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Not Your Average Yoga Retreat
Most yoga retreats follow a familiar pattern: morning asana, afternoon workshop, evening meditation. There is nothing wrong with that. But if you have done a few retreats and found yourself wondering what comes next, Circus with Purpose is a different kind of answer.
Now in its 10th year, this annual retreat takes place at Magnific Rock in Popoyo, Nicaragua. Run by Circus with Purpose, it combines aerial circus arts, grounding yoga and movement practices, creative workshops, and a direct social mission. The result is a week (or two) that participants consistently describe as unlike anything they have experienced before.
What a Week Actually Looks Like
The structure is intentional. Mornings begin gently: yoga, meditation, and therapeutic movement designed to prepare the body for what comes next. The pace is slow and deliberate. There is space to arrive before the day accelerates.
Afternoons shift into training. The aerial jungle gym at YOUnicorn Castle has nine rigging points and a 23-foot dynamic point, which means multiple disciplines can run simultaneously. Participants choose their focus and work with instructors at their own level.
Evenings belong to the community side of the retreat: creative workshops on act creation, physical theater, and the artist’s practice; beach jams at sunset; pool parties; and unstructured time with the people around you.
Morning: Yoga, meditation, therapeutic movement Afternoon: Aerial training, circus arts, skill sessions with instructors Evening: Creative workshops, community activities, beach and pool time
Two-week participants have three built-in rest days woven through the schedule. These are not gaps in the programming; they are part of it.
The Disciplines: What You Will Train
The retreat covers a wide range of aerial and movement disciplines. Instructors adapt to each participant’s level, so the list below is an invitation, not a requirement.
Aerial: Silks, lyra, sling, flying pole, rope, loop straps, spiral Floor and body: Handstands, contortion, acro, hula hooping, foot archery Performance and flow: Fire dancing, physical theater, clowning, invented apparatus Grounding practices: Yoga, dance, therapeutic movement
Whether this is your first time off the ground or you are refining a performance piece, the instructors will meet you where you are.
The Instructors
Saffron Magic is the Creative Director of Circus with Purpose and a multidisciplinary circus artist specializing in aerial silks and aerial multi-hula hooping. She has been building this retreat community for ten years.
Ella White manages the retreat and coordinates the full program. An aerial fabric specialist, she has run the logistics of CWP across multiple years and brings a calm, organized presence to everything behind the scenes.
Jordan Remar is a professional contortionist and the director of Illuzia. She teaches yoga, handstands, contortion, and foot archery, with a precision-focused approach that works for beginners and experienced practitioners alike.
Sara Visvader is an aerial dance coach and yoga teacher with over ten years of experience. She specializes in loop straps and slings and holds space that is both technically rigorous and personally grounding.
Chloe Profant is a California-based aerialist, fire performer, and dancer specializing in sling. She brings a strong performance background and works across skill levels.
Lizzie Rose is a self-taught photographer and videographer who facilitates photoshoots and archetype embodiment workshops throughout the retreat.
Sai Erling Morán Gutiérrez is a Nicaraguan multidisciplinary artist, social worker, and educator working in contemporary and break dance. His practice centers on community transformation, and his presence brings a perspective on circus as social work that shapes the retreat’s broader identity.
The Setting: Popoyo, Nicaragua
Noe Lia is a Nicaraguan circus artist who has specialized in hoop juggling and fire dancing since 2014. Her involvement in the instructor team is a direct expression of the retreat’s commitment to the local artistic community.
The retreat takes place at YOUnicorn Castle, the dedicated event space at Magnific Rock, on a clifftop 30 metres above the Pacific in Popoyo, Nicaragua. The property has 270-degree ocean views from almost every point: the aerial studio, the restaurant, the pool, and the rooms themselves.
The aerial studio is open-air. The jungle gym is purpose-built for retreat use. Between training sessions, the resort offers a pool, a restaurant with panoramic views, a bar, and direct access to the coast. Optional add-ons include surf lessons, horseback riding, and massage.
Popoyo is approximately two hours from Managua’s international airport. The Getting Here page covers transport options, road conditions, and what to expect on arrival.
The Mission Behind the Movement
Circus with Purpose is not just a retreat with a good name. Thirty percent of retreat proceeds go directly to the Nicaragua Social Circus Network, funding circus arts education for underserved youth across the country.
Two members of the instructor team, Sai and Noe Lia, are Nicaraguan artists who work in social circus and community education. Their involvement shapes the program from the inside. The retreat also includes a community cultural tour with local children, giving participants a direct connection to the communities the retreat supports.
This is where the name earns its meaning.
2027 Dates, Pricing, and What Is Included
Dates
| Option | Dates |
| Train-cation Week 1 | January 16 to 23, 2027 |
| Train-cation Week 2 | January 25 to February 1, 2027 |
| 2-Week Residency | January 16 to February 1, 2027 |
Early bird pricing, valid until September 1, 2026
| Accommodation | 1 Week | 2 Weeks |
| 2-share Cabina | $2,490 | $4,290 |
| 2-share Apartment | $2,690 | $4,490 |
| 2-share Chalet | $2,690 | $4,790 |
| 2-share Studio | $2,790 | $4,890 |
| Private Chalet | $3,190 | $5,390 |
| Private Studio | $3,290 | $5,490 |
Prices increase by $200 after September 1, 2026. Flights are not included. For a closer look at each room type before choosing, visit the accommodations page.
What is included
- Three meals plus a daily smoothie, bottomless coffee, tea, and water
- Oceanfront accommodation (room type based on selection above)
- Airport transfers from Managua
- All aerial training and yoga sessions
- Creative workshops and evening programming
- Weekly hot springs trip
- Sunrise or sunset photoshoot (choose one)
- Community cultural tour with local children
- Pool party and beach activities
- Optional end-of-week community cabaret performance
A $500 deposit reserves your place. Payment plans are available.
Who Should Come
This retreat is built for artists, movers, and curious humans at every level. You do not need circus experience. You do not need an established yoga practice. What helps is a willingness to try something unfamiliar and a genuine interest in being part of a community for the week.
Participants travel from across the US, Europe, and beyond. Many return year after year. The community that forms around the retreat is, by most accounts, as valuable as the training itself.
To reserve a place or ask questions before committing, contact the Circus with Purpose team at circuswithpurposeretreat@gmail.com or book a 45-minute consultation call. A full Retreat Guide is available on request. If you are still exploring your options, the yoga retreat in Nicaragua page covers all the retreat programs Magnific Rock hosts throughout the year.
