The Costa Rica Chapter

I've been meaning to write another blog post about the rest of my stay in Costa Rica, but for the past month since I've left Nosara, I couldn't put words to paper because

1. I'm typing and not writing, and

2. There is just no way to describe my experience fully without missing something.

So, I've procrastinated! 

Without further ado, or more excuses, let me dispel three myths that people have been asking me recently about my Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica.

Myth #1: You must be super flexible and do crazy balancing poses!

Honestly, sometimes I can barely touch my toes. Usually early in the mornings, I'm less flexible, and by evenings, my flexibility improves as the body warms up. Has my flexibility improved? Probably a little, but one thing I've learned is that when it comes to yoga, it doesn't matter if you're "flexible". What matters is that you show up, breathe, and do your best with a clear intention. And this doesn't just apply on the mat. Just imagine how your everyday would be different if all you gotta do is show up, breathe, and do your best with a clear intention.

Myth #2:  You must be all spiritual and sh*t!

I'm no guru. In fact, I'm still the same person as before. I still the same person who can't write the "i" in the word "sh*t". I've always been curious about the spiritual side of yoga. I figure If I can't be all flexible and sh*t, then I might as well get really good at meditation and mindfulness. Joking aside, I have discovered a whole new level of consciousness.

A few years ago, I randomly picked up the book in a hurry at an airport right before boarding a long flight. The book was "The Untethered Soul, The Journey Beyond Yourself" by Michael A. Singer. I expected the book to tell me who I am or change my life. It didn't. I just didn't get it. Then I saw the book on the shelf at the Nosara Yoga Institute and I decided to read it again as we were on a "Inner Quest" training. This time around, I get it. In fact, I already know who I am all along because the answer is within ourselves. All we need is the ability to consciously observe ourselves and the world around us. 

Myth #3: You must be all relaxed living on the beach!

This myth is probably the farthest from the truth. Not only our bodies are challenged by the 50-hour per week training in the heat, but also our minds and souls are tested to the limit. Making it to the beach everyday was near impossible! This Costa Rica chapter was never meant for me to be a break from the busy-ness (or business) of life. I intended it to be a significant and valuable step that connects my past, my present, and my future in this life's journey. Along the way, there were days that I was completely exhausted, but everything seems easier when I remind myself that all I gotta do is show up, breathe, and do my best with a clear intention!

A Lesson in Wasted Energy

In my January blog, here's what I shared about teaching my first yoga class:

I taught my first yoga class at the Treetop Studio which was where I took my first yoga class when I visited Nosara. It felt like a full circle, a home coming! Instead of relaxing on the weekend, I "spotified" for the perfect yoga playlist, practiced the flow sequence over and over again until I got the timing down, and spent way more time and energy stressing over it than I needed to.

As soon as I stepped onto the mat at the front of the studio, everything just happens as it happens. Not perfect as I have practiced it in my mind, but rather it was better than I imagined it. Based on the class feedback, I think I found my yoga voice!

Last week, I taught my second yoga class. We couldn't just re-use the material as this class was a different type of yoga. For preparation this time, I decided to relax and trust that I embody the materials we learned. I simply closed my eyes and pictured the sequence, wrote down a few trigger words on a notepad, and then I tried to relax for the rest of the weekend by binge watching the newly released "Fuller House" on Netflix.

In the end, similar to my first experience, as soon as I stepped onto the mat at the front of the studio, everything just happens as it happens. Again, it went better than I imagined it!

My observations:

1. It is easier the second time around. I can't wait to see how much easier the third time would be!

2. Progress, Not Perfection! As Don says, "Planning is everything, but plans are useless!"

3. Expect Nothing. One evening when we were closing our session, a skunk ran past the studio. Startled, I let out a cry and then my next immediate reflex is to scream "Let's get the h*ll out of here!" right when the faculty was saying "Namaste." So I figure that as long as I don't use the H word in the middle of Namaste, I will consider my class a success. Without realizing it, your expectations may be undermining your happiness.

4. Being authentic is the best gift that we can share. Amazingly, the second class gave me the same feedback about my yoga voice as the first class, even though no one from my first class was in my second class. I'm learning that the best way to inspire others is to share who we are and what we know. So Ham = I am that I am.

5. A Lesson in Wasted Energy. The most interesting lesson to me when comparing the two teaching experiences is that as a planner, I use a lot of energy focusing on the future and worrying about every what-if's scenarios. Sometimes the energy is useful and positive, while other times, the energy is wasted given the end results are the same. By being mindful about where we direct our energy, we can have more space for other things to come into our lives.

Interestingly, when I was sharing this spiel on wasted energy (including over-sharing about my guilty pleasure of Fuller House) during a sharing session, I noticed that everyone who has already spoken is sitting in a relaxed and comfortable position, and meanwhile the rest of us who has yet to speak is sitting upright energetically and waiting for our turn. Isn't that interesting?

Nosara for Serious Applicants Only

January: A Month of New Resolutions Made & Broken

It has been a very busy month of moving and adjusting to living in the jungle, completing 200-hour yoga teacher training, and enjoying life to the fullest. I used to think that I live life fully, taking advantage of each day as best as I know how. But this past month has shown me that it's possible to exceed that. Looking back, I, along with many of my classmates here, feel like we've lived double or even triple number of days in each day.

Here are some resolutions or things that I've tried in January:

No coffee for a month
I'm a strong believer of "A cup a day keeps the doctor away!", so to say no to coffee for the month during yoga teacher training is not an easy feat. I did it though! I almost broke down on day 17 (which was the maximum number of days that I've once tried to go without coffee), but my good friends here have persuaded me otherwise (or, to be exact, they physically removed coffee from my vicinity).

My thoughts after a month without coffee? "Life's too short to live without coffee!" It was a good experiment, but I'll stick to "un cafe, por favor!"

Eating Vegetarian
The recommended diet during our yoga teacher training is Ovo-Lacto-Vegetarian with a little protein from time to time but preferably no red meat. Eating vegetarian isn't difficult here when there is an abundance of vegetables and fruits in Costa Rica. The only exception I make to this is the most delicious ceviche with yuca fries at The Harmony Hotel on the weekends.

Will I stay a vegetarian / pescatarian? No thanks!

I believe in eating a balanced, healthy meal with all of the natural foods that the earth has provided for us while being conscientious about the source of our foods by supporting your local, organic farmers. You know your food is raised in a humane way, when everyday I see chickens cross the road and I think to myself: "Why did the chicken cross the road?" because everyday the chickens here roam freely everywhere. No cage, no farm, the way nature was intended to be.

Surfing a short board
I learned to surf about a year ago. Since then, I haven't touched another surf board. Life is busy here, so I haven't surfed everyday like I had planned to. One day, I borrowed a board that is way too short for me and jumped in the white water. Surprisingly, I got on the short board on the second try. Wow, what a thrill! I'll stop there and not mention that it took at least ten more tries until I got on the short board again. Pura vida!

Teaching My First Yoga Class
I taught my first yoga class at the Treetop Studio which was where I took my first yoga class when I visited Nosara. It felt like a full circle, a home coming! Instead of relaxing on the weekend, I "spotified" for the perfect yoga playlist, practiced the flow sequence over and over again until I got the timing down, and spent way more time and energy stressing over it than I needed to.

As soon as I stepped onto the mat at the front of the studio, everything just happens as it happens. Not perfect as I have practiced it in my mind, but rather it was better than I imagined it. Based on the class feedback, I think I found my yoga voice!

Witnessing Transformations, Levitations, and Miracles
Throughout the month, I watched the class "form, norm, storm, perform, and transform." During one of the last days, Don led us through an energy flow exercise and I levitated! If you had asked me a month ago whether I believe in levitation, it was a resounding "No". As my partner, Judy, performed the energy flow on me, I felt heat and hot air pushing my arms up towards the sky. I had my eyes closed, so I thought this could be just my imagination. As the exercise was ending, I felt the heat and the hot air dissipating from underneath me. I had to see it for myself to believe it, so I sneaked a peek to see whether my arms have moved at all on their own, and sure enough, it had defied gravity!

Excerpt from "Self-Awakening Yoga" by Don Stapleton

Nosara: Where, What, When, Why

WHERE: Nosara, Costa Rica

WHAT: Nosara Yoga Institute (NYI) Yoga Teacher Training (YTT)

WHEN: January - April 2016

WHY: Because...

WHERE: Nosara, Costa Rica

Nosara lies on the Pacific Coast in the middle of Central America. Located between Montezuma and Tamarindo, Nosara is a little town bustling with ex-pats. The town itself is actually a few kilometers inland from the beach. Depending on who you ask, you'll get different answers on whether the playas (n. beaches) (i.e. Playa Guiones, Playa Pelada, Playa Garza) are called Nosara as well or they are their own pueblos (n. villages, towns). There is this saying: "Nosara will welcome you when you're ready for her, and she will spit you out if you're not ready for her." Just watch some people lose their minds when the water or electricity comes and goes, and you'll believe the saying too.

WHAT: Nosara Yoga Institute (NYI) Yoga Teacher Training (YTT)

Nosara is renowned as a yoga haven, in which Don and Amba at the NYI had very much a hand in bringing this reputation to the region over the past 20 years. The institute sits on a lush, $4.5-million jungle estate (by the way, it is currently up for sale, so better get on it if you want to get your hands on this gorgeous land)!

WHEN: January - April 2016

I'm doing the 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training, comprised of 200 hours of fundamental training and 300 hours of advanced training, over the period of three months from January to April. For the first 200 hours, I am with 50 other students who share many common desires from deepening our own practice to discovering who we are as a teacher in yoga and in life. This self discovery process is what makes NYI inviting because the training doesn't focus on one particular style of yoga, but rather invites us to search inward and discover our own teacher within us.

WHY: Because...

Last year, I read Don's book "Self-Awakening Yoga: The Expansion of Consciousness through the Body's Own Wisdom". In it, he asks the question: "Have you ever made a decision in your life based on your heart?" This triggered something in me that became something much greater in the big picture. Honestly, the day I signed up for the NYI YTT, for the first time in my life, I feel like I am following my heart!

Following our hearts is sure a lot of hard work! We study yoga 50 hours a week for four weeks, thus adding up to the 200-hour fundamental training. Our schedule starts at 6am and finishes at 8:30pm everyday including weekends. In addition, as part of following my heart, I wanted to learn Spanish while in Costa Rica, so I rush to and from Spanish class at the Nosara Spanish Institute twice a week. During the breaks in between sessions, there are just enough time to cook, eat (mindfully), wash up, and afternoon siestas (n. short sleeps). We get Saturday evenings off, and that's the only day of the week when we can catch the sunset. I love the fact that all the families and friends gather at the beach and watch sunsets everyday religiously.

Go out and follow your heart, amigos (n. friends)! Pura vida!