True Nature Travels Blog

Shaktis Retreat Leaders Share How Retreats Impact Communities With Love, Power, Courage, and Awareness.

This will be Shaktis 3rd year to partner with True Nature Education and lead a retreat in Costa Rica. We are thrilled beyond words to have such a dynamic and vibrant trio of ladies as a part of our family. We are constantly inspired by the community they build with their students! We asked them, what they thought made their yoga collective so strong and present, and their answer was simple, retreats. community1 Retreats are a fantastic opportunity to build bounds, break barriers, and form connections with your fellow yogis. Want to experience this magnetism first hand? Join their retreat today! Click here to learn more and sign-up. Explore more of Kelly, Jennifer, and Lauren’s Costa Rican retreat and how they foster this feeling of togetherness. Lauren was kind enough to share her thoughts and a little preview of the Pura Vida that is in store!

Beach 8 “One thing I know for sure is we all three connect with the ocean and each other. Kelly, Jennifer and I are excited to travel to the beautiful Costa Rica and lead our first retreat all 3 together. The three of us have known each other for over 5 years and we have supported each other in the growth of family, being students, teachers, studio owners, and community leaders. Kelly and I founded Shakti Power Yoga in Nashville in 2012, and a year later Jen founded Glow Yoga in Gulf Shores and just recently opened one in  Mobile, AL. Jen  We all three thrive on creating community and sharing our love of yoga with all we meet. Yoga has shifted each of our lives and it opened us up to something bigger. We want to make a powerful impact in our communities and generate love, power, courage, and awareness. This will be Shaktis 3rd year to partner with True Nature Education and lead a retreat in Costa Rica. The time we spend there is absolutely magical, seriously each moment is special and we have fond memories of the joy and restoration it brings us. We thrive on creating community and partnerships and our yoga retreats allow people to step away and create space for new relationships, for rejuvenation, for fun! Let me share just a little taste of our wonderful experience.2 We stay at a beautiful resort in Santa Teresa Beach. The journey from San Jose is adventurous and a special time to connect with the everyone on the bus and boat. From The moment we arrive we are greeted by the kind staff and taken to our bungalow. The smell and breeze of the ocean is present right when you arrive and you know you are only a few hundred yards from the sand being in your toes, oh bliss. The bungalows have hammocks hanging just outside, perfect place to cozy up with a book or a nice afternoon nap. There is a calm about the place and feel of home. Oh and the practice space, it overlooks the ocean and the sound of the waves remind you to breath deep and free. The warmth on your skin adds the extra heat to the practice allowing you to dive in and let the residue fade away. You are a part of nature, free to play, grow, and explore. 3The Costa Rican fare speak to my heart and body. You can eat clean and fresh and feel nourished everyday. The resort has an amazing restaurant team that cares about the food they are serving and most of all are so kind and welcoming to each one of us. We have created friendships over the years and look forward to returning and connecting with the amazing staff. The community service project we commit to each trip is one of the most memorable experiences. We volunteer at a local school. We play soccer with t4he kids, sing, teach yoga, paint, garden, or anything we can do to be of service for the school. I know we get more out of it than the students. Our hearts are filled when we get to make a real connection with children and the feel of welcome and love from this is inspiring to see.  I feel we left more connected and stronger as a group after this project, we still talk about the amazing kids and look forward to returning next year. Kelly, Jennifer, and I have a strong connection and we do a great job of going with the flow and working together. I  think we all 3 could be sisters! We each have our own unique way to connect with people, how we teach, but we all three are committed to impact and build community and to live an INSPIRED life. We are excited to share our love of the practice in Costa Rica Retreat in 2016. We hope you will join us! Pura Vida! 5

True Nature Travels Blog

"FOR LOVE IS HERE AND NOW" ALANA’S INSIGHT ON TRUST IN THE UNIVERSE AND ON SUP YOGA

“Ma’ane’i no ke aloha,” is Hawaiin for , “For love is here and now.” Every day of this summer has been led by love. It has been a journey of heart expansion. Since my first retreat with True Nature Education this past January in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, I have learned that home truly is where the heart is. Living from the heart is a way of Be-in. It is not something that can be learned, rather it is something to be returned to. It is a home coming.

I have been undone by Costa Rica. I am being rebuilt with Love. Last year, I lived in Costa Rica for 6 months. I moved there thinking I would get married to my then boyfriend, buy a home there, have some kids, settle down, teach retreats, happily ever after, etc. Things do not always work out the way we SEE them working out but I know that we are all in good hands with the Universe. My plans didn’t pan out the way I thought they would. However, they have turned out to be better than I could have fathomed.

I left the boyfriend. I decided to move back to the States after my January Retreat. My heart is with yoga and showing others how to find compassion for themselves and the world by SEEING the world. This is a BIG piece of my Path. It is what lights me up from within. That is how I know. A great teacher once told me, “Listen closely to what the heart deeply desires and follow it with complete abandon.’ I knew I would continue to teach in Costa Rica . The retreat turned out to not only be a life changing experience for my students but for me as well. I was shedding my old snake skin to become an empty vessel for Spirit to use. All I knew from that moment on was I was meant to help others by using the faculties that God gave me. My inherent gifts and passions. I knew that I was meant to inspire others to do the same. I had no idea what the details between these points would be, but I trusted the Universal Spirit to take care of it… and so it is.

I made a vision board in early 2014. On it, visions of beautiful retreats and service work, a career and Path in yoga, yoga photography and modeling, singing kirtan and beyond, writing, having a beautiful home, paddle boarding and surfing, traveling the world and connecting with myself and nature in a way I hadn’t before. All of these have come to fruition in different stages since.

After Costa Rica, I moved to Boulder, CO to settle down and come back to after teaching retreats. What happened the following month after the move was totally unexpected. Boulder was highly competitive and my saving was dwindling. I know from experience that my Creator does not want me to struggle.. I prayed and meditated on what was I to do next. I had the inspired thought to call a new studio that had opened up just before my Costa Rica adventure. I asked the owner if there was space for me at the studio to teach full time… her response was that and beyond. I would fly back a week later to become a manager and lead teacher of the studio. This studio is founded in love. I absolutely LOVE Ruah. Through teaching at Ruah I met this wonderful lady who owns a stand up paddle board yoga company called SunriseSUP. She knew I was in love with surfing from my time in Costa Rica and thought of me for teaching with her in the Annapolis area.

I have been teaching all summer and while I don’t have the West Coast swell here, SUP keeps me connected to the water and ultimately keeps me grounded and humbled. I am a beginner at yoga all over again, both teaching and as a student. I am re-learning basic postures like Warrior 1. I absolutely LOVE it. It is ultimately making my earth practice much stronger.

My retreat for Jan 2016 is full and we are now checking into overflow options for guest! I am incredible grateful. I am preparing to launch a second retreat in Peru with True Nature Education (Stay tuned!). The more I TRUST in the Universe, the more I am miraculously taken care of in ways hadn’t even dreamed. The gift of it all is I can be PRESENT for these gifts today because of my continuous practice and desire to experience life fully. Join me for love, laughter, adventure, and yoga abroad.

Mahalo,

Alana

“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough.” Marissa Mayer

Interested in checking out a Costa Rican yoga retreat?  Check out all of our retreats here!

True Nature Travels Blog

Why Go on a Yoga Retreat? The Value of Disconnecting

There is something positively magical that happens when a group of individuals make the decision to gather together in a beautiful, pristine environment for the purpose of uplifting their lives and reconnecting with themselves. This was my experience, and the experience of the 21 other participants on the amazing yoga retreat I led to Costa Rica with True Nature Education last June.

Why We Need to Let Go Sometimes

Everyday life is stressful. We have so many responsibilities, and we are pulled in so many different directions. A yoga retreat gives you the opportunity to take a complete break from all the trappings of our fast-paced lifestyle.
You can come to a breathtakingly beautiful, natural environment where you can unplug for a week. Space is held for you to feel nurtured and safe. You can rest and quiet your mind with meditation, soothe your body with daily yoga practice, and allow yourself space to process anything you need to surrounded by people who are meeting you and supporting you exactly where you are. And the friendships that form on retreat are beyond comparison – our retreat group still regularly keeps in touch and gets together for reunion parties!
If you are a beginner in yoga or even if you have never done it before, no worries! Practice is for you to feel good, to go within, and to gently stretch yourself to imagine new possibilities for yourself. You may surprise yourself.
But retreats are not about showing off your skills or trying to keep up with anyone. In fact, you can even skip practice if you feel like it. Your retreat is about YOU and taking care of YOU. When you are able to be in stillness, you will be better able to hear and trust your own intuition about what is right for you and what you need.
Most certainly, you will come back from your retreat refreshed, rejuvenated and with a renewed sense of self. You deserve it!
Missy Balsam is a full-time yoga teacher from Naples, Florida. She teaches group and private yoga classes as well as leads kirtan concerts with her band Missy Balsam Kirtan. We are pleased to have her join us again to lead another retreat, Quiet Mind, Open Heart: A Costa Rica Yoga Experience, May 30-June 6th. 
 

True Nature Travels Blog

Life on Yoga Retreat With Us – Where Everything is Music

Adapted from the Mind|Body|Fitness Yoga blog. Update On-Retreat with Andrea Dyer on her 4th Annual Mind|Body|Fitness Yoga Retreat with True Nature Education:

We came to Santa Teresa this year to listen. The sound environment in Santa Teresa is rich with layers of the ocean, wind, monkeys, birds and life in the hotel and village.

I’m sitting in the hotel’s open air restaurant – using wifi and listening to layers of sound.  The backdrop is the non-stop waves in the ocean about 100 yards in front of me through the glade of palm trees. There is the din of silverware, Bob Marley and the chatter of the restaurant staff, the gurgle of the pool water and the call of birds in the trees. The monkey raised their voices in the pre-dawn hour.

There is no electronic curtain of sound here (other than the sound and bass of Bob Marley music). There is clarity and a distinct evidence of nature here. Human voices are hushed and relaxed.

My ears have always been invited to soak in the sounds available. There is nothing better than to rise with the monkeys and walk down the path to the beach and sit and watch the sun rise to the left over Mal Pais. The sound of the surf is soothing on a soul level. It invites you to listen more closely to your heart and soul.

So I have invited our retreaters to listen this week. Hear the sounds of Costa Rica and listen to themselves having this experience. Taking a sacred pause to soak in the sounds of contentment, excitement, and the silence in the space left when all the plans and analysis that kidnap us most days.

We took some inspiration from Milerepa and his iconic leaning toward the music of the soul in meditation, and from Rumi:

Where Everything is MusicMilarepa

We have fallen into the place where everything is music.

The strumming and the flute notes rise into the atmosphere, and if the whole world’s harp should burn up, there will still be hidden instruments playing, playing.

This singing art is sea foam.

The graceful movements come from a pearl somewhere on the ocean floor.

Poems reach up like spindrift and the edge of driftwood along the beach wanting, wanting.

They derive from a slow and powerful root that we cannot see.

Stop the words now.

Open the window in the center of your chest and let the spirits fly in and out!

This is my fourth trip to Costa Rica and each time I get here I am more relaxed and at ease in meditating and listening. Listening is dear and sweet to me here.

On retreat tons of pictures are captured to take the beauty and good feelings back to our regular lives, but I have taken to recording and journaling about the sounds here – somehow if feels closer to my soul. There still are pictures, but I am taking them as placeholders for the sounds so I can reconnect to the sounds and my soul when I see them. It’s my wish that everyone on this retreat will be able to open the window in the center of their chests and let the spirits fly in and out – like the sweet sounds of Santa Teresa.

Pura Vida!

True Nature Travels Blog

Mindful Marketing… A Revolution? Forbes Thinks So

The title of this recent article on Forbes.com by Dorie Clark caught out eye:

Why Mindfulness Is The Next Revolution In Marketing

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Mindfulness is one of our CORE VALUES here at TNE. You bet we were all nodding in approval to see this article! One of the leaders in the Fortune 500 Community sharing how incorporating mindfulness practices into your workaday (and life) helps marketers to “center themselves, pause, prioritize, and find their wisdom.” Um. COOL! #MindfulnessNOW #EverydayMindfulness

Mainstream mindfulness is not necessarily a new concept in the workplace.  Everyone from Google to General Mills, Target, LinkedIn, 15Five, and Green Mountain Coffee are “doing it.”

Doing what? What are these companies doing, why and is it making difference? Lisa Nirell, author of The Mindful Marketer: How to Stay Present and Profitable in a Data-Driven World shares that marketers have to step back and “stay in the present moment to deal with the complex tasks in front of us.” She says that Marketers are being asked to do more now than ever, with higher expectations and limited resources. Her training in yoga, meditation and Buddhism has helped her to “train her mind to focus,” and that can give one a competitive edge in the business world.

“To gain increased clarity, she suggests trying out techniques including nature walks, silent meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, and many others. Those who ignore these learning opportunities will remain stressed, overworked.” 

Wondering if you are practicing mindfulness while at your job? Take Nirells nifty Mindful Marketing Meter Assessment.

Check out the full article for more tips on marketing and mindfulness!

 

 

 

 

True Nature Travels Blog

Being Something More with Sheetal Ajmani

10649628_846741095344087_8233548479623479912_nSheetal Ajmani is passionate about empowering others to live a life from their souls calling. As a pediatrician and yoga teacher she has found the perfect balance between sharing eastern and western philosophies of what the picture of true health looks like and it all begins with being connected to what feeds your heart and makes you feel aligned with your spirit. Her retreat next summer in La Fortuna, Costa Rica “Disconnect to Reconnect” will being students on a journey to take a needed break from information overload, set intentions and relax against the blissful backdrop of the jungle. More about Sheetal and her retreat here.

1. What does it mean for you to “be something more” as part of your yoga practice, teaching, and your intentions for your retreat?

To be something more means living my life to its fullest capacity. It means to live with an open heart, letting love and faith override fear and doubt. It means continually expanding my awareness and consciousness through my daily sadhana (practices) and then sharing that awareness with others through compassion and understanding. It means striving to always remember that I am most simply a peaceful, loving soul.

2. Who has been your greatest influence and why?

My grandfather. Although he passed away when I was only 12 years old and he resided in India while I was born and raised in the U.S., it was through his example that my interests in yoga, meditation, and ayurveda were ignited. He taught me my first sun salutation on a visit to India shortly before his passing. He was a true yogi. He dedicated the last few years of his life to an ashram that he created in India; he lived there and was active in the daily yogic practices, as described in the Vedas. I remember him often, and through his remembrance, I honor my family lineage in yoga.

3. If there was a yoga pose or mediation practice that described you – what would it be and why?

Tree pose. There are so many elements to this pose – feeling grounded, maintaining balance, opening, reaching towards the sky. Staying grounded in reality, in truth, and in my daily practices is so important to me. Maintaining balance through all facets of my life – work, family, friends, my own self-care, is vital. I always strive to remain open – open in communication, in understanding, and open to what the Universe has in store for me. And, reaching towards the sky – to me, this means continually striving for spiritual advancement.

4. Other than yoga, meditation, nutrition – what are some of your passions?

Music and travel! ☺
Music is food for the soul! I love going to concerts. I love looking around at all the smiles in the audience as the notes, beats, and lyrics touch people’s heart and soul. I love watching the musicians, completely in their element, with creative energy just flowing right through them to us. Music is just so powerful.
And, travel. I love seeing new places and experiencing different cultures. Travelling always leaves me feeling completely amazed at all of the magnificent people, places, and things that exist in this infinite world! I always find it so interesting that despite the varying cultural differences that exist, we are all intrinsically the same – we all have the same basic needs, joys, sorrows, and desires. And, I love that smiles and laughter translate the same in every language! ☺

5. What is on your “Costa Rica Bucket List?”

This is a tough one because there is so much to see and do! I am really excited about exploring the rainforest, both during the day and night, on the Rainforest Mysteries and Night Rainforest tours offered at Luna Nueva. And, I definitely plan to check out the Arenal Volcano – by foot, boat, or horseback is yet to be decided!

Disconnect to Reconnect – Summer 2015

View our entire 2015 Program

True Nature Travels Blog

Defining Jungle Love – Karma Yoga in Action

imageLast week on yoga retreat with Missy Balsam Yoga, we had an amazing group come together at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge. For our service “karma” yoga project, we reached out to a local tico family — a mother and daughter — to give their house new life with a fresh coat of paint.

Having endured hard times of late, the mother and daughter had been robbed the week before. What’s more is that their grandmother was also in the hospital.

imageHere is a letter written to us by our TNE Village Representative, Lindsay Padilla, that she sent after the end of a very rewarding day:

It was a great experience! Missy and every one of the group are amazing. We had fun!
The house looks beautiful now. It was very deep to see Ligia’s family SO happy and thankful.
 
Daisy made three beautiful dolls (handmade) for Missy and two more ladies. They just had mango and they shared it! We painted both outside and the inside of the house, and it looks so good!
 
imageWe noticed there was a really big hole in Ligia’s bedroom wall. It was there because their home had been robbed by a group of people. 
They had no money for buying the piece of plywood and a lady gave them $20. Osvaldo came back some minutes after that in order to say thanks and to show her the hardware store ticket. It was very nice. Daisy and her mom had a white blanket, and they wanted to have the participant’s hands printed on this, as a good memory.
image
Daisy told me her mom was so happy to decorate her small (really small) living room with that piece of cloth. That made me cry!
 
After a beautiful SUNNY morning (yes!!!) we came back home and the group enjoyed the company and hospitality of the mother’s home.  Especially the kitchen and, of course, her food.
imageWe had a cooking class, we practiced how to prepare coffee (real Costa Rican style). After that, I invited them to come and see my house and garden.
I shared some words and I got too many hugs. Enough to last for a life time, I guess 🙂

True Nature Travels Blog

Into the Jungle Yoga Retreat with Missy Balsam

1512086_638863206167130_5202010020011765157_oJune is upon us, and that means that we’re just days from the launch of our next yoga retreat journey, Jungle Love! A Costa Rica Experience with Missy Balsam.

For what is sure to be an incredible seven days, Missy and her students are preparing to embark on a journey of yoga retreat and adventure. Hosted at one of our favorite retreat centers, Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, the retreat will be hosted in an environment of self-healing, fostered by the nearby Arenal Volcano and the town of La Fortuna. Arenal is the adventure capital of Costa Rica, and the group is planning on taking full advantage of it through activities like hiking, hot springs excursions, canopy tours, waterfall expeditions, and more.

10422565_10152074903686930_2296553190345365648_nA bit off the beaten path, this peaceful yoga retreat will be nested in Luna Nueva’s jungle paradise. meditative walks on the property’s lush rainforest trails. Daily yoga sessions will be inspired by Missy’s teaching style of empowerment, inspiration, and joy, encouraging students of all levels to keep growing and evolving, discovering the happiness that is already inside of all of us.

Luna Nueva is world-renowned for its fresh, organic, nutritionally-dense food grown right on-site. Altogether the group is ready to set foot on a path of rejuvenation and recharging for the mind, body, and soul. Days will be complete with meditative walks on the property’s lush rainforest trails and plenty of personal reflection time in this unique wilderness.

To immerse directly into the local land and community, Jungle Love! will be incorporating service “karma” yoga and Bhakti yoga elements through projects during the week.

We’ll be posting updates “from the road” with some reflective writing and photos to keep you posted on the retreat in action so you can share in the experience. Stay tuned with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@TrueNatureEducation) for a peek into the action!

True Nature Travels Blog

Six Ways to Make Your Yoga Retreat Unforgettable

Leading your own yoga retreat is a dream just about every yoga teacher has had at one time or another in their “yoga career.”  If you live in the virtual world of yoga, its difficult not to find dozens of images crossing your computer screen each day of breathtaking beaches and stunning landscapes dotted with peaceful yogis mastering an amazing pose or resting blissfully in savasana.  If you have ever thought to yourself, “That could be me teaching that class…”  read on.  Here are six ways to create an unforgettable yoga retreat experience for your students.

20120315023736-ff67b1241. Set clear intentions and goals

As much as you want to offer an unforgettable experience for your students, you are also about to embark on a life changing journey leading a yoga retreat in a foreign country.  Create clear intentions, goals, timelines for your self right at the start and this will help to ensure you are on track. Intentions and goals can include how many students you need/would like to sign up for your retreat, cultivating the focus for what you want to teach during the retreat, what kind of outside activities you would like to offer your group, etc.  From manifesting the over arching “vibe”of your retreat from the day you say go, to knowing all of the details inside and out, this will help to grow confidence and faith in yourself as you set out in the unknown and the more confidence and faith you have in yourself, the more your students will have in you as their guide.

2. Make sure the logistics of the trip are effortless and easy

There is nothing worse than traveling to a different country with a different language, customs, etc. and not have the logistics of your trip organized with every i dotted and t crossed.  Planning for scenarios A, B & C is often necessary, as there are times events don’t always unfold as planned.  Make sure you have the support you need up front.  Organizing your trip with an experienced travel company is important as they have the know-how to predict what could shift during your retreat and how best to put plans in place to keep space you are creating as contained as possible.

cr2010-15793. Add an element of service to your trip

We have led, supported and helped to organize hundreds of retreats over the last ten years.  No matter how much energy and effort a teacher puts into creating an amazing experience for their students, when they incorporate the element of service into the retreat, the students always go away with that time being one of the main highlights of their journey.  Creating a space for your students and yourself to be able to “give back” to the land and people is always a win/win.  Do it.

4.  Make sure to schedule plenty of “downtime” for your students and yourself!

When we say “downtime” we don’t mean mediations led by you. We mean “nothing on the schedule” downtime where everyone has an opportunity to soak in the experience they are having.  And, almost always, you as the teacher will have some logistics to handle, so this ensures that you can take care of business and have plenty of time to swing in a hammock as well.

6325. Immerse yourself in the community aspect of the retreat

Strong bonds and friendships will be formed on your retreat.  Your students are having a “once in a lifetime” experience.  Even in a weeks time, you will find that there is a unique community amongst your group.  Making sure you are not tied up with too much logistics or too packed a schedule (see #4) will help to make sure that when you are not teaching or leading the group, you can just enjoy the experience with them as well.  Teachers sometime feel like they need to remove themselves from their students if they are not leading a class.  Immersing yourself in the sweet moments of the trip that happen “off the mat” will foster deepened teacher/student relationships as well as allow your students to see you being relaxed and, well, just you as you are (without your teacher hat on).

trentrojbeach6. On the eve of your adventure, be ready to let go and go with the flow

You have planned everything perfectly, your timeline looks great, you have plenty of downtime scheduled, playlists are made, your surfing lessons are scheduled and tomorrow you board the plane to lead your first yoga retreat.  (GO YOU!).  Take a deep breath and be willing to let it all go.  All of this experience is part of your own path as a lifelong student.  It is inevitable that, as with life, there will be things that do not go exactly to plan.  Be ready to go with the flow, be open minded and just have fun!

Teach for us!  We are currently booking for our 2015 Retreat Season and would love to help you make your dream come true of leading a yoga retreat in beautiful Costa Rica!  Check out how it works HERE.

True Nature Travels Blog

Peace in Myself, Peace in the World – A Meditation on Mindfulness

5dcaddc776f78ef39e41c2a35342277dFinding presence in every moment is a lifelong journey.  It is one that we hope to foster and encourage in all of our actions but in that fostering, we must also be prepared to notice with compassion the the moments where we are distracted or the times when we  struggle against obstacles or uncomfortable feelings and emotions.

When we step onto the path that only leads back to ourselves, we can often find ourselves wanting to arrive at our destination, when it is our journey that is full of the jewels that can enrich our lives.  The path to enlightenment is truly a path back to our own hearts and sometimes that path can feel more like a slow dripping faucet (drip…. drip….. drip…..) rather than a continuous rushing waterfall of love and bliss all the time.

“It is true that we are called to create a better world. But we are first of all called to a more immediate and exalted task: that of creating our own lives.”

– Thomas Merton

eae9be9ddfb7f34a12c7b081808c2c4bThere are so many paths, methods, teachings and teachers out there offering guidance and wisdom.  After years of practicing living a mindful life, daily, one comes to understand that there are a few very simple truths that are told in hundreds if not thousands of different ways.  And one of those truths is – If I have peace in myself then I will cultivate peace in my world.  And by proxy, if you are creating a more peaceful world for yourself, you are contributing to a more peaceful world for everyone for your energy and intentions ripple outwards with far reaching effects beyond your control.

The beauty of committing to live a more mindful life is that there is no better time to begin then right now.  We can begin right now with the breath and a short mantra.

Five Minute Mindfulness Meditation

(set a timer on your phone or clock)

– Find a comfortable seat on the floor or in a chair.  Close your eyes or softly rest your gaze on an object such as a flower or candle. Be sure you are sitting with your spine long and tall.  Feel settled into your sitting bones and an effortless life in the crown of your head towards the sky.

– Take 3-5 nice deep breaths in and out of the nose just allowing your body to relax.  Notice how you are feeling.  You might ask yourself – How am I feeling today?  How does my body feel? How does my mind feel? Just notice the answers that come up, don’t judge them.  Anything that you are feeling is ok.

– Begin noticing the breath even more deeply.  Try to let your inhales and your exhales be the same length as one another.  Perhaps a count of 4.  Inhale for 4, exhale for 4, inhale for 4, exhale for 4.

– Once you have established your breath, bring a the words –

Breathing in I feel peace in myself,

Breathing out I share peace with the world.

Breathing in I feel peace in myself,

Breathing out I share peace with the world.

Breathing in I feel peace in myself,

Breathing out I share peace with the world.

– Repeat this mantra and allow yourself to feel the peace you are breathing in and allow yourself to feel you are sharing that peace with the whole world as you are breathing out.  If thoughts arise in your mind such the list of things to do later today or what you have planned for this weekend  – just allow them to rise and fall with the breath and gently bring your attention back to the mantra.  It is completely normal and expected that thoughts will come up.

– When your timer goes off, try not to jump up immediately.  Allow the mantra to fade into your mind and let it go.  Take a few more deep breaths and again, just notice how you are feeling.  You may want to ask yourself the same questions as you asked at the beginning of the meditation – How am I feeling today?  How does my body feel? How does my mind feel? Just notice the answers that come up, don’t judge them.  Anything that you are feeling is ok.  Notice if you feel differently now than you did when you began.

– Slowly open your eyes and see a more peaceful world around you and give thanks for the peaceful space you are cultivating within you.

4e029022d7d5bac25b8172a2f0fb16a7True Nature Education is a True Nature is an Educational Travel Company which provides full service in the planning, support, and guiding of a diverse catalog of trips to Costa Rica each year with a focus on offering unique and transformational experiences for both our teachers leading retreats and the students taking them.  Check out our 2014 Calendar of retreats.

 

 

 

 

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