Life as a Ceremony Retreat
Life as a Ceremony
A 10-Day Yoga, Ritual and Mindful-Living Retreat in Costa Rica
Tuesday, November 3–Thursday, November 12, 2026
The Yoga Sanctuary and Tirimbina Biological Reserve
La Virgen de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica
Your daily life is sacred.
What if preparing your morning tea could become a meditation?
What if bathing could become an act of cleansing, cooking could become an offering, and resting could become a form of prayer?
What if ceremony were not something reserved for special occasions, but a way of moving through everyday life with greater presence, intention and reverence?
Life as a Ceremony is a 10-day retreat devoted to transforming the ordinary into the sacred.
Surrounded by the Costa Rican rainforest, we will explore how simple, everyday actions can become meaningful practices that bring us back into relationship with ourselves, the Earth, our communities and Spirit.
Through daily yoga, mantra, breathwork, sound, cacao, forest therapy, creative practice and sacred ceremony, you will be invited to slow down and experience your life more fully.
This is not about making every moment elaborate or perfect. It is about learning to bring your full presence to the life that is already here.
What Does It Mean to Live Life as a Ceremony?
Ceremony begins with intention.
The difference between an ordinary action and a ceremonial one is often the quality of awareness we bring to it.
When we pause before eating, express gratitude and receive our food with presence, a meal becomes more than nourishment.
When we breathe consciously before responding, a difficult conversation can become an opportunity to practice compassion.
When we clean our home with care, the act can become an energetic clearing.
When we honor transitions rather than rushing through them, we begin to experience life as a series of meaningful thresholds.
Living ceremonially does not require expensive tools, complicated rituals or adherence to one spiritual tradition. It asks us to become attentive—to notice how we begin, how we end, what we carry and what we are ready to release.
During this retreat, you will learn how to create personal ceremonies that are grounded, respectful and connected to your authentic beliefs and lived experience.
This Retreat May Be for You If…
You feel disconnected from the meaning within your daily life.
You have been moving quickly, completing tasks without feeling fully present for them.
You want to develop spiritual practices that feel practical and sustainable.
You are navigating a transition, ending or new beginning that you would like to honor.
You are a healer, caregiver, teacher, guide or community leader who spends much of your life holding space for others.
You are drawn to yoga, sound, mantra, cacao, nature and intentional living.
You want to reconnect with creativity, devotion and gratitude.
You are ready to slow down and relate to your life with greater reverence.
No previous experience with yoga, meditation, mantra or ceremonial practice is required. You only need a willingness to arrive with curiosity, respect and an open heart.
Two Sacred Spaces, One Immersive Experience
The Yoga Sanctuary
Our meals, yoga classes, workshops and ceremonies will be held at The Yoga Sanctuary, a modern, open-air treehouse surrounded by the lush landscape of Sarapiquí.
The sanctuary will become our shared ceremonial home—a place to practice, eat, learn, create, rest and gather in community.
Here, everyday moments become part of the retreat experience. Preparing for practice, sharing meals, drinking tea, listening to the forest and caring for our communal space will all become opportunities to live with greater awareness.
Tirimbina Biological Reserve
Guests will stay next door at Tirimbina Biological Reserve and Rainforest Lodge, located less than a minute’s walk from The Yoga Sanctuary.
Tirimbina is a center for rainforest conservation, environmental education and biological research. Surrounded by tropical forest, gardens, wildlife, trails and the living sounds of the rainforest, your accommodations will offer a peaceful place to rest and integrate.
Together, Tirimbina and The Yoga Sanctuary create a beautiful balance between comfortable lodging, intimate community, spiritual practice and immersion in nature.
The Life as a Ceremony Experience
During our time together, you will be guided through:
• Daily yoga and meditation
• Conscious breathwork
• Somatic and embodied practices
• A workshop on creating meaningful personal ceremonies
• Mantra and sacred-sound workshops
• Immersive sound ceremonies
• Heart-opening cacao ceremonies
• Forest therapy and mindful connection with nature
• A traditional Temazcal ceremony
• Tea and fire rituals
• Journaling and personal reflection
• Storytelling and integration circles
• A handmade journal workshop
• Spacious periods for rest and quiet contemplation
Every experience will be offered as an invitation. You will be encouraged to listen to your body and participate in ways that feel supportive and authentic.
The Art of Handmade Journaling
As part of the retreat, you will learn how to create a journal by hand.
Your journal will become more than a notebook. It will be a personal vessel for prayers, reflections, dreams, intentions, memories and the ceremonies you create during our time together.
The process of choosing materials, assembling the pages and working slowly with your hands becomes a ceremony in itself—an opportunity to practice patience, creativity and care.
You will return home with something meaningful that you created and can continue using in your personal practice.
A Day at Life as a Ceremony
Each day will carry its own rhythm, but a typical day may unfold like this:
Morning
Wake to the sounds of the rainforest and begin the day with meditation, breathwork, mantra or yoga.
After practice, we will gather for a nourishing breakfast at The Yoga Sanctuary, learning to approach our meals as moments of presence, connection and gratitude.
Midday
Late mornings may include a ceremony workshop, handmade journaling, forest therapy or another embodied learning experience.
After lunch, there will be space for rest, journaling, quiet time, nature walks or personal integration.
Evening
As the day softens, we will gather for cacao, sound, mantra, storytelling, fire, tea or another ceremonial practice.
The evening will close gently, creating space to reflect on the day and return to Tirimbina for deep rest.
The schedule will be intentional without feeling rigid. There will be meaningful practices as well as time to breathe, receive and simply be.
What You Will Learn
During Life as a Ceremony, you will explore how to:
• Create personal ceremonies for beginnings, endings and transitions
• Bring intention into ordinary activities
• Use breath, movement, sound and silence as ceremonial tools
• Create a sacred atmosphere without needing elaborate materials
• Work with mantra as a practice of concentration and devotion
• Develop simple morning and evening rituals
• Honor meals, rest, bathing, cleaning and time in nature
• Create ceremonies that reflect your authentic spiritual beliefs
• Recognize the difference between respectful practice and cultural appropriation
• Close and integrate a ceremony with care
• Continue living ceremonially after returning home
What You May Carry Home
You may leave with:
• A handmade ceremonial journal
• Personal rituals that can be practiced at home
• A more grounded relationship with mantra and sacred sound
• Tools for bringing presence into everyday activities
• A deeper appreciation for the sacredness of your body and your life
• Practices for honoring transitions, grief, gratitude and new beginnings
• Greater connection with nature and the elements
• A renewed sense of devotion, creativity and meaning
• A community of people committed to living with intention
This retreat will not ask you to become someone new.
It will invite you to become more present for the person you already are and the life you are already living.
Your Retreat Includes
• 10 days and 9 nights in Sarapiquí, Costa Rica
• Shared accommodations at Tirimbina Rainforest Lodge
• Three nourishing meals daily at The Yoga Sanctuary
• Daily yoga, meditation or embodied movement
• Breathwork practices
• Ceremony-building workshop
• Mantra workshop
• Handmade journal workshop and materials
• Cacao ceremonies
• Sound ceremonies
• Forest therapy
• Temazcal ceremony
• Storytelling and integration circles
• Tea, fire and reflection rituals
• All scheduled retreat classes, workshops and ceremonies
Please share any allergies or dietary needs before reserving your place so we can confirm whether they can be accommodated.
Not Included
• Flights to and from Costa Rica
• Airport transportation unless specifically added to your reservation
• Travel insurance
• Optional excursions or private services
• Personal purchases and souvenirs
• Additional accommodations before or after the retreat
Your Guide
Life as a Ceremony is hosted by Yogini Jo, founder of The Yoga Sanctuary and Brown Girl Yoga Tribe.
Jo is a 700-hour trained yoga teacher, Thai massage therapist and instructor, Level II Reiki practitioner and lifelong student of spiritual practice, embodied healing and alternative medicine.
Her work is devoted to making spiritual practice practical—bringing yoga, ritual, nervous system awareness, nature, storytelling and intentional living into the realities of everyday life.
She created The Yoga Sanctuary as a place where people can slow down, reconnect with what is sacred and remember that daily life itself can become the practice.
Guest facilitators will lead and teach selected portions of the retreat and share their unique ceremonial, creative and healing gifts.
Investment
Retreat investment: $1,770 per person
A $500 deposit reserves your place.
Flexible payment plans are available. We are happy to create a payment schedule that works for you, provided the full retreat balance is completed before arrival.
Cancellation Policy
All retreat payments are nonrefundable.
If you are unable to attend, the amount you have paid minus the deposit may be applied as a credit toward another retreat hosted by The Yoga Sanctuary within one year of the original retreat start date.
Retreat credits are subject to availability, may only be used by the original guest and have no cash value. Any difference in price for the future retreat will be the guest’s responsibility.
By submitting your payment, you acknowledge and agree to this cancellation policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I attend alone?
Yes. Many guests travel alone. The retreat is intentionally designed to support authentic connection while still allowing space for personal rest and reflection.
Do I need previous yoga experience?
No. Yoga and embodied practices will be offered with options for different bodies and experience levels.
Do I need experience with ceremony?
No. The retreat is designed to help you understand the foundations of ceremony and develop practices that feel authentic, grounded and sustainable.
Is this retreat connected to one religion?
No. Life as a Ceremony is spiritually inclusive and does not require adherence to any religion. You will be encouraged to work within your own beliefs while respecting the cultural and spiritual origins of the practices being shared.
Where will I stay?
Guests will stay in shared accommodations at Tirimbina Rainforest Lodge, directly next door to The Yoga Sanctuary. Meals, classes, workshops and ceremonies will take place at the sanctuary.
Which airport should I fly into?
Guests should fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, Costa Rica (SJO).
Please plan to arrive by 3:00pm on November 3rd and schedule departing flights after 1:00pm on November 12th.
Detailed transportation information will be provided after registration.
What should I bring?
After registering, you will receive a complete preparation and packing guide. Recommended items will include comfortable movement clothing, closed-toe walking shoes, rain protection, insect repellent, a reusable water bottle and any personal medications.
Materials for your handmade journal will be provided.
Is travel insurance required?
Comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended to protect your retreat investment in case of illness, travel interruption, flight cancellation or another unexpected circumstance.
Reserve Your Place
Life does not become sacred only when everything is peaceful, beautiful or perfectly arranged.
It becomes sacred when we choose to meet it with attention.
Come gather in the rainforest.
Come move, breathe, create and remember.
Come learn how to turn routine into ritual, presence into prayer and everyday life into ceremony.
Your life is the ceremony. Your presence is the offering.
Life as a Ceremony
A 10-Day Yoga, Ritual and Mindful-Living Retreat in Costa Rica
Tuesday, November 3–Thursday, November 12, 2026
The Yoga Sanctuary and Tirimbina Biological Reserve
La Virgen de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica
Your daily life is sacred.
What if preparing your morning tea could become a meditation?
What if bathing could become an act of cleansing, cooking could become an offering, and resting could become a form of prayer?
What if ceremony were not something reserved for special occasions, but a way of moving through everyday life with greater presence, intention and reverence?
Life as a Ceremony is a 10-day retreat devoted to transforming the ordinary into the sacred.
Surrounded by the Costa Rican rainforest, we will explore how simple, everyday actions can become meaningful practices that bring us back into relationship with ourselves, the Earth, our communities and Spirit.
Through daily yoga, mantra, breathwork, sound, cacao, forest therapy, creative practice and sacred ceremony, you will be invited to slow down and experience your life more fully.
This is not about making every moment elaborate or perfect. It is about learning to bring your full presence to the life that is already here.
What Does It Mean to Live Life as a Ceremony?
Ceremony begins with intention.
The difference between an ordinary action and a ceremonial one is often the quality of awareness we bring to it.
When we pause before eating, express gratitude and receive our food with presence, a meal becomes more than nourishment.
When we breathe consciously before responding, a difficult conversation can become an opportunity to practice compassion.
When we clean our home with care, the act can become an energetic clearing.
When we honor transitions rather than rushing through them, we begin to experience life as a series of meaningful thresholds.
Living ceremonially does not require expensive tools, complicated rituals or adherence to one spiritual tradition. It asks us to become attentive—to notice how we begin, how we end, what we carry and what we are ready to release.
During this retreat, you will learn how to create personal ceremonies that are grounded, respectful and connected to your authentic beliefs and lived experience.
This Retreat May Be for You If…
You feel disconnected from the meaning within your daily life.
You have been moving quickly, completing tasks without feeling fully present for them.
You want to develop spiritual practices that feel practical and sustainable.
You are navigating a transition, ending or new beginning that you would like to honor.
You are a healer, caregiver, teacher, guide or community leader who spends much of your life holding space for others.
You are drawn to yoga, sound, mantra, cacao, nature and intentional living.
You want to reconnect with creativity, devotion and gratitude.
You are ready to slow down and relate to your life with greater reverence.
No previous experience with yoga, meditation, mantra or ceremonial practice is required. You only need a willingness to arrive with curiosity, respect and an open heart.
Two Sacred Spaces, One Immersive Experience
The Yoga Sanctuary
Our meals, yoga classes, workshops and ceremonies will be held at The Yoga Sanctuary, a modern, open-air treehouse surrounded by the lush landscape of Sarapiquí.
The sanctuary will become our shared ceremonial home—a place to practice, eat, learn, create, rest and gather in community.
Here, everyday moments become part of the retreat experience. Preparing for practice, sharing meals, drinking tea, listening to the forest and caring for our communal space will all become opportunities to live with greater awareness.
Tirimbina Biological Reserve
Guests will stay next door at Tirimbina Biological Reserve and Rainforest Lodge, located less than a minute’s walk from The Yoga Sanctuary.
Tirimbina is a center for rainforest conservation, environmental education and biological research. Surrounded by tropical forest, gardens, wildlife, trails and the living sounds of the rainforest, your accommodations will offer a peaceful place to rest and integrate.
Together, Tirimbina and The Yoga Sanctuary create a beautiful balance between comfortable lodging, intimate community, spiritual practice and immersion in nature.
The Life as a Ceremony Experience
During our time together, you will be guided through:
• Daily yoga and meditation
• Conscious breathwork
• Somatic and embodied practices
• A workshop on creating meaningful personal ceremonies
• Mantra and sacred-sound workshops
• Immersive sound ceremonies
• Heart-opening cacao ceremonies
• Forest therapy and mindful connection with nature
• A traditional Temazcal ceremony
• Tea and fire rituals
• Journaling and personal reflection
• Storytelling and integration circles
• A handmade journal workshop
• Spacious periods for rest and quiet contemplation
Every experience will be offered as an invitation. You will be encouraged to listen to your body and participate in ways that feel supportive and authentic.
The Art of Handmade Journaling
As part of the retreat, you will learn how to create a journal by hand.
Your journal will become more than a notebook. It will be a personal vessel for prayers, reflections, dreams, intentions, memories and the ceremonies you create during our time together.
The process of choosing materials, assembling the pages and working slowly with your hands becomes a ceremony in itself—an opportunity to practice patience, creativity and care.
You will return home with something meaningful that you created and can continue using in your personal practice.
A Day at Life as a Ceremony
Each day will carry its own rhythm, but a typical day may unfold like this:
Morning
Wake to the sounds of the rainforest and begin the day with meditation, breathwork, mantra or yoga.
After practice, we will gather for a nourishing breakfast at The Yoga Sanctuary, learning to approach our meals as moments of presence, connection and gratitude.
Midday
Late mornings may include a ceremony workshop, handmade journaling, forest therapy or another embodied learning experience.
After lunch, there will be space for rest, journaling, quiet time, nature walks or personal integration.
Evening
As the day softens, we will gather for cacao, sound, mantra, storytelling, fire, tea or another ceremonial practice.
The evening will close gently, creating space to reflect on the day and return to Tirimbina for deep rest.
The schedule will be intentional without feeling rigid. There will be meaningful practices as well as time to breathe, receive and simply be.
What You Will Learn
During Life as a Ceremony, you will explore how to:
• Create personal ceremonies for beginnings, endings and transitions
• Bring intention into ordinary activities
• Use breath, movement, sound and silence as ceremonial tools
• Create a sacred atmosphere without needing elaborate materials
• Work with mantra as a practice of concentration and devotion
• Develop simple morning and evening rituals
• Honor meals, rest, bathing, cleaning and time in nature
• Create ceremonies that reflect your authentic spiritual beliefs
• Recognize the difference between respectful practice and cultural appropriation
• Close and integrate a ceremony with care
• Continue living ceremonially after returning home
What You May Carry Home
You may leave with:
• A handmade ceremonial journal
• Personal rituals that can be practiced at home
• A more grounded relationship with mantra and sacred sound
• Tools for bringing presence into everyday activities
• A deeper appreciation for the sacredness of your body and your life
• Practices for honoring transitions, grief, gratitude and new beginnings
• Greater connection with nature and the elements
• A renewed sense of devotion, creativity and meaning
• A community of people committed to living with intention
This retreat will not ask you to become someone new.
It will invite you to become more present for the person you already are and the life you are already living.
Your Retreat Includes
• 10 days and 9 nights in Sarapiquí, Costa Rica
• Shared accommodations at Tirimbina Rainforest Lodge
• Three nourishing meals daily at The Yoga Sanctuary
• Daily yoga, meditation or embodied movement
• Breathwork practices
• Ceremony-building workshop
• Mantra workshop
• Handmade journal workshop and materials
• Cacao ceremonies
• Sound ceremonies
• Forest therapy
• Temazcal ceremony
• Storytelling and integration circles
• Tea, fire and reflection rituals
• All scheduled retreat classes, workshops and ceremonies
Please share any allergies or dietary needs before reserving your place so we can confirm whether they can be accommodated.
Not Included
• Flights to and from Costa Rica
• Airport transportation unless specifically added to your reservation
• Travel insurance
• Optional excursions or private services
• Personal purchases and souvenirs
• Additional accommodations before or after the retreat
Your Guide
Life as a Ceremony is hosted by Yogini Jo, founder of The Yoga Sanctuary and Brown Girl Yoga Tribe.
Jo is a 700-hour trained yoga teacher, Thai massage therapist and instructor, Level II Reiki practitioner and lifelong student of spiritual practice, embodied healing and alternative medicine.
Her work is devoted to making spiritual practice practical—bringing yoga, ritual, nervous system awareness, nature, storytelling and intentional living into the realities of everyday life.
She created The Yoga Sanctuary as a place where people can slow down, reconnect with what is sacred and remember that daily life itself can become the practice.
Guest facilitators will lead and teach selected portions of the retreat and share their unique ceremonial, creative and healing gifts.
Investment
Retreat investment: $1,770 per person
A $500 deposit reserves your place.
Flexible payment plans are available. We are happy to create a payment schedule that works for you, provided the full retreat balance is completed before arrival.
Cancellation Policy
All retreat payments are nonrefundable.
If you are unable to attend, the amount you have paid minus the deposit may be applied as a credit toward another retreat hosted by The Yoga Sanctuary within one year of the original retreat start date.
Retreat credits are subject to availability, may only be used by the original guest and have no cash value. Any difference in price for the future retreat will be the guest’s responsibility.
By submitting your payment, you acknowledge and agree to this cancellation policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I attend alone?
Yes. Many guests travel alone. The retreat is intentionally designed to support authentic connection while still allowing space for personal rest and reflection.
Do I need previous yoga experience?
No. Yoga and embodied practices will be offered with options for different bodies and experience levels.
Do I need experience with ceremony?
No. The retreat is designed to help you understand the foundations of ceremony and develop practices that feel authentic, grounded and sustainable.
Is this retreat connected to one religion?
No. Life as a Ceremony is spiritually inclusive and does not require adherence to any religion. You will be encouraged to work within your own beliefs while respecting the cultural and spiritual origins of the practices being shared.
Where will I stay?
Guests will stay in shared accommodations at Tirimbina Rainforest Lodge, directly next door to The Yoga Sanctuary. Meals, classes, workshops and ceremonies will take place at the sanctuary.
Which airport should I fly into?
Guests should fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, Costa Rica (SJO).
Please plan to arrive by 3:00pm on November 3rd and schedule departing flights after 1:00pm on November 12th.
Detailed transportation information will be provided after registration.
What should I bring?
After registering, you will receive a complete preparation and packing guide. Recommended items will include comfortable movement clothing, closed-toe walking shoes, rain protection, insect repellent, a reusable water bottle and any personal medications.
Materials for your handmade journal will be provided.
Is travel insurance required?
Comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended to protect your retreat investment in case of illness, travel interruption, flight cancellation or another unexpected circumstance.
Reserve Your Place
Life does not become sacred only when everything is peaceful, beautiful or perfectly arranged.
It becomes sacred when we choose to meet it with attention.
Come gather in the rainforest.
Come move, breathe, create and remember.
Come learn how to turn routine into ritual, presence into prayer and everyday life into ceremony.
Your life is the ceremony. Your presence is the offering.