Unwind Retreat | Hosted by Body Center St. Pete

Arriving to Tiskita:

Book a flight to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO). From there, book a 45-minute flight on Sansa to Golfito. Pre-arrange your taxi with us and it's a 90-minute ride to the lodge.

Please take care when booking, as you’ll want to carefully coordinate your international flight with your local flight to Golfito. Ensure there are convenient departures on Sansa before you pull the trigger on your international flight. If you don’t find suitable options same-day, you can fly to SJO on Saturday, sleep overnight, and then fly to Golfito on Sunday morning. Apply the same logic to your departing flight itinerary.

***Alternatively, as a group, we can charter a small plane together from San Jose to Golfito and taxi together, but this must be coordinated! As interest and bookings begin, talk to Maria and Shila about this.***

If you wish to stay overnight in San Jose, we can recommend the following hotels located adjacent to the SJO airport: Marriott Courtyard San Jose Airport Alajuela; or Marriott Hotel Costa Rica Hacienda Belen.

For a more cost-effective overnight stay in San Jose, we recommend Airbnb and to further budget your retreat, ask us about sharing a room which will cut total cost by $360.

Total price includes: accommodation; 1 morning group Pilates Mat class, 1 afternoon Restorative Yoga and Self-Massage class, daily Journal Speak and Meditation, daily meals.

Price does not include: airfare; taxis to and from Tiskita; extra activities; bodywork sessions; or alcoholic beverages purchased onsite. 

Please note we are unable to offer refunds or credits for any payments made. No one books a retreat with the intention of cancelling—so we strongly advise you to purchase travel insurance to protect your investment. We use www.squaremouth.com, which is an aggregator site (similar to Skyscanner) you can use to book the most appropriate policy for your trip.

Journal Speak is a specialized, daily expressive writing practice designed to process repressed emotions, unearth hidden trauma, and alleviate chronic physical pain. Developed by psychotherapist Nicole Sachs, the method stems from the Mind-Body work pioneered by Dr. John Sarno.

Prior to joining us, we recommend you visiting https://www.yourbreakawake.com/journalspeak to preview the instructions for Journal Speak with a free sign up to Nicole Sachs's website. This preview will give you a foundation for what Maria will be leading in Costa Rica, to make sure you make the most of your retreat experience!

Maria Jimenez, NCPT, CPT is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Pilates teacher trainer, and continuing education provider with over 14 years of experience helping clients improve movement, posture, strength, and overall well-being.

Originally from Spain, Maria began her career as a professional dancer before discovering Pilates in New York City. She completed her comprehensive training through the renowned Kane School (Kinected) and has pursued extensive continuing education in rehabilitation, scoliosis, osteoporosis, neurological conditions, movement assessment, and corrective exercise.

A significant part of Maria’s professional development took place during her nine years at Body Center St. Pete, where she worked closely alongside Neurosomatic Therapist Shila LaGrua. This collaborative environment deepened her understanding of posture, alignment, scoliosis, gait mechanics, spiral theory, and movement re-education, shaping the analytical and individualized approach she brings to clients today.

Throughout her career, Maria has worked with physical therapists, massage therapists, and rehabilitation professionals to help clients transition safely from treatment to independent movement. Her clients have included professional athletes, dancers, seniors, cancer survivors, post-surgical patients, and individuals managing scoliosis, osteoporosis, disc injuries, stenosis, and joint replacements.

Maria is a Pilates teacher trainer for the Kane School Pilates Certification Program and an NCPT-approved Continuing Education Provider. She created and teaches an Upper Crossed Syndrome course for Pilates professionals and has presented case-study research at the Pilates Method Alliance Conference. She is also an Oov Practitioner specializing in posture, alignment, and movement re-education.

Maria is currently expanding her work as a BreakAwake Coach in training. BreakAwake, developed by Nicole Sachs, is rooted in the pioneering mind-body medicine concepts of John E. Sarno. Sarno's work highlighted the role of stress, emotions, and the nervous system in chronic pain and other physical symptoms. Building on these principles, Sachs developed practical tools that help individuals reduce fear, process emotions, regulate the nervous system, and support healing through greater self-awareness and mind-body connection.

Today, Maria teaches private sessions and continuing education workshops in New York, specializing in posture, scoliosis, alignment, rehabilitation-based exercise, and whole-person wellness. Known for her compassionate approach, keen observational skills, and commitment to lifelong learning, she is dedicated to helping people move better, feel stronger, and reconnect with their bodies through both movement and mind-body practices

Shila’s journey into the healing arts began with a deep passion for movement as an internationally touring professional modern dancer. A graduate of the Juilliard School in NYC, Shila had the privilege of performing and directing with renowned companies and choreographers, including Merce Cunningham, Lar Lubovitch, Martha Graham, Robert Battle, and Stephen Petronio. 

While in New York, Shila supplemented her dance career by teaching yoga and Pilates. She completed her yoga training under Cyndi Lee at OM Yoga Center, where she developed the Core Yoga Program, blending yoga with Pilates principles. Her Pilates training, with Kelly Kane at The Kane School of Core Integration (now Kinected), focused on therapeutic movement to reeducate the body.



Shila’s ongoing curiosity about the body led her to pursue advanced education in a wide range of disciplines, including Pilates for Neurological Conditions, NASM Personal Training, Prenatal Fitness, Thai Yoga Bodywork, Restorative Yoga, Postural Respiration, human cadaver dissection with Gil Hedley, Muscle Activation Technique, Alexander Technique, Oov levels 1,2,3,, Feldenkrais, and The Barral Method of Visceral Manipulation. She also holds a Schroth Method Base Level Certificate from the Barcelona Scoliosis Physical Therapy School. She has trained in 'ScolioPilates' and took part in Rober Schleip's workshop, ‘Fascia Dynamics in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis’ at The International Fascia Research Congress.

Shila is currently developing Spiral Theory, a unique manual therapy and movement technique designed to address scoliotic patterns that lead to pain and dysfunction. This innovative methodology focuses on realigning the body and restoring balance by targeting the specific challenges posed by scoliosis. 

Her educational course, recognized by the Florida Board of Massage, provides massage therapists and movement practitioners with effective tools for working with clients with scoliosis. Shila she has also created a comprehensive online learning programs to demystify the process, empowering practitioners to confidently treat and support clients dealing with this complex condition.