About the Sanctuary
Founded in 2021, The Yoga Sanctuary is a sacred refuge nestled in nature, created to support individuals on the path of returning to their center. This space was born out of a deep calling to help people reconnect with the wisdom of their bodies, the rhythm of the Earth, and the truth of their hearts.
Here, we offer heart-centered retreats, yoga immersions, healing arts, and community gatherings that invite you to slow down, remember who you are, and live from a space of inner alignment. Whether you come to rest, study, create, or be held this sanctuary meets you where you are and offers tools for real embodiment and soulful living.
The Sanctuary is also home to the Brown Girl Yoga Tribe—a community movement that amplifies the voices and healing journeys of women of color through yoga, ritual, and sisterhood. While the Yoga Tribe is not the central focus of the sanctuary, its spirit of collective healing and representation lives here.
About the Soul behind the Sanctuary
My name is Jowana Marshall, I am the founder and creator of the Yoga Sanctuary
I’m a mother, teacher, writer, and space holder who found freedom through the practices of yoga, energy work, and ancestral remembrance. After growing up in the U.S. and surviving layers of trauma, loss, and silence, I followed the call of my soul and moved to Costa Rica seeking peace, healing, and a new way of living.
I didn’t come here to escape. I came here to remember.
To remember that I am whole.
To remember that I am love.
And to create a life that reflects that truth.
Since then, I’ve built The Yoga Sanctuary as a living altar for healing, embodiment, and heart-centered living. It’s where I guide retreats, host sacred gatherings, raise my children, and teach others how to live a life rooted in presence, spiritual practice, and community.
I hold over 700 hours of yoga teacher training, am certified in Reiki and Thai Massage, and I’ve spent years studying Ayurveda, metaphysics, and yogic philosophy, not only in books, but in life. My approach weaves the sacred and the everyday. I believe that healing happens when we return to the body, honor the seasons of our soul, and allow ourselves to be seen.
I’m also the founder of the Brown Girl Yoga Tribe, a global sisterhood devoted to reclaiming our magic through movement, stillness, and storytelling.
This work isn’t just my offering.
It’s my prayer.
Contact us
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