*RETREAT IS SOLD OUT AS OF 11/25/2023. Please email hello@secondsideyoga.com or text Julia (310) 254-4386 if you’d like to be on the waiting list.

We scoured over 30 places on land and sea for our 2024 retreat and discovered this gem. Welcome to Manta Island! Tucked away in the UNESCO world heritage site off the coast of Belize, amidst the second-largest barrier reef system in the world, the Great Mayan Reef, and the enchanting Great Blue Hole, this 11-acre virgin island is a breathtaking haven. Imagine pristine baby blue waters, powdery white sands, and a thriving marine ecosystem—it's a nature lover's dream.

Developed just a year ago, our exclusive 5-star accommodations (Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice best of the best in 2022 & 2023) ensure a luxurious retreat. Envision yourself in one of the 11 bungalows on this secluded private island, reserved solely for us. Immerse yourself in nature on the white sand or explore the vibrant marine life through snorkeling and scuba diving. This yoga retreat is a genuine treat you won't want to miss. Join us for an unforgettable experience!

INCLUDED:

1. 5 Day 4 Night Accommodation in 5 star private cabana (single or double occupancy)

2. Daily breakfast, lunch & dinner: Vegan, vegetarian, chicken & fish *we accommodate allergy & dietary restrictions

3. Unlimited bar snacks (chips & guacamole, etc.)

4. Unlimited beverages (alcoholic & non alcoholic including soft drinks, smoothies and coconut water, local beers, mixed drinks. Wine and imported beers excluded)

   
   

5. Daily house keeping and linen services

6. High speed Wi-Fi (complimentary)

7. Morning & Evening yoga daily (all classes are optional and all-level friendly with modifications offered - evening sessions vary from adjustment workshop*, to partial teacher training* and therapeutic partner Thai bodywork*) *$500 from the retreat payment can be used as credit for the next Second Side Yoga Teacher Training. *20hr Continuing Eds Credit is offered for participating on this retreat.

8. Manduka yoga mats

   
   

9. One guided Glover’s Reef tour & snorkeling

10. Complimentary use of kayaks, snorkeling gear, paddle boards & Hobie catamaran

    
    

11. Optional photoshoot with Jonas (2 shots max per person)*

12. Optional individual chat with Jonas (if time permits)

    
    

13. One round-trip group airport transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle (BZE airport to Dangriga sea port)

14. One round-trip private boat (Dangriga sea port to Manta Island)

*Below are some photos shot by Jonas on our last retreat

NOT INCLUDED:

1. International flights

2. Extra excursions or optional services such as massage

3. Travel insurance

YOUR CABANA:

• 600 SF cabana indoor space and outdoor patio and a hammock

• Comfortable King Size Bed with option for a double size pullout sofa bed

• Air-Conditioning

• Blackout Curtains

• Walk in shower with rain shower head

• Plush Bath Robes

• Bath toiletries- shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion

• Bath & Beach towels 

• Quartz countertop double bath vanities 

• Hot & Cold running water

• Hair Dryer & Make-up Mirror

• Bluetooth Speakers

• Lavazza espresso machine & purified drinking water 

• Kitchenette with microwave and mini fridge stocked with complimentary water, sodas and beers 

• 110v outlets so no need for converters for your electronic equipment

• Phone & Safe

• Daily housekeeping

• All taxes & fees are included 

FOOD:

Savor the flavors of Manta Island with a menu featuring fresh-caught seafood and locally-grown produce, all delivered to the island's chef by boat. The chef draws inspiration from traditional Maya, Mestizo, and Garifuna cuisines. Whether you're into island-style cooking with Belizean-inspired dishes like blackened fish or authentic curry, or you prefer something more traditional, Manta Island provides the perfect ambiance and nourishing food for every yogi's palate. We are able to accommodate dietary and allergy restrictions. Please let us know once you book the retreat.

OUR DAYS: sun rises and sets early. To enjoy the sunrise and sunset, we are adjusting our yoga schedule as follows (everything is optional):

7/6 Check-in

6:00PM arrive at Manta, tour & dinner

7/7-7/9

6:30AM Yoga with Jonas

8:00AM Breakfast

9:00-1:00PM Free time (pool, kayak, snorkel, paddle board, hammock, play ukulele, hobie catamaran, etc)

1:00PM Lunch

2:00-4:30 PM Free time (excursions, massage, photoshoot, etc)

4:30 PM Yoga with Jonas (+Workshop)

6:30 PM Dinner

8:00 PM Bonfire, Gathering, Karaoke

7/10 Check-out

6:00 AM Breakfast

6:45 AM Leaving Manta

TRAVEL: Flights to and from Dallas to Belize (BZE, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport) are limited. Below are the direct flights we recommend taking:

1. Departure: July 6, 2024. DFW to BZE: American Airlines Flight AA539, departs 10:15 am, arrives 12:23 pm (3h8m)

2. Return: July 10, 2024 BZE to DFW: American Airlines Flight AA926, departs 3:02 pm, arrives 7:15 pm (3h13m)

3. Very important: If you are booking another flight, you must arrive by 12:30 PM at BZE airport to ride on a group shuttle bus or by 2:30PM at Dangriga Sea Port to make it to Manta Island. It is a private boat and there is no commercial transportation from Dandriga to Manta Island. If you miss the boat, there is no way to get to Manta Island till July 10.

Jonas embodies the American dream, starting from arriving in the US with just $300 in his pocket to achieving milestones like earning a graduate degree with magna cum laude, teaching at college, and becoming the art director and photographer for Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. His journey has been far from easy, but each step has been immensely worthwhile, especially his venture into the world of yoga.

From initially teaching yoga at his home with only a couple of students to establishing a successful yoga studio highly regarded by many teachers in Dallas, TX, Jonas has built a yoga community that thrives.

Daniel Jardin, one of Jonas's earliest students and a close friend, articulates in his forward for Jonas’s teacher training manual, "In yoga, much is made of gurus, lineage, and tradition — nearly all of which is either manufactured or apocryphal. It takes most new students and teachers several years (lifetimes, perhaps) to realize how antithetical this approach is to the true spirit of yoga. Jonas got it right away. His student-first approach to teaching stands in stark contrast to the insecure myth-building and self-aggrandizing of most yoga teachers. Rather than propping himself up, Jonas was (and so remains) singularly focused on the growth of his students. Where many teachers are secretly fearful of that growth – seeing such progress as a threat to their relevance – he, instead, holds a sincere desire to see his students’ ability surpass his own. Progress of his pupils is paramount. In this way, Jonas honors the true meaning of yoga by fashioning the community as the guru rather than himself.

I first met Jonas nearly a decade ago when an instructor at the (very corporate) studio where I began practicing approached me after one of her classes. She expressed that I had progressed as far as that studio could push me and encouraged me to join her at one of Jonas’s more challenging vinyasa classes. A few days later, I did. I can still vividly recall that first class. It was just the two of us and Jonas in a freshly opened, swanky downtown studio. Only a couple years into my practice, I entered the class with a false confidence befitting my naivety and left sweat-soaked and exhausted… but wholly inspired. After that, I began regularly attending the community classes that Jonas led in the cleared-out living room of his townhouse. There was no receptionist, no fancy locker room, no complicated membership plans – just an empty room populated with dedicated yogis and a glass donation bowl. Following class, rather than quickly changing and tacitly scurrying out of the studio (as I’d become accustomed elsewhere) everyone stayed to chat and share snacks. It was unlike anywhere I’d been before or since. Over the years, I’ve seen this community undergo many permutations (including, even, moving into a real studio) but, despite those changes, Jonas’s dedication to the highest quality yoga instruction, emphasis on his students, and integrity have remained constant.

This manual is an extension of Jonas’s ethos. Rather than demonstrating poses himself, it places the community front and center by featuring many of his actual students’ expression of the asanas. It succinctly distills his many years of teaching knowledge with the goal of providing the necessary information to, in time, allow the reader to become a better teacher than himself.”

*RETREAT IS SOLD OUT AS OF 11/25/2023. Please email hello@secondsideyoga.com or text Julia (310) 254-4386 if you’d like to be on the waiting list.

Only 11 cabanas available: 4 singles 0 single* and 7 double 0 double occupancy (first come, first serve).

1. Single Occupancy

2. Double Occupancy (shared king bed)

3. Double Occupancy (two separate beds)

   *if you’d like to share a cabana with someone but don’t have someone yet, we can help match you with a like-minded partner.

   Payment Details

4. $700 Deposit by 12/31 to reserve the room/spot

5. Apple Cash: 212-882-1125 Jonas Park

6. Zelle: jonaspark@gmail.com

7. Venmo: @jonasparkyoga

8. Paypal: jonaspark@gmail.com (send it as money to friends)

9. Payment Plan available (please inquire)

10. All payments and deposits are non-refundable, but transferable to your designated person.

Here’s what yogis are saying about Second Side Yoga Retreats

• Joining Second Side’s Retreat to Costa Rica in 2023 was the best self-care I’ve ever gifted myself. Jonas and Julia provided an incredible experience and covered all the bases from excursions to food to yoga. I knew right away that I wanted to go because I trusted Jonas to hold space for everyone in a loving, supportive way, even while traveling internationally! It turned out to be my favorite trip ever. I went looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of life, and I took away so much more than I ever expected- new yogi friends and incredible memories that I will cherish, like climbing down jungle waterfalls! I recommend the retreat to anyone interested in best yoga, yoga community and unforgettable experiences. - Julianna Bradley

• Mario and I absolutely loved spending our anniversary with Second Side in Costa Rica! We were able to work on our social skills and made some amazing new friends. The beauty of the land and adventures we had are reason enough to do it again. Being able to practice and learn from Jonas for a whole week was such a privilege. It was awesome to see the growth in our practices. So grateful we had the opportunity to join this retreat! - Mario Corral & Gilbert Flores

• Just returned from Second Side Costa Rica Retreat. What a great time with some amazing yogis, now friends. I didn’t know hardly anyone, wasn’t overly confident about my practice and did not know what to expect. Could not have asked for a better experience. Jonas is amazing. Unbelievably knowledgeable. Julia made the trip a success- making sure everyone was having a fun and safe time. I have nothing but compliments. - Bill Bayne

• I chose to join the retreat because it combined some of my favorite things in the world: yoga with my teacher Jonas, the yogis at Second Side and travelling. It was well organized and the perfect combination of practicing, relaxing and fun excursions. - Vicky Phelps

• The retreats are amazing, I am returning from my second one, and hope there are more in the future. Jonas has strengthened my practice, gives the best hands on adjustments, and gives me inspiration back to my students. Julia orchestrates great retreats where all you need to do is show up and have fun because it’s all planned. Highly recommend Second Side and their retreats for all level yogis. - Lauren Odlen

• Jonas has become my mentor and friend and Second Side has become my local Dallas family. Can’t say enough great things about this place, the people, the teachers and the community. I’m so happy to be a contributing member to such an awesome place and have our annual yoga retreats! - Greg Zirbel

• Retreat was such a good reset for me… I went for a fun disconnect from the chaos and anxiety. Man did they deliver! Not just fun and relaxing but also a deeper reconnection with myself and others. I would say that is thanks to the yoga sessions with Jonas and the company and conversations with my friends. 10 out of 10 Recommend! - Jacob Kilman

• I had a wonderful time at Jonas’ retreat! Made lots of great memories with new friends and also advanced my yoga practice! - Jessica Kao

• The Second Side Yoga Retreat was the highlight of my Summer! I would do it all over again if I could. - Madison Smith

Excursions & Pampers

Indulge in an abundance of handpicked tours that are customized, especially for you at Manta Island Resort or lay low and pamper yourself with some spa treatments during this retreat. World famous divers flock to the Great Blue Hole, a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site. You are only a boat ride away from the blue hole. If you love snorkeling and scuba diving, what an amazing opportunity this is. View Manta Island À LA CARTE TOUR MENU.

Also visit UNESCO page to read more about the magnificently fragile marine biodiversity of Belize.

Travel Insurance

Purchasing travel insurance in order to help protect your travel investment can be a smart decision.

Below are some insurance companies recommended by Manta Island Resort but not affiliated with them

https://www.worldnomads.com/usa/help/insurance/recent-events/coronavirus-faqs

https://www.itravelinsured.com/

http://www.travelguard.com/

Questions? 

Please e-mail us at hello@secondsideyoga.com or call/text Julia at (310) 254-4386.