One of the great things about Blue Osa is the opportunity we have to welcome yogis and retreat leaders from all over the world, such as Elise Joan Bliss. Created to feel like your home away from home, Blue Osa is a place where you enter through the gates and instantly become part of our family. With fresh, farm-to-table meals and a luxury spa, Blue Osa is the perfect place to come and relax while also learning to find yourself.
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Each person that arrives at Blue Osa is special in their own unique way. Bringing with them a background of knowledge, experiences, and new energies. In some cases, we are able to meet yogis beforehand through Skype or Zoom! This allows us to start relationships early and ensure that when yogis arrive, they know what to expect. Sometimes these interviews can even turn into conversations.
For example, this specific conversation with Elise Joan Bliss. With a passion for all-over wellness and fitness, Elise has fueled an impressive career. Her influence is boundless and inspiring. From television to musical theater, dance, fitness, and yoga, Elise has reached many people in a myriad of ways.
Thinking about taking part in a yoga retreat? Check out Blue Osa’s page with all of our upcoming retreats! Here, we believe that the best retreats are holistic in nature and equally support spiritual, mental, and physical health. At Blue Osa, you will be sure to experience a getaway you will never forget.
What Inspires Elise Joan Bliss
Growing up, Elise Joan Bliss would watch Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (American actors and dancers) with her mother as she danced around in her basement. “My mom put me into ballet because I was always running into things,” Elise says. “I started at three and danced all the way through high school.” Eventually, she made her way to the VA Ballet outside of Washington.
“With ballet, I could always express myself physically through dance,” Elise says. As a teenager, it was very important for her to get into the studio and move. The combination of movement and yoga then led Elise into yoga and musical theater. “I’ve never really known life without it.”
Oftentimes, in her classes, Elise incorporated quotes. Such as this one by Rumi: Only from the heart can we touch the sky. This is a quote that Elise says she has used from early on. “It’s about acting from the heart instead of doing what society or our parents tell us to do.”
While in pre-med, Elise started college and was expected to get a PhD or a medical law degree. She then realized that this was not her calling and that she did not want to live a life of practicality. “When I announced to my parents that I was going to move to New York to pursue musical theater they were like, ‘Uh, that’s not a real job…’” Elise says she had the self-awareness to know that she wouldn’t be a starving actress forever.
“We all have the capacity to touch the sky, to really fly – that is how I interpret that,” says Elise. “But only if your feet are firmly planted, then you fly with your heart.” Elise’s teaching is all about helping people find what’s inside of them. She believes that no matter what, we all have that potential inside.
How Yoga Retreats Can Help You Heal
If you are tired of your everyday life and in need of a break, consider the many ways in which yoga can help relieve stress and fatigue. Choosing to go on a yoga retreat can be the first step towards the rest of your life. A life of more acceptance and peace. Yoga is a great practice to do every day, but have you ever thought about what it would be like to really immerse yourself in yoga?
Removing yourself from your everyday life of work and living and coming to a new place can open up your mind to new possibilities. We all sometimes need a fresh outlook on life. And a yoga retreat can help you do just that! At Blue Osa, our holistic approach to living will steal your heart and truly help you to relax. Located in beautiful Costa Rica, at Blue Osa, we can also help you experience the different adventures this beautiful country has to offer! Who knows, maybe Costa Rica will even change your life!
How Yoga Retreats Can Help You Enjoy Life
As we all know, different yoga teachers have different plans for their retreats. Elise Joan Bliss saw that beyond yoga twice a day she could also encourage outdoor experiences during her retreats. For example, in Costa Rica individuals can see some incredible wildlife and also take part in some wonderful experiences.
Having led retreats in the Galapagos and Africa, Elise always likes to get people out. She wants them to take part in different activities such as surfing or zip-lining. “You can stay by the pool and read a book or dive deeply into yourself, which is cool,” she says. “But I want to give people the opportunity to learn about themselves and be open to new experiences. To get out of their comfort zones and explore the natural terrain – push their edges, eliminate the limitations.” It’s like practicing yoga off the mat.
In terms of her five to ten-year vision, Elise says that she just likes to try and keep it fluid. This is because she believes that her experience in life is uncertain. “Plans are made to be broken but goals are always awesome,” she says.
