In Nature as Nature
A Heart of Yoga Retreat
or
200 hr Yoga Teacher Training
Yasawa Islands
Nabukeru Village
October 30th - November 7th, 2026
Get in touch: marianaaliveaslife@gmail.com
Whatsapp +678 2751488
Join us in the Yasawa Islands for a deeply restorative and immersive Yoga experience, open to all.
This offering can be joined as a retreat or as a 200 Certified YTT teacher training for those who wish to deepen and share this work.
Receive authentic Yoga in the direct lineage of T. Krishnamacharya, T.K.V. Desikachar, and Mark Whitwell. This tradition is shared by teachers Litiana Lagibalavu and Mariana Garcia Flores, continuing a living, heart-centered transmission of Yoga.
Set in a remote ocean village, this retreat invites you into simplicity, nature, and a direct relationship with life. Days unfold organically with practice, rest, connection, and time in the ocean.
ABOUT THE HEART OF YOGA
This approach restores Yoga beyond fitness, honoring it as a spiritual, personal, adaptive, and life-integrated practice.
Key principles:
Yoga meets you where you are
Work without struggle, releasing habits of stress
Open to all bodies, ages, cultures, and beliefs
Breath is central to all practice
The practice extends beyond asana to include pranayama, meditation, and daily life
Teachings are experiential, relevant, and rooted in dialogue
Intelligent sequencing - Vinyasa Krama
Alignment comes from breath and inner awareness
Trauma-informed approach with no force and full respect for your pace
Teachings include chanting, mantra, mudra, philosophy, and the living tradition of Yoga in a way that is accessible and meaningful
Retreat and/or Teacher Training
You are invited to slow down, reconnect, and rediscover Yoga as a means of participation in life rather than something to achieve.
Whether you come to rest, or to learn how to share this work with others, this experience offers a return to the essence of Yoga in a supportive and beautiful environment.
Yoga as whole-body prayer
You will immerse in the breath principles largely lost from modern yoga, that make yoga effective, powerful, safe and devotional. The breath grounds your practice in interoception, feeling the body from the inside out, yoga as whole-body prayer to Life, yoga as spiritual practice, yoga as profound internal reverie. Not yoga as exercise.
Accreditation / Certification
These 7 days together can be combined with online teacher training materials to receive 200hr certification through Yoga Alliance.
200 hr certification comprised of the following:
these 7 days in person, with printed manual
in-depth recorded online teacher training materials
a structured 2 months online following the retreat with weekly classes
support while practicing teaching
Yoga Alliance certification upon completion
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Asana, Pranayama, Meditation as a seemless process
History of yoga, and philosophy (but engaged and relevant to our lives… not dry and abstract).
Intelligent sequencing or Vinyasa Krama – learn how to structure a practice in the way that builds safely to a peak
Alignment from the inside: using interoception(your own body intelligence) to find the adjustments that are right for you
Trauma informed: no gross adjustments, go at your own pace, no overstimulating ‘breathwork,’ sensitivity to what we carry
Vedic chanting, Tantric mantra, Nyasa (‘placing’ mantra in the body), mudra
Yogic relationship — how to allow our practice to spill over into daily life
Slow down, listen your heart
and
reconnect with the earth.
This retreat is intentionally simple.
You’ll be living in a traditional Fijian village, staying in bure-style homes by the ocean, eating local food, and sharing in a way of life that’s deeply connected to the land, the sea, and the people.
You’ll be invited into everyday village life through experiences like lovo feasts, kava ceremonies, and weaving with local artisans, creating moments of connection and cultural exchange.
Participate in the warmth, generosity, and communal spirit of Fijian culture.
By being here, you directly support Fijian communities and help sustain a way of life that is grounded in connection, care, and reciprocity.
In Nature as Nature
Rooted in the earth and the heart
Alive through breath, presence and relationship
Wild in its simplicity and the natural rythms of life
This is an invitation to return to basics, to soften back into your own rhythm, and to live in close relationship to the earth and your heart.
We sometimes forget that we are nature itself.
We don’t go out into nature, we are nature so we are always in it. What a wonder that is! We are the intelligence, the wisdom, and the beauty of nature itself.
Come and experience yourself in nature as nature.
Days are shaped by natural rhythms, yoga, ocean swims, village life, and time outdoors.
we leave aside the screen and the clock and enjoy our aliveness through our senses and relationships.
Be nourished by a gentle heart & breath-centred practice
The practice of intimacy with your breath, body and life
RECEIVE YOURSELF AS NATURE, IN NATURE
A PRACTICE WHERE GENTLE MOVEMENT WITH THE BREATH BRINGS MEDITATION NATURALLY
*No previous Yoga or Meditation experience required
“If you can breathe you can do Yoga”
-TKV Desikachar
This practice is for everyone.
Yoga is suited to the individual and not the individual to Yoga.
Come as you are. No previous experience needed.
Yoga is Intimacy with life. No one can do Yoga better than you
YOUR TEACHERS
This isn’t just a business—it’s a reflection of what we believe in. We’re here to create work that matters, led by a shared commitment to quality and care.
This isn’t just a business—it’s a reflection of what we believe in. We’re here to create work that matters, led by a shared commitment to quality and care.
Both of us are Heart o Yoga Teachers and have led several retreats internationally in places such as Fiji, Bali, Mexico, Spain, Italy, New Zealand etc…
Rest - Receive - Detox - Nourish - Connect
Experience yourself in nature as nature itself
Immerse yourself in the paradise of Fiji and take with you your own Yoga practice and the understanding and lived experience that you are alive as life itself, as nature itself.
Sawa-i-Lau Caves
The heart of the Yasawa Islands
As part of the retreat we will visit the sacred Sawa-I-Lau caves.
This caves hold the mana, the living spirit of the Yasawa Islands and are home to Ulutini, the ancient ten-headed Fijian God.
Imagine swimming through the turquoise waters of the Sawa-i-Lau Caves, surrounded by towering limestone walls and a quiet sense of the sacred.
You’ll share an experience of wonder and deep connection with nature, with one another, and with yourself.
Accommodation
Surrounded by a garden of papaya, bananas, pineapples and palm trees, this cozy bure style home provides all the comforts for simple living.
Located right on the waters edge for you to enjoy a daily swim. Enjoy spectacular views, sunsets and the
sounds of the ocean and morning birdsong.
the veranda provides the perfect place to dine, take in the sunset, do your yoga or simply dive into your favourite book.
Retreat Costs
Includes
7 nights accommodation by the water
2x daily yoga classes looking over the ocean
Traditional Fijian meals
Visit to Sawa-I-Law caves
2x snorkeling trips
Boat transfers from Port Denarau Marina (Nadi)
Triple Room
Quad Room
Yoga Teacher Training Costs
Divided into 2 payments
1. Seven-day teacher training in Fiji (30 hrs)
Includes
All of the above plus:
Additional classes specific to Yoga Teacher instruction
Printed Teaching materials
One-on-one time with teachers
Triple Room
Quad Room
2. Online Teacher Traning Component
In-depth recorded online teacher training materials by Mark Whitwell (50 hrs)
A structured 2 months online following the retreat with 2x weekly classes (30 hrs)
Live classes with Mark Whitwell (20 hrs)
Practice Teahing (20 hrs)
Teaching Mentoring (10 hrs)
Self study and readings (40 hrs)
Yoga Alliance certification upon completion
Booking
Complete the registration form
50% deposit is needed to secure your spot.
Full payment is due before arrival.
What to bring
Togs/swimsuit
Sandals
Rock/reef shoes
Umbrella / raincoat
Comfy clothes for asana
Reef-safe sunscreen
Natural mosquito repellent
Notebook & pen
Snorkelling gear
Yoga mat
FAQ’S
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This is not in any particular ‘style’ of Yoga. it is also not just exercise or stretches.
This is Yoga: The heart and breath-centred practice brought forth from the ancient traditions by Sri Krishnamacharya.
Yoga is the practice of intimacy with breath, body, and life. It is embracing reality itself.
The practice could be described as breath-centred tantra hatha yoga.
The practice of Yoga weaves together asana (body postures), pranayama (breathwork), mantras (chants), mudras (hand postures), and visualisations. During or after these, meditation may arise as a gift. Meditation does not imply a struggle with the mind or the body.
Fitness and flexibility are only a consequence of this spiritual practice, not the purpose of it.
HaTha yoga.
Ha means sun and Tha means moon. HaTha is therefore the union of opposites that arise and return to the heart. Above-below, left-right, front-back, within-without, strength-receptivity, inhale-exhale, sun-moon, masculine-feminine. HaTha yoga is the participation and union of these opposites.
Tantric philosophy is based on the principles of non-duality, meaning that in life there is no separation. Tantra recognises that we are an inseparable part of the universe. Therefore, tantra-based yoga focuses on using the body as a temple to worship the all-encompassing oneness of life as sacred.
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All vegetarian meals are included.
If you have any dietary requirements, we will cater for you.
Please specify in the registration form
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Come anytime on Tuesday 29th October and leaave anytime on Sunday 3rd November
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Taveuni Island
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Transfers are included from Matei Airport to the accommodation
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Wifi is available around the main building only.
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A 50% deposit is necessary to secure your spot through bank transfer to Fijian bank account.
The remaining 50% is due upon arrival and can be paid through bank transfer or in cash.
Invoice will be sent out through email upon registration.
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The organizer reserves the right to cancel or reschedule the event if the group is not full. In this case you will receive a full refund.
The deposit is non-refundable but you may give your spot to someone else. or use it towards another retreat.
A person is already perfect and perfectly funcioning. Yoga is only participation in this, not manipulation in any way.
U.G Krisnamurti
Get in touch: marianaaliveaslive@gmail.com