The Soul’s Sacred Song
A Bhakti & Kirtan Training Retreat with Horses
Certification & 20-hour Yoga Alliance Continued Education (CEU) credits
Awaken the Heart Through the Sacred Sound of Yoga
This immersive Bhakti Yoga & Kirtan Training is a Yoga Alliance–certified 20-hour program designed for those longing to connect to the heart of yoga through mantra, music, and devotion.
If you're feeling a gentle whisper or a soul-deep calling to step into the role of Kirtan facilitator, ceremonialist, or devotional songkeeper, this retreat offers the perfect sanctuary to explore your voice, awaken your spirit, and deepen your yoga practice.
Through daily Bhakti Yoga sessions, sacred mantra chanting, and heart-opening Kirtan circles, you’ll learn how to:
Lead and accompany Kirtan ceremonies
Cultivate a personal Bhakti mantra practice
Create and hold sacred space for devotional gatherings
Integrate music, breath, and spirit into your yoga practice
Surrounded by the healing energy of horses, nature, and community, this retreat is more than a training - it's a soul remembering.
Come sing your sacred song.
📆 2025 Date:
⋆★⋆ August 16 - 23, 2025
Rates beginning at $2395 per person.
Location: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast.
If you feel deeply called to deepen your yoga practice and immerse yourself in the sacred teachings of Bhakti Yoga and Kirtan, surrounded by the magical equine energy of horses, our 20-hour Yoga Alliance-certified training at the Kindred Spirits Center for Yoga & Horse Healing Arts in Costa Rica awaits you.
About the course
If you are feeling a gentle whisper or a soul-deep calling to step into the role of Kirtan facilitator, ceremonialist, or devotional songkeeper, this course offers the perfect sanctuary to explore your voice, awaken your spirit, and deepen your yoga practice. Through daily Bhakti yoga sessions, sacred mantra chanting, and heart-opening Kirtan circles, you will learn how to:
Lead and accompany Kirtan ceremonies
Cultivate a personal Bhakti mantra practice
Create and hold sacred space for devotional gatherings
Integrate music, breath, and spirit into your yoga practice
Surrounded by the healing energy of horses, nature, and community, this course is more than a training - it is a soul remembering.
Mantra magic: A Bhakti Kirtan experience
Awakening love, connection, and inner peace through the vibration of mantra. This training translates ancient Bhakti yoga mantra and wisdom teachings into modern, practical techniques for a purpose-driven, joyful, aligned life, accompanied by the training to empower you with confidence to weave your own original songs, affirmations, and mantras. This is an immersive training through storytelling combined with studies of voice and mantra.
A music and voice empowerment school led with love. This 20-hour program combines traditional kirtan (devotional singing), mantra practice, and sacred sound healing with the unique element of horse medicine. The course includes comfortable accommodation options, nourishing meals, and culminates in special ceremonies that integrate all aspects of the training.
Experiences
Daily yoga and meditation: Seven therapeutic yoga classes and guided meditation sessions
Horse medicine sessions: Crystal sound bathing with horses, yoga with horses, meditation with horses, swimming with horses, metaphysical group healing with horses
Sacred ceremonies: Two sacred cacao ceremonies with horses, closing bonfire ritual, collective aarti light offering
Sound healing and musical training: Mantra and kirtan practice, vocal empowerment sessions, and instrument exploration (harmonium, guitar, and drums)
Open to all levels
No prior experience with kirtan or mantra chanting is required. No horse or yoga experience is needed.
Musical background
While musical experience is welcomed, it is not necessary - just bring your willingness to explore sacred sound.
Is this for you?
Ideal for: Solo travelers, friends, and couples
In the beautiful energy of divine equine beings surrounding you at Kindred Spirits, you will be transported and uplifted as you explore the realms of your inner magic, amongst an open-hearted group of bhakti kirtan lovers.
Respected herd
Happy herd; respected, cared for, barefoot, bitless, living free in foraging pastures. Trained at Liberty. Loved intensely.
Sacred chants, fire, cacao, and horses
Kirtan ceremony under the open sky, by a sacred fire. You will chant mantras honoring Earth, Shiva, and goddesses, inviting them into your heart. Savor local cacao, connect with nature and the universe, amidst the healing energy of gentle horses.
Journey into the world of horses
By mindfully observing and interacting with horses at liberty, you will learn their language and rituals. This bond, built on unconditional love and devoid of judgment or expectations, helps you embrace your true self. The horses, your natural teachers and healers, each have unique energy and gifts to share.
Swimming with horses
Swimming with horses offers a beautiful morning beach time for both humans and horses. Yogi, Isha, and Nahar enjoy their dips in the ocean, rolls in the sand, and beachside grazing. You get to hold on to the mane, master your balance, and be one with horse and warm Caribbean waters, in the golden hour.
Yoga with horses
Develop a balance and harmony with horses, embracing their wild spirit and the surrounding life energies. Horses speak the language of peace, which necessitates truth; their wisdom guides you towards authenticity. With yogic techniques, you will meet the horse where he is, in the authentic self, rediscovering your inherent state of bliss.
Sound bath with the herd
Sound bath experience with crystal bowls, outdoors beneath the sacred Mayan tree of life. Feel the harmonious vibrations resonate through your being as you relax in the serene presence of horses.
Daily schedule
08:00 - 09:00 Clam
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 - 12:30 Class
13:00 Lunch
15:00 Class
Evening class
How Your Journey Will Unfold… 20-hours of Study & Practice
Deep Dive into the History, Philosophy and Lifestyle of Bhakti Yoga
Sanskrit Chanting and effects on the energetic body
Art of Sequencing a Bhakti Flow, Bhakti Restore, and Bhakti Pranayama Classes
Chanting Lessons/Tutorials
Learn Fern Oliiva’s Kirtan songs
Mantra Study and Practice including sacred mantras and translations
Dharma talks and yogic wisdom teachings
Songwriting and discovering your own power to tone with the Shruti instrument and create your own captivating, soul nourishing masterpieces
Learn how to record and share your meditations and music with your community
Sacred space-holding
Somatic Embodiment Practices
Discussions and Dharma Talks in Bhakti Yoga Philosophy
Deity Stories and inspirational theming to teach your own Bhakti Flow classes
Some of the benefits you may experience…
Cultivate somatic awareness and heart coherence through singing.
Fall in love with how your voice FEELS and from there, how your voice sounds using the accompaniment of your Shruti
Free your voice, quiet your mind, sing your prayers, and nourish your spirit while meditating in the frequency of your Shruti
Develop greater intimacy with your voice and experience the bliss of fully embodied singing.
Find more vocal presence, refinement of intonation, and the freedom of a relaxed tone.
Connect with your singing as a tool for healing, transformation, and manifestation.
Course Requirements:
Willingness to start where you're at and commit to a journey of awakening - which means showing up and doing the work, even when it feels uncomfortable
Recognition that your voice and expression have a direct impact on your life, work, relationships, confidence, self-love and willingness to fully show up to your practice, for yourself and your life
Desire to include singing with your Shruti as part of your spiritual and self-care practice
What makes this training unique:
Exceptional mentorship: Learn from Fern Olivia, who has created Kirtan song circles around Costa Rica, beginning at the Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort in Nosara and sang with Aykanna and Govindas & Radha, with the acclaimed Moon Tribe gathering sangha and sang alongside Sam Garrett in Santa Teresa, to her celebrated cacao ceremony kirtan at the Envision Festival in her mantra duo Pranamor with her partner Maxim Marlo. Fern’s 14 years of expertise and devoted approach to training new teachers and facilitators in yoga, meditation, breathwork, vocal activation, sacred space-holding, and mantra creates an inspiring and supportive learning environment for practitioners of all levels.
Co-hosted by: Terry L. Newton, Yoga School Director -cTerry is a passionate equine yoga pioneer and teacher, blending her deep knowledge of horses with her expertise in yoga and metaphysical healing. From her childhood days volunteering at horse farms near Toronto to her extensive studies in horsemanship and equine therapy in Costa Rica, Terry has always been passionate about forging a profound bond with horses, one that respects and honors the horse’s nature. She has hosted and participated in numerous clinics on Parelli, barefoot trimming, and equine coaching, and she developed the Equine Yoga Teacher Program to integrate equine wisdom with yoga practices. Her approach, Aligned Horsemanship, combines holistic horsemanship with yoga to enhance the spiritual connection between humans and horses. Terry's teachings focus on self-compassion, openness to change, and creating a nurturing space for self-discovery and healing.
Location
Nestled in a romantic, lush jungle in the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica, we welcome you to Kindred Spirits Equine farm.
Puerto Viejo, where the jungle meets the sea, is nestled on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. Imagine serene beaches within walking distance, waterfalls, national parks, and jungle walks... and so many intimate, private beaches, overlooks, and vistas.
Imagine waking up to the symphony of hummingbirds, the fluttering ballet of butterflies, and the distant calls of toucans and scarlet macaws.
Howler monkeys might even drop by to say hello, creating a symphony of nature that serenades you into a state of pure bliss.
As you settle into your sanctuary, a feeling of peace and true joy envelops you.
The energy here is truly magical, with vistas that seamlessly blend the majestic ocean and verdant jungle of green, lush trees and flora in all directions. It's a tranquil haven where the rhythm of the waves and the whispers of the trees synchronize to create an orchestra of serenity. This is a space where intentions are set, where you are invited to peel away the layers and come back to your authentic self.
Nature becomes your ally, a healing force that works in tandem with the land's enchantment to elevate your consciousness and support you in embracing the present moment. Our guests often find gratitude in the simple pleasures – the proximity to beautiful beaches and serene areas just steps from their door.
How to get there
All international flights arrive at San Jose (SJO) airport.
Option to fly domestically to Limon and take bus, taxi, or shuttle for 1 hour to Puerto Viejo. You can also take a bus or shuttle from San Jose for about 5 hours. We recommend www.flysansa.com for domestic flights to Limon.
