RipJack Inn Archives

Nov 18, 2018

A Closer Look at the Five Types of Yoga Classes Currently Being Offered at the RipJack Inn

Yoga is an ancient practice that was developed 5,000 years ago in India. While it has only recently, in the grand scheme of time, reached the West, it is a practice that millions of people are continuing to discover as a source of wellness, mental clarity, stress relief, vitality, healing, spiritual growth, movement, and peace of mind.

Yoga is a practice that is accessible to anyone who seeks it. While you are staying in Playa Grande, there are ample opportunities to practice yoga at the RipJack Inn.

Classes are open to all levels, including first-timers. There are several different types of yoga classes offered throughout the week at the RipJack Inn. Come for one class or purchase a package and try out several! Here are your choices.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha is a Sanskrit term that encompasses all the physical postures of yoga. Physical-based yoga classes include a number of different styles, as we will discuss a bit more below. Seeking a class that is labeled as Hatha yoga, verses as Ashtanga or Vinyasa, is especially ideal for those who are new to yoga as it is typically a bit slower paced.

It is important to learn the basic breathing techniques, postures, and proper alignment before you move into a faster paced flow to avoid injury and to truly experience the benefits of the practice.

Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa yoga, or commonly called Vinyasa flow, is a practice that focuses heavily on breath to movement. A Vinyasa class typically includes one or more sequences that flow through multiple postures. This powerful class will definitely heat your body up!

A Vinyasa practice combines strength, flexibility, and breathwork in a fluid sequence of movements. Power yoga also falls into this type of yoga.

Yin Yoga

Yin yoga is a slow-paced practice. The idea behind a Yin practice is to hold the postures, most of them seated, for an extended period of time. By holding certain postures and really breathing into them while gravity does most of the work, you will obtain a deeper stretch and opening of the body.

The slow nature of a Yin class is also a great way to develop a deeper understanding of the postures and have the time to really work your way into a proper alignment with each pose. Yin yoga is a beautiful way to end your day, as it promotes relaxation, inner peace, and a release of tension in the body.

Surfer’s Stretch

Whether you are a surfer or not, the surfer’s stretch class on Sundays is a divine treat for the body. This class focuses on deep stretches and postures that open the hips, shoulders, and lower back, as well as releasing tightness in the body that has accumulated from traveling or any vigorous activities.

This is a wonderful class to end or start your week, depending on what Sunday means to you.

Pura Vida Sangha Mindful Meditation

Pura Vida Sangha Mindful Meditation is a donation-based class that is offered every Sunday morning at 11. If you have never meditated before or would like to deepen your practice of meditation in a group setting, this is a great opportunity.

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Jul 21, 2018

The Crown Jewel of Fruit in Costa Rica

Did you know that Costa Rica is the world’s top pineapple producer? Roughly 111,200 acres of the country is devoted entirely to pineapple plantations and over 100,000 jobs in Costa Rica are created, directly and indirectly, by this world-favored tropical fruit. Almost three million tons of pineapple are harvested and sold domestically and internationally every year from Costa Rica.

The golden pineapple, the type grown in Costa Rica, is one of the sweetest of the 37 varieties of pineapple. The flavor embodies the tropics and even has a slight coconut essence to it. A bite of fresh pineapple straight from the source is like biting into a piña colada!

Pineapple is sold in nearly every farmer’s market, roadside stand, family-owned grocery store, and food store chain in Costa Rica. It is one of Costa Rica’s most prized and widely consumed and exported fruits.

Playa Grande, Costa Rica — Perfectly ripened pineapples | © Janine/Flickr

Aside from being intoxicatingly delicious, pineapple is also rich in nutrients that can greatly benefit your health and wellbeing. As if the taste alone isn’t enough to motivate you to indulge in this tropical treat, here are 10 ways that consuming pineapple is beneficial to your health.

Reduces inflammation (inflammation is the root of most chronic diseases)
Strengthens the immune system (super high in vitamin C)
Decreases your risk of heart disease
Aids in digestion
Promotes collagen production (hello, beautiful skin!)
Supports oral health
Prevents certain types of cancer (mouth, throat, and breast)
Improves circulation (increase in cognitive abilities and decrease in risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease)
Regulates blood pressure
Boosts bone health

In just one cup of pineapple there are:

Calories: 82.5
Fat: 7 grams
Protein: 1 gram
Carbs: 6 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Vitamin C: 131% of the RDI (Recommended Daily Intake)
Manganese: 76% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDI
Copper: 9% of the RDI
Thiamin: 9% of the RDI
Folate: 7% of the RDI
Potassium: 5% of the RDI
Magnesium: 5% of the RDI
Niacin: 4% of the RDI
Pantothenic acid: 4% of the RDI
Riboflavin: 3% of the RDI
Iron: 3% of the RDI

Pineapple is quite extraordinary in a smoothie or a rum cocktail. The RipJack Inn smoothie bar and cocktail bar has a great selection of smoothies and cocktails that feature this delectable fruit.

RipJack Inn Restaurant, Playa Grande — Nothing beats the heat like a freezing cold fresh fruit smoothie

Try these pineapple beverages at the RipJack Inn Restaurant:

Clockwork Orange smoothie: pineapple, carrots, celery, and apples

Basil Bomb smoothie: pineapple, basil, celery, and orange juice

Beet Blast smoothie: pineapple, beet, celery, ginger, and lime

Go Green smoothie: pineapple, spinach, cucumber, flaxseed, and moringa

Piña Colada: pineapple, coconut, and rum

Rum Punch: pineapple, mixed fruit juices, and dark rum

*You can also get creative and create your own pineapple concoction that can be whipped up on the spot for you.

One of the best things you can do for your body is to eat REAL food that comes from the earth. One of the best things that you can do for the local economy and the environment is to eat locally produced food. Costa Rica sure makes it easy and delicious to do both!

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Jun 17, 2018

Follow These Six Steps to Have the Perfect Sunday in Playa Grande

While every day in Playa Grande has the potential to be perfect, there is just something extra special about Sundays. Sundays tend to signify a day of rest, relaxation, rejuvenation, and reward. Here’s how to have the most restful, relaxing, rejuvenating, and rewarding Sunday while staying at or near the RipJack Inn in Playa Grande.

Step 1: Coffee

There is nothing quite like that very first cup of coffee just mere moments after you’ve opened your eyes for the very first time of the new day. Today, take your coffee down to the beach and enjoy it seaside for an extra special start to your Sunday morning. The beach is often empty early in the morning aside from a few ambitious surfers and other dawn-lovers. Starting your day with the waking sun and the sea is sure to set you off on the right track for a perfect Sunday.

RipJack Inn, Playa Grande — With coffee in hand just follow the path

Step 2: Yoga

Every Sunday morning from 8:45 to 10:00, the RipJack Inn offers a gentle Hatha yoga and surfer’s stretch class. Whether you are a surfer, a non-surfer, a yogi, or a never-before-new-yogi, this guided practice is ideal for getting the blood flowing, stretching out the muscles, centering the mind, and presenting your body with a gift for all it does and continues to do for you. This low to no-sweat class will leave you feeling light, present, and ready for brunch.

Step 3: Brunch

From 8:00AM to 2:00PM, the RipJack Inn does a proper Sunday brunch complete with mimosas and bloody Mary’s, if that suites your fancy. The Sunday brunch menu is different from the regular breakfast and lunch menu and features exclusive plates like rum poached mango French toast, a grilled shrimp omelet, a Monte Cristo, and a grilled pineapple teriyaki burger, as well as some of the favorite from the everyday menu too.

RipJack Inn in Costa Rica — Mango + rum+ French toast = Sunday

Step 4: Rest

You now have a perfect little window of time between the end of brunch at 2PM and the start of happy hour at 4PM to just completely chill out. You can spend these two hours soaking up some sun on the beach, lounging by the pool, reading in a hammock, or retreating to your air-conditioned room and taking a nice long nap.

Step 5: Beverages and Bocas

Every day from 4:00PM to 6:00PM you can enjoy an assortment of happy hour drink and snack options. The bartenders at the RipJack Inn whip up some truly delectable cocktails including a watermelon spitzer, Dave’s rum punch surprise, a lazy lemonade, a passionfruit mojito, and a frozen guanabana margarita. Domestic beers are half off and you can pair any of the cocktails, beer, or wine with a tasty selection of bocas (snacks) such as fried macaroni and cheese balls. Be sure to take your drink down to the beach around 5:30 to watch the sun kiss the sea goodbye in a spectacular display of colors before heading off to dinner.

RipJack Inn in Playa Grande — Mango jalapeño margarita and a tuna toast snack

Step 6: Sushi

Right next door to the RipJack Inn is the charming La Marejada restaurant. Right after sunset on Sundays (as well as on Saturdays), La Marejada is open for sushi night. While the menu for the other nights of the week is exceptional, sushi night at La Marejada is a local favorite and will surely become yours as well. It is a good idea to make a reservation as this is a popular night to dine here. If you ask any local, they will enthusiastically tell you just how extraordinary the sushi at La Marejada is.

La Marejada in Playa Grande — Who doesn’t love sushi on Sunday?

With a belly full of sushi and a light happy hour buzz, sleep should come easy and deeply tonight. Happy Sunday!

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