Yoga in Nicaragua

4 May 2010

By Hobie L. Yogi, Photography Martin van Doorn
The State of the (Yoga) Union

It all begins with Ananda
… actually, it ends with ananda. In the ancient Indian language, Sanskrit, ananda means “bliss.” Through dedicated practice of Yoga, a yogi (practitioner of Yoga) can achieve the state of bliss associated with ‘samadhi,’ the experience of union with the divine essence of the universe. This is the ultimate goal of yoga…but we are getting ahead of ourselves…

Yoga in Nicaragua begins with Ananda (named for the aforementioned state of bliss), a yoga center and vegetarian restaurant in Managua. In 1970, before the brutal earthquake, before revolution and war, a long-bearded Indian mystic and yogi arrived in Managua with a mission: achieve world peace by helping individuals achieve a state of internal peace. Yoga is a system for living that is designed to cultivate internal peace, focus, harmony and integration within the individual. Swami Guru Devanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj figured if Yoga could be spread to all corners of the planet, peace would inevitably follow. Not bad logic.

Yoga offers many different techniques for achieving this same goal. The Swami’s style of Yoga focuses on Mantra meditation: repeating specific Sanskrit phrases while in a state of complete mental focus. No yogi would argue that the same technique will work for all people, but this one worked very well for José Luís Pallaviccini Norori, who then adopted the name Sri Ramesh and became Nicaragua’s first yoga master. Sri Guru’s organization, Sociedad Internacional de Realización Divina (SIRD), bought the land where Ananda currently resides. Sri Ramesh set a goal: to offer Nicas a vision of a healthier way of life. They started selling fresh juices (without refined sugar!) and later, vegetarian meals out of a broken down bus. A humble and heartfelt endeavor. True Nica style.

From Ananda to Aqua
In 2010, Yoga is now a worldwide phenomenon. Costa Rica is a major “yoga destination,” with North American and European yogis plunking down millions of dollars each year to study and practice in Tico-landia. Yatzu Lios, one of the managers of the Nosara Yoga Institute’s Blue Spirit, a magnificent yoga retreat center with a 4 story hotel/practice facility with 360 degree views of the mountains and Nosara coastline, put it succinctly: “Ticos used to think that Yoga was a religion. Now most realize that it isn’t. It is a way of life.”

Richard Moncada, a yoga teacher at Ananda, cites the same mistaken prejudice as the primary obstacle to sharing Yoga in Nicaragua: “They think it is in conflict with Catholicism and Christianity. Not at all! Yoga is a lifestyle that involves a spiritual discipline and allows the individual to achieve a state of union between her mind, body and soul. Yoga means union.”

Another challenge to sharing Yoga: “There is no culture of Yoga here,” explained Diana Lanuza, the founder of Clinica One, a Managua day spa and yoga center. “So when people come into a class, they don’t know what to expect, what to wear, etc. The class involves a lot of guiding.” Diana is one of approximately 20 teachers in Nicaragua who are offering regular Yoga classes, that is, classes that focus primarily on the postures that are the most famous element of the yoga practice. “Since I started practicing, I’ve employed the principle of detachment, living a more simple life, focusing more an myself,” she says. “But this doesn’t mean being selfish, but finding happiness in yourself. Then you can truly make someone else happy.”

Warren Ogden, a Yoga teacher at PURE, a gym, spa & Yoga center in Granada, echoed her sentiment: “an authentic Yoga practice begins with the experience of detachment: separating yourself from your thoughts and emotions and even your physical sensations, and occupying the position of the observer. Witnessing, without grasping or reacting.” PURE offers daily classes, retreats, and workshops. “My goal is to create at PURE a vibrant community of support for the individual’s practice and growth, and my hope is that we’ll see these sorts of communities sprout up throughout Nicaragua.”

Yoga is growing in a number of hotspots around the country. Larry Thraen operates an internationally-recognized teacher training program in conjunction with the School Yoga Institute. Donna Major is a graduate of the program who, like Larry, now teaches at Buena Vida Fitness Center in San Juan del Sur. Larry believes that Nicaragua can and should become a major destination for Yoga tourism, but “Nicaragua needs a global PR campaign to focus on the beauty and safety of the country. Yoga/eco-tourism is win-win for everyone.”

Nicaragua’s first two world-class yoga retreat centers just opened their doors. Both are upscale and ecologically-minded. Jicaro Ecolodge resides on a private island among Granada’s 360 isletas. Aqua Nicaragua is nestled among the coastal cliffs and hillsides just south of Playa Gigante. Both institutions reflect a central tenet of Yoga called Karma Yoga: an effort for the common good, carried out selflessly.

Gabriela Prado is another of Nicaragua’s yoga pioneers and also a prime example of Karma Yoga in action. Gabriela offers regular free classes on the Popoyo beach. She has also been teaching yoga to kids and teenagers in Salinas de Nagualapa, Tola, for five years as part of the educational foundation, Aprender (AprenderNicaragua.org).

Gabriela found too that Yoga was new to the people in the area. “Initially, yes, there were preconceptions and misconceptions about Yoga. So I talked with the parents, explaining that Hatha Yoga is like physical exercise, but with additional benefits, focusing on becoming aware of ourselves: how we breathe, what we eat and drink, as well as being conscious and appreciative of the nature around us. The parents were open to it and the kids really love it.“

Gabriela along with James Womack will be opening a yoga retreat center in May, 2010. The retreat is set on fifteen acres of organic gardens and fruit trees, bordering a river, just upstream from the beaches of Popoyo. The name of the retreat is Equilibrio. It is a fitting name, as the educational opportunities of the local children will continue to rise along with the yoga tourism they bring to the area.

All the yogis interviewed for this article shared a common sentiment: Yoga in Nicaragua is nascent; sharing Yoga here is challenging, but feels exceptionally rewarding, like the practice itself. Dan and Geri shared a physical metaphor: “Once, when we were feeling really challenged during the construction phase, some unknown tree started dropping magnificent little flowers, which floated down to our yoga deck. They were like little blessings. We feel blessed to be part of such a living enterprise, in this phenomenal country.”

PURE – Granada www.purenica.com
JICARO ISLAND ECOLODGE – Las Isletas de Granada www.jicarolodge.com
ANANDA – Managua www.yogadevanand.com
CENTRO DE YOGA CENTER – Managua www.centrodeyogacenter.com
CLINICA ONE – Managua (505) 8773-8825
BUEDA VIDA FITNESS CENTER – San Juan del Sur www.buenavidafitness.com
NICA YOGA AT CAMINO DEL SOL – San Juan del Sur www.nicayoga.com
YOGA WITH GABRIELA PRADO – Popoyo/Guasacate/Salinas, Tola www.equilibrioyoga.com
AQUA NICARAGUA – www.aquanicaragua.com
BWSP – www.bigworldsmallplanet.com

4 Responses to “Yoga in Nicaragua”

1. Yoga in Nicaragua « Hecho Magazine | Today Headlines says:

   8 May 2010 at 8:33 AM

   [...] and Christianity. Not at all! Yoga is a lifestyle that … See the original post: Yoga in Nicaragua « Hecho Magazine Share and [...]
2. Donna Major-Jackson says:

   15 June 2010 at 5:34 PM

   It’s great to see an article on Yoga in Nicaragua published here in Nicaragua. I am glad to see that the yoga community continues to be evolving here. I hope to connect with the rest of the yogis outside of San Juan del Sur where I teach at Nica Yoga/El Camino del Sol and Beuna Vida Fitness Center. Thank you for a well done article!
3. Donna Jackson says:

   15 June 2010 at 5:54 PM

   I was glad to see an article on yoga in Nicaragua published here! It is great to learn that the yoga community in Nicaragua is indeed evolving and that yoga is being shared outside of where I teach in San Juan del Sur at Nica Yoga/El Camino del Sol and Buena Vida Fitness Center. I hope now to connect with all the Nica Yogis!!!
4. Donna Jackson says:

   15 June 2010 at 5:56 PM

   ….(from Donna Major-Jackson, same person)