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Yoga & Wellness
Replenish Your Vitality with Costa Rica Yoga
Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge is proud of its rotational Resident Yoga Instructor-Massage Therapist Program. Every month we host a highly qualified yoga instructor / massage therapist to live at the lodge and provide yoga classes and massage therapy to guests daily. The intensity of our multisport premises makes our yoga classes and massage therapy services the perfect potion to replenish your vitality and enable you to enjoy & discover further.
Yoga classes are based on the teachings of Iyengar, Kripalu and Kundalini Yoga. Each session is an opportunity to explore the body through cultivating a connection to breath and movement, building flexibility and strength through alignment principles, and exploring the wisdom of the body through self expression and attunement to prana. Participation fee varies according to format:
» $15 Group Sessions
» $30 Individual Sessions
Therapeutic massage may be arranged upon request in the privacy of your cabin or on the beach; making it a perfect reward after a challenging day of exploration and activities.
» Fee per massage hour is $75.
Both our yoga & massage services are provided by an ongoing schedule of certified and highly experienced resident instructors.
» See our special Yoga Bliss vacation package
Current Yoga Instructors & Massage Therapists at Nicuesa Lodge
Ana Lucia Farina - May 16 to July 15, 2013
Ana Lucía Farina is a Costa Rican from San Jose. She has been teaching yoga, healing and meditation since 2009. She is a registered RYT-500 yoga instructor and a certified massage therapist. She studied Yoga at Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica, where she received her certifications in Interdisciplinary Hatha yoga, Children’s yoga, Inner Quest, and Yoga Dance. She also studied Aerial Yoga in Boulder, Colorado, and Tai massage at Yoga Mandir in CR.
She likes teaching a variety of classes from energetic vinyasa power flows, yoga dance and yin yoga to fun children’s classes. Analu believes one has to find the yoga that works best for oneself. She encourages you to listen to your body, connect with it, and always trust your inner wisdom. Ask her what you want, need and prefer and she is super flexible to adapt the class based on your needs! Analu likes sharing her music & meditation in classes, so you can expect some singing and / or meditation as well!
Recent Yoga Instructors & Massage Therapists
Thaís Fleitas
Thai’s background come from the field of contemporary Dance and yoga practice which awakes up in her the love for the knowledge of body in the oriental conception where our amazing energy corresponds with the universal principles of nature. These inspired her to become a spiritual seeker and practitioner of different bodyworks and healing arts based on ancient wisdom.
She got certified in Ayurvedic Yoga Massage and Ayurvedic Therapies in Venezuela and India, Thai massage in TMC School in Thailand, Watsu (aquatic bodywork). Also has complementary courses in Biotantric Massage, Therapeutic Yoga, Reflexology, lymph Drainage, and she is also a certified Infant Massage instructor by international Association of Infant massage.
“Im very happy and excited to transmit and share in Playa Nicuesa through yoga practice as well as a therapist the intention of reconnecting with our consciousness of totality, the experience of living the body as a sacred temple , honoring and reverencing our real essence in harmony with wonderful pure Mother Nature”
Tobey Levine
Tobey has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and has been teaching since 1995. She has her professional-level certification from Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, MA, USA, where she was on staff and a director of Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training. Tobey has been teaching to all levels of yoga experience and tailors her classes to the needs of those present. To be where you are and to be with the breath is the basis of her guiding as is the quote of Swami Kripalu, for whom Kripalu Yoga was named, “The highest form of spiritual practice is self-observation without judgement”. Each class is an exploration of self and Self.
Tobey’s massage training also began at Kripalu, being certified at the 200- and 500-hour levels. She is a CranioSacral Therapist and a Reiki Master Teacher, incorporating these and the many other modalities she has studied into the session according to what best suits each client. She is licensed to practice massage in Massachusetts and Maine, where, since 2000, she has a seasonal massage practice and leads yoga classes on Monhegan Island.
“I look forward to the experience of being at Playa Nicuesa and sharing my love of yoga and massage with all who come.”
Nati Soto
Natalia Soto is a native Costa Rican, and proud to be part of one of the families who first settled in Puerto Jimenez, a neighboring town of Nicuesa
Nati has a degree in physical therapy from the University of Costa Rica. Passionate about human beings from an integral perspective, she has ventured into different fields of study. From the innermost of the soul, spirituality, through the physical body and its presence in the world around us, in the now. Thus Nati combines her physical therapy practice with studios in promoting wellness, functional training of the human body, relaxing massage, Thai massage, reflexology, yoga and reiki.
“I hope the magic and beauty of all nature that one can experience at Nicuesa can help us find our inner divinity. I think the physical practices open the soul and mind, makes us more humble, give us strength but also soothes the spirit. I am very grateful and very excited to share this time at Nicuesa. I am sure I will learn a lot from everyone I relate to.”
Catherine Jane Paulson
Catherine Jane Paulson has been studying and practicing Hatha yoga and Ayurveda since 1990. She is a professional level Kripalu Yoga teacher and Nationally Certified Licensed Massage Therapist. On the mat, her style blends both in a Yin sequence of long held poses to enhance the marma and organ systems, combined with a flow or Yang practice, which is influenced by Kripalu, Kundalini, and Iyengar teachings. On the massage table, Catherine offers a unique blend of acupressure, marma and meridian work, Reiki, stretching and massage. She shares her love of yoga and bodywork with people of all ages in private session and group classes on Cape Cod, and in Costa Rica, with an intention of bringing health and vitality to each client.
Catherine is known for her ability to understand and meet the requests, abilities/limitations, and needs of our clients. She has been sharing these amazing practices with us at Nicuesa for 7 years. Catherine’s classes and bodywork sessions are created for the individual, based on your needs and level of receptivity. Your experience with Catherine, on the mat or on the table, will be one of a kind – healing & rejuvenating For those new to yoga, her sessions help to enhance the days’ activities in a manner approachable to all. The seasoned practitioners have an opportunity to deepen their practices through Catherine’s comprehensive and compassionate teachings of asana, pranayama, mantra and meditation. Catherine offers everybody the opportunity to cultivate inner and outer clarity, balance and personal growth.
Jessica Yarbrough
Jessica’s journey with healing and yoga began years ago following a car accident after which she had to learn to walk again. Yoga and holistic therapy became the catalyst for her own transformation and ultimately led her to the path of teaching and healing. Jessica celebrates sharing her love for yoga, traveling, and connecting with the beauty of nature as a way of life. She has journeyed throughout the world and lived and taught in Thailand, Bali, and Spain.
She teaches a number of different styles of yoga from Yin to Vinyasa, Hatha, and Restorative. Jessica offers healing touch, energy work and guided meditations. She spent four years managing a holistic center in Cardiff by the Sea, California. Jessica received her yoga teaching certification from The School of Sacred Arts in Ubud, Bali and her massage certification from the Natural Healing Institute in Encinitas, California.
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The Mango Guest House is a 2 story accommodation that has 4 private rooms. Set in a beautiful jungle garden area with mango trees on all sides and open views of the surrounding rainforest. Each room has private entrance, beautiful hardwood floors, private bathroom, private terrace, louver doors and windows that wrap around the room to afford panoramic views. Rooms have queen beds (or twin beds upon request) with mosquito netting and ceiling fans. The Mango Guest House is separate from the Main Lodge. 
The mango house is great for all types of travelers. Especially a good choice for friends or families that want to be close, but also have the privacy of your own room with private bathroom. Also great for single travelers or those who are a bit nervous about staying in the jungle, as the mango rooms are more in an open area then the private cabins that are tucked into the rainforest. 
Also great for parties of approximately 6-10 that want to rent all 4 rooms at once.
These cabins are very private and set apart from all other accommodations. Tucked into the rainforest affording you a unique feeling of being in an amazing natural setting, yet with design and comfort details that has been described as simple yet jungle chic. Each cabin has a private entrance, beautiful hardwood floors, private open air shower-bathroom, private terrace, louver doors and windows that wrap around the room to afford panoramic views. Cabins have queen beds (or twin beds upon request) with mosquito netting and ceiling fans. The garden open air shower is within the cabin's bathroom, yet allows you to look at nature all around. Look out for the peeping monkeys! 
The new Cabin Suite is also very private and set apart from all other accommodations. Tucked into the rainforest affording you a unique feeling of being in an amazing natural setting, yet with design and comfort details that have been described as simple, yet jungle-chic. 
The cabin has a private entrance, beautiful hardwood floors, private open air shower-bathroom, private terrace,mosquito netting over the beds, ceiling fans, louver doors and windows that wrap around the room to afford panoramic views of the surrounding jungle. The Cabin Suite is similar in size to the two bedroom cabin, but set in a large loft like room with a removable 
partition wall to add flexible space for families and groups. With the partition in place it creates two large bedrooms that can accommodate 4 to 5 guests in a variety of bedding options. The Cabin Suite is also great for couples seeking more space, as well as the luxury of a comfortable sitting area, set up with a couch and chairs. 
This is a private cabin much like the single cabins but larger with two bedrooms and a common den that can also be converted for another bedroom. This is a great choice for families, especially with younger children. The cabin is set at the edge of the jungle but only a few steps from the main lodge building. Each cabin has a private entrance, beautiful hardwood floors, private open air shower-bathroom, private terrace, mosquito netting over the beds, ceiling fans, louver doors and windows that wrap around the room to afford panoramic views of the jungle. 
The cabin has one large bathroom complete with our signature garden open air shower that is designed to allow you to look at nature all around. The cabin can accommodate up to 5 people. 
However, we recommend that families with older children or groups of adults that want to be near each other also consider two rooms in the mango guest house. Two rooms in mango guest house will give you more privacy amongst your group and an additional bathroom.
