The Gift of the Contrast of Costa Rica

I had always wanted to go to Costa Rica.  And ever since living in Wisconsin, the idea of a winter escape seemed quite desirable.  Last week I was finally able to combine these two wants and it was everything I hoped it would be.

Although Costa Rica is one of the most affluent countries in Central and South America, it still has a second world country feel.  It wasn’t just the smaller houses, fewer paved roads, nor less developement.  A part of this “feel” was in the simpler and slower way of life.  Since I was in Costa Rica to lead a Relax and Renew Retreat, this slow and easy pace was wonderful and offered me several unexpected gifts during my stay.

Part of what I loved about my Costa Rican experience was the opportunity to step outside my “normal” life and into a completely different world.  Being in the rain forest jungle and waking up to the sounds of the birds and the howler monkeys brought a deep almost instinctual level of  joy and serenity to me…and made getting up early easier!  Being so close to the natural world in every day life made me feel more connected to the web of life in general.

Living literally within a slice of the jungle (we stayed at the eco-resort Samasati which is a bioreserve of some 200 acres),  also required a different level of awareness.  Walking, whether traveling the short trail from the main lodge to my bungalow nestled in the trees, following one of the paths on the grounds to the yoga studio, or even a visit to the waterfall, was a journey of heightened senses.  This awareness was partly due to the necessity of staying out of the path of the poison dart frogs, the abundance of  lizards, and the snakes under the big palm leaves (never saw one thankfully), but also because I was taking in all the new, beautiful scenery.  I kept my senses alert so I could spy the fresh ginger sprouting up from the ground, the pineapple bushes and banana trees along the paths, and the toucans and parrots hidden in the trees.  The new and exotic landscape captured my attention in a way that isn’t engaged at home where the view is known and taken for granted.

Likewise, the slower pace of life and the close contact with the natural world helped me be present with my surroundings and myself in a way that I don’t find here at home.  In our modern culture in the US, there are so many things competing for our attention – many of them not “real”.  I’m thinking of all the television, movies, video games, computers – fun diversions and helpful tools at times,  but not really things that connect me to life in what feels like a direct and real way.  At Samasati there was no Internet connect and most of the time cell phone service wasn’t available.  Ah, what a wonderful opportunity to be un-plugged for the week and just enjoy the people, the place and each present moment.

Seeing and feeling this contrast in how I was in Costa Rica versus here at home struck a chord.  Of course, I also know that I wasn’t truly living in Costa Rica but rather was simply vacationing which is different.  Most vacations in general allow for greater ease, reflection and a different pace.  And yet, I was able to relax and renew and connect in Costa Rica that I don’t on other vacations.  It’s true that aside from the two daily classes I was teaching, my biggest decisions were what delicious foods to choose off the buffets and whether to go for an adventure excursion, hang at the beach, or read a book in my hammock.  If I were living in Costa Rica instead of just playing there, likely I would have to add in the normal household, kid, and business chores.  And yet, because the culture is so different and relaxed, I still don’t think it would be the same as here.  Guess I’ll have to go back for a longer period and research my theory further!

For today, I try to hold some of that sense of being fully present in all aspects of life that I felt in Costa Rica – a bit more slowness for my life, less tasks and more quality time together, holding a heightened sense of awareness with the expectation that there is always something new to see and experience.  And I’m trying to remember that lovely warmth that blanketed my body, the sun filling the sky, and the thrill of the tropics while I head out to shovel the sidewalks today.