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Our Team
We work with a select group of holistic therapists specialized in various fields and from around the world. We have put great passion and dedication for physical, emotional and spiritual balance in search of well-being in each one. At Asclepios we not only care about ourselves, but also about the community and the environment
Marisia Jiménez
Founder & CEO
She is a naturopathic professional trained in Paris, France. She obtained her diploma from Daniel Kieffer’s (Cenatho) European College of Traditional Holistic Naturopathy. She also studied Energy Medicine, Analysis and Cell Reformation at the Michel Larroche School and in Application and Techniques of the Science of Consciousness according to the method. by Patrick Drouot also in Paris, France.
Additionally, she studied homeopathy at Regent’s College in London, England. She has also taken several courses on flower essences, including flower essences from Dr. Bach, Andreas Korte, and Costa Rican flower elixirs.
She had an internship at Rohrmoser Medical Center and worked as a naturopath with main dedication to her specialty, pro-life nutrition, as a tool to prevent and reverse inflammatory processes and individualized according to blood type.
She also uses flower essences mainly as adjuvants in all the healing processes of emotional and mental states, which are almost always the origin of all disharmonies and diseases in humans.
In addition, she Marisia has a law degree from the Academicum College of the Autonomous University of Central America in Costa Rica, a profession that she practiced for 17 years.
Her training and studies in natural medicine and her vision of the human being as an integral being (soul, body and mind) who must live in harmony with nature (source of life), lead Marisia to develop the bases of the project, which today today is a reality: “Asclepios Wellness & Healing Retreat”.
The world reality presents challenges and challenges for the human being, which invite Marisia to reflect on the way in which she, through her knowledge, beliefs and practices, can contribute to the development and improvement of the quality of life of the being human.
Rebeca López
Holistic therapist
She is a is a holistic therapist with more than 10 years of experience. She is also a writer with several publications in the literary field and more recently in the artistic field with her publications in Art-therapy. Her creativity is implicit in each of her projects, that she is not limited to the visual arts and on the contrary, she uses it as part of her holistic work.
Floral Therapist graduated from the Aula del Terapeuta, Barcelona, Spain in the Bach Flower system. Usui Reiki Master and Kundalini Reiki Master with Grand Master Ramón Martínez and Tantric and Tibetan Reiki with Master María Dolores Cespón, Spain. Through her practice she develops her Essential Energy Restoration technique that combines Coaching, Mindfulness and energy work. She most recently received training at Matrix Energetics in Toronto, Canada and in the country on the use and application of Essential Oils to complete her training in the area of alternative medicine.
Sonia Ugalde
Manual Technical Specialist
She has more than 20 years of experience in holistic therapies. Her training was carried out in Costa Rica with International teachers and her practice was carried out in Panama City. She is trained in nutrition, Reiki, medicinal plants, and various manual therapy techniques. Sonia is 100% committed to providing a personalized and complete therapy, to generate health and well-being.
Sustainability, Asclepios compromise
- Asclepios wishes to educate in the appreciation and respect for nature and all its living beings. Our Center and Spa will not compromise our natural habitat, it will only occupy 2,200 square meters in a total area of 5 hectares. It is built in cladding (recycled newspaper and cement) and adobe, two sustainable materials. Asclepios honors ventilation and natural lighting. We also use solar thermal collectors and water recirculation systems. The existing lamps are energy efficient. We protect our wildlife and preserve our primary and secondary forests. We also regenerate the land by cultivating beautiful organic gardens and we work with experts to reintroduce native plants and animals that have been expelled by alien species.Asclepios Wellness & Healing Retreat participates in the Costa Rica Tourism Institute CST certification program that aims to categorize and certify tourism companies according to the degree to which their operation is close to a sustainability model.
- We are affiliated with the Friends of the National Parks of Costa Rica Program.
- We support and promote tree planting campaigns for native species in our gardens, generation of food for fauna, nesting of birds, soil stabilization and water conservation.
- We support the Blue Flag Program at the Dr. Adolfo Jiménez de la Guardia Community School by depositing our recyclable waste such as plastic bottles and cans in its collection center.
- Our company is committed to the philosophy of the 4 Rs, Reject, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as part of our internal management and sustainability policy.
- Our gardens produce herbs, vegetables, fruits and vegetables without chemicals, supplying our Higia Restaurant, offering natural, fresh and organic products.
- Our facilities do not compromise the natural habitat since they only occupy 1800 square meters in an area of 5 hectares.
- We use alternative energies such as solar panels to heat and reuse the water to irrigate our gardens.
- We have an internal waste selection program, separating all the organic matter generated in our kitchen, for the preparation of compost in our gardens. This process is carried out directly at our facilities. The rest of the recyclable material is taken to community centers, duly authorized for this purpose.
- We have an internal emergency plan, duly endorsed by the Ministry of Health, and an evacuation plan.
- All our promotional material, as well as the hotel directory and menus of our Restaurant are made with 100% recycled paper.
- We use chemical-free whitening soaps, which are 100% biodegradable. We do not use amenities in our rooms and personal hygiene products are in dispensers. We also do not use kleenex.
- Our outdoor lighting is low impact to protect the species that inhabit the area. Our rooms have ceiling fans, large windows for fresh air circulation and we promote energy consumption savings with our external and internal clients.
- Our collaborators receive talks periodically on environmental issues, such as recycling, reforestation and saving exhaustible natural resources such as water.
- We support national producers with small farms, factories of artisan soaps, artisan chocolates and organic products for Spa made in Costa Rica.
Thank you for making conscious and sustainable decisions when booking with Asclepios.
FAQ
The ambient temperature at Asclepios is almost ideal. The year round
temperature is 70 to 80 degrees and moderate to high humidity during
the day with mild nights. Thus, none of our rooms or facilities has air
conditioning.
The meals at Asclepios are largerly vegetarian but depending on the
program chosen either fish or chicken is served.
The closest beaches to Asclepios are about one and a half hour away
on the Pacific Coast.
No, we don’t have a lot of bugs at Asclepios, notwithstanding being in
the tropics.
Yes, we accept US dollars, traveler’s checks and Visa, American
Express or MasterCard at Asclepios.
One of the lovely aspects of a stay at Asclepios is that single guests
always feel very comfortable. Some guests come alone because they
prefer to spend time by themselves; others will find there is so much to
do and it’s so easy to meet other guests that they have friends from the
first day.
One of the purposes of a stay at Asclepios is to take you outside of your
normal environment so that we can work on improving your health and
wellness. Whilst we don't expect you to 'switch off' we would like you to
concentrate on yourself rather than on other activities. Facilities for
staying in touch are limited but it is possible if you really want to! At the
Ondine Terrace we have free broadband Internet access. The idea is
that you keep in touch with family and friends, not your work colleagues!
Asclepios has been designed for those who are ready to relax from the
hustle and bustle of life and to enjoy massages, biogenic food, holistic
treatments and fitness activities. We believe that those between their
late teens and their late eighties are most suited to enjoy this. Whilst we
do not impose an upper age limit we do restrict our younger guests to
those of 14 years or less.
There are quite a few tourist attractions around Asclepios: Poas
Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Garden, Orquid or Butterfly Farm, Canopy
Tour at Colinas del Poas, Bird and Animal Zoo. We can also organise
for you a City Tour of San Jose or a Food Tour.