True Nature Travels Blog

The Sound of Silence

IMG_20140318_110042In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in an clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.

~Mahatma Gandhi

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True Nature Retreat Leader, Jessica Caplan is taking her students on a retreat for the soul this week with her journey into Space, Sound and Silence. The setting for an intimate retreat like this could not be more perfect than at La Cusinga Eco-Lodge and Retreat Center in Uvita, Costa Rica.  Tucked away in a private reserve of over 600 acres, this rainforest lodge provides guests with sweeping ocean views, sandy beaches, natural pools, and the chance to experience the burgeoning forests and astonishing wildlife of the country’s most famous ecosystem.

IMG_20140318_110707Jessica’s passion for music and meditation will infuse each day with a harmonious balance of inner stillness and how to dance to the beat of our own unique drum.   We look forward to sharing more of her dreamy images with you as she and her students continue their journey together.

If you are a yoga teacher and interested in talking with one of our True Nature Guides about hosting your own retreat read up on what is entailed and get in touch with us! 

Coming up in our 2014 Season! There is still time to sign up!

June 7-14, 2014
Jungle Love! A Costa Rica Yoga Experience
with Missy Balsam

July 21-28, 2014
Shakti Power Yoga Costa Rica Retreat
with Lauren Farina and Kelly Farina Carter

View our entire calendar of retreats here.

 

True Nature Travels Blog

The True Nature of Yoga – What is the Meaning of Yoga?

 

Battling Stress with Yoga

Yoga.  The word alone conjures up all sorts of meanings and images.  I bet you are thinking of someone doing a crazy yoga asana or pose right now, like standing on their hands or putting their legs behind their head.  Yes, this is yoga, too, but in fact, the real reason humans have been practicing yoga for over 5,000 years simply reconnect with their innermost selves, or their True Nature.

We have a tendency to get caught up in looking outside ourselves for fulfillment, happiness, peace, etc.  Yet something we all know deep down is that true joy can only be found when we are completely content internally.  We get caught up in doing rather than just being.

There are many paths and definitions to yoga.  We will be exploring these here in our new blog series – The True Nature of Yoga.  One of our favorite definitions of yoga is…

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True Nature Travels Blog

On Synchronicity and "Being in the Flow"

IMG_20140130_161940You know when everything feels connected?  Maybe you’ve run into a long lost friend at the grocery store who you’ve been meaning to catch up with.  Perhaps your yoga class focused on the exact part of your body that needed your attention. You feel like you are in the right place at the right time, and things are going your way.  I like to refer to this experience as “being in the flow.”

Being in the flow is when there is a sense of ease to your way of life.  You listen to the plan of the universe, and you act accordingly.  Rather than exerting a lot of energy to create what you think you want, the universe effortlessly provides you with what you really need.   The truth is that being in the flow just feels good.

IMG_20140206_093400Currently, I am living in Costa Rica on retreat with True Nature Education, and life here is different.  Conversations with people who I just met begin to feel like talks with old friends.  I practice yoga effortlessly, and my ability to listen to my body is more attuned.  My rhythms for sleep have matched those of nature; I wake up with the birds and the sun, and the stars and crickets lull me to sleep.  Life has become a living meditation, and this is what being in the flow is all about.

As I experience this way of life in Costa Rica, I aspire to create a life at home that feels as consistently connected and in the flow as I’m experiencing here.  True Nature is giving me tools to be able to tap into living with this essence of ease.  On retreat, I practice yoga, have communal meals, and spend my time outdoors in nature.  These are all meaningful ways that I will bring home with me, as a way to connect with the flow of life.

True Nature Travels Blog

2nd Annual Rhythms of Joy Retreat: Waking Up from Silence

CR2010-2006During the 2nd Annual Rhythms of Joy Retreat led by Tiina Kivinen with True Nature Education, we took an opportunity to be in silence.  This activity opened space to go deeper within ourselves, disconnecting from the daily chatter we partake in.  We were to be silent throughout the night until after the following morning’s meditation.  I spent the night listening to my higher self, journaling, meditating, and resting.

I woke up earlier than usual the next day.  It was still dark out.  The crescent moon was just above the horizon, getting ready to set.  The planet Venus shined brightly above the moon.  Inspired by the moon and Venus, I decided to take a hike to the lookout tower to watch the sunrise.

When I arrived at the top of the tower, I turned to the east to do sun salutations.  This was the perfect opportunity to welcome in the sun with honor.

As my asana practice woke up my muscles and bones, the birds also became active.  I took out my binoculars to get a closer look at these flying creatures.   The detail of their feathers, their beaks and their colors, was grand.  Some flew around catching bugs, while others were nibbling on berries or looking for a mate.

The diversity that existed before my eyes was vast!  As I looked more closely at these birds, I formed a deep appreciation for their individuality and their ability to live in community.

As the temperature of the atmosphere rose with the day’s beginning, moisture was drawn up into the sky and the condensation formed clouds.  Soft, grey clouds now covered the crystal clear view I once had.

I had forgotten that I was there to watch the sunrise, when suddenly I noticed a great ball of fire glowing just above the mountains.  The clouds had parted just enough so that I was able to see the outline of the sun.  The sun looked much like the appearance of a full moon, but brighter.  The abrupt appearance of the sun astonished me with its power.

The silence that I had kept from nightfall to sunrise allowed an opportunity to observe nature’s aliveness more deeply.  When I quieted myself, I noticed how vibrantly the world around me spoke.  The power and energy of the sun, the moon and the birds, felt louder than ever before on this day.  I recommend being in silence, every once in a while, to hear what other voices want to be heard.

True Nature Travels Blog

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