I don’t entirely know why I decided to do my yoga teacher training (YTT), I never really had any intentions in becoming a yoga teacher. But it was something I wanted to do for myself. Not as a means to an end, just something for me. I think at first I was just looking for a yoga retreat I could attend, but after some browsing and price comparing I decided that a YTT would cover more of what I was interested. And then I thought, why not do it somewhere gorgeous and turn it into a holiday. (Note to self, YTT is no holiday, nor is it a retreat). It actually turned out to be much cheaper doing it abroad too. YTT options in London were more expensive and took longer to complete (rather than being an intensive few weeks, they were 1 session a week spread over months). So in the end, it was a no-brainer. I already had a trip planned to travel around Central America, so I searched online for 200h YTTs in that area that fit with my timeline. The vast majority of options were in Costa Rica, and the most affordable option with good reviews was Vida Asana - so that's where I went.
Read more about my personal experience in my journal.
Teaching
The 200-Hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training at Vida Asana is called 'Awakenings'. These trainings are primarily led by teacher Alejandra Torres, a passionate and strong teacher. She covers the yoga training and practice, yoga history and philosophy, and teaching methodology. The other guest teachers cover anatomy and physiology, yoga lifestyle and Ayurveda, and training and practice of different types of yoga. It will depend on availability as to who those teachers are.
Course syllabus:
Yoga history - Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita
Yoga philosophy - gunas, koshas, samskaras, yamas and niyamas, prana and its associated systems, tattvas
Asanas - alignment, use of props, modifications, hands-on adjustments, contraindications
Meditation practice
Pranayama techniques
Teaching methodology
How to sequence classes and develop your own teaching style
Business and ethics of yoga teaching
Ale Torres is a spectacular teacher. She works you hard (again, note to self - YTT is no retreat), there's no escaping that you will go deeper into your asanas, and you'll be slick with sweat. But she is so thorough with her teaching. You truly understand the absolute foundations of yoga, from the positioning of your feet to the development of the different branches of yoga. There are plenty of opportunities to ask questions, and classes often feature discussions. What I really loved about the experience was how Ale drew on the expertise of the group. If someone had a medical background, or had strong understanding of the history in India, or has teaching experience from being a personal trainer, she was not afraid to ask them for their opinions, or to explain useful concepts. Classes were engaging, everyone felt comfortable feeding in their own experiences or recommendations for further study. It fostered a really supportive and communal environment. I can't lie, as a British-bred woman, I was a little uncomfortable with the openness and friendliness of the other students (who were mostly from America and Canada), but after 2–3 days of acclimatising I really appreciated the safe and non-judgemental environment.
At the end of the 3 weeks are the yoga practicals and theory exam. You have around a day and a half completely to yourself to revise and practice for this, but there are sessions earlier in the week when this is built in. I felt well-prepared, where teachers and fellow students are all supportive in helping you create your own sequence, where you are encouraged to put your own unique spin on things.
Living
There are options for single, double, or triple occupancy rooms to suit your budget. I stayed in a triple occupancy room and felt the rooms had enough space for all three of us, and we all got on well. The rooms are nicely designed with a bed, side table, clothes horse and shelves/cupboards. Each room is ensuite - although just to note that in the jungle rooms the walls of the ensuite don't go all the way up to the ceiling, so it's more like a cubicle. There are additional toilets and outdoor showers in the communal areas if you needed them, so together sharing a bathroom with three was fine. Usually all students will stay on site. However, due to the size of our group, a handful of students stayed off-site at a nearby hotel. This wasn't ideal in terms of getting to class on time and fully integrating with the group, and was feedback that I hope the owner takes on.
Vida Asana has a pool, a trampoline, hammocks, coaster brake bikes, an ice-bath, and plenty of yoga props. It's located a 7-minute walk from a mini-mart, 20-minute walk to the beach and neighbouring beach bars, and a 10-minute drive to central Jaco. You are welcome to use the bikes to reach these places too, and Uber is readily available. If a large group of us were planning to go out, Vida Asana would organise transport for all of us on-the-house.
Days are long (4 hours of physical yoga, 6.5 hours of theory) and over the three weeks you only get 2 days off. It's an intensive program, but you're looked after well.
Daily schedule:
5:40am I’d usually wake up at this time, have a quick body shower and a cup of tea.
6:00am Morning yoga practice. The first 30 minutes are typically a meditation and pranayama practice. This is then followed by a stronger practice where you learn about asana alignments.
8:30am Breakfast and free time.
9:30am Morning lecture on yoga philosophy, anatomy, or teaching methodology
11:30am Practice teaching session. Apply what was learnt in earlier sessions to practice teaching and adjusting others.
1:00pm Lunch and free time. Free time = pool time. Some people would make a quick trip to the beach on the free bikes available.
2:00pm Afternoon lecture on yoga philosophy, anatomy, or teaching methodology. Or a workshop learning about different types of yoga or yoga lifestyle.
5:00pm Evening yoga practice. This is usually more restorative, but will occasionally feature special guest teachers who deliver.
6:30pm Dinner and free time. People usually start to turn in around 8pm following the long day.
This is your schedule 6 days a week. So over the three-week period you get 2 days off. Activities are organised by Vida Asana which you can sign up for, some at an additional price, some free. There were trips to Manuel Antonio National Park, sweat lodge experiences (which were apparently transformative), surf lessons, massages, free hiking tours and more. Alternatively, you can use your day off to spend it how you choose, exploring Jaco.
Interior of Jungle Rooms. Photo by Vida Asana.
Interior of Shala Rooms. Photo by Vida Asana.
Nearby beach, Playa HermosaEating
All 3 meals, drinks, and fruit snacks are included. The food is made fresh, using fresh ingredients. I'm talking freshly made coconut milk for breakfast kind of fresh. Meals are mostly vegan, with the occasional fish dish each week. They cater to most dietary requirements - there was one student who was a fruitarian, and they catered to her quite easily.
All meals are served buffet style where you can help yourself. In the early morning, before first practice, fresh fruit and hot drinks are served. This is followed by a large breakfast spread of fruit, yoghurt, chia pudding, quinoa porridge and a rotating cooked breakfast menu. Lunch is a lighter meal, usually made up of different salad dishes and a soup. Dinner is then a larger meal with two main options and dessert. Everyone is expected to be at dinner on time, as this is when announcements are made and provides an opportunity for the whole community to come together. It is not a requirement to eat every meal on site, and occasionally some will go off to have dinner out in town.
The food is so good that I even bought the cook book that most of the recipes are based on. Unfortunately, it does seem that access to fresh and tasty ingredients is the secret to these dishes, they didn’t translate quite as well back in the UK (tomato soup made from just tomatoes doesn't quite hit the same here).
Photo from Vida AsanaNeed to knows
The group is quite big, nearly 30 people will be in attendance. This was a bit overwhelming for me initially, but I got used to it, and still got to know everyone really well. If you’re looking for something more intimate, I’d suggest checking in with the organiser first, or looking elsewhere.
Importantly, completing this training does not take you to the complete 200 hours. You will be required to undertake additional training or teaching experience in your own time to complete this. I did this by offering free community yoga classes in my neighbourhood.
R’s take
This was such a remarkable and moving experience for myself. It wasn’t anything like I expected – it was harder, and way more intense in training and environment. But it was also so much more rewarding for understanding myself and yoga at a deeper level. If you’re ready to go deeper, then I highly recommend!
Find out more and book at: vidaasana.com
This review is entirely my own opinion. I am in no way affiliated or working in partnership with Vida Asana.