Which Yoga Teacher Training Should You Choose in May…Costa Rica or Tuscany?
Well done! You have made it this far navigating all of the options for 200 hour yoga teacher training immersion programs around the world. As you can imagine, there are many incredible choices and unfortunately, just as many options that aren’t so great. For this reason, all of your research is important so that you will find the teacher training course that is right for you and have the very best experience possible.
Why Choose a Lakshmi Rising Yoga Teacher Training?
The Lakshmi Rising curriculum is authentic and extensive. On our program we discuss the roots of Yoga and follow its evolution as a living wisdom. The course is organized into several modules which look at diverse modern Yoga practices and examine how they are different from exercise science and fitness. We delve into philosophy and open our minds with deep conversation around timeless truths and cross-cultural mythologies.
Ayurveda, the science of life and a sister science to yoga, is the base of our Gaia Gourmet menu and schedule. This ancient wisdom is used to enhance our health and well-being by adopting a balanced lifestyle. You will learn and apply practical, accessible concepts and wellness techniques.
Everyday we move, meditate and chant. The Lakshmi Rising method integrates breath and intention with movement so that our Yoga practice on the mat is vital, mindful and soulful. We live Yoga together for three weeks. You come away with embodied experience and understanding so that you will feel qualified to share and teach the Yoga that you practice.
This May we are offering our curriculum in two separate locations, The Sanctuary at Two Rivers in Costa Rica May 10-30, 2020 and at a beautiful private villa just outside of Cortona in Tuscany, Italy May 17-June 6, 2020. We have a gifted team of teachers holding space for you. Both locations will feature our world renown, unique curriculum and our delicious and nourishing Gaia Gourmet plant-based cuisine. The accommodations, excursions and travel expenses are what’s different. Both options are inspiring and awesome. Which location is right for you?
Take this simple quiz to find out and then start planing your yoga adventure!
1. What is most valuable to you RIGHT NOW:
A. Quiet time in pristine Nature
B. Seeing monkeys
C. Social time in a sophisticated atmosphere
D. Seeing culturally significant works of art and architecture
2. Complete this sentence. In my free time on the YTT I would rather:
A. Take a surf lesson
B. Chill on the beach
C. Visit a thermal hot spring and spa
D. Explore an ancient walled city
3. I’d love to drink a little wine (in moderation, of course!) during the yoga teacher training course.
Yes or No
4. Climbing up a waterfall and hiking through a rocky river bed lined with old growth trees sounds like fun!
Yes or No
5. Where would you rather sleep during your three week yoga teacher training intensive:
A. in a free standing, sustainably built, tropical modern zen jungle loft with open views to the tree tops right from your bed, private outdoor shower and 100% solar powered
B. on a 40 acre nature preserve 1km from the Pacific Ocean 9* north of the equator surrounded by wild jungle, exotic tropical birds and fruit trees including mango, rose apple, sour mandarin, grapefruit, cashew, níspero, banana, coconut, caimito and more
C. in a 19th century stone farm house tastefully decorated with beautiful antiques, arched doorways, central fire place and lots of charm
D. on a two and a half acre park 41* north of the equator surrounded by vineyards, olive and fruit trees including pears, wild cherries, figs, apricots, peaches, plums, grapes and more
Check Your Results and Book the Yoga Teacher Training that is Right for You!
Questions 1, 2 and 5:
If you answered A’s and B’s then Costa Rica is the place for you! Pack your bags for Italy if you answered C’s and D’s!
Question 3:
If you answered Yes, join us in Italy! Moderate enjoyment of wine is a part of Italian culture and we align with this lifestyle when it enhances our yoga practice. A glass of wine with dinner or on excursions is a nice way to enjoy the experience, but certainly not necessary. We do not condone over-indulgence. Our programs in Costa Rica are alcohol-free.
Question 4:
If you answered yes, the southern tip of the Nicoya Penninsula is calling you! In Costa Rica we get a little dirty playing in the mud and then rinse ourselves clean, body, mind and soul, in the beautiful rivers that run along side the Sanctuary. These wellness ritual hikes are appropriate to all fitness levels and ages.
What to expect on excursions and extras:
Our excursions during the Costa Rica training at The Sanctuary at Two Rivers are to the near by beach towns of Montezuma and Santa Teresa where you can take a surf lesson, shop for hand-made bikinis, sarongs or bohemian jewelry, sip fresh coconut water (with reusable straws of course!) and watch the sun set. These excursions are low cost (depending on how much you shop and eat) and casual.
We spend another two days in nature, exploring the local jungle, waterfalls and rivers with intentional wellness rituals woven into the experience.
Our excursions in Italy are culture and wellness based. We will spend a day at a very old thermal spring and spa which offers classical Ayurvedic treatments like shirodhara and abhyanga followed by a group dinner in the garden. We also visit a vineyard for wine education and tasting, a local outdoor market, and the charming Tuscan towns of Cortona and Castiglion Fiorentino (where we can join their annual Festa Medievale Bianco Azzurra, a reenactment festival of the life and times of the Medieval Period in the region). These excursions are a bit more pricey, social, cultural and sophisticated.
Keep in mind that all of our excursions are optional. Therefore, you can participate in everything or nothing at all and enjoy a little down time at either of our venues.
Our accommodations in both locations are comfortable, clean, eco-friendly, beautifully designed and tastefully decorated.
I hope this gives you a helpful overview of our two programs; a three-week, 21 day yoga teacher certification immersion intensive in Costa Rica, Central America or Tuscany, Italy in Europe. The travel costs are also something to consider, depending on where you are coming from.
Either choice you make will be a good one and the perfect one! Wishing you a dulce pura vida.