Heather | Costa Rica 200hr YTT Testimonial

Hi, my name is Heather and I recently completed the 200-hour Hybrid YTT in Montezuma, Costa Rica with Nadine and Mindi. I knew going in that this experience would be transformative based on where I am in my own personal healing journey, but what I couldn’t have anticipated was the depth of connection I would form with such an extraordinary group of women — or how influential Mindi and Nadine would be. Their presence, intuition, and compassion became the catalyst for a shedding I had needed for a long time, a gentle unraveling that made space for clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of self.

My journey to Montezuma began with a direct flight from North Carolina into San José. I traveled with five other girls from my group in a shared shuttle that wound through the vibrant, bustling city on the way to the ferry. This was my first time seeing vendors weaving between cars selling snacks to people stuck in traffic, and it felt like an early indication of the color and culture that define Costa Rica. At the ferry terminal, we stored our bags in the shuttle while we explored the food options, restrooms, and indoor and outdoor seating. After crossing the water, we had one final 45-minute drive to Aves Resort. Because of flight delays among our group, we arrived after the resort had closed, but the staff had thoughtfully left clear instructions, and a security guard was waiting to guide each of us to our rooms.

The staff at Aves truly deserve recognition. This course challenges you mentally, physically, and spiritually, and their care made it easier for us to stay focused on our internal work. The grounds were beautifully maintained, the rooms were cleaned daily, and the laundry service turnaround time was impressively fast. And the food — the food deserves its own love letter. Every meal was thoughtfully crafted around the vegetarian diet required by the school, with substitutions available for dietary restrictions. Many of us worried about getting enough protein, but the meals were substantial, balanced, and vibrant. Staples like fruit, rice and beans, fresh salads, and vegetables were present every day, and each meal introduced new flavors ranging from comforting Italian dishes to aromatic Indian curries. The only note I would offer is that nearly every meal required requesting additional servings. While I appreciate the effort to reduce waste, the portions didn’t always match the size of our group, leaving several students waiting for their first plate until more food arrived.

Our days began before sunrise and ended after dark. Mornings opened with personal asana and meditation, followed by breakfast and a short break. Then we gathered for spiritual and textual lessons, lunch, and another brief rest. Afternoons were spent breaking down asana in The Art of Teaching/Touch, exploring alignment, cueing, assists, and the subtleties of holding space. Evenings ended with dinner and a nightly gathering that varied daily — sometimes reflective, sometimes emotional, and sometimes playful. “Mount Shala,” the steep climb to our practice space, added an unexpected amount of cardio to our routine, especially for those of us who couldn’t resist hiking up early for sunrise.

Mindi and Nadine are deeply spiritual, intuitive, and magical teachers, and their guidance reflected that. They brought knowledge, playfulness, song, vulnerability, and emotion into every lesson. Each woman in our group found a different doorway into internal expansion, and their ability to hold space for all of us — no matter how we arrived — was powerful.

I am incredibly grateful for the hybrid format. It allowed me to honor my full-time work schedule while still experiencing the richness of Costa Rica and the depth of connection that only comes from sharing space with others. Meeting these women face-to-face, practicing together, laughing together, crying together — these are things that simply cannot be replicated through a screen. The physical touch, energetic exchange, and embodied experience of learning together were essential to my growth.

I do wish the 20-hour yoga anatomy requirement had been communicated more clearly in the curriculum. Learning about it mid-training added pressure to an already full schedule of work, life, and coursework. I completed it, and I plan to revisit the material at my own pace now that the initial intensity has passed. I would also love to see more time dedicated to building asana sequences. This area felt brief, and it is such an essential part of stepping into the role of teacher. A full day devoted to creating and teaching short classes (20–30 minutes) would have been immensely valuable and would have enhanced our confidence moving forward.

As a larger-bodied person, I am very familiar with the challenges of navigating spaces historically designed around thin, flexible, and often white bodies. Yoga spaces can unintentionally communicate who “belongs,” and who does not. Throughout this training, I carried not only the physical demands but also the mental load of being the only larger bodied student on the mat. Walking into a room knowing you are the only one who doesn’t fit that mold comes with an emotional and mental weight that others may not see. Not only did I navigate the physical demands of the training, but I also navigated the quiet awareness of being visibly different — of having to modify, adapt, and advocate for myself in ways smaller-bodied students simply did not have to consider.

Yet this is also where some of my deepest growth happened. I learned to trust my body in new ways, to honor its wisdom, and to move toward my edges without apology or comparison. I realized how much strength, endurance, and resilience I already carried with me — qualities often overlooked when people make assumptions based solely on size. I’m grateful that Mindi and Nadine checked in with me throughout the program, making sure I felt seen, included, and supported. Their recognition of my growth and the light that began to shine more brightly within me each day meant more than they know.

Several women in my group also expressed that they wished we had been able to teach each other more so they could learn how to better support students of varying shapes and abilities. This affirmed something I feel strongly about: the yoga world desperately needs more representation, more inclusivity, and more teachers who understand the lived experiences of larger-bodied practitioners.

Moving forward, I am committed to creating yoga spaces where all bodies feel welcomed, supported, and reflected. I want to dismantle the stigma that yoga is only for thin, white, flexible people. Every body — every shape, every size, every story — deserves access to the healing, grounding, and expansive power of this practice.

I look forward to diving deeper into trauma-informed yoga, energy and chakra studies, and perhaps one day completing my 300-hour training. This experience changed me for the better, and I am grateful for the journey ahead.

With gratitude,
Heather