Wellness retreats
| treatment | |
|---|---|
| Yoga Retreats | Price on request |
| Meditation retreats | Price on request |
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Costa Rica, Nicoya
Ashtanga Yoga Mama
About the clinic
Ashtanga Yoga Mama is a wellness retreat in Nicoya, Costa Rica. It specializes in Ashtanga yoga and holistic wellness programs. The retreat is set in the Nicoya Peninsula, a recognized Blue Zone.
- Nicoya Peninsula is one of the world's five Blue Zones, associated with exceptional longevity.
Highlights
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Ashtanga Yoga Mama
The clinic is not accepting new requests
Submit your request to get the best option in Costa Rica
Average answering time – 5 minutes
Treatments prices in the clinic
Last price update – {{date}}. Prices may change depending on the medical case and the doctor's recommendations.
Clinic Doctors
Wellness Specialist
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Ashtanga Yoga Mama: more details about the clinic
Costa Rica, Nicoya
Ashtanga Yoga Mama is a wellness retreat located on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. This region is a recognized Blue Zone, associated with exceptional longevity. The retreat specializes in traditional Ashtanga yoga and holistic wellness programs for the mind and body.
Academic and Traditional Foundations
Irena Bartolec leads the retreats with over 20 years of experience. She holds a degree from the University of Zagreb in Croatia, where her research focused on the influence of yoga on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. She was authorized to teach by the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute (KPJAYI) in Mysore, India.
Bartolec established the first traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa program in Croatia at her studio, Body Element Yoga. She later managed the Ashtanga Mysore program at Seminyak Yoga Shala in Bali. Today, she hosts curated retreats on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, mentoring students of all experience levels.
Retreat Programs and Specialties
The retreat offers curated programs for individuals and groups, including:
- Private Tailored Retreats: Includes a personalized yoga program and one-on-one mentorship.
- Group Tailored Retreats: Designed for groups of up to 9 people, such as families, friends, or teams.
- Motherhood Workshops: Specialized programs using yoga and mindfulness to assist with the daily challenges of parenting.
- Cultural Wellness Retreats: Includes women-only experiences like the Día de los Muertos retreat in Mexico.
- Forest Escape Retreats: Held at Ekodrom Estate, an eco-friendly property near Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.
Methodologies and Wellness Services
Programs combine traditional yoga with meditation and mindfulness techniques. Tailored retreats in Costa Rica incorporate unstructured time to practice the "Art of Doing Nothing" and include afternoon restorative yoga sessions. The Group Private Paradise Retreat in Costa Rica also includes a 60-minute massage.
Sessions may include Metta meditation, a practice from the Buddhist tradition used to cultivate loving-kindness. Bartolec also applies Ayurvedic principles to help balance the body's energy. For summer, she recommends slower yoga sequences and dietary modifications to regulate Pitta Dosha, which governs metabolic reactions and can manifest as irritation or inflammation when in excess.
Facilities
Retreats in Costa Rica are hosted at Rancho De Linda, a beachfront villa overlooking Playa Azul and the Pacific Ocean. Features include:
- Open-air yoga shala with panoramic ocean views and a shaded roof.
- Saltwater lap pool.
- Private beach access.
- Lush tropical gardens and meditation spaces.
- Traditional Herbal Steam Detox treatments.
Guests stay in boutique villas featuring rustic stone interiors, natural wood decor, and natural light.
Guest Services
Ashtanga Yoga Mama serves an international community, including students from France, Canada, and Australia. Meals follow a farm-to-table approach using organic ingredients from local farmers. Private chefs prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes, and gluten-free options are available. Available services for specific programs include:
- Initial consultations to assess experience levels.
- Personal concierge services.
- Airport group shuttles (included in the Ashtanga Tropicana retreat).
- Integration support (included in Private and Group Tailored retreat packages).
Additional services
Language assistance
Available
free
Accommodation
Hotel (apartments) near the clinic, billed daily
Patient reviews
5 Google
reviews
L Sloane Winkes
Oct 9, 2025
Irena’s Ashtanga Yoga Mama Retreat was everything I was looking and hoping for! I spent six days at the beautiful retreat house overlooking Playa Azul. The beach is stunning and quiet. I walked for 30 to 45 minutes every day and never saw more than one other person. The house is very comfortable, quiet, so peaceful, listening to the waves every night. The food was incredible! Huge, healthy meals with amazing flavor thanks to our wonderful chef Jamie. But most amazing of all was Irena and her kind, patient, intuitive yoga practice. We spent an hour and a half every morning and an hour in the evening on meditation, breathwork, and ashtanga yoga. I was not new to yoga, but had not had an instructor so carefully help me with poses in years. Right from the discovery call with Irena I knew from her thoughtful questions that she would be the right person to guide me through my yoga practice at this time in my life. We worked hard and I definitely saw good results with an improvement in my practice and my body by the end of the week. I also really enjoyed sitting with her and her other guest at meals, having wonderful, deep conversations that contributed to my sense of wellness. I felt truly seen and cared for at Irena’s retreat. I cannot recommend Irena and her retreat at Playa Azul highly enough!
Trudi Tapscott
Sep 29, 2025
Spending time in this magical place with Irena gave me the deep shift I was seeking. She is patient with all our levels of yoga and creates an open space that focuses on each individual. Her ability to sense what I needed was intuitive and sensitive. The food is fresh and delicious with incredibly comfortable accommodations. A constant sound of the ocean gave me so much peace and relaxation. It is a special taste of Costa Rica including yoga, swimming, meditation and space to breathe and let go. I am forever grateful for the experience and Irena’s kindness to support me on a new journey.
Gea D'Ambrosio
Aug 10, 2025
I joined Irena for a wonderful retreat near Plitvice National Park in Croatia. It was such an amazing experience! I met people from all over the world, improved my yoga practice, ate delicious food, relaxed with hot tub, sauna, massage and stunning environment, creating connections beyond words. Thanks Sasha, Irena and all the staff for this incredible experience! 🙏🏻 Highly recommended! 🥰
Aishwarya Krishnan
May 8, 2025
Irena’s retreat will ensure you feel refreshed and reenergized for everyday life. The villa is in a great location, the chef Jamie made nourishing, flavorful gluten free meals for me. I have been craving her food even after a week. The retreat itself is well planned with yoga and wellness activity to start and end the day, in between you have time to explore. Learning yoga from Irena has helped me get better in such a short time. I highly recommend this retreat for anyone who needs a break filled with nature, nourishing food, yoga.
Fernanda Morelli
Feb 16, 2025
I had the pleasure of attending the Ashtanga Yoga Mama retreat in Costa Rica, and it was truly a wonderful experience.
The retreat itself was a perfect blend of yoga, mindfulness, and relaxation. Irena is an exceptional Ashtangi, with a deep understanding of the practice and a passion for sharing her knowledge. She led us through the primary series, tailoring them to our individual needs and abilities. The daily meditation sessions were also a highlight, providing a space for stillness and reflection.
The food was absolutely delicious, with fresh, organic meals prepared by a talented chef - thanks Vittorio! The location was breathtaking, set on a beautiful beachfront property. We had plenty of free time to explore the area, go swimming, or simply relax and soak up the tranquility.
Overall, I cannot recommend this retreat enough. It was a truly transformative experience that I will cherish for years to come. If you are looking for a yoga retreat that combines expert instruction, delicious food, and a stunning location, I highly recommend Ashtanga Yoga Mama 🧘🏻♀️❤️🙏
Playa Azul, Guanacaste Province, Nosara, 50206, Costa Rica
updated 11/6/2026
Get a free consultation
Ashtanga Yoga Mama
The clinic is not accepting new requests
Submit your request to get the best option in Costa Rica
Average answering time – 5 minutes
How it works:
- We find a medical coordinator familiar with the matter
- You get a personal offer with a step-by-step guide and the cost estimate
- We arrange your travel including appointment scheduling and flights booking
- You arrive at the hospital, we support you 24/7