Yoga and Meditation

Honor the coming of spring by indulging in a yoga retreat at the Anamaya Boutique Hotel in Montezuma, Costa Rica. Anamaya is committed to the health of the Mind, Body & Spirit and all of their initiatives reflect that. They serve organic food, offer a variety of spa services, and have numerous retreats that are all geared towards your health and wellness, as well as the health of the planet. Yoga is a key aspect towards a healthy way of living and Anamaya is offering a yoga retreat from April 10 - 17, 2010 that will celebrate the beauty of spring and shri.

The popular Hindi symbol “Shri” has many meanings including: allure, beauty, radiance, flourish, light and loveliness. We are all attracted to beautiful things which signifies that we are united on many levels to each other and to nature. Shri is the beauty in life in its many forms and spring is a perfect time to glorify that beauty. Anamaya’s Spring Yoga Retreat is a perfect way to end a long cold winter.

Daniella Cotreau CMT, RYT, BA will teach this yoga retreat and will lead the practice teaching Anusara Inspired yoga. This type of yoga practice was created by John Friend and is a type of hatha yoga. In Anusara yoga the opening of the heart is very important as is alignment. Cotreau works with her students by giving them hands-on adjustments, by using detailed descriptions, and by giving helpful verbal cues.

The Retreat will focus on reveling in the natural beauty that Costa Rica has to offer. “We will glorify our yoga practice with Shri. Just like the blossoming of spring - we get to blossom too,” says Cotreau. Participants will meet twice a day for Anusara Inspired yoga sessions that will be accompanied by live musicians overlooking the most incredible ocean views in the area. The yoga deck at Anamaya has an ocean view that must be seen to be believed. There is no photograph or video footage that can create the same experience as being there.

The cost of the retreat includes a variety of added perks that will enhance your trip. Included in the package is the use of Anamaya’s facilities, 3 organic meals a day, your accommodations and your yoga classes. In addition to that you also receive entrance into the Butterfly Gardens and the Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary, a Zip-Line adventure, and a 50% discount off a massage. The cost of the retreat varies based on occupancy and accommodations and ranges from $1495 - $2495. If you book your trip before March 10th you will receive a 20% discount.

In addition to your yoga practice, Montezuma and the surrounding area has a lot to offer. A number of exciting excursions are available like: horseback riding, scuba diving, boating, and surfing. Or if you’d like to take it easy then you can always relax on the beautiful beaches or do a bit of shopping. Anamaya resort is surrounded by rain forests which are fun to explore and is also close to some famous epic waterfalls. If you’re looking for a tropical escape then this is the perfect location.

Looking for more information on Anamaya’s Spring Yoga Retreat, then visit www.anamayaresort.com to find the best advice on accommodations and more.

A new type of travel is becoming more popular as a younger generation of world travelers has asked hotels and resorts to offer much more than in years past.

This new wave of tourists wants to get more out of a vacation than just sightseeing, and so the trend has been hotels and resorts offering yoga and wellness.

Wellness and Yoga Retreat Centers are becoming more and more popular throughout tropical destinations such as Costa Rica and Hawaii.

Costa Rica towns that focus on tourism, such as Montezuma or Santa Teresa in the southern Nicoya Peninsula, have multiple places to do yoga, and hotels and retreat centers compete over who is able to provide the most spectacular space.

YogaRetreat Centers such as Anamaya in Montezuma, Pranamar in Santa Teresa, or Bamboo YogaPlay in Dominical have beautiful wooden decks for doing Yoga, sometimes overlooking the ocean or jungle scenery. Such yoga shalas often look great in photos, which aid a hotel or yoga retreat center to attract guests, since so many pick a hotel mostly by the photos they see online.

Yoga teachers from around the world have traveled to Costa Rica for retreats, and have been taken by the enthusiasm for yoga here. Many are now working in hotels and resorts, or offering private yoga sessions on the beaches at luxury rental beach villas.

Because of this influx of skilled yoga teachers to Costa Rica, the tourist towns, such as Mal Pais have a variety of yoga options. While it’s not always true, the guys go surfing and the girls do yoga.

Yoga is often part of a larger type of vacation options known as Wellness Centers. These places offer their visitors a chance not only to relax, but to live for a week with a healthy diet, participate in internal cleansing, practice meditation, and learn about healthy lifestyles.

Participants in these wellness retreats return to their regular lives not only happier and healthier but with improved knowledge about their bodies and will continue to live more healthfully long after their trip has ended.

Many wellness centers focus specifically on cleansing, and usually start with fasting. Next is a restricted diet of tasty organic foods such as fruit and veggies, often raw.

Along with the dietary changes, there’s generally an array of treatments such as steam sauna, massage, colon irrigation, acupuncture, and others that are great for detoxing the body.

After a few days, most clients report quite a difference, but that can depend on how their body’s health is to begin with. Clients sometimes learn they have food allergies they never knew about, such as a milk or wheat allergy. Some guests report clearer eyes, more radiant skin, and better sleep.

If you are fantasizing about your next trip to Costa Rica, you can research some of the health centers instead of the standard hotel chain. Like so many other people who have visited them, you’ll most likely return happier and healthier.

Geoff McCabe is a recognized authority on green travel and Costa Rica. Click below for more information about his personal Yoga and Wellness Retreat Center in Montezuma.

The Maldives coral island atolls are located in the tropics, are influenced by monsoons but enjoy a lovely sunny climate and are warm all year round.

The islands of the Maldives host some of the most diverse marine life to be seen on our planet, and it is therefore no wonder that they have become a center of excellence for snorkeling and diving alike.

The diving at resorts such as Filitheyo offer excellent diving for all levels of ability. The Filitheyo island resort has a marine channel adjacent to each side of the island and several shallow thilas inside the atoll that cater for new and inexperienced divers.

Many people visit these islands because of their amazing and uncrowded beaches. Many island resorts, such as Filitheyo has great beaches that are unbroken all around the island offering great walks and solitude.

What is amazing about many resorts is that they have been developed with a contemporary style without compromising any of their natural beauty and tranquil charm. You will find that reception areas are generally complete with modern conveniences such as internet hotspots, but the tropical beauty of the islands are unspoilt, with tranquil accommodation and private beach areas shaded by ubiquitous tall palms and other indigenous vegetation.

Most, if not all, resorts offer the luxury water villa accomodation as well as other comfortable beach-side rooms. The resort of Bandos offers superior two storey Beach villas with bathrooms that are half inside and half outside the villa that come with an outside thatched jacuzzi. Other accomodation suites are generally along the water front and are designed to give you the feeling of tranquility and solitude.

If you are planning a wedding then the can be no other more romantic setting than a Maldivina island to make your event special, many resorts offering special traditional island ceremonies complete with cultural costumes and Maldivian drums.

James is a travel writer reporting travel news about resorts such as Filitheyo island resort and also about Maldives Holidays and Diving.