I had the magnificent pleasure of staying at the Yoga Farm for the majority of the month of December 2023 for the Jungle Residency Program. It took me this long (I’m writing this at the end of February) because I needed to get a grasp onto the most proper words to describe the unique, amazing, eye-opening experience.
It changed my life.
I am 46 years old. Without divulging a huge trauma dump and leaving you, the reader, reeling with WTF, I will just say that I have been spending the majority of my life shoving myself into roles that I thought I was supposed to be in order to be successful.
Some of us have been fed lies our entire life.
I am a part of the Yoga Trade website and an email came through my inbox regarding this Jungle Residency. This was back in May of 2023. The opportunity had been in my mind until the moment I decided to book it because, as I told the folks that did the program with me, my children decided to give me their Christmas lists as a QR Code.
So I ran away from home for the month of December.
I travelled from Nashville, Tennessee to Miami to San Jose, Costa Rica to hop on an 8 hour bus ride to meet the driver we scheduled. Luckily I met up with some compadres that were also on their way to the Yoga Farm: Dani, Sarah, Russell, and Pam (iykyk). After a long car ride as dusk set in, we arrived at the Yoga Farm in southern Costa Rica. Though my driver was able to manage to get up the steep hill to the entrance of the Yoga Farm, I could not help but be excited that at the bottom of that steep hill was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. I grew up on the beaches of Florida and spent a good chunk of my adulthood in Los Angeles, both of which have breathtaking beaches – but not like this.
Rustic is a euphemism. We were living in the heart of a Costa Rican Jungle. I was greeted by Silke and Thomi, the esteemed and beautiful managers of the Yoga Farm. With a warm welcome, and the night sky seeping in, we each got shown to our rooms.
I booked ‘The Perch’. I literally lived in the tippy-top of the jungle. The Perch is nestled high up in the trees with a stunning view of the almost-untouched greenery of the jungle. Y’all, I walked into that abode and I was shocked that it was all in the open to the night air. Granted, it had doors to close up the space, but I did not realize they were moveable doors until I was already comfortable sleeping like a monkey in a tree. When I realized I had an option to close up the beautiful room I was sleeping in, I chose not to because I had gotten accustomed to the night air wafting in, the howler monkeys settling in so they could roar like monsters at 5am, and the various night animals that I would hear rustling the in the dark.
The moment the sun blinked awake from its own rest, it was easy for me to rise and shine as well. The howler monkeys made sure of that. No sleeping in for the wicked.
Our yoga teacher was Sarah Taylor, (follow her on Instagram: @themiamiyogini). Sarah was not only a wonderful and knowledgeable teacher, she was intuitive to what our group was feeling each and every day. Some days we were truly wrecked and tired and some days we were ready to fly. She was able to lead us in flows that were both restorative and challenging. Her beautiful energy and raw love for life made even the toughest poses akin to playing like a child.
On the Farm, we worked together, we played together, and we survived together. It was a most beautiful experience. We celebrated Christmas together with laughs, a ridiculously funny gift exchange, and the most wonderful food.
God – the food. It was so good. We were lucky to have Kelly Sullivan (follow her as well on Insta: @kellysulli) spending the residency with us and with her background as a chef with training in jungle cooking. She was a blessing. I am not too keen on cooking, but we each rotated through different jobs during the residency and cooking was one of them. Our group had some talented chefs because I ate well every damn day. At home I barely eat 2 meals a day – at the Yoga Farm, I ate so, so well for at least three meals a day.
Participating in the Yoga Farm’s Jungle Residency reminded me of what it was like to feel pure unadulterated joy. I hadn’t felt that in 40 years. I did things I have never done, I was challenged in ways like never before. I ran around like a feral child, hitchhiking, playing in the mud, building things, swimming in the ocean…all while surrounded by the most wonderful people I have ever met. Silke, Thomi, Pam, Russell, Dani, Sarah T., Sarah Z., Kelly, Franzi, Anita, Levi (the best masseuse ever – both Lomi Lomi and Thai), and of course Christina and Jake.
This share has gotten abundantly long already, but you, reader, I hope that you understand how important the Yoga Farm is to me. It is something you should absolutely do.
It may change your life!
