We’re nearing the end of our Chant Together Kirtan yoga retreat with David Newman (“Durga Das”) and Friends, and it has been such a delightful journey! Our group is wonderfully diverse, with participants ranging from age 2, all the way up beyond 60. It has been so sweet to have parents and kids, husbands and wives, and friends all here to chant together.
The power of retreat is something I wish everyone could experience. Feeling the support of the community and taking part in daily practices such as yoga, satsang (“discussions of truth”), and kirtan (“chanting”) have all added the fullness and richness of this True Nature Experience.
It has been such a blessing to spend the week on this magical land near the Arenal Volcano at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge. Everything is so lush here. This is a place where trees grow on trees, toucans with bright yellow beaks fly overhead, and a three-toed sloth makes an occasional appearance. This is a place where all you have to do is sit quietly and watch, and magic will present itself.
The other day we went to a local village and worked on projects for the school’s community garden. The school is responsible for feeding the students lunch, and it has become a necessity to grow food to support this. It felt great to help out with the project. We also made sugar cane juice and drank from coconuts straight off 
the trees. After our work (which was mostly play!), we enjoyed a home-cooked meal where we made our own corn tortillas.
Today, we spent the morning at the Tabacon Hot Springs. We soaked up the warmth of volcanic water, as it poured through rivers and waterfalls that meandered through the trees and vibrantly colored plants. Our afternoon ended with a sunset horseback ride to a waterfall.
It has been a wonderful week blending lots of time relaxing, chanting, and adventuring. It is always sweet to get 
to know other people (and ourselves) better. It is a gift to be able to spend a week away from our day-to-day lives and to live in a way that more deeply connects us with our own True Nature.
Eliza Volk
Asheville, North Carolina
