Pura Vida

Pura Vida

Pure Life Villa

Costa Rica, where one finds everything you never expected a small country with a very big heart and Pura Vida (“pure life” or “simple life"). This was not my first time in a foreign land.  I felt that I had entered a place that welcomes visitors not with so much fanfare but with a very casual and gracious hospitality. I was alone in this small country for several weeks and never felt any threat or met either with any hostility observed or towards me personally as I walked along some of the unpaved roads or toured inside the ultra park. The ultra parks are the impressive compounds of fortune 500 companies. This is where the young, educated and sophisticated young people of Costa Rica meet and work.

The gently rain came each day like clockwork. Moreover, the freshness in the air afterwards made me feel like a weight had lifted from my body. There was always the vibrant movement of the people everywhere.  The pace of life in Costa Rica was much more calm and laid back compared to the swift moving currents of the larger cities in the U.S. such as the Bay Area in California, New York, Atlanta, Miami or Seattle. The lovely people there value comradeship above competition; they meet, greet and speak with each other in a very friendly manner each day. In addition, once they dive into their work, it is with their whole self. When the day is done, they know how to let the work go and move on to life after work with friends and family. I learned so much about myself and released a lot of stress as I practice yoga with the gentle people of this amazing country. I look forward to returning and perhaps hosting a yoga retreat there someday.

Enjoy the poem Boat Ride to Tortuga I wrote while on a tour in Costa Rica. -Dee

Boat Ride to Tortuga

The waters churn with the motion of life,

On the end of a journey aboard the Manta Ray,

With a mix of all flavors and hues,

The clamor of noise cannot break the once still joy,

Of the rocks and trees that watch patiently,

Forever in their own solemn mood,

Forever knowing there is nothing to fear,

And living in silence and grace,

Never in awe of the ever changing voices that break the silence,

Each day but for an instant, then turn away,

They go back to the hustle of their lives,

Never really touched by the grace and freedom,

That ever waits in patience and silence,

On the boat ride to Tortuga Bay.

Namaste

D. Williams

www.kanjinyoga.com