truenature, Author at True Travel

True Nature Travels Blog

Want to Lead a Yoga Retreat? The One Thing You Must Do

“That could be me….”

We think we can speak for just about everyone who has ever signed up for a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Course when we say that everyone, at one point or another(or hundreds of times!) has looked longingly at the image of a beautiful yogi practicing along the beach at a beautiful, tropical location. We have all dreamed of one day, just maybe with enough intention and support, that could be us, leading a yoga retreat while overlooking fiery sunsets and the cascading waves of the Pacific Ocean.

“That could be me….” zip lining through the jungle, sipping the refreshing juice right out of a coconut, hiking to a magnificent waterfall, creating space and community for profound transformation for our students, and of course, ourselves.

When teachers come to us with their own unique dream of teaching a yoga retreat in Costa Rica they want to know how they can make it happen. What are the right things to do, to say. How many students do they need? How will they get from place to place? How much will it cost? When is the best time of year to go? Got a question about teaching a yoga retreat in Costa Rica? We have the answer. And, after years and years of leading successful retreats, we have narrowed down the one thing that is absolutely essential to do if your dream is to lead a yoga retreat in this beautiful, tropical paradise.

ENVISION YOUR RETREAT!

Yep! Start smelling the flowers, in your mind, right now! Feel the waterfall beating down on your back giving you the best natural massage you have ever had. Hear the howler monkeys giving you and your students a 5am wake up call.

See the smiling, relaxed and restored faces of your students as you hold a loving space for them to unwind from their plugged in lives at home. Taste the succulent mango, the ripe papaya. Feel yourself in meditation at sunset, in deep gratitude for your journey that has led you to right here, right now.

We take great care to customize each program. We will work with you to help you manifest your unique vision, offer our experienced guidance, support and wisdom along the way. Make time everyday to actually see yourself at your retreat and engage all five senses in your visualization.

Not a bad way to begin manifesting your dream!

Be a part of our 2015 True Nature Teaching Team! We are looking for amazing yoga teachers to connect and collaborate with that are passionate about providing transformational experiences for their students. Read more about teaching with us here.

True Nature Travels Blog

Merging Missions: Service “Karma” Classes at Shakti Power Yoga Nashville

We’re only a few months away from the Shakti Yoga Costa Rica Experience, led by Shakti Power Yoga owners – and sisters! – Lauren Farina and Kelly Farina-Carter. This all-encompassing yoga retreat will include yoga practices, meditation practices, hiking, an opportunity to surf the waves, and the joy of service.

Service yoga – aka “karma yoga” – is a shared value for both True Nature Education as well as Shakti Power Yoga. With a mission to empower students both on and off the mat, the Shakti community also offers weekly donation-based Karma classes to benefit the Nashville-based non-profit, Small World Yoga.

Small World Yoga, created by one of the Shakti teachers, Liz Veyhl, brings yoga to other local organizations that need it throughout Nashville. All proceeds from the weekly Karma classes go directly to Small World Yoga.

The Shakti Power Yoga crew takes their commitment to service a step further by highlighting one organization per month that Small World Yoga works with. During the month of April, the organization highlighted is Hope Lodge, offering housing and care for those going through cancer treatments.

Since 2004, The American Cancer Society’s Memorial Foundation Hope Lodge has offered a solution to cancer patients who must undergo treatment far from home. The Hope Lodge provides housing free of charge on a first-come, first served basis to cancer patients and their families during their course of treatment. The lodge not only reduces the financial burden, but also provides a much needed supportive environment.

Small World Yoga, supported by Shakti Power Yoga, has become part of this supportive environment by offering yoga for those undergoing this process.

Along with SWY, Shakti is organizing two evenings at the end of this month to volunteer their time to help serve meals at Hope Lodge. Each week we hope to gain more support of Small World Yoga, and each month we will highlight a new local organization all with the hopes of supporting our friends, teachers and community through the power of yoga.

There’s still time to sign up!

July 21-28, 2014
Shakti Power Yoga Costa Rica Retreat
with Lauren Farina and Kelly Farina Carter

True Nature Travels Blog

Mind|Body|Fitness Yoga Retreat – Ready. Set. TRANSFORM!

“The journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place.”

~ Barbara Deangelis

IMG_20140317_124917 — **photos courtesy of mind | body | fitness**

Andrea Dyer and her band of merry yogis dove right into their Annual Costa Rica Experience yoga retreat! From crossing items off bucket lists to sunrise yoga and full moons, the first few days of their journey together warmed up to become their home for the week quite nicely.

Andrea’s passion for adventure has led her to guide her second retreat in Costa Rica with us. Andrea shares her experience leading a retreat with our experienced staff in this video here.

Andrea packed a week of daily yoga, meditation, stand up paddle boards, waterfall hikes, visits to the hot springs and plenty of personal time for her students to enjoy. It’s in that individual space, whether you are taking in the sunset or listening to the symphony of sounds in the jungle that true transformation really takes place.

And, of course it is in clinking coconuts and building community that

True Nature Travels Blog

Mindful Travel: The Journey of Awakening

For many of us, international travel has become a homogenized, sterile experience and, for the host country, a consumptive, offensive one. We need a new model for travel — a model that allows for discovery and mutual interaction with others at a heartful level. This new model of travel could be called, “Mindful Travel.”

Mindful travel is about being alive in the moment — being wide-awake — being present to what life puts in our path. It does not involve elaborate itineraries, lists of tourist sites, high-rise hotels or pre-fabricated tours. When we become a mindful traveler, we invite events and experiences to appear at their own time and in their own way. We enjoy making plans but we are always open to new opportunities. We allow for surprises and new friends.

When we are mindful, we are aware of choices and opportunities as they present themselves. We open up to new experiences and to doing old things in new ways.

This is the essence of mindful travel — observation and participation. Mindful travel is spontaneous. Because the journey is one of unfolding moment by moment, we remain fully present and come to see more clearly. This can lead to an acute observation of both ourselves and others. We see with new eyes and learn to appreciate both others and ourselves in a fresh way. We experience each new world as if for the first time.

Mindful travelers thrive on what is happening in the moment and choose actions within that context. Synchronicity occurs, and we encounter the right person and new experiences we might never have had. Mindful travel encourages us to question assumptions that can be obstacles to mindful travel. Some more common assumptions are.

Are we alive to where we are, and not talking about some other place or somebody else?

How are we affecting the people around us and the environment?

How can we use travel to positively impact the world?

(adapted from www.peacefulworldtravel.org)

Are you ready to begin a new journey? Book your next trip with True Nature Education – find out how right here.

True Nature Travels Blog

Luna’s Kitchen: Super Easy Dahl

True Nature Education co-founder “Luna” Kristin Ray balances her days between being a full-time mom, wife, musician and whipping up yummy and amazing recipes in her kitchen to keep her family healthy, clean and green. Her super easy (and very yummy) dahl recipe is one you might find yourself choosing to make a staple in your own kitchen, making some at the start of every week to keep and have for lunch each day.

Luna’s Super Easy Dahl with Coconut Rice

1.5 cups of pink lentils
5 cups water
3/4 tsp of turmeric
5 tbsp olive oil
5-6 cloves of garlic
1.5 tsp salt

Put turmeric, dahl and water in pot, and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn heat off and with a fork or mixing spoon beat the lentils so they break up and get soupy.

Cut the garlic cloves lengthwise but thin, and then flash fry the garlic in the olive oil in a separate pan. (high heat, and the garlic cooks for about 1-2 minutes and turns brown) Add the garlic and oil to the lentils, and add salt. SO YUMMY~

BASAMATI RICE
1cup of rice
1.5 cups of water
1tbsp cumin seeds
1.5 tbsp of coconut oil
1/3 cup of shredded coconut
salt to taste

Combine rice, water, cumin and coco oil, and cook until rice is done.

Add coconut and salt to taste.

Enjoy with your dahl!

Love,

Luna

p.s. Here is a FREE download from Luna’s new CD, One Shared Heart. Enjoy this mindful music for the heart while you make this food for the soul!

True Nature Travels Blog

Making Every Moment Count

It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle of life, the speed of the Facebook feed, the limited hours in the day and the dreams and opportunities that we sometimes feel are passing us by. The amount of energy that we spend “thinking about being caught up” is staggering when you actually take a moment to reflect on it.

How much time have you spent lately worrying about something or replaying a negative story in your head?

A lot, huh? What if you took all of those moment you spent worrying and put that energy towards cultivating more presence and awareness in your life? Or better yet, building on a dream, imagining, spending time with loved ones, letting someone know how grateful you are for them. Yes, life CAN feel and be overwhelming sometimes, but it’s truly in those moments that we have the opportunity to step back into presence.

Wait, what? When we feel disconnected from living fully – THAT is when we need to step back into it? YES! When we notice ourselves getting wound up in a story or pattern, that is the perfect moment to notice and bring yourself back to your center. To remember your true nature is one of love, pure being and you are whole and perfect in this moment.

This powerful practice can change your life because no matter where we are on the path, there will always be countless moments throughout your day when you have the opportunity to notice yourself disconnected from presence. Moment by moment you begin to recognize that each one counts.

It’s a gradual process, one that takes practice, patience and the willingness to keep coming back, day by day; moment by moment.

Here are some thoughts to support you in calling this practice into your life.

Befriend your habits (the good, the bad and the ugly)

Recognizing that your habits, patterns and beliefs are all truly a part of the wonderfully already perfect you is an important first step. We will always have obstacles (inner and outer) in our lives so approaching them like a “friend in need” with compassion, empathy and forgiveness is a good approach. Hey, everybody worries sometimes.

Let your “bad” habit jumpstart a positive one

Read more

True Nature Travels Blog

Six Ways to Make Your Yoga Retreat Unforgettable

Leading your own yoga retreat is a dream just about every yoga teacher has had at one time or another in their “yoga career.” If you live in the virtual world of yoga, its difficult not to find dozens of images crossing your computer screen each day of breathtaking beaches and stunning landscapes dotted with peaceful yogis mastering an amazing pose or resting blissfully in savasana. If you have ever thought to yourself, “That could be me teaching that class…” read on. Here are six ways to create an unforgettable yoga retreat experience for your students.

1. Set clear intentions and goals

As much as you want to offer an unforgettable experience for your students, you are also about to embark on a life changing journey leading a yoga retreat in a foreign country. Create clear intentions, goals, timelines for your self right at the start and this will help to ensure you are on track. Intentions and goals can include how many students you need/would like to sign up for your retreat, cultivating the focus for what you want to teach during the retreat, what kind of outside activities you would like to offer your group, etc. From manifesting the over arching “vibe”of your retreat from the day you say go, to knowing all of the details inside and out, this will help to grow confidence and faith in yourself as you set out in the unknown and the more confidence and faith you have in yourself, the more your students will have in you as their guide.

2. Make sure the logistics of the trip are effortless and easy

There is nothing worse than traveling to a different country with a different language, customs, etc. and not have the logistics of your trip organized with every i dotted and t crossed. Planning for scenarios A, B & C is often necessary, as there are times events don’t always unfold as planned. Make sure you have the support you need up front. Organizing your trip with an experienced travel company is important as they have the know-how to predict what could shift during your retreat and how best to put plans in place to keep space you are creating as contained as possible.

3. Add an element of service to your trip

We have led, supported and helped to organize hundreds of retreats over the last ten years. No matter how much energy and effort a teacher puts into creating an amazing experience for their students, when they incorporate the element of service into the retreat, the students always go away with that time being one of the main highlights of their journey. Creating a space for your students and yourself to be able to “give back” to the land and people is always a win/win. Do it.

4. Make sure to schedule plenty of “downtime” for your students and yourself!

When we say “downtime” we don’t mean mediations led by you. We mean “nothing on the schedule” downtime where everyone has an opportunity to soak in the experience they are having. And, almost always, you as the teacher will have some logistics to handle, so this ensures that you can take care of business and have plenty of time to swing in a hammock as well.

5. Immerse yourself in the community aspect of the retreat

Strong bonds and friendships will be formed on your retreat. Your students are having a “once in a lifetime” experience. Even in a weeks time, you will find that there is a unique community amongst your group. Making sure you are not tied up with too much logistics or too packed a schedule (see #4) will help to make sure that when you are not teaching or leading the group, you can just enjoy the experience with them as well. Teachers sometime feel like they need to remove themselves from their students if they are not leading a class. Immersing yourself in the sweet moments of the trip that happen “off the mat” will foster deepened teacher/student relationships as well as allow your students to see you being relaxed and, well, just you as you are (without your teacher hat on).

6. On the eve of your adventure, be ready to let go and go with the flow

You have planned everything perfectly, your timeline looks great, you have plenty of downtime scheduled, playlists are made, your surfing lessons are scheduled and tomorrow you board the plane to lead your first yoga retreat. (GO YOU!). Take a deep breath and be willing to let it all go. All of this experience is part of your own path as a lifelong student. It is inevitable that, as with life, there will be things that do not go exactly to plan. Be ready to go with the flow, be open minded and just have fun!

Teach for us! We are currently booking for our 2015 Retreat Season and would love to help you make your dream come true of leading a yoga retreat in beautiful Costa Rica! Check out how it works HERE.

True Nature Travels Blog

Peace in Myself, Peace in the World – A Meditation on Mindfulness

Finding presence in every moment is a lifelong journey. It is one that we hope to foster and encourage in all of our actions but in that fostering, we must also be prepared to notice with compassion the the moments where we are distracted or the times when we struggle against obstacles or uncomfortable feelings and emotions.

When we step onto the path that only leads back to ourselves, we can often find ourselves wanting to arrive at our destination, when it is our journey that is full of the jewels that can enrich our lives. The path to enlightenment is truly a path back to our own hearts and sometimes that path can feel more like a slow dripping faucet (drip…. drip….. drip…..) rather than a continuous rushing waterfall of love and bliss all the time.

“It is true that we are called to create a better world. But we are first of all called to a more immediate and exalted task: that of creating our own lives.”
– Thomas Merton

There are so many paths, methods, teachings and teachers out there offering guidance and wisdom. After years of practicing living a mindful life, daily, one comes to understand that there are a few very simple truths that are told in hundreds if not thousands of different ways. And one of those truths is – If I have peace in myself then I will cultivate peace in my world. And by proxy, if you are creating a more peaceful world for yourself, you are contributing to a more peaceful world for everyone for your energy and intentions ripple outwards with far reaching effects beyond your control.

The beauty of committing to live a more mindful life is that there is no better time to begin then right now. We can begin right now with the breath and a short mantra.

Five Minute Mindfulness Meditation

(set a timer on your phone or clock)

– Find a comfortable seat on the floor or in a chair. Close your eyes or softly rest your gaze on an object such as a flower or candle. Be sure you are sitting with your spine long and tall. Feel settled into your sitting bones and an effortless life in the crown of your head towards the sky.

– Take 3-5 nice deep breaths in and out of the nose just allowing your body to relax. Notice how you are feeling. You might ask yourself – How am I feeling today? How does my body feel? How does my mind feel? Just notice the answers that come up, don’t judge them. Anything that you are feeling is ok.

– Begin noticing the breath even more deeply. Try to let your inhales and your exhales be the same length as one another. Perhaps a count of 4. Inhale for 4, exhale for 4, inhale for 4, exhale for 4.

– Once you have established your breath, bring a the words –

Breathing in I feel peace in myself,

Breathing out I share peace with the world.

Breathing in I feel peace in myself,

Breathing out I share peace with the world.

Breathing in I feel peace in myself,

Breathing out I share peace with the world.

– Repeat this mantra and allow yourself to feel the peace you are breathing in and allow yourself to feel you are sharing that peace with the whole world as you are breathing out. If thoughts arise in your mind such the list of things to do later today or what you have planned for this weekend – just allow them to rise and fall with the breath and gently bring your attention back to the mantra. It is completely normal and expected that thoughts will come up.

– When your timer goes off, try not to jump up immediately. Allow the mantra to fade into your mind and let it go. Take a few more deep breaths and again, just notice how you are feeling. You may want to ask yourself the same questions as you asked at the beginning of the meditation – How am I feeling today? How does my body feel? How does my mind feel? Just notice the answers that come up, don’t judge them. Anything that you are feeling is ok. Notice if you feel differently now than you did when you began.

– Slowly open your eyes and see a more peaceful world around you and give thanks for the peaceful space you are cultivating within you.

True Nature Education is a True Nature is an Educational Travel Company which provides full service in the planning, support, and guiding of a diverse catalog of trips to Costa Rica each year with a focus on offering unique and transformational experiences for both our teachers leading retreats and the students taking them. Check out our 2014 Calendar of retreats.

True Nature Travels Blog

On Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica with MBFYoga: Go to the Edge

On yoga retreat in Costa Rica Andrea Dyer of mind|body|fitness|yoga is blogging “from the road.” The group moves from Santa Teresa on the beach at Hotel Tropico Latino, to the rainforest surrounding Finca Luna Nueva Lodge today:

Blue skies, sunshine and palm trees – Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, has invited us out to play. Everyone is here for different reasons – some came with a list of challenging things to cross off bucket lists; some came to have a soothing, relaxing vacation; come came to rekindle their love of the sea, surfing and Costa Rica.

Some came to deepen their yoga practice and some came to get a start for their yoga practices. With yoga and meditation in the early mornings and the late afternoons, our days were filled with expansion into Santa Teresa offerings.

We started the first day with Yoga on the Beach and Surfing. By afternoon, we were on to spa treatments, horseback riding and Stand Up Paddle boarding. So much filling our days, but here are some highlights: Fulfilled bucket list items for Leslie (celebrating her birthday this week) – Yoga on the beach and surfing. Surfing was a huge hit for the surfers amongst us. Great guidance from champion surfers.

Spa treatments with the sound of waves crashing on the beach – so soothing and helpful for getting the kinks out. Stand Up Paddle Boarding with the Costa Rica SUP Champion, Edith Garcia – the water was rough, but

True Nature Travels Blog

The Sound of Silence

In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in an clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.

~Mahatma Gandhi

True Nature Retreat Leader, Jessica Caplan is taking her students on a retreat for the soul this week with her journey into Space, Sound and Silence. The setting for an intimate retreat like this could not be more perfect than at La Cusinga Eco-Lodge and Retreat Center in Uvita, Costa Rica. Tucked away in a private reserve of over 600 acres, this rainforest lodge provides guests with sweeping ocean views, sandy beaches, natural pools, and the chance to experience the burgeoning forests and astonishing wildlife of the country’s most famous ecosystem.

Jessica’s passion for music and meditation will infuse each day with a harmonious balance of inner stillness and how to dance to the beat of our own unique drum. We look forward to sharing more of her dreamy images with you as she and her students continue their journey together.

If you are a yoga teacher and interested in talking with one of our True Nature Guides about hosting your own retreat read up on what is entailed and get in touch with us!

Coming up in our 2014 Season! There is still time to sign up!

June 7-14, 2014
Jungle Love! A Costa Rica Yoga Experience
with Missy Balsam

July 21-28, 2014
Shakti Power Yoga Costa Rica Retreat
with Lauren Farina and Kelly Farina Carter

View our entire calendar of retreats here.

Author: truenature

Want to Lead a Yoga Retreat? The One Thing You Must Do

“That could be me….”

ENVISION YOUR RETREAT!

Not a bad way to begin manifesting your dream!

Merging Missions: Service “Karma” Classes at Shakti Power Yoga Nashville

There’s still time to sign up!

Mind|Body|Fitness Yoga Retreat – Ready. Set. TRANSFORM!

“The journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place.”

~ Barbara Deangelis

Mindful Travel: The Journey of Awakening

Luna’s Kitchen: Super Easy Dahl

Making Every Moment Count

Here are some thoughts to support you in calling this practice into your life.

Six Ways to Make Your Yoga Retreat Unforgettable

1. Set clear intentions and goals

2. Make sure the logistics of the trip are effortless and easy

3. Add an element of service to your trip

4. Make sure to schedule plenty of “downtime” for your students and yourself!

5. Immerse yourself in the community aspect of the retreat

6. On the eve of your adventure, be ready to let go and go with the flow

Peace in Myself, Peace in the World – A Meditation on Mindfulness

Five Minute Mindfulness Meditation

On Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica with MBFYoga: Go to the Edge

The Sound of Silence

In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in an clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.

~Mahatma Gandhi

Coming up in our 2014 Season! There is still time to sign up!

Follow Along @truenatureeducation

Tag us on your global adventure #TrueTravels