“What the heck did we just experience..”

That was the thought running through our heads as we waited to board our flight home. One look at our sun-kissed happy state sitting in the San José airport and you could tell we had just spent a week’s vacation in Costa Rica, but what you couldn’t see was all the emotions inside of us. How was that only six days? Six days that felt like a dream - or did they feel so real that the rest of the world now feels like a dream? A week of rest, connection, new experiences, and mindfulness. Was there ever a time that we didn’t know the group we were with before this experience? Because they feel like family now.

Experiencing Sand and Salt Escapes was pure magic. It’s not often you get to actually take time in life to completely stop what you’re doing and reflect on what actually makes you ~ you ~. Pair that with the jungle ocean paradise of Nosara and it produces the perfect mix of feeling completely rested and like you’re a little kid again. It was undoubtedly one of the best weeks of our lives — and here is all you need to know if you want to experience this incredible retreat too!

— ABOUT —

Who:

Sand and Salt Escapes was created by Max Schneider after facing his own life transitions when he became burnt out in the corporate world. Inspired by travels to Costa Rica and his passion for wellness, he knew he wasn’t the only one out there facing these life challenges and wanted to create something that others could access, experience, and potentially use to rest, reset, and recharge their lives too. With his wonderful and supportive wife Kelli at his side, Max has created a very special experience like no other we’ve experienced before. S&S is much more than just Max and Kelli though, in attending this retreat you will also see it’s the local instructors, villa staff, chefs, and locals that Max has brought together for the retreat that make it so special too.

What:

This is a wellness retreat for real people that work hard and need an escape to focus on themselves. It’s all-inclusive (accommodation, meals, classes) and curated by Max so that guests don’t have to be worried about organizing any details. This retreat is welcoming to all identities, ages, fitness levels, and is always a small group so that each guest gets the focus they need.

We captured so many great images during the retreat! Everything was so beautiful.

Where:

Sand & Salt Escapes takes place in the wellness oasis of Nosara Costa Rica. A coastal jungle town where locals are friendly, roads are dirt paths carved through the jungle, surfing culture thrives, food is fresh, and the “pura vida” lifestyle is vibrant. The Nicoya Peninsula where Nosara is located is actually one of five blue zones in the world - an area where people live longer and healthier than anywhere else.

The jaw droppingly beautiful Playa Guiones beach in Nosara

When:

Check their website for upcoming retreat dates! - https://www.sandandsaltescapes.com/

Why:

BECAUSE YOU’RE WORTH IT! And when was the last time you truly stopped to give a week to yourself? This is a retreat for those that just need to take time for themselves and truly, rawly, hit a reset button.

How to get there:

Fly into Liberia, Costa Rica and take a 2.5 hour private shuttle to Nosara.
Fly into San Jose, Costa Rica and take a 5 hour private shuttle to Nosara
Fly into one of the above airports and take a smaller SANSA Airlines flight to Nosara.

Jade:

Your jungle home away from home, Sand and Salt Escapes has chosen a luxurious sustainable property to base its retreat out of. Jade is a mix of lush gardens, a crystal clear pool, seven spacious villas, unique statues, a yoga shala, and a communal kitchen/dining area. Around the villa there are lots of places to relax and hang out on your own or with other guests. Rooms are bright and spacious with high ceilings and lots of natural light. Jade is an oasis and will make you feel safe and comfortable while there. Plus, it’s only a five-minute walk from the beach and close to local shops as well.

Itinerary:

Arriving at Sand and Salt Escapes, each guest is given a retreat guide in their villa. This guide is filled with information on the area, contact numbers/codes, a map, and a carefully thought out itinerary that is the perfect mix of movement, mindfulness, and relaxation. All elements of the itinerary are optional and there’s no pressure at all for guests to join in or not.

7:30 am : begin your day with a light breakfast.
8:00 am : mornings are dedicated to movement classes with Jon.
9:30 am : Healthy brunch back at Jade - fresh, local, healthy, incredible.
10:00 am - 4:30 pm : Free time or a planned excursion (surfing, spa time, atv, etc).
4:30 pm : Mindfulness class. Each day varies with different yoga, breathwork, creative meditation, and sound journey classes.
6:00 pm : Experiencing sunset is a tradition for locals and visitors to Nosara. It’s a very special thing to witness.
7:00 pm : Enjoy a private chef-prepared dinner back at Jade. Each meal throughout the week is different but all are wildly delicious.
Post Dinner: Free time or time to continue hanging out and chatting with your fellow guests.
* Times may be slightly different depending on the day and sunset times on your retreat*

Classes:

When creating this retreat Max really wanted to bring value to those attending while also connecting with the community in Nosara. Each class is approachable – you don’t need any mindfulness or yoga experience to feel welcomed, though bringing an open mind to enjoy these activities is recommended. Classes are guided by local instructors!

Movement Classes with Jon

Each morning we started with a movement class with Jon, one of the sweetest and most positive humans we have ever met. Starting our mornings this way was one of our favourite things about Sand and Salt Escapes. Jon’s classes are a mix of foundation training and breathing. His classes are super welcoming to all physical levels and were a joy to attend. Focusing on our lymphatic system, he taught us how to incorporate a lymphatic message into our daily lives and gently coached us on connecting our mind and body. Through learning foundation training we did creative back-to-basics exercises that used the world around us (each other, the uneven ground, sand, driftwood, and trees) to challenge our bodies and focus on balance, strength, and peripheral vision. Everything we practiced with Jon was organically incorporated into the rest of our days at the retreat and we still exercise what he taught us back at home too.

Sound Journeys

A meditative journey where we layed on our backs or in a comfortable position, listening to sounds that resonate with different parts of the body. We were bathed in waves of gong noises, singing bowls, feathers, and other instruments. Each of us fell into deep meditative states, usually half falling asleep and then coming back to consciousness when a sound changed.

Art and Meditation

Our class focused on clay modeling but other times the retreat incorporates painting too. This class helps guests use both sides of the brain to focus on the activity at hand but also engage in creative thinking. We all had a lot of fun and were full of laughter while creating.

Meditation & Art (clay modeling) with Maria

Yin Yoga

This slower pace of yoga involved holding gentle poses for longer periods of time. You can feel the improvement of flexibility throughout the class and a calm that washes over the body. This was a great class for sitting still, feeling connected to your body, and opening your mind.

Kundalini Yoga

This yoga is active and super fun. Paired with some groovy music, the class involves chanting, breathing, unique postures and movements. The purpose is to activate kundalini energy and enhance awareness.

Breathwork

We actually skipped out on the breathwork class but so wish we didn’t! Seriously, if there’s a class you don’t want to miss, this is it. From other guests, we learned that it was a very special experience where one can become hyperaware of their thoughts and emotions. The instructor guides you on a personal inner journey where the brain can focus on a purposeful present connection with the body and its energy. It sounded absolutely transformative and a must-experience from the retreat.

Atv Tour / Surfing

One of the coolest things about Sand and Salt Escapes is that you are encouraged to try something new! Beyond the unique opportunities to take part in different mindfulness and movement classes, guests are also given the chance to go on excursions too - if you’re interested, Max organizes everything! We chose to do both the ATV tour and surfing lessons. On the ATV tour, a local guide took us to a jungle waterfall, a beach that’s known as a nesting area for sea turtles, and along backcountry roads where the views and wildlife sightings were amazing.

During the week we also signed up for a surf lesson with Ten Toes Surf. Nervous at first we weren’t sure what to expect since it was our first time ever surfing, but through an afternoon lesson with instructors, we managed to kneel and stand on the boards! We had an absolute blast and highly recommend booking a surf lesson if you haven’t learned before or maybe haven’t surfed in a while! Nosara being the surfing mecca that it is, there are also tons of places with board rentals if you already know how to surf too.

And lastly, if you’re not up for an adventurous excursion but still looking for something special to do, Max knows of some great local spa places too.

Food - fresh, healthy, local:

A highlight of Sand and Salt Escapes is having private chef-prepared meals daily — delicious, healthy, fresh, and locally grown/caught/sourced. You will seriously be dreaming about the food you enjoyed on this retreat long after you leave! Every morning begins with a light breakfast, followed by brunch, and then a fantastic dinner that evening. Throughout the day guests have access to healthy snacks too. Coconut anyone? All meals can accommodate almost any dietary requirement. If you attend this retreat please do us a favour and try the pineapple! Costa Rica has the absolute best pineapple we have ever tasted. Also special shoutout to our chefs Graciela and Ronald! They are the sweetest couple that made sure we were always happily fed.

The most amazing food from our private chefs Graciela and Ronald

Takeaways & Reflection:

On the last night as we all sat in the yoga shala at Jade, reflecting on the week we had all just experienced, a woman in our group looked at Max and said “You’re going to help a lot of people.” and she was right. Sand and Salt Escapes is hard to put into words because it is a silent healer. Over the days spent in this jungle ocean oasis, we learned and grew as individuals and as a group. The time was healing and like nothing we’d ever experienced before. This is the kind of retreat that sticks with you. Months later we still find ourselves thinking back to what practices we learned and the perspective they gave us on both ourselves and the surrounding world. Together with our group (that now feels like our S&S family) we laughed, cried, shared, encouraged each other, and lived in the moments together.

Sand and Salt Escapes is a retreat to recharge your body, mind, and soul. It’s a guide to self-love and self-growth. Raw, authentic, beautiful, and inspiring. It’s something we will never forget and we hope so many get to experience it someday too.

Thank you, Max and the community of Nosara for welcoming us with open arms and being exactly what we needed.

If you're on the fence about attending this retreat, just book a call with Max. He's seriously the best and answers any questions you may have through a one-on-one video chat!

— Apply Here: https://www.sandandsaltescapes.com/apply-now —

Many happy tears were shed. This week was such a beautiful experience.

Check out our video from the retreat too!