Last updated February 7, 2026
Does this sound like you: “I have too much to do.” “I’m going to answer just one more email before I close up shop for the day.” “I’m on deadline—I really can’t stop now.”
It’s so easy to make excuses to avoid a well-needed break while you hammer away at your keyboard and head down that rabbit hole of more. But we can’t keep on keeping on. Rest is fundamental to our overall well-being. Our brains need a recess, and our bodies require sleep to function.
Find Your Reset Button
Ironically, many of us think we know how to rest—equating it with a good night’s sleep. Not to burst anyone’s bubble… we’ve got it all wrong. Sleep itself cannot restore us to the point of feeling rested.
In her TED Ideas post, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith says, “We go through life thinking we’ve rested because we have gotten those eight hours of sleep per night. In reality, we are suffering from a rest deficit because we don’t understand the true power of rest.”
So what do you do when you don’t understand something? You learn it. And learn how to rest, you will at The Retreat Costa Rica. At best, you’ll leave with a wellness toolbox to incorporate into your life (hopefully) forever.
Resting Is Truly an Art
Perched on a 50-acre high-vibrational crystal mountain with sweeping views of the Gulf of Nicoya is The Retreat Costa Rica, a luxury wellness boutique resort. Set in a restorative environment, The Retreat’s five-night Art of Resting program is designed to be both immersive and practical. Guests experience deep relaxation while learning simple, personalized ways to protect their rest once they return home.
Getting proper rest is becoming something of an art. Sleep and rest are not mutually exclusive, insists Diana Stobo, creator and owner of The Retreat Costa Rica.
Rest allows people to rediscover their true nature by eliminating the busy-ness of their lives.
“Rest has a broad spectrum of positive influence on your health; it is more inclined to increase mental and physical well-being by stopping activity,” says Diana. “Sleep, on the other hand, is a general reset of all things. Sleep allows the body to detox, release and restart.”
Resting can help eliminate oxidative stress from “doing” and allow the art of “being,” which is a very elusive definition. Rest can help restore a sense of calm and surrender, igniting overall well-being. Rest can also pave the way to a better night’s sleep.
Can You Learn How to Rest?
Yes, it can be tricky to find time for rest. But rest allows people to rediscover their true nature by eliminating the busy-ness of their lives. Many guests stay on average five days, notes Diana, adding that she definitely sees shifts occur as each day passes.
“It’s typical to see guests arrive on day one stressed, hurried, panicked and excited. On day two, they begin to let go of expectations, the agenda and themselves. Day three is always a big turning point, as they begin to relax and dive deep inside themselves. And finally, on day four, they surrender to the day as it unfolds. Day five, nobody wants to leave,” says Diana.
The Retreat Costa Rica builds in plenty of respite and rejuvenation into the Art of Resting retreat, including pranayama sessions with the resort’s Ayurveda doctor, sound healing and aromatherapy treatments.
Guests also enjoy luxurious accommodations overlooking Costa Rica’s lush, tropical forest; three daily anti-inflammatory organic meals at the two farm-to-table restaurants; daily yoga and hiking; and peaceful spa treatments at the Vida Mia Spa.
The Art of Resting
Diana explains that each inclusion of the Art of Resting program has been carefully curated, starting with location—the crystal energy of the quartz mountain provides a calming vibration, inducing well-being and is perfect for “rest.”
Guests learn pranayama, a breathing exercise, from the resort’s Ayurveda doctor. Pranayama is said to help increase energy and release stress, improving overall mental wellness. Guests also receive an Ayurvedic cranial massage that balances marma points using a Kansa wand to soothe, tone, and release stressors from the body.
The benefits of the program run deep, starting with location—the crystal energy of the quartz mountain provides a calming vibration, inducing well-being and is perfect for rest.
Diana Sobo
Sound Healing, Aromatherapy & Crystals
Guests can choose from a variety of restorative therapies designed to nurture both body and mind. Sound healing encourages deep relaxation, while aromatherapy uses plant materials, aromatic oils, and other natural compounds to support psychological and physical well-being. Crystal therapies further promote healing on a physical, emotional and spiritual level by positively interacting with the body’s energy field.
Adjacent to the main house, the Vida Mia Spa provides a serene setting for these experiences. Each treatment room is named for indigenous healing crystals and features open-air or large windows, allowing guests to connect with the surrounding natural environment.
With innovative and organic remedies fused with the wisdom of ancient therapies and the metaphysical powers of the four elements—earth, water, air and fire—the spa aims to connect health, beauty, relaxation and healing, focusing on genuine treatments and hands-on experiences to connect, nurture, protect, and heal the mind and body.
Vida Mia was carefully designed with ancient Feng Shui principles, balancing energies throughout the building to optimize health, wealth, charisma, love, sex and luck.
The Retreat grows and cultivates its own medicinal herbs for holistic wellness practices. They also make scrubs, tinctures, oil infusions and creams for treatments at The Apothecary, which is also used for educational events.
The Learn How to Rest Test
The big question remains: how can guests ensure they will maintain their learned rest routine once home and back into the daily hustle-bustle?
Diana says there are no guarantees that guests won’t re-emerge into “real life” with some old habits.
“This is why we recommend a retreat a few times a year. To bring new and more balanced information into their mental and emotional awareness that becomes habitual,” says Diana.
“Eventually, people begin to remember what it feels like to be in a restful state even when things are challenging and they can access that feeling at will.”
The Art of Resting retreat is ideal for anyone experiencing burnout or recovering from grief or a traumatic experience. It’s also great for new moms trying to get back into their regular sleeping habits.
Snapshot
- Learn how to rest at The Retreat Costa Rica’s five-night Art of Resting program, which teaches that sleep alone cannot restore you—true rest requires eliminating busy-ness to rediscover calm.
- Experience transformational wellness on a 50-acre quartz-crystal mountain overlooking the Gulf of Nicoya, with pranayama breathing sessions, Ayurvedic cranial massages and sound healing treatments.
- Practice daily yoga, hiking and forest bathing alongside three anti-inflammatory organic meals from farm-to-table restaurants to reduce oxidative stress and promote mental well-being.
- Receive spa treatments at Vida Mia using indigenous crystals, aromatherapy oils, and ancient Feng Shui principles to balance your body’s energy field and induce deeper relaxation.
- Return multiple times yearly to maintain your rest routine and build habitual awareness of restful states you can access even during challenging moments at home.
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