If you’re a yogi traveler like me, then this yoga destination is one you don’t want to miss.
Montezuma Yoga is the brainchild of Dagmar Spremberg. It’s a magical hidden gem that’s just waiting for you to find inside a little beach town in Costa Rica.
Now that the world is finally re-opening to visitors, and travelers are beginning to rebook their long-awaited vacations, it’s the perfect time to tell you about a yoga vacation that will fulfill your wildest dreams.
I found Dagmar online back in 2009. I was packing up my apartment in New York City for a road trip cross country that, with any luck, would keep me footloose and fancy free for a least 12 months. The dilemma of how to survive without my local yoga studio was solved when I discovered Dagmar’s beautiful online vinyasa flow yoga videos. The enchanting tropical outdoor setting of her classes, set on a serene deck, with the background sounds of monkeys and birds, was an inviting spot for me to go each morning, no matter where I found myself on my journey. Whether it was snowing, rainy or freezing outside, I was transported on my mat to 80 degrees and sunny on that gorgeous deck in Costa Rica.
Fast forward to 2020, after a failed attempt to get myself to a yoga retreat with Dagmar in Italy in 2019, I invited my daughter on a special trip to do some yoga live with Dagmar in Costa Rica. I would finally sit on that exquisite deck and hear the monkeys howling in person.
As a dedicated teacher, Dagmar provides me with insight and wisdom that continues to elevate my yoga practice. It was so joyous to finally meet a woman I had loyally followed online for years! Our time together was everything I hoped for and more. She was the same warm, genuine woman I had imagined she would be.
Montezuma yoga retreats are not one size fits all. With Dagmar, you can create the holiday days of your choice, adding as many daily yoga classes as you prefer, Spanish language or surfing lessons, massage sessions, casual room accommodations at Los Mangos Hotel (the site of that gorgeous yoga setting) and a yummy daily breakfast across the road at the unforgettable Amor de Mar Hotel.
My daughter and I decided to pamper ourselves and book one of the villas at the Amor de Mar just minutes down the road from our daily yoga classes. This stay was definitely a slice of jungle paradise. The hotel’s eco-friendly philosophy of preserving the local environment while actively serving the community resonates with my own sensibilities.
I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its calming and organizing effects on our brains, but I know when one wakes up to a gorgeous sunrise view and the sound of the ocean, the restorative and healing powers of nature is undeniable.
Most days we did yoga in the morning and evening. The teachers- Dagmar, Maija and EvaMarie, all brought their own unique magic to the daily Vinyasa or Yin Yoga experience. We opted for outdoor massages one day on that deck with Maija which were incredibly special.
Dagmar & Eva Marie
For five days, we walked everywhere we went; whether it was into town to grab dinner and listen to live music or hike to the local waterfall or to the beach for a swim. Montezuma provided us with a total retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
At that time, we had no idea that in a few short weeks the COVID pandemic would change our lives forever. Now, with even a greater sense of appreciation, I look forward to meeting Dagmar again one day for another expansive yoga experience.
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Want to follow these 3 great yoga teachers?
Check out their IG: @montezumayoga, @evamarieyoga108, @maijayoga