# Shodhana

> Shodhana was a small yoga and Thai massage studio in Sabana Norte, in San José, that opened in 2010 and taught classes tailored to each student. In November 2026 its website no longer works and we found no recent listings, so treat this page as a record and see the San José options we link below.

Source: https://costarica-yoga-retreats.com/shodhana/
Last checked: 2026-11-04

**Update, November 2026:** We couldn't confirm Shodhana is still running. Its old website no longer works, and we found no recent listings, reviews or class schedules for it in San José. We've kept this page as a record of what it offered.

![A woman in a low lunge with her arms raised](/static/img/old/2012-12-shodhana-yoga.webp)

Shodhana was a small yoga studio in Sabana Norte, the neighborhood on the north side of La Sabana park in San José. It opened in mid-2010 and served people who live and work around the park. The name is a Sanskrit word for cleansing or purification.

## What it offered

Shodhana taught yoga in small classes and offered Thai massage. Its teachers said they adapted each student's practice to their age, stage of life, stress levels and even the season, rather than teaching one fixed sequence. Classes included partner yoga and prenatal yoga.

![A group of students practicing a hand gesture in meditation](/static/img/old/2012-12-shodhana-yoga-mudra.webp)

![Two students in a partner yoga pose](/static/img/old/2012-12-shodhana-partner-yoga.webp)

## The teachers

When we wrote about it, the 2 main teachers were Marcela Naranjo, who began practicing yoga in 2005, started teaching in 2010, and also worked as a Thai massage practitioner and certified prenatal yoga teacher; and Andrea Vargas, a Costa Rican dancer who studied dance at the National University in Heredia from 1995 and brought Indian and Middle Eastern dance into her classes.

![Andrea Vargas dancing](/static/img/old/2012-12-andrea-vargas.webp)

## Yoga in San José today

San José and the towns around it still have plenty of studios for drop-in classes. See the Central Valley section of our [guide to where to do yoga in Costa Rica](/where-to-do-yoga-in-costa-rica/) for current options. If you'd rather leave the city for a week, read [how to choose a yoga retreat in Costa Rica](/yoga-retreats-costa-rica/).