Volunteering in a Yoga forest lodge - Verdesana

It all sounds very appealing on the Workaway description: a forest lodge with a yoga shala up high in the mountains (1600m) in central Costa Rica near Cartago. Only a couple hours of work needed per day and plenty of alone-time to rest and do whatever I want, use the yoga shala. My own private room and a daily contribution for the meals from the restaurant chef. I feel lucky to have been accepted here! And so much looking forward to some time away from the heat, welcoming the freshness of the mountain!

This is also the perfect place for me to step up in my yoga practice and take the time for the pre-work of my upcoming Yoga Teacher Training, reading the book the 4 Insights by Alberto Villoldo (highly recommended).

Bonus: another volunteer is arriving the same day as me, Elena, she is a yoga teacher and is coming just to teach us yoga everyday, so happy!

The place is really beautiful, all cabins and lodges made of the pine trees that we planted 40 years ago by Juan's father, everything built by him, impressive! With the volunteers we are in the Colibri lodge, each our own room. I meet Janice, also a volunteer here from Canada, super nice, I'm very grateful she is here as well. She is a free-lancer and can work from anywhere in the world. I'm impressed at how much she manages to work and be productive and also she sings so beautifully and even gave me singing lessons! Together with Elena we form a fun happy volunteer trio! I love both their energies.

Although I wish I would have had more work to do outdoors and in the vegetable gardens, my tasks was mainly waiting tables at the forest lodge restaurant. Only few guests were staying there so actually little work to do but staying and making sure the tables are nicely set, bringing the amazing looking food prepared by the chef from the kitchen and cleaning up afterwards. My first experience holding a tray with lots of glasses, managed to keep them all in one piece.

Elena's daily yoga classes were heavenly to me, the perfect balance of strength and relaxation, I felt so good after each session. She used a Tibetan singing bowl and it's vibrations to help us relax even more and lavender oil for the soothing final Sivasana pose. She even played the little handpan which was like bringing us in a another world. What a treat each class was! It is very inspiring for me just before starting my yoga teacher training.

 Our Colibri lodge for the volunteers

Hummingbirds flying constantly in front of our doors, this sweet sound of the wings are like the sound of the little kittens purring in my ears earlier this month

Ready for work and wearing all my layers in the mountain fresh air

Waiting table for breakfast at the restaurant

Elena setting up for our yoga class

Soothing mini-handpan during final relaxation by Elena our amazing yoga teacher

Delicious meals cooked by the restaurant chef also for the volunteers! 

Every meal delicious and vegetarian

Nice times with Juan and his girlfriend Stina from Denmark on the right and our volunteer trio with Janice and Elena on the left.

I was there from December 28th until January 3rd. I'm writing this one month later on February 3rd - seeing the pictures again really warm my heart :-)