Testimonials/Reviews

Please read our reviews/testimonials of happy and healthy clients who experienced wonderful results by working with VIKARA WELLNESS Retreats & Holistic Health.

Addiction Recovery 40 Day Program

“I started each day on my boat at 6:30AM with coffee and my attempt at meditation. That part I added myself. At 7:30 I paddled ashore where I was greeted by Julia with a freshly made vegetable or fruit juice made specifically to cleanse my liver. She then led me through a solid hour-and-a-half of meditation, breathing exercises and yoga. I told Julia before came to the program I had ‘done’ yoga before but wasn’t sure I’d ever ‘Practiced’ yoga. I now know I had not. Our daily practice changed me physically by stretching and strengthening every muscle in my body. What I didn’t expect, however, was that by meditating, doing breathing exercises designed to awaken energy inside me, and then stretching and opening some of those energy centers, that we’d be helping to ‘unlock’ events from my past that had caused minor traumas. I learned that we store the energy from those traumas in our bodies and that once identified we can begin to address them – which is where Tisana came in. More on that later.

At 10AM Ryan, the chef Julia hired, served us a healthy breakfast, the first of 3 meals he made each day. Changing my diet was a big goal for me and I knew that the best way to do that was to have someone else cook for me for a while. Once I was in the habit of eating good-tasting healthy food, I reasoned, it’d be a lot easier to take the time to prepare good-tasting healthy food. I ate mostly vegetarian meals (if we did eat meat, it was chicken, fish or shrimp), many vegan, every day for 40 days, and almost every one of them was insanely delicious (even Ryan has an off day occasionally). I learned to enjoy food I didn’t like before, like quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini and even Brussel sprouts, along with things I liked but never ate like steamed greens, beets, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, avocados, onions and tomatoes. I learned to eat eggs in the morning WITHOUT bacon or sausage – although we ate oatmeal usually – a staple in my diet for years.

Between breakfast and lunch every day Julia taught me either about Yogic spirituality and philosophy (Sutras) or about yogic guidance on nutrition (Ayurveda). As I said before, I knew I’d had the ‘spiritual awakening’ that is the basis of the 12-step program, but I wasn’t really interested a Christianity based approach to that conversation, so the Yoga Sutras were perfect for me. The conversations on Ayurveda were a little less palatable (pun intended) in that they specifically identify the foods that I should and should not eat given my body type and, of course, much of what I like is on the ‘avoid’ list.

Three days a week, after lunch, Tisana spent 2 hours with me on 12-step and trauma work. I joked with a few people after I was here for a while that I felt like I came to this program for a teeth cleaning and got a root canal instead. Tisana is the dentist. I’m not entirely sure how to describe what she did for me without getting into tremendous detail about the dozen or so deeply, often subconsciously, held beliefs I had that were negatively influencing me. These were beliefs about myself, about my family members, about societal expectations, and even about sex. What I can say is that through coaching conversations, breathing exercises, guided visualizations, and body work (often coordinated with Julia’s morning Yoga sessions) we began the process of examining and reframing the events that were the root cause of those beliefs and laying the groundwork for me to reprogram my thinking.

There were three other things that Julia coordinated that were the ‘icing on the cake’, as it were, to the care that she put into this program. 

#1 - Knowing we were doing a lot of work on and in the body, she arranged for me to have a massage once a week.  I went along with it but, in truth, I’ve never been a massage person much, owing to some of the stuff Tisana helped me deal with.  After 6 weeks, my ability to relax into a full one-hour massage has been a transformational acknowledgement of self-worth.  It is a treat I still give myself.

#2 – In one of our discovery conversations I mentioned that I enjoyed writing.  Well, Julia coordinated with, of all things, a screenwriter who lives in Yelapa, to work with me one hour a week.  Not only did I learn about screenwriting, and had a great time, but we managed to work some of the self-examination work I’d be doing into the assignments by writing character profiles for some of my ‘inside’ personas.  I strongly suspect that should become part of the program going forward.

#3 – Playing guitar and singing used to be a huge part of my life and should be still.  Julia found a weekly music program that we had intended on attending every week.  Sadly, there were complexities that arose that prevented that from happening.  The intention, however, meant that everyone involved knew I had that background and interest and so ad-hoc guitar playing and singing broke out several times.  That, too, was very valuable to me. “

-Keith York, Boise, Idaho

"I have been to quite a varied selection of Yoga sessions and I feel that Julia is one of the best. Julia’s instruction is extremely informative and guiding. Her facility is private and peaceful. The time I have spent with Julia has been a very positive experience and I look forward to returning frequently when I visit Nuevo. I tell my husband it is like a do it yourself Thai Massage."

- Jennifer, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

“Private & Group Yoga Sessions with a terrific instructor.”

"I participated in Julia's Nuevo Vallarta class as well as in private sessions in our condo and couldn't have been more pleased with the results, my lower back is now better than it has been in some time. Julia takes into consideration physical challenges/injuries which allows for maximum benefit/healing. Her easy manner and professional approach to yoga makes for a very enjoyable, productive experience. Sorry to see her leave Nuevo Vallarta but know that others will now have the opportunity of experiencing yoga with her."

- Allen B., Canada

“Excellent is not enough”

Julia is an amazing instructor, I had 2 private sessions with her while I was in Vallarta for a wedding and I have to say she is amazing. Her energy and the way she listens to her clients is very very good. I'm a certified teacher myself and I needed some good sessions to keep me in shape for the next part of my trip, and Julia got it done! If you are in the vallarta area and are looking for some time to relax, practice and maybe learn a new pose... make sure to call her.

- Damaris, Miami, Florida

“In the fall I started looking online for yoga classes for my winter vacation in Nuevo Vallarta. I was so happy to find Vikara Wellness website and to start corresponding with Julia! She got back to me right away and assured me I would” fit in”.Since the beginning of December I have been going to 2 classes a week and I definitely feel stronger and more flexible. Julia’s gentle spirit and encouraging ways have made me want to keep trying to do the best I can in a very supportive environment.
Thanks so much Julia ! ”

- Mary, Saskatchewan, Canada

"I had been meaning to start yoga for several years, and finally started this past Spring with Julia. I thought I wouldn’t be able to do all the poses, but Julia reminded me that we are all different and to listen to our body’s cues. As soon as I had finished my first class, I felt calm and stress free. I left the first class with a new mindset. As an added bonus, since the classes are small, I felt the benefit of Julia´s personal coaching to help me get the perfect pose. She came around to the students and made gentle adjustments to ensure a full understanding of each pose. This made a huge difference in my yoga experience.
Every week I look forward to my “moment of zen” when I get to attend Julia´s yoga class, situated in an outdoor environment where nature can help you grow physically, mentally and spiritually."

- Veronika, Puerto Vallarta, Nayarit, México

“Absolutely Amazing!!”

"Julia led me through individual yoga practices every morning of my vacation. She is not only an excellent instructor of yoga from a technical perspective, but she further embodies the true essence of yoga. It was an absolute delight to be fortunate enough to work with her and I truly recommend her to anyone, at ant level of practice. Aside from spending time with my husband, my lessons with Julia were definitely the highlight of my trip!"

- RJUS, Minneapolis, Minnesota

“Private Yoga Sessions”

Julia was the best Yoga instructor I have ever had! She is extremely knowledgeable about yoga as well as the body. I want to clone her at home! Thank you Julia for everything. You made our experience even more wonderful.

- Lindsey B, Kansas Missouri

"When I first got involved with Julia and Vikara Wellness I wanted to work on my metabolism and just a better eating routine. Julia worked with me to get on a plan tailored around my lifestyle and she consistently stuck with me through those hard times and always helped me stay on track. Julia is extremely motivating and takes customization to a new level. She has a vast expertise in fitness, health, and overall wellness. She took the time to shop with me and make sure I was comfortable with what I was buying and eating. I loved when she broke down the nutritional values and exactly what it was all doing for my body and health. We would go over our successes, challenges and set new goals weekly so I can continuously improve. I have more energy and just feel better overall about my health and my body. Being healthy is priceless and she gets me there while making it fun and challenging. My goals began as improving general health & weight loss, but I always got much more than that. Julia then introduced me to hot yoga, deep stretching, nutritional juicing, and has played a major role in my determination to maintain and reach new health and fitness accomplishments. All this has also helped with my athletic performance as well and I am very proud to share my experiences! Julia and Vikara Wellness has been a true inspiration and I would recommend her to anyone looking for a better lifestyle."

- Dominico, Charlotte, North Carolina

"I am pleased to write this testimonial about Julia and Vikara Wellness. Julia is a very knowlegeable holistic health instructor. Her yoga classes are wonderful and she is very respectful of where you are at in your yoga practice. I have been going to Julia’s classes for the past couple of months. I am 64 years old and for the last 15 years of my life, I have had a lot of lower back problems and have taken many types of pain medications, as well as seeing doctors and chiropractors. I know that my body is stronger as a result of attending Julia’s classes and I plan to incorporate yoga into my lifestyle, even when I return home. I have not taken any pain medication since starting her yoga classes. I’ll be back next year. Namaste, Julia."

- CB, Saskatchewan, Canada