding you to your next phase. Falling asleep to the sounds of ocean waves and waking up in this jungle meets ocean paradise- truly renewed my over worked self! The food, so nutritious and delicious- I was able to reset- and renew in this tropical paradise!

A very special place with breathtaking views and an opportunity to slow down and reflect. Irena is an amazing hostess and 1st class yoga instructor who tailored our yoga sessions to our needs. Mauricio and Norma prepared 5 star meals with local flavor that added to this experience. If you are looking to get away from it all and reflect in a secluded location this is the place for you. It truly is Pura Vida! I can not wait to return to this slice of heaven. This very special place sits in the best location in the area with views of 2 breathtaking beaches. You can hear crashing waves, tropical birds and howler monkeys. Private Beach access, infinity pool, beautiful gardens and so much more. This was a remarkable down to earth experience while having every need attended to by the wonderful staff. Thank You for such an amazing experience.

Irena is an exceptional yoga teacher and person. Her warmth and kindness guides you through daily meditation and yoga practice. The location is heavenly atop a cliff overlooking the ocean. And, there is more than yoga -- getting to know others in an intimate setting and going off on adventures like health steams, sound meditation, horse riding and zip lines. A perfect yoga experience in a perfect place.