By the fifth night everyone was dancing.
It was the second to last evening of the yoga retreat, and Anamaya Resort had injected some adrenaline in our restorative yoga zen with a post-dinner circus show. The tables were cleared and moved aside, and the bright, high-ceiling dining room was transformed into a stage. There were dancers, singers, an aerial silks acrobat and a flame-thrower—many of whom were Anamaya staff.
After the performers took their final bow, someone cranked American pop tunes, and the entire retreat group moved to the middle of the room and started jamming.
Photo credit: Sophie Novack
“Oh come on now,” said our yoga instructor’s mother, who was at Anamaya taking her daughter’s classes for the first time. She grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the stray chairs where I’d been lurking, and into the middle of the makeshift dance floor. “You’re much younger than I am!”
Anamaya, in Montezuma, Costa Rica, is like summer camp for adults. Eco-conscious, health-minded, active adults. Upon arriving, guests are immediately part of the Anamaya community. The week begins with an opening circle and ends with a closing circle, where each person shares why they are there, and, later, what they thought of the experience. Friendship came easily at summer camp, and it does here, too; camaraderie for the week is assumed and encouraged.
Each day begins and ends with yoga on one of the two outdoor decks overlooking the ocean—an early morning flow class, and a slower restorative class at sunset.
After a day of yoga and adventure, relax in the beautiful infinity pool
Three meals, plus late afternoon snack, are shared by the group every day. Breakfast, immediately following the morning yoga session, is a plentiful spread of eggs, vegetables, salad, fruit and healthy baked goods. Lunch one day was a curried chicken salad with grapes, avocado and nuts over greens, with passion fruit vinaigrette and honey balsamic braised red cabbage. One dinner was quinoa Aztec soup with yuca fries and avocado, local African spiced tuna over pickled cucumbers, avocado and citrus salad, roasted beets and summer squash, and flourless chocolate cake with berry sauce.
The menu is gluten-free, red meat-free, and largely dairy-free. But the focus is on eating clean, unprocessed and delicious foods—not on restriction. Vegetables are plentiful, fish is local and a portion of the produce served is grown at Anamaya’s own organic farm nearby.
Outside of meals and yoga sessions, there is a range of activities scheduled, which—like true adults—guests may opt in or out of. Those hoping for a more active vacation can sign up for a surf package and spend several hours each day riding the waves. Ziplining is an option one afternoon, and a waterfall hike another. Some guests opt to spend all their days by the infinity pool overlooking the ocean. And the small spa can schedule appointments for massages or facials throughout the week.
There is a fair amount of flexibility to make the Anamaya retreat one’s own, which makes it a good fit for an array of people. The group during my visit spanned at least five decades, from a college student visiting with her mom, to friends in their early 30s, to a 50-something single father. Some were recent yoga converts, some have practiced nearly every day for years, some took their first yoga class ever at the retreat. For many it was their first time traveling alone.
More than a month later, members were sharing photos in a Facebook group and talking about plans for yoga retreats next year. anamayaresort.com