Lindsey, Vicky, Tara, Cailin, Monique, Kat, Taylor, Amanda, Alysa, Fatima, Rachel, Dennis, Haley, and Rachel. These are the names of the people who I had the pleasure of spending 5 nights and 4 days with in Nosara, Costa Rica, and we all had one thing in common…The Pura Vida Getaway.
10 winners, 2 teachers, and 4 hosts (myself included). As we embarked on this journey, none of us knew what to expect. Would we all make it safe and sound? Would we all get along? Would the schedule work out to plan?
These are questions we asked ourselves, and ones we now know the answers to. The Pura Vida Getaway turned out to be a journey for each and every one of us, and an experience that we will all hold close to our hearts. Some wanted wellness, some wanted to overcome fear, and others wanted to let their mind go of worries and to only be here…in the now.
The last 2 nights in Costa Rica were filled with laughter and smiles, but also brought concentration and self reflection. As Rachel held our closing circle after the last yoga class, she wanted us to think back to our intentions that we had all set for ourselves at the beginning of the week. As the sun dipped behind the clouds and candlelight filled the room, we went around one by one and turned those intentions into affirmations.
I wanted to do everything that was thrown at me. I wanted to tackle everything full force. I wanted to ignore the butterflies in my gut, and I wanted to push my exhaustion aside and pull up the last bits of energy I had. So that’s what I did. I did it all…the yoga, the surfing, the paddle boarding, the vegan eating, the hiking, the sweating, and most of all…the learning. I learned about myself, and I learned what I was capable of. I wanted to see how my body reacted, and I was tired. But, I felt the best I have felt in a really long time. I felt strong and I felt balanced, and I felt like this was the start to a beautiful change.
As the bonfire burned on the very last night, we each took a scrap of paper and wrote something down. Our words were to describe something we wanted to get rid of. Maybe it was a fear, a past memory, or something negative that was present to current life. As we all held hands, each person stepped up to the fire, read their scrap of paper one last time, and threw it into the flames. This moment of self reflection was personal, but the rest of the group stood behind with hands intertwined. 16 people who were strangers to one another at the beginning of this journey were now anything but strangers. We were all in this together, and this trip wouldn’t have been the same without each and every one of those special people I had the pleasure of getting to share it with.
New friends were made, goals were accomplished, and we were enlightened. The Pura Vida Getaway was the experience of a lifetime, and I am so thankful I got to be a part of it. The memories will be cherished forever, and Costa Rica…I can’t wait until we meet again.
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It was like a dream. I am so very grateful to you all for this life-changing experience. Thank you for the posts Jana, they will help me keep our time there close to my heart! I truly love each and every one of you!!!!! Hoping to reunite one day- you never know what the future holds if you’re open to it :).
-Alysa
You have me dying to go to costa rica!
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Janny I have tears! I miss you to pieces. I’m so happy you got to do this, and so freaking proud of you. <3
Wow. It sounds like it was such an amazing transforming experience, so beautifully documented through pictures and words. Thank you for sharing.
The Weaver Of Words…..give me 15 words and I’ll tell you a tale
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You have made me make our next trip Costa Rica. Sounds like a perfect time.
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You beautifully documented a magical dream! Thank You, Jana… xo!
Jana… You did such a beautiful job detailing our journey… Thank you for the pictures, the laughter, the smiles and the genuineness! There are no other words besides thank you… Thank you.