Yoga, Horses and Nature in Costa Rica

Arenal, Provincia de Guanacaste, Tilarán, Costa Rica

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Tula Vida
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1 review
Duration: 7 days
Group size: 2 - 12
Yoga, Horses and Nature in Costa Rica
Arenal, Provincia de Guanacaste, Tilarán, Costa Rica

Tula Vida
  • Email address verified
1 review

Duration: 7 days
Group size: 2 - 12

About this trip


Join us for a life-changing week of yoga and self-discovery, where nature, horses and experience will open your eyes to new possibilities and insights. 


We use a blend of ancient teachings and modern science - life is slower, simpler and sweeter here in Costa Rica. 


There’s no need to be a horse lover or have prior horse or yoga experience. 

Just bring your curiosity, and an open mind and heart. 


Yoga, Qi Gong, Mindfulness

Our Ranch is surrounded by 3 volcanos, a sunset view and rainforest, with rivers, springs and ponds - the horses roam freely in this stunning environment where you will find you can breathe more deeply and re-discover your flow...


In this beautiful setting, we will practice yoga together, enjoy Qi Gong outside with the horses (they love to come and join us) and meditate to the live rainforest soundtrack as the sun goes down over the valley.


Our stunning rooftop yoga deck has 360 degree views of the giant Tenorio volcano, the Miravalles and Rincon de la Vieja volcanos, the valley and fields, and the primary rainforest of the national park.


Nature and Horse Experiences

With cutting edge neuroscience and psychology based principles and tools, we will explore the world of the horse through their eyes, a non-verbal and energetic way of being, and learn to recalibrate our own nervous systems – with tools we can take home to continue the practice.

Perhaps the monkeys or the toucans will show up to bring a smile, as the vibrant flourishing forest stirs up your life-force, and you rest your eyes on the many shades of green, settling back into balance - the perfect conditions to feel safe, supported and inspired to explore whatever comes up.  

Horses will be your guides and teachers.


Build a Flexible and Resilient Nervous System

Imagine an untethered horse choosing to walk by your side through the field, or leaning their head in, or grazing peacefully around you, or staring into your eyes - seeing the real you and allowing you to do the same.  


Horses don't avoid the present moment with stress, thinking or stories, they allow their (very efficient) nervous systems to respond and to relax. They are wired for connection and living together in harmony and they know the secrets. 

What if we could learn to do the same?

At Tula Vida, you can.


Highlights

You’ll wake up each morning in a beautiful, comfortable room with the sun illuminating Tenorio and Miravalles volcanos.  Head out onto your expansive terrace for a coffee or some hammock time before you start the day.  


Immerse yourself in nature with daily guided yoga practice, soak in a mineral hot springs, take a paddleboard trip on Lake Arenal, explore the miles of trails, journal, meditate, enjoy delicious healthy meals, and of course bond with your own personal horse partner. 


Through specially designed activities and coaching sessions, you’ll leave feeling more grounded, rejuvenated and empowered to live life at a higher vibration as your authentic self. 


Your Teachers


Eric Kolesar is the co-founder of Tula Vida, guiding people to self-empowerment through experiences with horses, yoga, coaching and adventure. 


With understanding, compassion and mindfulness as the cornerstones of his beliefs and life work, Eric uses a variety of techniques firmly grounded in neuroscience to balance both mind and body, and liberate your authentic self to share your gifts with the world. 


Eric is a 500 hour Certified Yoga Instructor, equine facilitated learning facilitator, life coach, paddleboarding & SUP yoga instructor, and an expert in multiple modalities of energy and mindfulness work.


Sally Nilsson co-founded Tula Vida with Eric to focus on supporting others to find and access the life they truly want and to believe that they can create it.  


Understanding the mind, body, spirit connection is at the core of Sally's approach, with a focus on the transformational power of feeling truly safe and the foundational belief that each of us has  all the wisdom and power we need inside ourselves - we just need the right environment, support and tools to slow-down and tune-in. 


Sally is a certified life coach, equine facilitated learning facilitator, instructor in Polyvagal principles, as well as a lawyer and experienced facilitator of leadership and personal development activities. 

The Place - Tula Vida Ranch

Away from the sights and sounds of busy human life, we have created an oasis for both humans and horses. Every time we step onto the land we feel the power of the natural world to soothe, nourish and restore us. 


Tula Vida Ranch

Tula Vida Ranch is surrounded by 3 volcanos, an expansive sunset view and pristine rainforest, with rivers, springs and ponds - the horses roam freely in this stunning environment where you will find you can breathe more deeply and re-discover your flow.


Accommodation

Our rooms are beautiful and comfortable with a terrace and individual bathrooms.  


The Villas are double rooms with private bathrooms and a stunning terrace. The Horse Manor has private rooms with a shared kitchen/living area and a stunning terrace where the horses may come and join you for your morning coffee. 


Our communal lodge is where we share meals, practice yoga and is a safe, comfortable space to rest. 


Nourishment

Meals are home-cooked with love, using fresh local ingredients.  Our water comes from our abundant natural springs and we have air fresh from the trees to breathe - everything is designed to be in harmony with the surroundings and support your mind, body and spirit to rest, re-energise and renew.


Environment and Herd

We are 100% off-the-grid with our own solar power and fresh spring water living in harmony with nature while remaining a safe, comfortable human retreat. We even have good internet!


We have planted 1000s of trees and plants already, including a food forest and a nursery for endangered trees, to encourage the forest to regenerate and give wildlife corridors to pass through the neighbouring national parks.  It is a true sanctuary for all visitors, which includes shy tapirs, rare bell-birds and plenty of toucans, sloths and monkeys.


We spend a lot of time out on the stunning 72 acre property - with trails, rivers, waterfalls, valleys, primary rainforest and abundant wildlife - truly accessible nature.  


Tula Vida Foundation is a 501c charity registered in the US with a mission to rescue horses in Costa Rica and sponsor people to come for transformational horse experiences and retreats.


A visit to us supports not just yourself but also the natural environment, the rescue horses, the local community who work with us and people without the means to have these kind of experiences.

What’s included

  • Yoga
    Daily yoga with Eric Kolesar, Iyengar-based flow or restorative yoga
  • Qi Gong with Horses
    Practice Qi Gong with the horses out in nature & notice how they are drawn to the energy flow
  • Horse Experience
    Transformational equine experiential learning with the Tula Vida herd, facilitated by Eric & Sally - create a connection with a horse, become part of the herd, and see where connection can take you...
  • Mindfulness Tools
    Take-home tools and ideas for living more mindfully
  • Sunset Meditations
    Gather for spectacular sunsets to savour the moment and practice gratitude together
  • Hot Springs excursion
    Soak in local, natural mineral hot springs
  • Restorative Massage
    Enjoy a 1 hour intuitive massage
  • Nature-based Experiences
    Plenty of time in nature - science shows that being in nature is good for wellbeing
  • Integration
    Relax in the hammock, journal by the lake, meditate with the monkeys - free time to reflect, enjoy & integrate experiences
  • Transportation
    Roundtrip group transportation between Liberia International Airport (LIR) and Tula Vida at set times on Retreat Arrival/Departure Dates
  • Accommodation
    6 nights at Tula Vida Ranch with full access to miles of trails, surrounding horses, spring-fed pond and more
  • Meals
    3 meals per day, starting with arrival dinner on Day 1 and ending with departure breakfast on final day

What’s not included

  • Airfare
    You arrange your own travel to/from Liberia airport (LIR) in Costa Rica on retreat arrival/departure dates.
  • Alcoholic beverages
    We recommend not drinking alcohol during the retreat so as to be full present and connected.
  • Trip insurance
    We require that travel insurance is purchased in case of any need to cancel, travel disruption or medical emergencies.
  • Tips
    This is optional but often people want to leave tips for staff and drivers

Available Packages

The Lodge - private rooms
Deposit:$500
Available until 2 days before departure

Perfect for those on a budget, our Lodge is our central dining, cooking and shared space, with our rooftop yoga deck above it and several private bedrooms at the back. 

Each room has a private bathroom.

$1,942 + 13% service tax

$2,195
Deposit:$500
The Villas - shared room
Deposit:$500
Available until 2 days before departure

Sharing one of our beautiful rooms in the Villas, with a giant terrace and stunning views, located right next to the Lodge (for dining and yoga). 

Each room has 2 double beds, private bathroom, kitchenette, table and chairs.

$1,750 + 13% service tax

$1,978
Deposit:$500
The Villas - private king room with bath
Deposit:$750
Available until 2 days before departure

Our master room in the Villas, with a giant terrace and stunning views, located right next to the Lodge (for dining and yoga). 

This room has a King bed, private bathroom with both bathtub and shower, kitchenette, table and chairs.

$2410 + 13% service tax

$2,724
Deposit:$750
The Horse Manor - private rooms
Deposit:$1,000
Available until 2 days before departure

The Horse Manor is designed to share half of its beautiful terrace with the horses, so you can enjoy morning coffee or yoga with your new friends while looking out over the volcano valley.

It is located a little way into the ranch, down a gentle slope below the Lodge (for dining and yoga) and the Villas, with some of the best views in the place!


Each room has a private bathroom and an adjoining lounge/kitchen, as well as the outside terrace.

$2410 + 13% service tax

$2,724
Deposit:$1,000

Available options

Extra nights at Tula Vida
$200

Stay extra nights before or after your retreat for relaxation, reflection & integration. 

Price includes breakfast (usual price $250).

Paddleboarding on Lake Arenal
$150

Eric is a certified paddle boarding and SUP yoga instructor and leads adventures on the stunning, nearby Lake Arenal by the Arenal volcano.

Additional activities
$0

Available to book - extra horse sessions, craniosacral, wildlife rescue, waterfall hikes & much more. Price depends on no. of people.



Your Organizer


TV
Tula Vida
1 review
With stunning, vibrant and accessible nature all around, Tula Vida offers transformational horse experiences and other retreats in Costa Rica aimed at supporting your whole system to settle back into balance, allowing the stress to melt away so you can (re)find your positive energy, self-connection and sense of harmony.

Reviews

I cannot overstate how wonderful my stay was with Sally and Eric at Tula Vida in late May. This was my 6th time attending a retreat at Tula Vida and each time I marvel at how the experience gets better and better. The beauty of the landscape, the majesty of the retreat (what an incredible project!), the dedicated focus on sustainability, the comfort of the accommodations, and the amazing food are a big part of the experience, but the healing work we did with Sally and Eric and the herd taught me so much about my "inside world" - emotions, thoughts, nervous system, and I how see the world. It also helped me identify what I want to build on and what I want to let go of. The horses are all rescues at various stages in their healing, and they have "learned" through their own healing with Sally and Eric to be amazing healers themselves. My experiences with them have been very powerful and have stayed with me. The five fabulous dogs (and cat) all add to the experience. I can't wait to return!
By Nancy P for Mindfulness with Horses - private on Jun 07, 2024
Thank you Nancy - it really was a powerful week! We look forward to your 7th…
By Tula Vida on Jun 07, 2024
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