True Nature Travels Blog

Experience the Rhythms of Joy with Tiina Kivinen

With December just around the corner, our 2012-2013 retreat season is about to be underway. One of the first retreats on our calendar is Rhythms of Joy: A Costa Rica Yoga Experience, from January 12-19, 2013.
Hosted at the beautiful Nosara Bed & Breakfast Retreat Center in Nosara, Costa Rica, you will experience a week-long immersion in yoga, nature, rhythm, and spirit along the Pacific Coast near one of Costa Rica’s best-protected wildlife preserves. Within the nurturing environment of jungle life, daily yoga classes will guide you through the tuning of your individual spirit alongside a thriving community of yogis.
The retreat will be co-hosted by True Nature Education Co-Founders, Joshua Canter and Kristin Luna Ray, alongside the talented Tiina Kivinen. Tiina is a wonderful yoga teacher, hailing from Ontario, Canada, and having achieved her 500-HR Professional Level Certified Yoga Teacher through the Nosara Institute. Her Costa Rica yoga roots have remained strong as the assistant director of Let Your Yoga Dance Teacher Training in Nosara. When she is not in Costa Rica, Tiina teaches at Hot Yoga Peterborough in Peterborough, ON.
I was lucky to catch up with Tiina to check in with her about the upcoming retreat and gain some insight into her thoughts and excitement.
True Nature Education:  Thanks for taking some time away from your busy schedule! We are so excited to return to Costa Rica and unite with you for this unique program. Tell us, what is your intention for the Rhythms of Joy retreat?

Tiina:  My intention for Rhythms Of Joy retreat is that everyone who participates will get exactly what they need out of the experience… especially a heightened state of love, joy, and peace! Being on a yoga retreat can be a highly transformative experience, especially in such an inspiring environment as Costa Rica, and the practices that we are
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True Nature Travels Blog

On Thanksgiving and the True Nature Education Mission

A note from Joshua–

In a time where our world is becoming more and more of a global community, what better way to become part of the bridge of support we are creating than by finding a way to give back to those in need.

As Thanksgiving approaches our united focus comes to that of sharing appreciation for all that we have as well as sharing with those that might not have as much.

The essence of Thanksgiving lies at the heart of True Nature Education. We planted the seeds of this grassroots company fresh off of moving into a small rural village in Costa Rica. So moved by the authentic openness, generosity, and hospitality of the local, simple-living Costa Ricans, we then vowed to implement a service component into all of our programs, from yoga retreats to corporate retreats to travel abroad programs.

The CREER Service Organization, TNE’s sister organization, continually strives to do in-depth research to understand the true needs of the people in the villages of Costa Rica which we visit. Here are the three areas of service which our volunteers take part in when joining us in Costa Rica.

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True Nature Travels Blog

Travel Tip Thursday: Mindful Awareness in New Surroundings

When giving orientations and presentations to first-timers, we always emphasize this as the number one key aspect to being safe in Costa Rica. There is so much life in the beautiful land of Pura Vida, Pura Life. With this, there are also many creatures (just to name a few….sloths, monkeys, lizards, alligators) and places to visit where you need to use caution. To do this, the simple teaching is to be aware.

There are many amazing volcanoes and mountains for the hiker, but be sure to plan accordingly. The terrain can be challenging so be sure that you don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you’re not in good shape, know that there are many 3K and 5K trails that are just as worthy of accomplishment. When you embark on your journey uphill, bring along an ample water supply as the water can be quite hot and humid. Stay in tune with your hydration level to avoid any mishaps. As you trek through rainforests, pay close attention to your map and compass; it’s easy to get lost, so be sure to remain in the moment and be attentive to your surroundings.

Costa Rica has some of Central America’s most poisonous snakes, including the fer-de-lance and the bushmaster. Be aware of each step you take as

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True Nature Travels Blog

Travel Tip Tuesday: Learn Costa Rican Spanish Slang

If you do not know any Spanish, we recommend learning the basic Costa Rican slang prior to your travel ventures. Even if you do know Spanish, it’s important to keep in mind that you may overhear words and sayings that are unfamiliar to Spanish language that you hear in other Spanish-speaking countries. Recall from our earlier Travel Tip blog discussing the reference of the Costa Rican locals as ticos. 

These words and sayings are called idiomatic expressions. They are a useful guide to understanding the humor and character of that culture. They may seem peculiar as they do not translate directly with their meaning, however if you are aware of them before you are immersed in the culture, it will be much easier for non-native speakers to embrace and understand them.

Be sure to keep an open mind when conversing with locals, as they tend to directly address others more so than we do in the English language that may seem blunt or offensive. This is not the case, as it is just the way that the converse with each other, and should be thought of as friendly and light-hearted. For example, it is common that women be referred to as mamita, madre, or mi hijita. Locals also tend to use characteristics as nicknames, such as flaco (“fat”), flaco (“skinny”), negro (“dark-skinned”), chino (“Asian,” if you have slanted eyes, regardless of if you are actually Asian or not), or gato (“blue or green eyes”).

Here is a list of popular words and sayings that you will hear often and will certainly be helpful to know, especially when interacting with the locals.

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