DAYS 20-22 PURA VIDA

daily Insight:

celebrate. celebrate each breath, each new beginning, each ending. just don't forget to celebrate. remember your intention and celebrate it every chance you get. i was reminded of my intention today, to celebrate a goal realized by coming to costa rica and surfing its ocean. shift your gaze when it starts going down the rabbit hole of self-pity, anxiety, dis-trust, bitterness and look for your celebration.

the play by play:

day 20

days are really starting to blend together here now that we have reached the middle of our trip. it's crazy to think i've had the gift of 20 days already in Costa Rica and still have 12 more to go. today was a day for walking, swimming and doing some reading around the house- not so much surfing. the wind has really been kicking up but with that we had some very sunny and dry days. all this sun has given me a lot of amazing light to play with while taking shots of all the picturesque moments throughout each day. it's also giving me a crazy dark tan, gotta watch out i don't overdo it on the UV rays.  hopefully tomorrow brings some better conditions for surf!

day 21

wanted to wake up for yoga class this morning but just felt so tired in body and mind and decided a bit more rest would be the best way to listen to my body's needs. later that morning the wind wasn't up so we headed out to the water. conditions were perfect, swell was up. a bit more up for what i can hadle so I headed the the cove where no one was surfing and caught some really nice “my size” waves and had them all to myself. it felt good to be in a swell that was just at my comfort level so that I could challenge myself in new ways – like trying a full cutback on a wave. i like to compare this scenario to going to a basics level yoga class. the poses aren't super tricky and don't get your heart pumping and your body wrung out like a power class, but you can tune into the simplicity and see a bit deeper into your habits or experience as you move with breath. these waves were my basics class. also being out there alone made me really aware of my timing and trust my judgment of the waves. sometimes i gain a lot of insight from others in the lineup or tellef coaches me with great help as to where to be, and when to catch. but it was all up to me in this session. About an hour later the wind came up and didn't let up the rest of the day. no second session today. So I did a bit of stretching on my own which led to some interpretive dancing about the room -i REALLY miss dance class. ;) that evening before sunset tellef and i walked down to the huts at the beach near us and had a beer as the sun set behind the clouds and the peninsula. i have some photographs in my mind of the beauty but forgot my camera to share with you. tellef and I plan to dawn patrol (hitting the surf at dawn) the next morning. once 9pm hit it was time for Zs.

day 22

this morning we thought we were ahead of game, up at 5am and out the door before 6pm to arrive to a bit of wind and already 10 people in the water. tellef went in and i waited back awhile to take some photos of the gorgeous scene on the beach at the top of the morning and also wanted to see if conditions would improve. but the wind had no mercy. not long after tellef went in was he back out, it just wasn't worth it. i think that is the great thing about staying somewhere for a good long time. you aren't so aggressive and anxious about making stuf happen, you know there is another day with surf on the way. i was happy to save some energy because i planned to try out a new yoga studio today. not new in town, but new to me. the studio is called shooting star and it is located closer to where we are staying so i took a nice mid-day walk to it. as i approached the gate i took a few shots of the beautiful grounds and as i walked up the pathway to the studio this beautiful green parrot flew right in front of me and into the tree next to me. like no other bird i've seen yet. i was so delighted by its visit. it stayed perched long enough for me to snatch a photo and on i went to the studio already feeling blessed by the present moment. i went a little camera crazy because i was just in awe of yet another lovely yoga studio here in pavones. it was truly inspiring. i was the first one there, i walked in and met the instructor i was so excited to practice with her, she had a cool, calm and super friendly vibe. we chatted a bit and when she went to turn on the music there was a friend sitting there to greet us. an amazing white frog! i have never seen anything like it! and she was just as intrigued by this frog friend as i was. a really nice group of people came out for class and it was so nice practicing as a collective again. i have been enjoying my own practice but always love sharing the journey with others. not far long into our practive the green parrot returns! and he lands right on the beam above me! there is something so magical about getting a visit from wildlife. they are so free yet not afraid here. come savasana i went somewhere else altogether, can't tell you where but i came back feeling SO blissed and shining bright. open to the celebration of the day. that afternoon a storm made it's way in and i went down to the beach and on my way got a great shot of what i think is a local hawk. it was a day of bird sighting. once at the beach i scribbled away at my journal watching the weather take a dramatic shift and listening to the sound of thunder. feeling connected.

hasta luego