High-Level Program Overview
A week to deepen what you know — or begin something that lasts.
If yoga is already a practice you’re committed to, this is an opportunity to work alongside a veteran to deepen your practice.
And if you’re a beginner, this is a chance to start on the right foot — with a method solid enough that you won’t have to unlearn it later.
Over seven days (six nights), this immersive retreat is a chance to invigorate and restore: to play in waterfalls, swing in a hammock, and connect to queer community — with just enough learning woven in to keep things interesting, but never enough to feel like homework.
Two daily practices bookend spacious days built for rest as much as movement. Slow mornings open into an energizing flow to wake, strengthen, and lengthen the body; evenings soften into a slower practice of restorative yoga, meditation, and sound healing. Rooted in yoga philosophy — the wisdom of the koshas, the medicine of Ayurveda, and the chakra system — the program blends skillful movement with self-inquiry, alongside Qasa’s core truth: as I am, in this body, I belong.
A deep dive into yoga is also a deep dive into yourself. At Qasa, that exploration happens in a space created for queer people – where what comes up can be explored and shared without having to translate or explain yourself. That’s what makes doing this work at Qasa so rare and powerful.
By the end, something subtle but undeniable shifts. Not because you set out to change — but because you finally see yourself from somewhere new.
Who It’s For & Why People Come
For beginning and experienced practitioners alike. This is a rejuvenating retreat, not a certification— ideal for anyone who wants to know their own nature and feel more at home in themselves.
This retreat is for you if you’re ready to:
- Take a real vacation — to rest, nourish yourself, and be in queer community without an agenda.
- Reconnect with a body that’s felt neglected or sluggish lately — to feel strong, open, and awake again, without power yoga or pressure.
- Explore the deeper layers of self through the five koshas — the physical, energetic, mental, intuitive, and bliss bodies.
- Experience a space where queer identity and spiritual practice aren’t separate, but woven together.
- Let go of feeling like an outsider in wellness spaces, and step into true belonging.
- Deepen a daily practice of yoga, meditation, and self-awareness — without the workload of a training.
- Learn practical tools from yoga and Ayurveda that support real, lived change.
- Recognize how you carry your beliefs in your posture — and reconsider what no longer serves you.
- Feel held in a community that honors both where you are and who you’re becoming.
- Embody the truth: “I accept what is, and I trust that it can evolve.”
WhAT TO EXPECT
The Experience
Your shoulders drop an inch you didn’t know they were holding. Somewhere between the mat and the jungle air, your body remembers how to just be.
It’s the stretch of stillness at the end of a long practice — muscles warm and used, sweat cooling on your skin, the teacher’s voice dropping to almost nothing. Around you, a room full of queer men breathing in the same slow rhythm, close enough to hear, far enough that you’re still alone with your own body. Outside, the jungle doesn’t pause for you — birds calling, leaves shifting somewhere in the canopy, the day going on exactly as it would without you here. And still, for once, you don’t feel behind it, or outside of it, or waiting for permission to belong to it.
You’ve spent years learning how to hold yourself together in rooms that didn’t feel safe enough to let go in. Here, nobody’s watching for that. The effort you walked in with loosens slowly — in your jaw, your low back, the place behind your sternum you didn’t know you were guarding. Nothing dramatic happens. You just, for a few long minutes, stop performing. Something quieter than relief moves through you instead. And somewhere in that stillness, almost without noticing, your own narrative shifts: from “Do I belong here?” to “I was always part of this.”
Schedule Overview
Days here move with a balance of structure and spaciousness — full mornings, open middles, and gentle evenings.
You’ll wake with the jungle. Mornings open with an energizing practice to strengthen and lengthen the body, followed by a nourishing, chef-prepared breakfast shared in community. Then the day opens wide: the hours until mid-afternoon are yours — to rest, immerse in nature, join an optional waterfall excursion, or do nothing at all, with a leisurely lunch somewhere in the middle. In the cooler light of the afternoon, we gather again for a grounded practice with just the right amount of philosophy — restorative yoga, meditation, sound healing, and reflection on the day’s theme. Dinner comes as the jungle cools and everyone returns to the table together. And in the evenings, the space is built for connection rather than curriculum: game nights and sing-alongs, dancing, bonfires, and song circles, massage exchanges, and the occasional optional sensuality workshop.
Program Highlights
- Two daily practices — an energizing morning flow and a slower, restorative evening session of meditation and sound healing.
- Depth without homework — a guided dive into the five koshas, the four paths of yoga, and Ayurveda, led by a teacher of 30+ years.
- A queer-centered approach — to yoga and spirituality that includes your body, your desires, and your identity, with space to explore what comes up among a community that understands the queer experience.
- Spacious rest — optional excursions, waterfall visits, and plenty of genuinely unstructured time to do nothing at all.
- Evenings for connection — games, bonfires, dance, sound healing, and an optional sensuality workshop, built for community, not curriculum.
- Real belonging — a grounded community rooted in authenticity, rejuvenation, and being seen exactly as you are.
Facilitators
Marcos Jassan
Your Lead Facilitator — Marcos Jassan
30+ years on the mat
Marcos brings three decades of teaching to the mat. His path runs from the vigor of Ashtanga through the energy work of Tantra and into Ayurveda — and along the way he studied alongside power-yoga and Iyengar teachers to build a style of high-definition alignment: precise, energetic movement that never loses its breath.
He’s known for exact, intelligent cues and hands-on adjustments, and for a rarer gift: finding the small, specific action that lets effort resolve into ease. Marcos teaches beginners and seasoned practitioners alike; his work is about helping you come home to your own nature and stop doubting yourself.
Marcos identifies as a gay man, and has been leading retreats at Qasa for four years.
Lodging & Property
Investment & Logistics
Duration: 7 days, 6 nights (Sunday, March 7 – Saturday, March 13, 2027)
Group Size: Maximum 28 for depth and connection.
Accommodation and investment:
- Shared Four-Bed Jungle Cabin — $2,700 per person
- Shared Twin Jungle Cabin — $3,300 per person
- Private King Cabin — $3,450 per person
- Private Deluxe Cabin — $3,750 per person
Financial support: Limited assistance may be available for participants experiencing financial hardship. Supporting documentation may be requested. Contact welcome@qasa.house for information.
Included: Guided practices, facilitator support, six nights of accommodation, chef-prepared meals and tropical beverages, scheduled ground transportation, preparation resources, integration support, and access to the Qasa community.
Privacy Level: Hotel guests and community members are able to join classes.
Spice Level: 1 chili (Low): While sexuality may come up in discussion, sexual touch will not be explored in facilitated sessions. Participants are welcome to engage consensual sexual connection with others, excluding the facilitators, in alignment with our community agreements.
Travel Logistics: Check out our travel and packing guide for more information
Please Note: This is a yoga vacation, not a teacher training—no certification or continuing education hours are offered
Your Retreat Includes
- Luxury jungle accommodation
- Chef-prepared meals and tropical beverages
- Two daily yoga, meditation, and embodiment practices
- All workshops and facilitated programming
- Waterfall excursion and nature experiences
- Airport transportation
- Pre-retreat preparation resources
- Access to the Qasa community after the retreat
Where You’ll Be Staying
- Qasa is located 3.5-4.5 hours from San Jose International airport (SJO), and roughly 1.25 hours from Quepos Airport (XQP) which has regular flights from SJO on Sansa Airlines and Green Airways
- After booking a stay at Qasa we will be happy to help you book a private taxi through a trusted provider. Private taxi rates (subject to change) are approximately:
- $180 from San Jose or SJO Airport
- $80 from Quepos or XQP Airport
- $90 from Manuel Antonio
- $30 from Dominical
- $30 from San Isidro
- If renting a car, a 4×4 is required to access the hotel in the rainy season
- The most economical option to arrive is to take a public bus to San Isidro or Dominical and then take a private taxi
Next Step
Option 1: Reserve Your Spot
- Reserve your place.
- Complete application.
- Final confirmation process.
Option 2: Book a Discovery Call
- Speak with our team.
- Ask questions.
- Get help choosing accommodations and completing registration.
frequently asked questions
FAQs
Got questions about our retreats in Costa Rica? Read the FAQs or get in touch via the contact form below.
Need more insights? Read our comprehensive blog about all things retreat-related in Costa Rica.
Qasa is a clothing optional queer sanctuary nestled in the lush Costa Rican jungle. We are a hotel and retreat center offering a mix of transformative experiences, playful freedom, embodied pleasure, wellness, and connection — all centered around the LGBTQ+ community. Whether you’re coming for a retreat, a hotel stay, or an event, we welcome you with open arms.
While our retreats are predominantly for GBTQ+ men, our hotel welcomes all guests who value conscious community, natural beauty, and authentic connection – regardless of background, identity, or how you love.
Qasa offers an eco-chic boutique hotel and transformational experiences, including sacred plant journeys, nature-based adventures and embodied pleasure retreats. We also offer intentional gatherings, parties, and festivals, as well as daily world-class classes, workshops, and events.
Yes! You can stay with us as a hotel guest during “off-retreat” times. It’s a beautiful way to enjoy nature, community, and rest. Check availability here.
Absolutely. We celebrate body freedom and comfort. Nudity is welcome in common areas, and respected as a non-sexual form of self-expression. Please always sit on a towel 🙂
Yes. We are an adults-only space (18+). Our programming and environment are not suitable for children.
A wellness retreat is dedicated time away to rest, reconnect, and support your wellbeing through nature, guided practices, nourishing food, and community.
At Qasa, gay and queer men take part in guided workshops, embodiment, nature, shared meals, and community. The exact program depends on the retreat, and participation is always opt-in.
Yes. Qasa’s core retreat programs are designed specifically for gay and queer identifying men. Hotel stays and selected events welcome guests of all identities.
Yes. Outside retreat periods and on available hotel dates, guests of all identities can book a stay solo, with a partner, or with friends.
Qasa offers a deliberately queer-centered home base in Costa Rica, built around belonging, clear community agreements, and care.
Travel experiences vary, and normal precautions still apply. At Qasa, guests enter a queer-centered environment supported by our team and community agreements.
Yes. Qasa can host private retreats, workshops, birthdays, and group getaways, subject to fit and availability.
Qasa is in Valle Diamante, about 3.5 to 4.5 hours from San José by road. Retreat guests receive specific shuttle and arrival details for their program.
Retreat guests receive fresh, chef-prepared meals made with local ingredients whenever possible. Many dietary needs can be accommodated with advance notice.
Hotel stays are lodging-only unless a specific package, event, or private booking states otherwise.