7 Day Ayurveda Cooking Immersion: Food Alchemy in Costa Rica

Location icon
Soma Retreat Center, 160, Guanacaste Province, San Juanillo, Costa Rica
Users icon
Up to 15 in group
Date
Feb 14 - 20, 2026

Retreat Highlights

  • Learn in a living school of Yoga and Ayurveda (Gurukulam).
  • Live yoga. We will not just learn yoga, we will live and explore it together every day.
  • The Gurukulam is an intentionally designed space created to support the practice of yoga and Ayurveda.
  • Re-pattern your mindset to let go of habits that do not serve you and replace them with new intentional habits.
  • Learn the techniques of pranayama to release and detox physical, emotional, and mental blockages.
  • Immerse yourself in nature and align with its natural cycles.
  • Rebalance your nervous system and recalibrate your circadian rhythms.
  • We specialize in small group trainings, no more than 15 students, so you will not feel lost or overcrowded.
  • We are located just a mile from the Pacific Ocean.
  • Our Ayurvedic-inspired kitchen serves three homemade, organic, high-energy meals a day. (One lunch per week is not provided and is part of “Support Local Business”.)
  • Learn the foundations of Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga.
  • Experience an Ayurvedic daily routine (Dinacharya).
  • Visit a quiet beach town away from large crowds and heavy tourism.
  • We are located only 10 miles from Nosara.
  • Option to order extras twice a week, including an assortment of fruits.
  • Coconut water, kombucha, and bliss balls are available daily as extras.

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Details of this retreat

The Ayurveda Cooking Immersion is an invitation to slow down. It’s designed to help you reconnect with your body’s intelligence, explore food as medicine, and learn the foundations of Ayurveda.

During this time, you will learn how to prepare meals that balance the three doshas, recognize signs of imbalance, and understand the energetics of food. The hands-on kitchen practicums are where we will explore Ayurvedic cooking techniques, from making ghee and tempering spices to preparing kitchari and cooling tonics. In the kitchen practicum, we will work with healing spices, sattvic ingredients, and use intentional cooking practices to create nourishing balancing meals.

This immersion goes far beyond cooking as well. Each day begins with yoga asanas, pranayama, and meditation to cultivate awareness and inner steadiness. They are interactive theory workshops where we will explore the foundational principles of Ayurveda. You will also have free time for relaxation, self-study, enjoying the beach, or fun discussions.

Whether you are seeking empowerment on your personal healing journey or you are a chef wishing to expand your skillset into Ayurvedic cuisine, this course offers a profound blend of theory, practice, and embodied experience.

Your environment for the week will be Soma Retreat Center, located in the blue zone of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Your retreat will be facilitated by Pura Veda Gurukulam, a living example of Yoga and Ayurveda. You will be surrounded by nature in a high-vibrational space that allows your nervous system to reset and your circadian rhythms to recalibrate.

This program is intentionally designed to immerse yourself in a high-vibrational and sattvic space to engage in this transformational journey with an open heart.

Not only is this course beneficial for those seeking empowerment in their own healing journeys, but also for professional chefs as you will learn how to make Ayurvedic meals that incorporate the 6 tastes, healing spices and sattvic ingredients balancing to the doshas.

Your body and mind will become organically in-tune with the rhythms of nature as we explore these topics in the serene and tranquil setting of Pura Veda Gurukulam, a living example of Yoga & Ayurveda in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

This program is intentionally designed to immerse yourself in a high-vibrational and sattvic space to engage in this transformational journey with an open heart.

Schedule

Daily Schedule:
Hot water with lemon will be available in the morning
6:30am - 8:00am: Morning Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation Practice
8:00am: Breakfast
9:00am - 11:00am: Kitchen Practicum: Interactive Cooking
11:15pm - 12:00pm: Morning Workshop: Ayurvedic Theory & Discussion
12:00pm - 12:30pm: Lunch
12:30pm - 2:30pm: Rest, Free Time, Exploration, Self Study
2:30pm - 4:30pm: Ayurvedic Theory Class & Q&A
5:00pm: Daily Shuttle to the Beach
6:30pm: Dinner
6:30pm Onwards: Free Time, Exploration, Self Study
8:00pm: Quiet Hours Begin
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change

Getting Here

Location icon Pura Veda, Soma Retreat Center, 160, Guanacaste Province, San Juanillo, Costa Rica

Directions

The closest international airport is in Liberia (LIR). The center is located a 2-hour drive from Liberia International Airport. We include transportation to and from the airport as a courtesy.

Courtesy shuttle to the Gurukulam: The shuttle will pick you up at Liberia Airport at 2 p.m. on the training start date.

Courtesy shuttle to the Airport: The shuttle will depart from the Gurukulam at 8 a.m. of the last day of the training to bring you back to the airport.

We are happy to help organize any transport you might need in case you fly in after 2 p.m. or prefer to arrive in Costa Rica a couple of days beforehand. We can also help organize transport from San Jose Airport if you fly into there instead.

Local flights from both San Jose and Liberia airports fly into Nosara Domestic Airport, which is located 10 miles south of the center. Sansa is the operator of the flights from both San Jose and Liberia to Nosara.

Accommodation

We have a variety of on-campus housing options from private rooms with private baths, shared rooms with shared baths, to a camping tent option as well. Our accommodations focus on being simple, clean, and comfortable. We also have some off-campus accommodations available as well, and you can message us for more information if you are interested in this option or if the on-campus accommodations are sold out. Below you can find some more information and a little description on the on-campus accommodations we offer: Apas Room: Private Room with Private Bath & A/C. The Apas Room is a private room in our Western Air Temple named after the element of water. This room is our newest creation and is named such because it is on the West side closest to the Pacific Ocean. A double bed, shelves, ceiling fan, a/c, and balcony laid on wood floors, everything for a private retreat. This room has an attached newly constructed private bathroom. The fee includes accommodations, tuition, 3 vegetarian/vegan meals a day (Sunday lunch is not included), and group transfer to/from Liberia Airport on the first and last day of training. Option to add extra days before/after the training for an additional charge. Vayu Room: Private Room, Shared Bath & A/C. The Vayu Room is a private room in the Western Air Temple named after the element of air. This room is our newest creation and is named such because it has a beautiful balcony view of the forest that makes you feel like you are high up in the air. A bed, shelves, ceiling fan, a/c and balcony laid on wood floors, everything you need. This room shares a new bathroom with 2 others from the Tejas Room. The fee includes accommodations, tuition, 3 vegetarian/vegan meals a day (Sunday lunch is not included) and group transfer to/from Liberia Airport on first and last day of training. Option to add extra days before/after the training for an additional charge. Tejas Room: Double Room, Shared Bath with A/C. The Tejas room is a double room in the Western Air Temple named after the element of fire. The Tejas room can be booked as a private for $3800, please send a message to see if this is available. This room is our newest creation and is named such because of the energy sparked when sharing a room with a like-minded soul. This room receives illuminating light from the sun through the jungle view window. The room has a bunk bed with drawers, a/c and wood floors. This room shares a new bathroom with one person from the Vayu room. The fee includes accommodations, tuition, 3 vegetarian/vegan meals a day (Sunday lunch is not included), and group transfer to/from Liberia Airport on the first and last day of training. Option to add extra days before/after the training for an additional charge. Aum Cabin with Private Bath. A hexagon-shaped bungalow whose shape was chosen due to its flow of spiritual energy. This cabin has its own bathroom and indoor shower. Enjoy the outdoor patio area where you can sit, write, contemplate, or simply relax while surrounded by nature. Enjoy a private balcony set in the opposite direction, you will always have shade between the patio and balcony space. This cabin is shared by two people and is surrounded by flowering bushes and fruit trees that are home to so many hummingbirds and birds. This is private property and our closest neighbors are 1/4 a mile away! Perfect for a mindful experience. The fee includes accommodations, tuition, 3 vegetarian/vegan meals a day (Sunday lunch is not included), and group transfer to/from Liberia Airport on the first and last day of training. Option to add extra days before/after the training for an additional charge. Humble Abode: Private Room with Shared Bath. A cozy wood cabin simple enough to remind us how simply great life is. This on campus cabin comes with an outdoor shower and a shared bathroom. Perfect for one too tight for more. Pura Veda Camping Tent: Our on campus camping tent option is in a covered space with electricity, lights and shevles to store your belongings. We provide and set up your private camping tent with mattress, pillow, bedding, blanket and towel. Campers will have access to a beautiful shared outdoor shower and shared toilet. It is the perfect spot to experience the outdoors while having access to all the shared spaces. The camping space is right next to our yoga shala! Casa Lila: Private Cabin. Our mission is to establish local partnerships by supporting local businesses. Casa Lila is a beautiful private cabin that is less than a 5-minute walk to Pura Veda Gurukulam. Casa Lila is newly constructed and comes with many amenities which includes internet, kitchen, living room, kitchen, balcony with hanging hammocks, and laundry.

Accommodation
Apas Room: Private Room with Private Bath & A/C
Accommodation
Vayu Room: Private Room with Shared Bath & A/C
Accommodation
Tejas Room: Double Room with Shared Bath & A/C
Accommodation
Aum Cabin: Double Room with A/C
Accommodation
Humble Abode: Private Room with Shared Bath
Accommodation
Pura Veda Camping option

Venue & Amenities

Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon Bicycles For Rent
Located in one of the five Blue Zones in the world, Soma Retreat Center is an intentionally designed space created with the natural energies of the land. Intentionally designed to support the practices of yoga and Ayurveda, the center was created in harmony with the natural energies of the land. Every detail—from the placement of the structures to their alignment with Vastu principles—has been thoughtfully considered to cultivate balance, clarity, and well-being.

Meals

Menu Types

We believe in using food as medicine. All the food served is vegetarian & Ayurvedic. We can cater to vegan, gluten free, and nut-free diets. All of our produce is fresh, organic and local!

What's Included

  • Airport Pickup & Drop-off
  • Teacher training course and certification
  • Certificate upon successful completion
  • Registration option with Yoga Alliance/Professionals/International/etc upon completion of training
  • Pre and post retreat support from our team
  • 3 daily delicious and nutritious meals except for one lunch a week on morning off - Support Local Business!
  • Specialized interactive workshops
  • Accommodation
  • WiFi connection
  • Course Manual
  • Professional event photos - at least 10 Website Quality Photos of Training including
  • Graduation Picture
  • Yoga mats, blocks, straps, and pillows

What's Not Included

  • Travel insurance
  • Flights cost
  • Support local business - one meal each week will not be included so students can support local business.

Customer Reviews

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