Root to Rise: A Costa Rica Yoga and Meditation Retreat

Root to Rise: A Costa Rica Yoga & Meditation Retreat

April 18th - 25th, 2026

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Live Awake. Nourished. Fulfilled. 

Step out of the daily grind and into the pulse of the jungle, where the ocean meets the sky. Join three heart-led guides—Valerie Griffiths, Jess Gumkowski, and Meg Leighton—for eight unforgettable days of yoga, meditation, and self-discovery in one of the world’s five Blue Zones: Nosara, Costa Rica.

Nestled at the stunning Casas Kismet Retreat Center, this experience is an invitation to come home to yourself—through movement, stillness, nourishment, nature, and connection.

Whether you're traveling solo, with a partner, or with friends, you’ll be welcomed into a conscious, connected community. Expect soul-deep conversations, transformative practices, vibrant meals, and enough spaciousness to breathe, explore, and just be.

Your Private Paradise: Casas Kismet

One of the most unique parts of this retreat? We take over the entire Casas Kismet Retreat Center—just for us. That means full access to this peaceful sanctuary perched above the Pacific Ocean, where jungle energy meets salty sea breeze.

Located in Playa Pelada, just a short walk from the beach, Casas Kismet is intentionally designed for retreats. You’ll practice in an open-air yoga shala with panoramic ocean views, swim in a saltwater pool under the stars, and dine on nourishing, locally sourced meals prepared by a private chef.

Each cozy room or casita includes modern comforts like A/C, high-speed internet, and private patios—while still immersing you in the sounds of nature and the rhythm of pura vida.

For one week, this magical space is all yours.

How You’ll Experience Costa Rica

Beyond your daily rhythm of yoga and meditation, this retreat is a multi-sensory immersion into the beauty and vibrancy of Nosara.

You’ll connect with the land and sea through two unforgettable excursions:

• A serene kayak journey through mangrove-lined rivers, culminating in a visit to a hidden beach accessible only by water, where fresh fruit and coconut water await.
  
• A dreamy sunset catamaran cruise, complete with snorkeling, dolphin-spotting, and libations with friends—Pura Vida in full expression.

You’ll also enjoy:

• Sunrise jungle sounds and sunset ocean dips
  
  
• Organic meals that nourish body and soul
  
  
• Optional adventures like surfing, waterfall hikes, or hammock hangs
  
  
• Ayurveda-infused practices to ground, balance, and rejuvenate

You’ll have the freedom to explore your version of retreat: inward or outward, restful or adventurous, silent or social. There’s no one way to do it right—only your way.

Why Travel With Us

Val, Jess, and Meg aren’t just seasoned yoga and meditation teachers—they’re kindred spirits who bring powerful synergy to every retreat they lead. With shared roots in lineage-based yoga and meditation training and a deep connection to Ayurveda, their teachings reflect harmony, wisdom, and playful authenticity.
Each teacher naturally embodies one of the Ayurvedic doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—creating a rich, balanced blend of energy:

• Val brings lightness, creativity, and expansive flow.  
  
• Jess fuels transformation, fire, and focused presence.  
  
• Meg grounds the group in deep wisdom, stability, and compassion.  

Together, they offer a supportive and inspiring experience—where you’ll feel seen, held, and celebrated exactly as you are.

Learn more about Jess, Val, and Meg below:

Jess Gumkowski is a mindset coach, author, yoga instructor, retreat leader, and co-founder of YogiTriathlete, a holistic performance coaching company. With over two decades of experience in yoga, Ayurveda, and endurance sports, Jess integrates ancient wisdom with modern insights to guide individuals toward greater ease, resilience, and self-mastery.  

From dynamic flows to deep relaxation, from exploring wild landscapes to embracing the unknown, her guidance calms the nervous system and awakens the soul. Whether on the mat, on the trail, or mid-air over turquoise waters, Jess inspires others to live with purpose, awareness, and an open heart.

Valerie Griffiths is a Vinyasa yoga instructor at Newport Power Yoga and owner of The Breathing Barn yoga studio in Portsmouth, RI. A yoga enthusiast for twenty years, Valerie completed over five hundred training hours through Live Love Teach in 2014 and has been teaching yoga and meditation ever since. She is certified to lead Sound Healing sessions and guides Yoga Nidra practices and meditation.

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In the fall of 2023, Valerie completed her certification in Somatic Breathwork, through Soma+IQ™, deepening her ability to guide others in embodied healing through conscious, connected breath. She now integrates this powerful modality into her offerings, helping individuals move through stored emotional energy and return to a state of grounded presence and inner clarity.She has co-hosted both national and international yoga retreats, holding space for others to respite from worldly demands, renew, unfold, and return back to nature. She leads individuals and groups in matching their breath to movement and developing consciousness. Valerie is a believer in showing up for each session with no expectation, meeting and welcoming yourself exactly as you are in that moment. Her mantra is, “Each one of us is so much more than our thoughts,” a saying that guides her practice. She believes that in stillness and quiet, we find our true selves. We are here to learn the beauty and love within each of us and share it with the collective.

Valerie is motivated by compassion and kindness. She is passionate about helping others bridge the gap between the world of space and time, where we use our senses to navigate, and the world of higher consciousness, which is seated in the depth of our soul.

Meghan Leighton, M.A.T., is founder of Awake Minds: Yoga +Conscious Living and is a Live Love Teach 800-hour EYT yoga instructor, certified mindfulness educator, 200-hour yoga teacher trainer, retreat leader, and student of Ayurveda. She spent fifteen years working in school systems throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island implementing groundbreaking mindfulness & yoga programs for young people, teens, and staff before starting Awake Minds Yoga.

Meg’s journey began twenty years ago when she started practicing meditation with absolutely no idea of the impact it would have on her life. As the benefits and shifts showed up, Meg’s enthusiasm for the practice grew immensely leading her to her purpose to share the teachings of yoga and meditation with others now through yoga teacher trainings, classes in studios, hospitals, and for corporations, private meditation offerings (for all levels and abilities), Inward Bound teen retreats, and facilitating Awake Minds yoga & meditation retreats in Costa Rica, Hawaii, RI & MA with Valerie Griffiths and Jess Gumkowski.

Meghan’s additional trainings include: HeartMath resilient educator, Kripalu Ayurveda & Yoga, Yoga Therapy for Depression & Anxiety, E-Cornell Plant-Based Nutrition certificate and more.
Meg lives in Newburyport, MA with her husband Asa and their dog Bella. She loves to hike, explore vegan recipes in the kitchen, dance, write, and eat dark chocolate.

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