LIFT YOUR ASS TO ENLIGHTENMENT
Strengthen your arm balance and piking practice in this 8-Day Pike Camp at Blue Osa Beach Resort and Spa in Costa Rica, taught by Heidi Sormaz and Catherine Allen. Since we spend the majority of our time standing on our feet or sitting on our butts, arm balancing and piking are difficult feats for a lot of us. Heidi and Cat will take you through smart yoga practices and techniques and meditations that prepare you for piking. You will receive personal guidance and skillful partner spotting to help you establish the focus and connections for piking. Each day will intentionally build upon the skills you learned in the previous day. This continuous learning will bring your practice (and your butt) to new heights. You will leave this retreat knowing how to lift your ass if nothing else!
Why Pike?
Bottomline is – It’s fun! Piking is difficult and strange, but that makes it all the more fun when you rise above the difficulty of it and ask yourself What Part of This Can I Do? It raises endorphins. It gives you opportunities to problem-solve, celebrate your wins, and expand your limited beliefs. Piking isn’t the only way to reap these benefits in your life, but the journey to piking is a way! And it’s definitely an exciting way.
Why a Retreat?
You may wonder…why a retreat and not a traditional series of workshops at a yoga studio? The retreat setting is absolutely key to helping you pike. Here are the main reasons for having this training at a retreat:
- Relaxation: You will learn how relaxation is essential for piking. Excess tension in your muscles and connective tissue and restricted breathing weigh you down and make it harder to use your core muscles to lift your butt in piking.
- Nutrition: You will be fed nutrient-dense food. The quality of your nutrition greatly influences your stress and strength levels. The professionally prepared meals will reduce your stress and boost your strength. Blue Osa grows and harvests much of the organic food you will be eating.
- Community Energy: The bright web of energy that will be created by the people around you will help boost and brighten your own energy. Pleasure and positivity are the energies that literally lighten you and help lift your ass.
- Focus: For 8 glorious days, you get a chance to put down old habits and energies that drag you down. You will practice quality focus and commitment to yourself and your piking practice without the usual life distractions. You will return to your normal life feeling recharged and seeing with new perspective.
Who is this retreat for?
This retreat is for ANYONE who wants to learn how to pike or arm balance. You don’t need to have an arm balance practice, and you definitely don’t need to have a piking practice. We suggest that you know how to do Dolphin with hands clasped in order to participate in the piking exercises. (Dolphin is like Downward Facing Dog, except the forearms are on the floor.)
What is a typical day like in this retreat?
A tentative schedule will be published. But here is a summary of what a typical day would be like:
- Wake up to a light and nutritious breakfast.
- Led Morning Meditation Session. Meditation practice is essential for piking. It builds focus and helps you ally with your mind and the rest of your body.
- Yoga Intensive, taught by Heidi and Cat, that will focus on building intelligence and connections for specific aspects of piking.
- Yummy vegan buffet lunch, laughter with friends, and get some fresh air around Blue Osa.
- Afternoon Lecture and Q&A on topics specifically related to piking. There will be one day where the afternoon will be dedicated to beach time or whatever you’d like to do!
- Evening Yin Yoga Session. Yin Yoga is excellent for helping you to release excess tension that inhibits piking.
- …followed by Led Yoga Nidra Meditation.
- Float off to a delicious vegan home-cooked dinner freshly prepared and served on-site. Some dinners will offer fish or meat.
- Star-gaze before bedtime.
Check-in starts 14:00 on December 5. The training will start at 16:00pm on December 5.
Retreat will end at 9:30am on December 12 with only breakfast served that morning. (Check out is 10:00am.).
Blue Osa is the most beautiful getaway!
UNPLUG. UNWIND. EXPERIENCE THE PURE LIFE. PURA VIDA.
Blue Osa Beach Resort & Spa is the perfect place to rejuvenate and retreat. From the friendly smiles of the staff who know your name, to the way the bread is baked from scratch daily, everything is done mindfully with love.
Blue Osa is nestled near Corcovado National Park and the warm shores of the Gulfo Dulce — the perfect place to see endangered rainforest plants and animals. Known for its rich bio-diversity and stunning natural beauty, the region has been called the most biologically intense places on Earth by National Geographic.
This intimate beachfront eco-resort offers the ultimate sanctuary if you’re seeking solace from the hectic world. Nestled off-the-beaten-path in the virgin Costa Rican rainforest of the Southern Osa Peninsula, guests have an endless selection of quiet places to meditate and reflect.
Only 50 meters away from the waves, you can see the private beach while practicing yoga from our elegantly designed second floor Yoga Studio. Onsite, there is also a chemical-free lap pool for an afternoon swim.
For accommodations, you will stay in one of Blue Osa’s beautiful rooms – single, double, or triple (one bed per person). Each room or studio has its own private bathroom.
What You Get
- 8-day/7-night retreat
- daily morning yoga intensive with ocean view
- daily afternoon Yin Yoga, lecture, Yoga Nidra Meditation
- 3 farm-to-table meals a day (The menu is primarily vegan
but with chicken, fish and eggs options provided during the week.) - $50 gift certificate to use for spa service
- round trip shuttle service between Port Jimenez airport and Blue Osa if you travel on 1st and last day of retreat
- accommodations in one of Blue Osa’s beautiful and elegant rooms
- Remote beachfront location with easy access to private beach
- 25-meter chemical-free, ionized lap pool
- free wifi
- access to Osa rainforest preserves
- access to on-site full service eco spa (not covered by tuition)
FAQs
What airport can I use? Where is it? How do I get there?
Blue Osa is located about 8 miles (11 km) south of Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica.
Most people fly to the Puerto Jimenez airport from the San Jose airport (SJO).
Blue Osa Travels helps you plan your trip easily and worry-free.
Blue Osa Travels can:
-Help you with all of your flights.
-Take care of any additional nights you need in San Jose or Puerto Jimenez.
-Book any day trip tours you would like to do in San Jose.
-Book accommodations in San Jose.
If you would like Blue Osa Travels to take care of you, email blueosatravels@gmail.com and include:
-Your international travel itinerary.
-If you will need us to book any nights for you in Puerto Jimenez.
-If you will need any additional nights in San Jose
-If you would like to book any tours in San Jose
-Requests for any other travel needs in Costa Rica.
Your tuition DOES cover round-trip shuttle service from the Puerto Jimenez airport to Blue Osa if you use the shuttle service on the 1st and last day of the retreat.
*Note: If you do book independently, Blue Osa Travels will not be able to help you with any issues you might encounter regarding your travel and flights.
What does tuition cover?
Residential tuition is all-inclusive. It covers all your meals, training curriculum, accommodations in a room with a bathroom. The residential tuition also covers round-trip shuttle transfer from the Puerto Jimenez airport to Blue Osa IF you use the shuttle service on the 1st and last retreat day.
All meals are vegan. There will be eggs offered in the morning. Occasionally, meat or fish offered for dinner. The meal schedule is:
Dinner on Day 1 (December 5)
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner on Days 2-7 (December 6-11)
Breakfast on Day 8 (December 12)
What are check-in and check-out times?
Check-in starts 14:00 (2:00pm) on December 5. The training will start at 16:00 (4:00pm) on December 5.
Retreat will end at 9:30am on December 12 with breakfast that morning. (Check out is 10:00am).
What is the daily schedule?
This is a 33+ hour training that encompasses a daily 3.5-hour morning yoga intensive followed by a 2.5 to 3.5-hour afternoon session. The daily training schedule will most likely be this: 8:30am-12:00pm morning yoga intensive > 3:00-6:00pm afternoon session. It is subject to change slightly. We will dedicate two afternoon to free time at the beach or whatever you’d like to do. On the first day (December 5), training starts at 16:00. On the last day (December 12), training ends at 9:30am. Heidi and Cat will host a 1-hour silent group self-practice followed by a led closing ceremony on the last day.
What are accommodations like?
You will be staying in a spacious and elegant room in one of Osa Blue’s rooms with an additional one or two roommates. Each room has its own private bathroom. The types of beds in each room range from double bed to twin daybed to queen. There is currently a waiting list for private rooms if you wish to have no roommates.
Can I stay an extra night?
Mostly likely not, but maybe. Blue Osa tends to be very busy and booked during December as it is prime time to visit Costa Rica. Fill out the message form below to inquire.
Can I smoke? Have a beer?
No smoking, recreational drugs, or alcohol on the retreat property during the event.
I can’t do a Handstand. Can I come?
You don’t need to have an arm balance or inversion practice to participate in this retreat. We ask that you know how to do Dolphin with hands clasped or Downward Facing Dog in order to participate in the piking. Anyone can benefit from this Piking Camp. You will do practices that open and strengthen your core, sharpen your focus, and help you relax, whether or not you want to pike. Everyone will be given appropriate alternatives for poses they don’t want to or can’t do.
What yoga props should I bring?
The yoga props you’ll be using in this training are: 1 yoga mat, 2 large yoga blocks like this, 1 yoga blanket, 1 rolled up mat or large beach towel, 1 strap, wristwrap gloves like this, a pair of WHITE socks and a back brace. If you have a bolster, bring it; you will use it. The gloves and back brace can help support your wrists and back during partner spotting. Fortunately, Blue Osa provides almost all these props except for white socks, gloves, and back brace, so please try to bring these. We highly encourage you to bring your own personal yoga mat so that you can double up with a Blue Osa mat to form a thick bolster.
Can I bring children?
Yes you can. If your child is under 2 years of age, there is no charge. For children aged 2 years and up, the charge is $55 plus 13% CR tax per day provided that the child is staying in the same room as the parent or guardian.
Registration Information
Registration is limited to 15 people and will close once all 15 spots are filled.
To reserve your spot, we require a non-refundable deposit in USD for each person that is attending the retreat. That includes a non-refundable deposit for each partner, each child 2 years and up, each friend, etc., even if all of you are planning on staying in the same room.
We offer two different non-refundable deposit rates – a lower rate ($250 USD) and higher rate ($500 USD).
The lower rate ($250) is for the first ten people to sign up by December 31, 2019
The higher rate ($500) is for anyone who signs up between January 1 – June 30, 2019.
The full balance for Early Bird Rate is due no later than July 1, 2020.
If you pay the non-refundable deposit or final balance after July 1, 2020, then you will be charged the regular rate (additional $400).
Tuition covers all meals, training curriculum, and accommodations and shared bathroom in your room. It also covers round-trip shuttle transfer between Port Jimenez airport and Blue Osa if you use the shuttle service on the 1st and last day of the retreat.
Residential Tuition – Early Bird Rate: (includes training, vegan meals, accommodations, non-refundable deposit, and round-trip shuttle transfer between Port Jimenez airport and Blue Osa if you use the shuttle service on the 1st and last day of the retreat)
Single – $2799 USD Wait List
Double – $1799 USD per person
Triple – $1599 USD per person
Cancellation/Refund Policy
This following cancellation/refund policy is strict, no exceptions.
The following policy applies to the first 15 people who sign up:
*90+ days prior to retreat: Full refund of monies less transaction fees and non-refundable deposit.
*less than 90 days prior to retreat: No refund. No exceptions.
*If you switch between non-residential and residential, a $100 admin fee applies.
If Blue Osa is able to accommodate more than 15 people, then each person who signs up after the first 15 spots have been filled must put down a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total cost. For example, 50% of $1799 (double room) or 50% of $1599 (triple room) or 50% of $2799 (single room).
If you have made payment but need to cancel your attendance, you are welcome to transfer your spot to someone you designate to attend in your place.
How to Pay
To hold your spot, you must pay a non-refundable deposit.
If you are one of the first ten people to sign up by December 31, 2019, then you pay a lower rate deposit – $250 non-refundable deposit – and qualify for the Early Bird Rate.
If you sign up between January 1 – June 30, 2019, then you pay a $500 non-refundable deposit and also qualify for the Early Bird Rate.
Payment is accepted via Paypal (US residents) or Wire Transfer (non-US residents). No other payment options are available – we don’t take Cash app, Venmo app, or any other service.
Email catherine [at] yogasublime [dot] com for payment instructions with subject line – “Pike Camp 2020 Deposit.”
