Teachers

We have 3 in House teachers practicing Hatha, Vinyasa, Restorative and Ashtanga.


Christina Pucel

RYT, MS, NCC, LPC is the founder of WholeLife Integrative Therapy and a Costa Rica enthusiast.  She finds her greatest joys in helping others realize and actualize their full potential. During her most trying times in life, she has found that mind-body practices were essential to her own healing and is passionate about the integration of these into the therapeutic setting

Dana Keegan

My name is Dana Keegan and I have been practicing yoga for over 15 years, I  began teaching in 2012, and currently hold e-ryt 200, e-ryt 500, and Yacep certifications. I love to travel and experience new places and meet new people, and El Sabanero is one of my favorite places ever. I believe how we show up in our lives creates a ripple effect in the world around us, and  I am excited to share Joyful Energy Yoga to help you achieve deeper levels of serenity, peace, and JOY in your physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies! We practice meditation,…

Deb McLoud

Deb McLoud is from New Hampshire in the USA. She has  been a dancer and a yogi for over 35 years. Deb took her first Zumba® class in 2011 and never looked back! She finds true joy in this Latin influenced dance fitness program that includes music and choreography from around the world. Every class is like a party! It is a format for all levels of fitness that Deb has been licensed to teach since 2014. Deb’s yoga journey culminated in 2017 when she joined the “Believe You Can” yoga teacher program and achieved her Yoga Alliance 200 Hour…

Drew Rambo

Drew has been practicing and teaching yoga for 3 years.  His goal is for students to learn about the foundations of yoga while promoting an intentional lifestyle outside of the studio.  Expect to build heat in his Vinyasa classes – placing an emphasis on dynamic and graceful movement !

Emma Maltby

Emma Maltby–Originally from London, England, I discovered the physical practice of yoga in my 20s, found the spiritual side in my 30s, and adopted it as a lifestyle in my 40s. After relocating to Italy in 2017, I left the teaching profession to become a full-time yoga instructor teaching at retreats, online and in-person   Recovery is a commitment to myself: To live and love honestly and fully. Yoga is an integral part of my recovery, bringing the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of life into harmony. Together, they have given me the opportunity to discover what freedom means and…

Emma Warmington

Emma is a Yoga Teacher Trainer, Transformational Voice Work Guide, Mindful Communication Coach and Women’s Healing Arts Facilitator. If there is such a thing as a typical yoga teacher, Emma is not it. A fiery Celtic spirit with deep passion for authentic living, an infectious laugh and a hardy aversion to spiritual platitudes, Emma is a long term traveller, world adventurer and life-long student who has been channeling her passion into international retreats and residential Yoga Teacher Training programs for more than 10 years. A colourful past with a plethora of physical and emotional traumas has fed Emma’s greatest fascination for…

Estaban

Esteban Torres craftsman of shamanic instruments, provides and works with different ancestral medicines in Costa Rica, great passionate about nature, one of his missions is to make known the different types of natural medicine for the well-being of all people, he has been in Ecuador and Colombia learning about different medicines with Taitas on his spiritual path.

Eva

Hello, people of our beautiful Gaia I would like to introduce myself and to say some words about my life and my mission on this planet. I hope you gonna like my story My name is Eva, I was born in Russia. For more than 10 years I live in Bulgaria. Bulgaria became my second motherland. I love this country with all of my heart. When I was 6 years old I understood that there is something special in me. I wasn’t like other children. I was different from others. I talked with animals, trees and spirits of dead people,…

Heather Jakub-Sprankle

M.Ed, NCC, LPC is thrilled to be presenting as part of an experiential retreat. She has found creative expression and mindful movement to be invaluable both personally and professionally, and is excited to bring both to an audience with all levels of familiarity. The joy is in the journey!

Hector Moreno

Hector J. Moreno is originally from Caracas, Venezuela. After moving to Costa Rica, he joined the El Sabanero family in 2016. Hector teaches all morning classes at 7.30am and on Thursdays he does a silent morning walk through the jungle. His intuitive teaching styles are acording the needs of the group and they vary fromMovement Restorative, Vinyasa flow, Slow flow Vinyasa, Movement, Restorative, Terapeutic, Asthanga, Dharma, Hata and Tantra.

Jennie

Jennie has a great passion for teaching. Practicing yoga has changed her life in such a meaningful way. She is RYT with several certifications including Hatha, restorative, yin, Reiki, Yoga Nidra and her favorite SUP yoga. Jennie offers a creative approach teaching a variety of different levels in flow style classes. Classes explore intentions, mantras, pranayama and inspirational quotes. She hopes her students find that creating a unity of breathe, body and mind leaving them refreshed and reflective.

Juan David Alvarius

review Juan David: 1. What was your experience with Juan David? I have done Bufo Alvarius with 3 different healers and Juan David was by far the most knowledgeable and spiritual. He was so supportive in all aspects of the ceremony. His presence was very calming and to watch him interact with each person during their individual experiences was truly inspiring. He was so connected to each individual experience and his energy and love seemed limitless. He is a very gifted healer and most importantly he instills confidence in the participants and makes everyone feel welcome, safe and secure. 2.…

Kai

Namaste! I’m Kai, yoga instructor and certified holistic nutritionist, dedicated to guiding you on a holistic wellness journey. My mission is simple: to empower you to live your best life through the transformative power of holistic healing, nutrition, yoga, and spirituality.

Leah Spitz

Dr. Leah Spitz has been practicing Chinese Medicine for over 8 years while managing a private practice in Marion, North Carolina. She graduated from the Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where she trained under practitioners from China learning Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM. While developing her practice, she learned that any dis-ease can be treated by finding the root cause or source of the problem. She specializes in helping patients to reach higher levels of consciousness through meditation, acupuncture and plant based medicines. At her practice she often treats gastrointestinal diseases, autoimmune diseases, pain, and emotional…

Lily

Lily is a storyteller, space holder, yoga teacher and medicine woman. She is a 500-hour Certified Yoga Teacher and is currently embarking on a 2-year Ecology of Shamanism program to uncover her ancient traditions of healing. Lily values living a full life with lots of paint on her canvas. She’s travelled the world, created documentary films, explored challenging, yet breathtaking landscapes and has made it a commitment to lean into healing her emotional traumas. She has a passion for movement, breathwork, nature and supporting others in this adventure that we call life.

Liz DeFour

Liz DeFour is the owner of Full Lotus Yoga studio and has been teaching Yoga for nearly a decade. She began studying Yoga as a teenager and was immediately aware of the importance a consistent practice made on her physical, mental, and spiritual well being. Now a certified 200-Hour E-RYT & 500 RYT Liz is dedicated to sharing Yoga with her community full time.

Michael Heemskerk

In the world of spirituality and energetic healing, Michael Heemskerk Sekhem has made his mark as a true visionary. His dedication to discovering and sharing deep spiritual wisdom has made him recognized as an influential figure in this community. Let’s take a look at the life and work of Michael Heemskerk Sekhem and the impact he has had on people around the world. Michael Heemskerk Sekhem was born with an intrinsic curiosity about the mystery of life and the connection between body, mind and spirit. Driven by his passion, he began his journey into the world of alternative medicine and…

Montine

Geneva Montine Blank’s clients are successful people ready for authentic expression, meaningful change, and personally rewarding experiences.  As a Certified Transformational Coach, Career Transition Strategist, and Intuition Painting® Master Facilitator, she offers private sessions for Transformational Life Coaching as well as one-of-a-kind Wellbeing Retreats in gorgeous settings around the world — each brimming with meditation, mindfulness, creativity coaching, personal inquiry, Intuition Painting, yoga, authentic movement, personal assessments, and much more. Coaching Credentials Montine holds an International MBA, a degree in Human & Organizational Development, and a certification in Transformational Life Coaching. She also brings 20 years’ experience consulting to established…

Neelima Gullapalli (Neelu)

A student of meditation since 1999, she weaves Buddhist psychology, mindfulness practices, and neuropsychology into her work. Had life changing evolution through Louise Hay’s “Heal your Life” program in the year 2000 and discovered her passion for the world of alternative healing through an assistantship program for one and half years with “Heal Your Life Program Teachers/Organizers”, working and growing with many participants through multiple workshops and retreats in that period. Has been blessed with opportunities to learn from many spiritual Gurus, Vedic scriptures and teachings growing up in India and from global teachers since 2003 living in the USA.…

Sabine

Sabine is one of our current yoga teachers at the lodge. Originally from Austria she started travelling the world in her early 20ies. When she landed in the land and home of yoga in india she fell in love with the practice its philosophy and the ancient healing techniques of it. A little town further up the Ganges called Rishikesh, also known as the yoga capital of the world, was where it all started and she completed her first 200hr Yoga TTC Hatha Style in 2014. She kept on learning and studying different paths including Yin, Restorative, Vinyasa and immersed…

Savannah Weierstall

Savannah started her yoga practice in 2014 and has never looked back. She is a certified RYT-200 hour Yoga Teacher through Yoga Works and is also certified to teach Yin Yoga.   Her practice has helped her mentally and physically on and off the mat and she wants to share that with her students.  She is currently going through training to be a yoga therapist!

Sonja Engelhardt

Sonja is a certified Yoga teacher since 2018 and moreover a lover of life! She did her teacher training in Bali with a focus on Bhakti Yoga. Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of devotion. She is very dedicated and devoted to her practice. She teaches Yin, Vinyasa, meditation and Hatha. She chooses to always be a student of what she loves, and to give as a teacher what she receives from others. Her classes are starting with a little meditation, followed by a warm up, some sun salutations and creative flows. She tries to always change things up and stays…

Tattiana and Jose

The facilitators, Tatiana Cabezas Espinoza and José Manuel Vargas, originally from Costa Rica, have been working with Ayahuasca (Yage) medicine for more than 8 years, They began their learning by the hand of a Peruvian shamana, Kuyay, then continued their journey in Colombia along with taitas like Jairo Zuluaga and Julio Chicunque. In addition to the Ayahuasca, they use Rapé, Amazon tobacco, herbs and incenses in their ceremonies to clean, open the spaces and energy of the environment and the participants. Each ceremony with sacred medicine is a deep encounter with ourselves, our being and our ancestors, a call to…

Tina Gadoury

Tina Gadoury, RYT200, owner of The Yoga Limb, based in Paris, Ontario, Canada. She is forever a student.  Forever learning and experiencing.  Drawing from over three decades of fitness and personal training for all levels of mobility, her desire for continuing education is forefront. She currently leads classes, workshops and retreats in worldwide locations. Her passion is teaching outdoors, where she believes true growth occurs. Her personal journey with yoga came from a discovering of a missing link.  As a Reiki Master and energy movement enthusiast she recognized that balancing the mind and spirit were only a part of the…

Vivi Albertazzi

 Vivi Alberazzi comes back in March 2021, Originally from San José, Costa Rica moved to Guanacaste in 2016 looking forward to empower other women and men through her unique Surya yoga style (Yoga & meditation from the sun). Vivi is a life student and a passionate surfer. Certified Internationally by Yoga Alliance 200Hr TT, also she’s certified to teach SUP Yoga (Stand Up Paddle board yoga) and Thai Massage. She teaches around Guanacaste province and also she has taught abroad in 2017 she was selected by an Eco self-sustainable project in Indonesia (Sumba Hospitality Foundation) to teach yoga to their…