How To Get In The Zone

Nicoya, Costa Rica, the beautiful peninsula on the tip of which resides The Sanctuary at Two Rivers, is one of the world’s five Blue Zones. Blue Zones are places in the world where people live the longest and happiest lives. At the Sanctuary, whether you’re here for a one week retreat or a three week yoga teacher training, you’ll have a chance to experience life in one of the healthiest places on earth. 

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So What is a Blue Zone?

Blue Zones are a concept started by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He traveled around the world studying which cultures and climates lead to the healthiest, happiest, and longest living people. The Blue Zones are Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California, and Nicoya, Costa Rica. Since the start of this project, the foundation has been studying what themes connect those communities to understand how to build a healthy lifestyle for anyone. So, what makes Nicoya, Costa Rica a Blue Zone?

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Mineral Rich Water

The water in Nicoya has the highest calcium content in the country, which corresponds with the low rates of heart disease and fewer hip fractures, due to having stronger bones. The water at The Sanctuary goes a step further. Our water comes from a mountain spring isolated deep in the jungle, and is redirected into our special, organic filtration system that involves papyrus root and sand. All the faucets and garden-view showers in your Jungle Loft at The Sanctuary have delicious, high quality, high vibration water available any time. And be sure to stay hydrated, it’s hot in the tropics!

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Sunshine

Another key to healthy living is sunshine. Vitamin D helps strengthen bones and support a healthy system, as well as lift mood. Not having enough Vitamin D has been linked to many health issues such as osteoporosis and heart disease. So spending a “smart” amount of time in the sun (about 15 minutes) can be a key to a better life. Though much of The Sanctuary is comfortably shaded by arching palms and trees dripping with vines and wild orchids, spots of hot, bright sun still find their way through. Especially at the pool, where the clear turquoise water shimmers in the bright light. There you can relax on a Costa Rican style chaise lounge after lunch, or take a dip between classes on the Nadis and pranayama then dry off on a lounge chair. Just be sure to use sun-block, our proximity to the equator makes the sun much more intense. 

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Nourishing Food

Eating a healthy diet rich with nutrients and fresh vegetables is one of the surest ways to live a long and healthy life. In Nicoya in particular, residents tend to eat a light dinner early in the evening. This is also a traditional Ayurvedic practice followed at The Sanctuary. Nearly every dinner is a delicious, warming, and easily digestible soup that leaves your taste buds in awe while being gentle and nourishing to the body.

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That’s certainly not all that makes Gaia Gourmet cuisine an ideal choice for those who want to lead a healthy lifestyle. Each meal is intentionally designed and crafted with fresh, organic ingredients that nourish the body and soul. Many of the longest living people studied around the world ate little or no meat, and at The Sanctuary all our meals are one hundred percent vegetarian and always have gluten-free and vegan options

“¡Pura Vida!”

The national saying of Costa Rica is “Pura Vida” which roughly means “life is pure” or “life is good.” Walking through the little beach towns, most with hammocks strung up between palm trees and a coconut for sipping within reach, it’s not hard to tell why. But this is not just a casual saying, the Tico people understand the importance of living good and enjoying it. Family and community are prioritized, and whole extended families live on one street. They value each other, and know how to listen, laugh, and appreciate what they have.

At The Sanctuary, we live in close community. Although people are often coming and going, there is a consistent culture of intimacy, and an understanding that everyone is valued. We know how to listen, and how to laugh. Students and guests often form lifelong friendships and feel as if they’ve “found their tribe.” 

We hope you’ll join us in beautiful Nicoya, Costa Rica, and experience what it feels like to live in a way that nourishes you; mind, body, and soul. 

The Sanctuary at Two Rivers: A Unique Boutique Yoga Retreat and Teacher Training Center

Join in any of our All-Inclusive Retreats & Yoga Teacher Trainings in Costa Rica. Dine on Gourmet Vegetarian & Vegan Cuisine, Live in Nature, and Meet Like-Minded Souls from Across the Globe.

How to Establish a Daily Meditation Practice | Instagram Meditation Group January 19-February 8, 2020

How to Establish a Daily Meditation Practice | Instagram Meditation Group January 19-February 8, 2020

Join us for a 21-day meditation experiment hosted by Lakshmi Rising School for Yoga & Wellness on Instagram! They say it takes 21 days to establish a new habit so this is your chance to incorporate a daily meditation practice into your life with the help of a supportive on-line community! This experience is open to everyone; Sanctuary community, Lakshmi Rising graduates, experienced meditators, people who have never tried meditation before; you can tailor it to fit what you need.

Vegetarian Times Magazine

Vegetarian Times Magazine

From start to finish the solar-powered retreat center was designed with sustainability and wellness in mind. "The Sanctuary is located at the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, one of only five Blue Zones in the world where a high concentration of people live to be over 100 years old...Our 40 acres are in the jungle only 1000 yards from the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. You can surf in the morning and dip in waterfalls in the afternoon"...The entire resort was hand built with local craftsmen; all the structures are elevated and designed around the existing junglescape. For every tree that was removed and used in the construction process, four new ones were planted...

Origin Magazine

Origin Magazine

Yoga has influenced my life so strongly that I built a yoga retreat center in Costa Rica called The Sanctuary at Two Rivers. It's a 40-acre, totally off-grid solar-powered oasis in the jungle between two rivers with waterfalls and wildlife everywhere you look. It is a culmination of all the beautiful aspects of yoga that I have had in my life with the asana practice, amazingly prepared food in the Ayurvedic tradition, and meditation...

MindBodyGreen.com

MindBodyGreen.com

5 Amazing Yoga Getaways Around the World

1. Costa Rica: The Sanctuary at Two Rivers
icoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

What’s cool?..Night Pool Yoga with underwater LED lights. Gourmet vegetarian meals that use Ayurvedic cooking techniques prepared with intentional positive energy infused into the food...Everything was constructed with meticulous care around the landscape as opposed to the usual practice of landscaping afterward around the structures.  It feels like you are in living in a Zen tree-house with Japanese architectural flair, accented with natural fabrics, stone tiles, tropical woods and art, the majority of which were from quarries in Costa Rica and India...Wander through the Jurassic jungle enjoying adjacent secluded waterfalls or walk to the glorious surf and swimming beach...

Chopra.com

Chopra.com

Summer Soul-Searching: Yoga and Meditation Events to Check Out
Pack your sunscreen, yoga mat, and river hiking shoes … this summer takes you to exotic lands. There’s a little-known retreat center in the jungle of Costa Rica where you can practice yoga, learn to teach, relax in one of many hammocks, and explore the waterfalls nearby. If getting up close and personal with Mother Nature, sleeping in a treehouse, eating locally grown food, and doing yoga outdoors sounds like your kind of getaway, find out what The Sanctuary at Two Rivers has to offer this summer...