PSA: Join us in Baltimore for a Best of Both Worlds Workshop in September! Also, we now have video bundles available for all levels. Don't forget that you'll get a free gift when you screenshot your review of our app to Lauren. Our Summer YBC Mantra Box is now available for pre order! And lastly, our book, Namaslay, is available for pre order as well. Thanks for the support!
We're back from our amazing week in Costa Rica and we're so excited to share pictures and videos from our trip!
The other day on the plane I created a little video recap of our week above. Lauren and I went down a few days early to do some site visits for future retreats. We first checked out the Four Seasons. The Four Seasons boasted monkeys on the beach and in the trees, and we shot an amazing yoga video there, and you can look for that next Tuesday on the YouTube channel! The Westin boasts a sprawling facility and a number of pools to keep you entertained for days.
We enjoyed fresh coconut water on the beach one afternoon!
From Lauren: I'm always on the search for a good bikini bottom - I have a very slim body frame so it's always a struggle to find a suit that fits just right. After trying on about 1 million bikinis at my local mall, I decided it might be worth my while to see what Etsy had to offer. I stumbled across Lotus Bikinis and Kelsey, the founder, was nice enough to send me a handmade bikini bottom for the retreat. When it arrived I tried not to get too excited but when I slipped it on, it fit LIKE A GLOVE. I immediately purchased two more to bring along. They've quickly become my go-to bottoms without a doubt. If you have a hard time finding a suit that fits you in stores, I highly suggest reaching out and trying their bikinis.
Lotus Bikini Cheeky Bottom
A little handstand play in Gypsea Swimwear
After a few days, we headed down to Hermosa Beach, where our retreat was to take place. We welcomed an amazing group of women from all over the US who were all there for different reasons, and all just happy to soak up the good vibes.
My Other Bag - SWAG and Welcome Letters!
If you followed along after our last retreat in Costa Rica, you might remember the 5 day travel delay our girl Lauren had to deal with - thankfully this time around the travel gods were good to her and we both arrived together! Per usual, Lauren worked hard to put together an incredible swag bag for our students! We included:
Costa Rica SWAG Bag
- Super fashionable yet environmentally friendly totes from My Other Bag (I don't leave the house without mine now!)
- Personalized hand-stamped necklaces from Expressions Bracelets. Half of the students received an inspirational 'breathe' charm and the others got a beautiful lotus.
- Yoga Mat Strap from Clever Yoga (don't forget to use code YBC15 for 15% off your entire order!)
- Hand drawn Yoga Fairies Coloring book
- Panda Paw Yoga sent along these non slip yoga/pilates socks for those moments you might not have your mat handy.
- BoKu Superfood sent along Super Fuel to help keep our students energized and focused throughout the retreat. Use code YOGABYCANDACE for 50% + FREE shipping.
- Ceremonial Grade Matcha was provided by Nature's Blueprint. The trick to matcha is making it with hot but not boiling water to avoid a bitter taste :)
- Fit Lifestyle Co sent along beautiful blue yoga straps.
- Simply Owl Natural sent over a magnesium based lotion - which was super useful for after our arm balance workshop! Uniquely sourced from the Dead Sea, this putty is a fantastic alternative to spray magnesium oil without the harshness
- Tea crystals were provided by Pique Tea. They take organic loose leaf tea, brew it to perfection and crystallize it. All you have to do is add water and enjoy - super for traveling. You can use code YOGABYCANDACE15 for 15% off your first purchase.
- WooBamboo sent over some bamboo toothbrushes - plus, it's always nice to have a spare brush on hand for your travel bag.
- Candace lives for a good bath soak so she was pumped when Eighty-Six Body + Home sent along some scented bath salts. Relax pictured
- Inola Granola had prevented hanger with some Gluten Free Cranberry Walnut Granola
Our girl Jessica over at Soulful Essence was kind enough to send a few bottles of her natural mosquito repellant for us to bring along as well - the mosquitos weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be but better safe than sorry, right?!
We had morning yoga classes and then kept the rest of the days free so people could head out on adventures. If you search #ybccostarica on instagram, you'll see pics and vids from the trips people took to the waterfalls, sweat lodge, hikes, beaches, and national park. We had such a great group!
As always, I was so blown away by the great energy that people brought, and the wonderful conversation we all got to have. I was a little bit at a disadvantage because my back was really bothering me. At the beginning of the week, I went into town to see the pharmacist (they're like doctors in Costa Rica - you just tell them what's wrong and they give you meds). I got some muscle relaxers to help my back which I really hated to take but I needed to get the pain under control so I could be as present as possible. After just a day, I felt so much better and powered through. It's still bothering me a bit, but nothing like before. Pro tip: avoid pulling your upper trap at all costs!
For the yoga practices, I wanted each morning to start with a message. I shared inspirational quotes, an excerpt from my book, and things I'd written that I found to be motivating. From there we moved on through vinyasa practices that built upon each other throughout the week and we ended our stay with arm balance and handstand workshops.
Costa Rica 2016
I'm so grateful to all the women who came and I left feeling so lucky. I approach each retreat (and nearly everything I do) with the idea that everyone knows something I don't. Everyone brings something to the table. With that in mind, my yoga retreats always feel like such a treat for me. Yes, it is work, but it is also a time when I feel deeply inspired and full of gratitude.