Paraíso Ahimsa — Hotel in Magdalena

I think that taking the YTT must be a really different experience than booking a room or the bungalow to stay, based on the reviews here. My review is based on booking one of the bedrooms for 6 nights in August 2025.

This was such a disappointing end to seven magical weeks in Colombia. 1.) there is no consistent food service here. I arrived at about 1 pm the first day of my stay and inquired about lunch and dinner, which prompted raised eyebrows from the 2 ladies-“lunch AND dinner? We don’t have any food to cook right now.” Because I stayed for 6 total nights (obligated to pay via a separate link on WhatsApp when I booked in March “or your booking will be canceled”), I watched the same thing happen to 2 more groups of people that cycled through. I went down to Palomino and grocery shopped for the week. If you do successfully arrange for the staff to make a meal for you, the prices are 2 to 3 times normal prices in the area-and others’ reviews are uniformly disappointing. For context, one of the days I walked 3 hours farther up into the mountains to a restaurant on the Buritaca river which is truly in the middle of nowhere-incredible hospitality from the owner, and I was served a large delicious lunch for 33,000 COP. Meals are 50-60 COP at this establishment. This lodging is difficult to arrive to. How hard? It is 0.7 miles of dirt road with 600 feet gain. Normal cars can’t drive on this road, so you either need to walk it or take one of the motorcycle taxis waiting at the bottom. These guys are tenacious and great drivers, but I was really frightened of riding with no helmet straight up a rutted dirt road-I also fell off one the first day, breaking my earphones by landing hard on them on my back. I walked the hill after that. Not only is this lodging up a steep dirt road, there is no food to speak of in the town, Los Linderos-there is small restaurant in Buritaca, otherwise you need to go to Palomino, 30 minutes away. The kitchen is filthy-old pans with burnt-on oil and flaking teflon, and bugs absolutely everywhere. No food storage available, no way to indicate which food is yours. Dishes (not mine) sat in the sink for days, ignored by the staff. There are no locking doors at all on the house-2 broken locks, and the glass doors in the bedrooms don’t lock. Don’t leave your laptop here.

The owner is not present to greet guests-I only saw her late the third night when she showed up with her friends to hang out. They proceeded to wake up early the next morning playing music loudly-hilariously this is banned in the “house rules”, which state “I encourage you to enjoy the sounds of nature.”

In short, there is just a general sense of apathy, with kind of a weird resentful “you’re lucky for what you get” attitude. Consider booking the cacao farm next door, Ponderosa, any of the lovely airBNBs in the area- and don’t believe the color-saturated, heavily edited photos on this platform-so you don’t have the frustrating sad...

I just finished the 200h Yoga Teacher Training with Julia and I can honestly say: it was the best decision of my life. If you feel deep down that this is right for you — trust your intuition and book it. Every single detail of this training is created with so much love. Julia is not only the best yoga teacher, but also a huge inspiration, seeing how she built all of this with her own hands is truly mind-blowing.

The kitchen team was amazing, the food nourishing, and the whole atmosphere made it an experience for life. When I signed up, I didn’t realize how much I needed exactly this — no money in the world could ever match what I’ve received here. Honestly, the training could cost so much more for the value you get.

This is not a “standard yoga teacher training.” You really learn about yoga: its roots, its essence, because Julia cares deeply about keeping the true spirit of yoga alive....

Taking this training was truly a life-changing experience. From the moment I arrived, I felt held, seen, and deeply inspired. Julia is not only an incredibly knowledgeable and skilled teacher, but also a deeply compassionate and intuitive guide. Her way of teaching is both empowering and heart-opening — she creates a space where you feel safe to grow, explore, and truly transform.

The location was absolutely magical — every corner felt like a sanctuary, full of beauty and intention. And the food… wow. Nourishing, delicious, and made with so much love. Every detail was thought out with care.

This wasn’t just a training — it was a full experience for the mind, body, and soul. I left feeling expanded, connected, and more aligned with my purpose than ever before. If you’re thinking about it, don’t hesitate. This is...