Package A1
7-Day Retreat · All meals
Daily breakfast, 5 group lunches, 6 group dinners
Shared casita$5,900
Private casita$8,250
Upside Down in Arenal · Handstand Retreat
Turn your world upside down.
A handstand retreat in the Costa Rican rainforest, at the foot of Arenal Volcano. Small group, two coaches, open-air practice in the canopy.
Aug 7 to 13, 2027
Amor Arenal
18 students max
Every level welcome
Led by head coach Virgile Peyramaure, former Cirque du Soleil and Big Apple Circus handbalancer, with assistant coach David Johnson of SWEAT Yoga Studio.
WhenAug 7 to 13, 2027
WhereAmor Arenal, La Fortuna
Group18 students max
CoachesVirgile and David
LevelEvery level welcome
The Week
Come get upside down with us
Whatever your handstand looks like right now, this retreat is for getting it further.
You might be kicking up against a wall, or you might be chasing a freestanding hold. Either way you’ll have two coaches, a small group and a covered open-air platform in the rainforest. You’ll train each morning while the forest wakes up, recover in volcanic spring pools in the afternoon, and eat well in between.
You’ll go home with clearer technique, a training plan you can actually follow, and a lot of time spent upside down. Nothing to prove. The door is open to every body.
This retreat is for you if
- You want a handstand, whether you’re starting from zero or polishing a 30 second hold.
- You’d rather have hands-on coaching in a small group than get lost at the back of a big class.
- You want a real training week, with time to rest and enjoy Costa Rica too.
You don’t need
- A freestanding handstand. We’ll meet you where you are.
- A yoga, gymnastics or acrobatics background.
- To be “flexible enough.” Mobility work is part of the program.
Choose Your Retreat
Two ways to stay. Two ways to eat.
Pick the full week or the 4-day intensive, then choose all meals or breakfast and dinner. Every option gets the same coaching, the same casitas and the same rainforest.
All mealsBreakfast, group lunches and group dinners
Breakfast + dinnerLunch on your own in La Fortuna. Our lower-priced option.
7-Day Retreat6 nights · Sat Aug 7 to Fri Aug 13
Join the waitlist →
Package A2
7-Day Retreat · Breakfast + dinner
Daily breakfast, 6 group dinners, lunch on your own
Shared casita$5,500
Private casita$7,850
4-Day Intensive3 nights · Sat Aug 7 to Tue Aug 10
Package B1
4-Day Intensive · All meals
Daily breakfast, 2 group lunches, 3 group dinners
Shared casita$3,200
Private casita$4,400
Package B2
4-Day Intensive · Breakfast + dinner
Daily breakfast, 3 group dinners, lunch on your own
Shared casita$3,050
Private casita$4,250
Your room. Every option comes as a shared two-Queen casita (we’ll pair you with another student if you’re coming solo) or a private King casita. All casitas have a private deck with a heated whirlpool and volcano views.
The full week adds a mid-week rest day with an optional group excursion. Every package includes two coaching sessions a day with Virgile and David and the group shuttle from SJO on arrival and departure days.
Per student, in USD. Flights not included.
What You’ll Work On
Proper form, power and a safe, customized practice
01
Foundations
Wrist prep, shoulder mobility and the body line that makes everything else easier.
02
Entries
Controlled kick-ups, tuck and straddle presses, and safe ways to come down. Bailing is a skill too.
03
Balance
Finger-and-palm corrections, wall drills that move you off the wall, and hands-on spotting from a coach who has trained circus professionals.
04
Your plan home
A personal training plan built around your level, schedule and goals.
A Day on Retreat
Train, rest, repeat
Each day has a technique block, a strength and mobility block, and open practice with both coaches giving individual feedback. The 7-day retreat includes a mid-week rest day with an optional group excursion. The 4-day intensive keeps the same daily rhythm in a shorter stay.
7:00
Tea and coffee
Tea, coffee and a light snack: yogurt, fruit and granola.
8:00
Morning session
Warm-up, wrist prep, technique of the day.
9:30
Strength and mobility
The block that makes tomorrow’s balance easier.
10:30
Breakfast
Breakfast with volcano views.
Midday
Recover your way
Spring pools, spa, hiking, or a nap in your casita’s hot tub.
2:00
Lunch
Group lunch, or lunch on your own with the breakfast + dinner plan.
4:30
Afternoon session
Open practice, partner drills, filming and review.
7:00
Dinner together
One table, the whole group, and the stories from the platform.
18 spots. Two coaches. One week to get upside down.
Join the waitlist →
The Venue
Amor Arenal, La Fortuna
A small boutique hotel in untouched rainforest 7 km from La Fortuna, on the road to Arenal Volcano National Park.
Your casita
Hardwood cabins with vaulted ceilings and panoramic windows over a rainforest canyon. Every casita has a suspended private deck with a heated whirlpool.
Our practice space
The Rain Drop Platform, a covered open-air deck with room for 30+ mats, reserved for our group.
Recovery
Spring-water dipping pools, a full-service rainforest spa, and natural volcanic hot springs 10 to 15 minutes away.
Getting there
Fly into San José (SJO). Group shuttles run on arrival and departure days, about 3 hours through the countryside.
The Place
This is where you’ll be
The volcano, the springs, the platform, the casitas, the food. Swipe through.
Scroll sideways for more
Your Coaches
Two coaches, one small group
Hand-to-hand, on tour
Thirty-plus years of handbalancing
Head coach
Virgile Peyramaure
Virgile grew up in his father’s circus in France and trained in hand-to-hand balancing at the Centre National des Arts du Cirque from age fifteen. He performed with Cirque du Soleil, Circus Knie, Circus Roncalli, Berlin’s Wintergarten and the Paris Lido, and won Gold at the 1995 Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain. He later became Assistant Artistic Director of the Big Apple Circus and coached handstand and hand-to-hand for Cirque du Soleil’s Crystal.
Today he teaches workshops, private lessons and master classes in New York City. With thirty-plus years upside down, he builds the program around your level and goals and personally spots you through it.
“Home is where I’m in handstand.”@handstand_with_virgile
Assistant coach
David Johnson
David has spent the last eight years training upside down with Virgile, learning the same circus-tested progressions you’ll work through on this retreat. He brought that method home to Albuquerque, where he runs private and group handstand training at SWEAT Yoga Studio, the studio he co-owns with his wife Marisa. His Handstand Jam class has turned plenty of “I could never” students into people who kick up without the wall.
Before yoga, David raced triathlons and trained CrossFit, so he knows how strength is built and how to pace a hard week. He’s RYT 200 and 300 trained, and he has led yoga retreats for eight years, most recently in Mexico, with Morocco coming up in February 2027. On the platform he’s Virgile’s second set of eyes and hands: spotting your kick-ups, fixing your line, and making sure nobody gets lost at the back of the room.
Thirty-plus years of handbalancing, coaching you for a week.
Join the waitlist →Included in every package
- Accommodation at Amor Arenal, shared or private casita
- Daily breakfast, plus group meals for your meal plan
- Two coaching sessions a day on a private practice platform
- Group shuttle from SJO on arrival and departure days
- A personal training plan to take home
Not included
- Flights and travel insurance
- Spa treatments and optional excursions
- Alcohol, and lunches on the breakfast + dinner plan
Questions
Good to know
I can’t do a handstand at all. Is this really for me?
Yes. Some of our favorite students start the week at the wall. We split into level groups so everyone gets coaching at the right level.
I already have a freestanding handstand. Will I be bored?
No. With two coaches and a small group, advanced students work on presses, shapes and one-arm progressions while beginners build foundations.
Should I pick the 7-day retreat or the 4-day intensive?
The full week gives you the most progress, a rest day and an excursion. The intensive gives you the same coaching and daily rhythm in a shorter, lower-priced stay. Both start Saturday Aug 7.
What’s the difference between the meal plans?
Breakfast is included with every casita. All meals adds group lunches and dinners at the hotel. Breakfast + dinner keeps the group dinners and leaves lunch to you, at local sodas in La Fortuna for about $15 to $25.
Can I come solo?
Absolutely. Choose a shared casita and we’ll pair you with another student, or book a private one.
What about my wrists?
Wrist conditioning is built into every session, and we scale the volume for everyone. If you have an injury, tell us when you join the waitlist.
What’s the weather like?
Warm and green, with rain likely at some point in the day. That’s why it’s a rainforest. Our practice platform is covered.
Can I book now?
Not yet. Join the waitlist with the package you want, and David and Virgile will reach out personally with how to hold your spot.
Aug 7 to 13, 2027 · Amor Arenal
Your handstand is waiting. So is the volcano.
18 spots, two coaches and the rainforest. Join the waitlist, tell us a little about your practice and which package you want, and David and Virgile will reach out personally with how to hold your spot.
Join the waitlist →Questions? info@sweatyogastudio.com or 505-363-8021
Handstand with Virgile × SWEAT Yoga Studio · @handstand_with_virgile · @sweatyogastudio