Illuminating Soul
Alexandra (Sasha) Markova
Retreat Host and Vision, Dance, Song, Circles
Testimonials
“The Five Rhythms gathering was beautiful. It was exactly what I needed at that moment ✨
And beyond that, I wanted to thank you for always organizing these events with so much intention, with so much care and love. It truly means a lot that you hold them in such a thoughtful, held way. It was beautiful to dance with you and to see you in your essence.”
Marta Resino Scarpelini
Founder Araiz Movement
”I have had such pleasure collaborating with you in our kirtan band!
I want you to know how much you inspire me with your energy and enthusiasm, how you give your whole heart to everything, how I trust your deep wisdom, your unwavering integrity and your beautiful heart! You seem to discover a wonderful path forward in any situation!
For the band, I believe that with your dedication, focus and resourcefulness you have consistently expanded our vision and success. You are naturally an authentic and inspirational leader.
Thank you for being you!”
Joy Marcotte
Alegria Market Lead and Yamuna Kirtan Band member
“Before arriving at Sasha’s gatherings, I often carry the noise of life: responsibilities, work, motherhood, relationships, the invisible layers we hold as women.
And then something shifts.
In her Kirtans, and her women’s circles and gatherings, I feel myself soften and remember. My breath deepens. My heart opens. I feel seen, held, and gently brought back to center.
I always leave uplifted, grounded, and quietly transformed.
Sasha holds space like a sacred flame. She is fiery, compassionate, and deeply present. Her devotion is tangible. The flow, the music, the ritual, the beauty of the space, everything feels intentional and infused with heart.
Her devotional energy, especially during Kirtan, is super-charging and beyond words. Her wisdom feels embodied, and her smile is contagious.
Being in her presence feels like coming home to yourself.”
Roberta Blahut
Interior Designer and Decorator
Kundalini Yoga teacher
Sasha Markova is a dancer, mother, pollinator and community builder currently living in LEV, an eco-community in Costa Rica. She is a co-creator and visionary of Flow of a River, a women’s retreat rooted in nature immersion, expressive arts, transformational journeys, connecting and sharing in sacred sisterhood.
The retreat was born from Sasha’s own passage through a long season of grief, despair, faith, fear, and exhaustion. From the metaphorical ashes of broken bones, darkness and isolation, she journeyed into her soul, on the path of a wild, ancient woman, a warrior, inspired by Gaia, medicine women, the expressive arts of theatre, dance and song, the support of community, emerging with a transformed sense of self, courage, strength, innocence and divinity, in an ongoing process of deep healing.
The “Phoenix” in her work is not a slogan, but a lived rhythm—descent, surrender, support, and the courageous, patient work of returning to life transformed.
Born and raised in Russia, her dance path began at age seven in Russia as a competitive ballroom dancer and performer and later expanded in California through Ecstatic and 5Rhythms Dance—where dance became a path of creativity, healing and truth. She continues to train internationally known teachers across the globe, and blends somatic dance, yoga, and theater-based expression in striving to inspire women to reconnect with their bodies and inner fire.
She spent 12+ years in Silicon Valley community-building with marketing and tech startups. She co-founded Blackbox (blackbox.vc), launching programs that brought international founders into the heart of the startup ecosystem. She spent 7 years with Upwork Inc creating customer growth campaigns in Europe & North America.
She is a certified CrossFit coach, a dedicated yogi of 12+ years, a founding member of Yamuna, a kirtan band serving Costa Rica’s Central Valley. Sasha also serves on the Administrative Committee of the eco-community, LEV (also known as original La EcoVilla), devoted to building cultures of belonging, resilience, and beauty.
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