Pura Vida Rhythm

My time in the rainforest of Costa Rica gave me the space to enjoy the pleasures of simple living while I brainstormed as to what I'd do next. My days were slow paced and filled to the brim with wonder. Each day I'd awake to the calm power of the rainforest. I couldn't ignore the orchestral layers of all the individual creatures that acted as my natural alarm clock. First, I'd go partake in the nectar of the gods... a.k.a Costa Rican coffee. After one or two or three cups I'd then go to teach a morning yoga class as the caffeine began to course it's way through my body. My classes were held for all of the guests who were staying in the various treehouses. They came from all over the world to this destination as a means to "get away" or vacation, which for me was a bitter sweet thing to witness. Some of the people whom I met were stuck in the monotony of a mundane existence and only allowed themselves these few days in the rainforest to truly enjoy life. Regardless of this observation it was a pleasure to meet all of them. I remember one German family who was intent on partying with us...and we did, all...night...long. We ended the night holding each other in a big group hug drunkly sinking together. It was one big sloppy beautiful moment. I didn't see them at the next mornings Yoga class. Or there was the english school teacher who I had a freestyle rap session with while drinking red wine overlooking the rainforest canopy. He told me that I should never give up on my quest (whatever it was) and that he too once had dreams of his own...only that he gave up on them long ago. Or there was the unfortunate couple who may have accidentally walked up on me while I was meditating naked under one of the many waterfalls - whoops. I'm glad they had a good sense of humor and that we could laugh about the whole situation...that may have been a great justification to fire me...

I suppose now is a good time to mention that one of my duties as a volunteer was to tend the minimalistic bar in the evenings. This meant that I had a solid stream of rainforest mojitos flowing down my throat. On many days I'd transition from a disciplined yoga practicing truth seeker in the morning, into a wild careless adventurer at night. I'd began to discover that this extremism on both sides of the "calm to chaotic" spectrum was a natural part of my inclinations. Yes, I was meditating daily. Yes, I had taken on some stoic tendencies and ways of thinking. And yes, I was hyper fixated on increasing my physical and mental capabilities (constantly training!)...but I acted just as intensely in the other direction. Many times I was putting down whole bottles of red wine and dancing dancing dancing until I couldn't move my body anymore. I haphazardly climbed cliff sides not thinking about the consequences of falling, I swung from trees like Tarzan to catapult myself into rivers, and I jumped into a jungle romance that bloomed with one of the other volunteers (more on that later...maybe). All this to say that somedays I embodied the calmness of still water, while on others I was enjoying dancing on the tantalizing edges of chaos. Anyways. Back to explaining my "routine". After teaching my morning yoga class I'd then skip breakfast and go do my own practice. During this jungle period I was extremely disciplined/ obsessed with going forward in my asana practice. I was practicing 2-3 hours daily apart from my calisthenics routine. And for the cherry on top I was throwing in a hand balancing practice too. I was pushing myself in a way that I hadn't ever before. All I had was time and energy. Plus I was probably eating the purest and most nutrient dense foods that I ever had - another huge factor in fueling my efforts. I remember one time I pushed my limits too much and passed out on the floor of the volunteer cabin. Once I regained consciousness I continued my training like nothing had happened.

As I settled into the rhythms of the jungle, little by little I began to explore self expression with dance. This was interesting because I'd never taken any dance classes up to this point in my life. These desires naturally arose within me. I couldn't explain why, but with the copious amount of training I was doing, my desires with how I wanted to be able to move my body were changing. The traditional yoga asanas that I had grown such an intimate relationship with had started to feel that they were lacking. Also, I was starting to feel like an emotionless yogic robot. Something was missing. These feelings began as a subtle whisper but were growing louder and louder. I wanted to dance. I wanted to use my body as a means to say or show something. I wanted something different. The yoga lifestyle and all the things that came with it were becoming less and less stimulating or interesting to me. These feelings caused a bit of an internal conflict within me. I was living my dreams traveling the world as a Yoga teacher (and would continue to do so for sometime) yet was personally being pulled into other directions. Looking back I can see that the dormant "artist" within me was finally emerging...but this was just the beginning. For now I was on the path of the "Yogi' (whatever that means). Eventually I'd be unable to resist these urges that were blossoming inside of me.

The pura vida rhythm of the jungle provided me with everything I needed to continuously work on myself. The quality of my day only depended on the quality of my mind. Somedays I felt trapped, even though I was experiencing complete freedom. Somedays I moved through the day feeling light and optimistic about the abundance of life despite the constant uncertainty that was ahead. This is a reoccuring theme that would pop up in my life time and time again. Life can be Heaven and life can be Hell. Of course there are external factors that affect us, but our internal compass is going to be one of the biggest indicators of our contentment. My internal compass was still in the midst of calibrating to this nomadic mysterious risk taking path that I had chosen. It was all over the place pinging from one side to the other. The jungle served as a place for me to have the space and time for my compass to update and reorient itself. With space and time, the answers eventually arose to the surface of my heart. S p a c e ........and.........t-i-m-e....

---Corey