In July 2018, Jennifer Lenhart and True Nature will be traveling to Costa Rica for a magical retreat full of yoga, adventure, and exploration. Read on as we talk to Jennifer about what inspired her “May All Beings Be Happy and Free” Costa Rica Yoga and Meditation Retreat. But it’s not all about the retreat… we also learned which yoga pose Jennifer most identifies with, what she is passionate about, and what’s on her Costa Rica bucket list!

Meet True Nature Leader Jennifer Lenhart

1. How does the idea of “lokah samastah sukinoh bhavantu”, or “may all beings be happy and free” play into this retreat? What themes do you see coming up throughout the journey?

We’ll explore this mantra in-depth, work on heart-opening asana practices, practice loving-kindness meditation, and immerse ourselves in the great biodiversity of Costa Rica. We’ll work on realizing the illusion of separateness and the ultimate-reality of unity.

2. Who has been your greatest influence and why?

I have been fortunate to have many great influences – I don’t think I can pick just one. There are two teachers I’ve never met in person but whose teachings have been tremendously influential,  life-changing in fact: Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh. My wise and influential teachers also include Sharon Gannon and David Life (founders of the Jivamukti method of yoga), Marni Task, Jules Febre, Krishna Das, and Noah Levine. All have helped to expand my awareness and understanding and have given me invaluable teachings on the path to liberation.

3. If there was a yoga pose or meditation practice that described you – what would it be and why?

Well, I don’t know if it describes me, but it is what I work on developing through practice: Loving-kindness meditation (known as Maitri in Sanskrit and as Metta in Pali). This is a practice that helps me to cultivate compassion for all beings everywhere, which is so much easier said than done!  That’s why we practice.

4. Other than yoga and meditation – what are some of your passions? Will these be explored in your retreat?

I am passionate about veganism, environmentalism, social justice – in other words, compassion for all beings. Yes, these will be explored during our retreat, since the theme is “May All Beings Be Happy and Free.”

5. What is on your “Costa Rica bucket list” and what are you most excited about?

Just going to Costa Rica is on my bucket list! So all the experiences there will be special, and I am excited about whatever comes. National Geographic has called Costa Rica “The most biologically intense place on earth,” and so I look forward to experiencing that great biodiversity.

6. Is there a saying or quote that really resonates with you and your upcoming retreat?

Next summer, Sarah and Christine are leading “The Ultimate Amalfi Experience: Discover. Explore. Renew.” retreat in Italy. In this exclusive interview with True Nature leaders Sarah and Christine, we discuss yoga influences, favorite poses, passions, and more!

Sarah is a Toronto based yoga teacher that that brings a fun, playful energy to her classes. She believes in focusing on alignment and respecting your body’s needs in every position. Christine focuses on the unique journey of every student and brings creative alignment and thoughtful theming to her classes. Read on to learn more about these True Nature leaders and their upcoming retreat!

Meet True Nature Leaders Sarah and Christine

1. How does the idea of “Discover, Explore, and Renew” play into the retreat? What themes do you see coming up throughout the journey?

When we thought about hosting a retreat, we wanted to relate it back to who we are, what we love to do, and what we are excited about. These three areas are so vital to who we are as people, and as teachers. Both of us love to discover more about ourselves. We often do this through our surroundings, from discovering something new in the city to exploring, learning, or trying new things. A big aspect of our yoga life relates to renew, as we watch people leave class with a refreshed sense of self. During the retreat, our goal is to guide folks through aspects of “Discover, Explore, Renew”. This might happen through the practice of yoga, the formation of new relationships, the enjoyment of delicious food and wine, exploration of neighborhoods, or through a renewed sense of self. We are so excited to discover, explore and renew with what is sure to be an amazing group!

2. Who has been your greatest influence and why?

Sarah: I have definitely thought about this question a lot as it seems to be one that comes up frequently. I feel very connected to my family, and I truly feel that my greatest influence was my nonna (my father’s mother, my grandmother). I feel like if you asked me this question when I was younger I may have not mentioned her, but as I age, I see how much influence she has had on my life; from the person I am, to the person I want to be, and how I see myself. This is another reason I am so excited to head back to Italy – my grandparents emigrated from Italy in the 1950’s to Canada – as I feel so connected to them every time I return!

3. If there was a yoga pose or meditation practice that described you – what would it be and why?

Sarah: In this moment, my favorite pose is 100%, Downward Facing Dog. I would say that each “stage” of my life has been a different pose. I remember different times when I would have said Side Plank, or Warrior II, but for awhile now it’s been Downward Facing Dog. I love this pose as I am a very extroverted person, and have a hard time focusing in on the present. This pose allows me to focus inward on myself, on my practice, and serves as a reminder to tune-in. I can feel so much going on in my body as I make even the smallest movements or adjustments. I also love working with this posture from a teaching perspective as this pose and variations of it can do so much for the body (especially in a world where we are sitting, typing, texting, etc. and our spine can become very compressed). Ahh, I have so much love for Downward Facing Dog! 🙂

Christine: Ooh, this is a great question! And surprisingly, one that I have not been asked before! My current favorite pose is Mountain Pose (Tadasana). This basic pose is often overlooked, as people are often searching for more challenging, sexier, Instagram-able poses. However, really engaging all of your muscles, rooting through your feet and rising up through your head, is a lot of work! Allowing yourself to get back to the basics with Tadasana – the pose from which all poses stem – can have a tremendous impact on many areas of both your yoga practice and your life outside of yoga.

4. Other than yoga and meditation – what are some of your passions? Will these be explored in your retreat?

Christine: Aside from yoga and meditation, I enjoy eating, drinking wine, and connecting with people. All three things will surely be incorporated into the retreat; we’re in Italy, after all! The passion and simplicity that Italians infuse into their food is something magical to experience. Add local wine and it elevates this experience to the next level. For me, the memories that are created over sharing a meal and savoring a glass (or two!) of wine, are some of my most treasured.

5. What is on your “Italy bucket list” and what are you most excited about?

Sarah: I know I cannot wait to have some delicious food, wine, coffee, gelato, and more (nom nom nom to all the things). What I am truly ecstatic about is sharing this experience with others, and the opportunity to do yoga in a space that is so beautiful.

Christine: I agree with Sarah, as exploring different flavors of gelato is pretty high on my list! I am also excited to bring a group of people to a place that I truly love, and to create a space for us to connect, discover, explore, and renew.

6. Is there a saying or quote that really resonates with you and your upcoming retreat?

We were inspired by the Dalai Lama quote, “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” These words apply to so many different aspects of the retreat, be it traveling to a new country, exploring a new type of yoga, or discovering a new food. Pushing boundaries leads to new discoveries, and this retreat will provide a safe and welcoming environment to make that happen.

Learn more about these two incredible True Nature leaders and sign up for their retreat today at http://truenaturetravels.com/retreats/yoga-italy-sarah-christine.

This fall, True Nature is heading to Peru with Kyle Weiger and Kaitlin Honeycutt of Ra Yoga. We’re offering an exclusive interview so you can get to know these incredible yogis and learn more about their upcoming retreat. 

Interview with Kyle Weiger of Ra Yoga

1. How does the idea of community and connection play into the retreat? What themes do you see coming up throughout the journey?

The Ra family is one of the best communities, if not the best community, that I’ve ever been part of. This retreat is about deepening our connection to each other and accomplishing something amazing together by climbing to the top of Machu Picchu. It’s going to be a team effort, with everyone supporting one another along the way.

2. Who has been your greatest influence and why? 

My best friend, Clayton Olson. He turned me onto yoga, mindfulness, and self-development many years ago. He’s had the single greatest influence on my life by showing me practices that have shaped who I am as an adult. My positive mindset, determination, and constant state of gratitude all stem from my friendship with him.

3. If there was a yoga pose or mediation practice that described you – what would it be and why? 

Wild Thing. It’s fun and playful yet requires balance, strength, and a little bit of faith in the unseen. It’s just one of those feel-good postures where you can’t help but smile!

4. Other than yoga and meditation – what are some of your passions? Will these be explored in your retreat? 

I love learning about the brain and why it does what it does. I’m curious about how it’s evolved over millions of years and gotten us to our current place. We probably won’t get too nerdy about the brain on this retreat but I will definitely look forward to exploring movement and how it’s tied to the brain 🙂

5. What is on your “Peru bucket list” and what are you most excited about? 

Aside from the obvious trip to Machu Picchu, I’m most excited for morning yoga in the shalas followed by breakfast with the entire retreat group. I love sitting around conversing after yoga and hearing about everyone’s experience and just generally bonding as a team.

6.   Is there a saying or quote that really resonates with you and your upcoming retreat? 

Don’t try hard. Try easy.

Interview with Kaitlin Honeycutt of Ra Yoga

1. How does the idea of community and connection play into the retreat? What themes do you see coming up throughout the journey?

Community and connection in my vision of our retreat is the entire essence of what we are trying to cultivate – bringing our community together to unify each other through the common bond we share of yoga. Our hope is to enable each other to find vulnerability within themselves and with the group to create an atmosphere that allows for radical self-exploration, relationship building and an evolutionary experience and that will last a lifetime.

2. Who has been your greatest influence and why? 

I feel as though there are too many teachers who have come across my path that have influenced every part of me that is unreasonable to list just one person. So much of my life has been given to me by the influence, inspiration and motivation from others – Jenny Vande Hei, Sarah Tagge, Michelle Christensen and many other yogis enabled me to pursue my passion of teaching yoga and allowed me to be their shadow to gain as much knowledge as I could. Melayne and Cameron Shayne lit a fire in me when I was presented with the opportunity to take a Budokon class as well as their teacher training which transformed my yoga practice entirely. Molly Felix and Chelsea Morter and many other women at lululemon ahtletica in South Coast Plaza provided me with the opportunity to try different fitness outlets which sparked my love for indoor cycling and love for CrossFit. Dani Wellbrock-Gallinger inspires me every single day and reminds me that I can be whoever I want to be and not apologize for it. My father whom has since now passed continues to remind me every day that I can do whatever is that I want to do because he always believed in me. So much of everyone else has made me who I am today.

3. If there was a yoga pose or mediation practice that described you – what would it be and why? 

If Vinyasa yoga and Budokon had a baby, that would be the practice that describes me. Fluid and graceful meets strict precision and focus. Every movement and transition having an intention creating a footprint for the next moment to come. I get emotional just thinking about how beautiful it would be. I feel as though this describes how I like my life to be – simple yet challenging, inspired and with everything done having a reason.

4. Other than yoga and meditation – what are some of your passions? Will these be explored in your retreat? 

Will these be explored in your retreat? As I mentioned earlier, I also teach indoor cycling and I coach CrossFit at a non-profit for people who are in recovery from substance and alcohol abuse. My passions involve any opportunity to allow someone else to achieve a better version of themselves through fitness and self care. During the retreat there will be opportunities for self care that are less vigorous as indoor cycling and CrossFit which are high on my priority list as well, like meditation, restorative yoga, self reflection with journaling and sitting in silence, as well as much needed nap time.

5. What is on your “Peru bucket list” and what are you most excited about? 

I am most excited about our hike to the top of Machu Picchu. I am very eager to see the beauty of South America and to have a new experience to take home with me unlike anything I have witnessed before. I am excited to see the culture of Peru and how the people there live their lives, and how different it is from the way we live ours.

6.   Is there a saying or quote that really resonates with you and your upcoming retreat? 

I read this quote the other day and I found it rather fitting: “attract what you want by being what you want”. My hope for this retreat is to create light within others and a passion for yoga that has been lit in me, but I must first allow this to be what shines through me to others first if I have the hope to give that away. If I want goodness and gratitude for this retreat, I must be that. If I want kindness and love, I must be that. Everything I want this retreat to embody I must first

This fall Kyle, Kaitlin, and True Nature will be heading to Peru for a mystical week of yoga and an optional tour of Machu Picchu. You can sign up to join this once-in-a-lifetime adventure at http://truenaturetravels.com/retreats/yoga-peru-kyle-kaitlin/ 

Meet Susan Urquhart-Brown and Christopher Brown, two of True Nature’s incredible retreat leaders! 

This fall, Susan and Christopher are leading the “Power of Presence” retreat in Peru’s Sacred Valley. In our exclusive interview with Susan and Christopher, we discussed yogic influences, passions, and the true power of presence!

Susan is a yoga, meditation, and mindfulness inquiry teacher. Susan’s nurturing style combines Body, Mind, and Spirit to facilitate bringing presence to all aspects of Life. Christopher is a mindfulness inquiry teacher and speaker who has been on a journey of awakening for 30 years. He is passionate about individual transformation and facilitating others in their awakening process.

Read our exclusive interview below and sign up for their Peru retreat here. 

1. How does the idea of “Power of Presence” play into your retreat? What themes do you see coming up throughout the journey?

The Power of Presence Retreat is focused on reconnecting with the mystery and wonder that we delighted in as children. We use a three-prong approach to dissolve the veil of seriousness to unite with the profound beauty and silence of each moment. We work with the body through yoga, the mind through meditation, and the heart through joyful play and connection.

2. Who has been your greatest influence and why?

Osho, Alan Watts, Adyashanti, and Isacc Shapiro have been our most influential teachers. We honor how each uniquely points to the mystery that knows no comparison.

3. If there was a yoga pose or mediation practice that described you – what would it be and why?

Peaceful Warrior (Shanti Virbhadrasana). Why? Like the pose, I am flexible in mind and body, calm, strong, and graceful.

4. Other than yoga and meditation – what are some of your passions? Will these be explored in your retreat?

We love to travel, explore, and learn about the countries and cultures we visit.

5. What is on your “Peru bucket list” and what are you most excited about?

On our bucket list in Peru is communion with the mountains, connecting with the culture of the extraordinary Peruvian people, and learning about the ancient Incan culture.

6. Is there a saying or quote that really resonates with you and your upcoming retreat?

“You are what you think having become what you thought.” -Osho

At True Nature, we believe in the magic of movement and the bliss of being. These are things that True Nature retreat leader Adriana Lee loves sharing with others. She’ll be sharing this and more at her upcoming August retreat in Greece. We had the opportunity to ask Adriana a few questions about the retreat and learn more about what it means to awaken in Amorgos.

Sign-up for the retreat today while there are still spots available!

Awakening in Amorgos: A Yoga Retreat in Greece with Adriana Lee

August 19-August 26

Join Adriana Lee on a week-long journey of discovery. Explore the beauty of Greece while diving deep into the depths of yourself. Leave behind your commitments, your schedule, your to-do lists, and all of the busy-ness of your daily life. Embark on a journey into your soul through your yoga practice, meditation, and allowing yourself to simply be.

This retreat will include daily yoga, meditation, plenty of sunshine, clear blue waters, renewal in the spa, and free time to explore the beauty and the culture of the Greek Island of Amorgos. Give yourself the gift of rejuvenation, self-discovery, and peace. Take these things with you off of the island and learn to hold this peace within you during the chaos of daily life.

Read our exclusive interview with Adriana below:

True Nature: How does the idea of “Awakening in Amorgos” play into your retreat? What themes do you see coming up throughout the journey?

Adriana: I chose the word awakening because I feel that through our yoga practice we wake up to our life’s purpose and to our own truth. I see a theme of self-discovery happening and a journey towards our true north.

True Nature: Who has been your greatest influence and why?

Adriana: I’ve had so many incredible teachers who have influenced me over the years. I would say my greatest influence has been Heba Saab. She taught me to teach from my own heart, to trust my intuition and my ability to see, and also to find my voice as a teacher. She showed me the importance of ceremony and the importance of fully stepping into the teacher role before each class. A lot of pre-class rituals I have were completely inspired by her. Her guidance has played a pivotal role in shaping the way that I teach.

True Nature: If there was a yoga pose or meditation practice that described you, what would it be and why?

Adriana: Child’s pose. I’m a bit of a dreamer, and for me child’s pose has this dreamy childlike quality to it. It’s a great reminder to not be so serious and so tough all of the time. It’s a sacred space where you can totally tune into your own internal awareness and tune out distractions.

True Nature: Other than yoga and meditation, what are some of your passions? Will these be explored in your retreat?

Adriana: Travel, hiking, and art are my three other passions, and yes we will absolutely explore these! I think traveling is the best thing that you can do for yourself. It opens your mind and your heart and connects you to the whole of humanity in a way that you just can’t connect living in your own little corner of the globe. My hometown is Las Vegas, and a lot of people don’t realize how much nature there is to explore outside of the city. Hiking was definitely always my favorite past time and I am beyond excited to get to hike and go adventuring in Amorgos! As for art, I feel expressing yourself through some creative outlet is truly the best medicine. So I think we’ll definitely explore a bit of that.

True Nature: What is on your “Greece bucket list” and what are you most excited about?

Adriana: Wow, I don’t even know where to begin! I love Greek food so I’m excited to eat! I know I want to do a boat tour and maybe see some caves. Hiking is also top on my list. I haven’t made any rock solid plans, though. I kind of just want to see where this takes me!

True Nature: Is there a saying or quote that really resonates with you and your upcoming retreat?

Adriana: “Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” -Ray Bradbury

This spring, Dawn MotherHeart is leading the retreat “The Heart of it All” in Costa Rica. In our exclusive interview with Dawn MotherHeart, we discussed yogic influences, passions, and what’s really at the heart of it all.

1. How does the idea of “The Heart Of It All” play into your retreat? What themes do you see coming up throughout the journey?

I named the retreat “The Heart Of It All” because it seemed to encapsulate the essence of what I am trying to bring, without rambling on and on. For one, I was trained in a very heartfelt approach to Classical Yoga. My teacher used stories to bypass the ego and go straight to the heart of Yoga Philosophy. I also am a huge fan of Karla McLaren and ‘The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings Are Trying to Tell You,’ which has helped me to practice and teach from my heart….and gut. I have come to resonate with a more embodied and passionate approach to yoga, rather than a whitewashed and sterile philosophy, that I noticed, was easy to use as another way to judge ourselves negatively against. I love good poetry and its ability to point us to the deeper truths of being human so I want to bring poetry in too. And lastly, I named my studio MotherHeart, and the retreat feels like a natural extension of the work I am doing with the community there.

2. Who has been your greatest influence and why?

My teacher at The Yoga Institute in Mumbai has been a profound influence to me. He is very compassionate and a high scholar of yoga but doesn’t do the whole people pleasing thing. Also: his enlightenment hasn’t stopped him from having a passion for table tennis. His humor is subtle and the way he speaks truth is direct and dispelling of misapprehension.

3. If there was a yoga pose or meditation practice that described you, what would it be and why?

Hmmm, let me see. 1. Laughing meditation…I don’t actually practice it much, but the times I have, I felt the point where insanity met hilarity and I am familiar with that. 2. Lotus pose because I too have grown out of mud. 3. Candle gazing because it is deeply mysterious to me. I love to teach candle gazing and every time I practice, there is a new experience.

4. Other than yoga and meditation, what are some of your passions? Will these be explored in your retreat?

West African dance has been a love of mine for the last 15 years or so. I think it will creep into the retreat somehow, though we may have to find some drums. I love to sing and tell stories too so I will be inviting folks to join me on the beach at night for impromptu singing and storytelling. I like to call or coax out other people’s gifts, and it is amazing how a group can be enhanced this way.

5. What is on your “Costa Rica bucket list” and what are you most excited about?

Swimming, hiking, napping, and just being there. I want to try ziplining too, which I am slightly embarrassed to admit.

6.  Is there a saying or quote that really resonates with you and your upcoming retreat?

“Don’t jump up and shout, ‘Yes, this is what I want! Let’s do it!’ Just stand up quietly and dance with me.”-Oriah Mountain Dreamer