a month in Costa Rica

I had the privilege of assisting the Luminous Heart Institute 200 hr yoga teacher training in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica this September. It was my second time in Costa Rica, and I made it a point to visit other areas in the country in addition to the beautiful beach town where the ocean meets the jungle.

I started in Montezuma, a beach town not too far away from Santa Teresa. I had a bungalow at Casacolores to myself for a few nights and procured plenty of fresh fruits and basic foods (red beans, tortilla chips...) for myself in a cozy space that I shared with at least 3 different types of ants. There were also monkeys, spiders, capybaras, and iguanas wandering the space, which were always such a delight to encounter. I visited a few soda tipicas by the beach, which all served the freshest fruit smoothies with delicious seafood options such as garlic grilled fish and seafood soup.

During the teacher training at Pranamar, I was absolutely spoiled by the catering provided by Kavita. I don't know how I got so lucky to be blessed with the best daily juices and smoothies, the most abundant breakfast spreads, and delicious creamy vegan soups and local catches. Even though I've been back home for a few weeks now, I can't help but reminisce about the breakfast that was so generously provided every morning. The fresh fruit salad, coconut chia pudding, pitaya banana pancakes, the perfectly spreadable slightly melt butter, gallo pinto, and of course the coffee. It was all absolutely divine, I'm smiling thinking about it now. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

After the training, I drove from San Jose up to the volcanos to rejuvenate at the hot springs. Casados were a staple for me as I road tripped around. Rice, beans, plantains, salad, tortilla, and grilled protein of choice. The ingredients are repetitive, but I must admit I appreciated the simplicity and predictability of the food preparation and menus. Anything with rice is comforting to me.

I really love how immersed in nature the Costa Rican lifestyle is. It makes the Pura Vida that is repeated and shared by the locals ring true. Living with nature was a constant reminder of how much I already have and made me constantly aware of unnecessary excess. I am so grateful to have experienced the richness of Costa Rica!