Australian Yoga Journal – July 2019

50

july 2019

yogajournal.com.au

.NOSARA,COSTARICA

Universallyconsidereda yogamecca,Nosarais

hometo 32 retreatswithseriousyogacred.Both

DonStapleton,long-timedirectorofKripaluand

StephanRechtschaffen,cofounderoftheOmega

Institutesetupyogaandwellnessretreatcentreshere

inthe1990s.Morethan6,000peoplevisitStapleton’s

NosaraYogaInstitute(nowKindnessYoga)annually,

knownforitsmile-longmeditationtrailand

intensiveteachertrainings(morethan3,500

graduatesover 21 years).AtRechtschaffen’sBlue

Spirit,fivestudioshostlearningvacationswith

theOmegaInstitutethatincludeworkshopson

unlockingyourpurposeandRechtschaffer-led

lecturesonfindingthepathtolongevity.Locatedina

bluezone(wherea largepercentageofthepopulation

liveslongerthanaverage),thevivacityofNosarais

intimatelyintertwinedwithitspeopleandpractices.

.CUBA

Cuba’sdynamismremindsus

thatyogais reallyabout

community.EduardodeJesus

PimentelVázquez—thegodfather

ofCubanyoga—hastrainedmore

than12,000yogapractitioners

throughtheCubanYoga

Association,whichhefounded

in1990.HishumbleHavana

studioVidyaoffersa glimpseof

thecity’stight-knityogascene.

Forthepastthreeyears,

instructorAprilPuciatahas

hostedculturallyimmersive

retreatsatthebeachsidecenter

MhaiYoga.Eduardoguest-

teachesuptofiveclassesduring

theweek,andPuciataarranges

visitswithlocalartistsand

entrepreneurs,plussidetripsto

thetownofTrinidad.

.JUNGLEBAYRESORT& SPA,

DOMINICA

Sinceopeningtheirrainforestretreatcentrein2005,

yogateacherGlendaRaphaelandherhusband,

Sam,havebeenpioneersofsustainabletourism,

stockingupongoodsfromislandfarmers,local

fishermen,andartisans.YogateacherChrissy

Carterhasheldnineretreatshere.Don’tmiss

VictoriaFalls,ChampagneBeach,andtheBoiling

Lake,thenamegiventooneoftheworld’sfewlakes

thatactuallyboils,saysCarter.Theresort,along

withmanyothersthroughouttheisland,suffered

damagesafterlastyear’shurricane,makingnowa

bettertimethanevertosupportthelocalDominican

economy.

Caribbean

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PHOTO: MAURO GRIGOLLA; MENTAL ART + DESIGN/STOCKSY