Journeying the Costa Rican Mountains

As I write this, I am watching the sun setting behind the mountains in the West. The nightly forest sounds are slowly increasing and the soft quiet rain surround us like a comfy greyish blanket where we sit on the deck. Mountains have always fascinated me and they carry strong medicine; the reminder of how small man is amongst other.

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After months of ceremonies, studies and practice I am now spending a few days close to Mother Earth in the mountains south of San José. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities life brings me; studying shamanic traditions with teachers from all over the world; having brothers and sisters across the globe who invite me to their home.

Last weekend we were in the jungle mountains East of San José in Guapíles, to cut bamboo and join a traditional Mexica pipe ceremony. Sunday afternoon, we drove from there, around the mountains and the capital to get to these hills in the South where we are now.

My friend’s house is beautifully built in cedar, overlooking a mountain garden, the river and the hills. What a blessing to be journeying in this world!

Staying Healthy On the Road III : Liverpool & Wales

Staying Healthy On the Road III

Before I left for the trip to UK I asked my Facebook crowd if they’d think that I would be able to follow my own Healthy On The Road advice, referring to the previous posts How To Stay Healthy and Balanced while Traveling, Practicing How to stay Healthy on the road I & II 

However, this time around I wasn’t flying across the Atlantic nor was I on the road for very long. Still, sticking to healthy choices and routines during shorter holidays, weekend trips and the like is just as challenging!

Let’s see how I did.

I washed my face with a tea bag! There are many reasons as to why our skin dries out, the most common being insufficient water intake. When traveling, the air in planes, airports, hotels etc. is very dehydrating and it is important to drink a lot of water. Another reason for dry skin is stress and anxiety and in How To Stay Healthy and Balanced while Traveling, I mention a few herbs to calm the body and mind. Chamomile is also one of the common herbs used all over the world for its relaxing and calming effects. So after having finished my relaxing chamomile tea in the air between Copenhagen and Manchester, I figured I’d use the rest of the tea bag to give my face some extra love! Since I usually feel the skin of my face and around my nails dry up on airplanes I carry a small bottle of oil in the carry-on, which I applied after the cooling tea. I felt not only better and more moist in the skin but more alert too!

Digest gluten with Mint Tea! Another of my favourite herbs that is easily found worldwide is mint (any kind). In the UK it seems standard to have at least one of the two in any place that serves coffee. Both mint and chamomile aid digestion, strengthen the stomach, and reduce gas and cramps in the belly. Therefore, I always bring with me one or the other, in case I have to make one of those exceptions regarding gluten or dairy so that after the meal I drink my tea to help the body getting rid of anything unwanted. That’s what I drink in this picture, just after having had a granola bar! After the tea I soaked up some sun before entering the museum underground....

Moving the booty! If not Yoga, at least walk around! Flying from Copenhagen to Manchester doesn't exactly involve long layovers. Still, I find it unnecessary to sit down and wait when I can stand or walk around and wait. We took several laps around the middle area of one terminal made up of sofas as we were waiting for gate information. Moving around helps maintain a good circulation throughout the day, reduces bloating and swollen feet and legs. The important thing is to stay on your feet (or head) so that the blood can flow freely. Personally when on an airplane, I feel like I’m putting on a strap around my waist that strains all the Prana, air and blood flow in my body. Not only is it the seat belt (which obviously is adjustable), but also the tiny legroom and seats, forcing me to hold a very unnatural position for a long time. Especially on shorter rides it’s not ideal to walk around the airplane. Hence, I do it before I board!

Give yourself a foot massage. Another great idea I got while waiting in the airport was to massage my feet! Seriously, you want to try this! Remove your shoes (just doing that makes wonder for the entire body!) and give your hardworking feet some gentle rubbing to get the blood moving. Especially press and pull the toes, press around the heels and draw your hands alongside the feet and around the wrists. Mm YUM, your feet will thank you! 

More tips and ideas? Post in the Comment below!

Stay tuned for the post about how we enjoyed Liverpool in many nurturing and healing ways!

Love and Light

Previous on Health and Travel:

How To Stay Healthy and Balanced while Traveling

Practicing How To stay Healthy on the road 

Practicing How To Stay Healthy on the road II

The Nomadic Yogi part II: How To become a Traveling Yogi

Bhakti Fest Oxelösund

Rolling out my mat in cramped spaces is no longer an annoyance (if it ever were) rather a part of life, a way of living. These last few months, I have been traveling all over Sweden with my mat on the back, rolling it out in every park I’ve been to and even using it as a sleeping mattress! My yogic and my traveling journeys are, since long, the same. One big, spinning, delightful, life-enhancing, joyous, colorful RIDE of worlds, asanas, music and dance. Both- merged together- take me further and farther- the light is constantly expanding: Travels within and without

And so it were, that this Summer Love Tour led me to Bhakti Fest in Oxelösund, Sweden, in the beginning of September. It was one of those early autumn weekends: the sparkling sun warmed our feet during the days and the crisp air gently tucked us in at night. We sang early morning sadhana followed by pooja’s magic to start the day, had delicious meals, and tried various workshops in yoga, dance and mindful kayak paddling. Food By Magie contributed in the kitchen and Yoga By Magie donated a powerful Yin and Drum session to start the festival Friday.

We shared music, tears, laughter and love. We created new bonds and tied new knots; we weaved the web bigger and wider. The web of Light, of Travels, of Joy and that of Companionship. Oneness. From there, new roads, paths, signs and worlds will show. Always. And that, my friends, is the simple answer to this post’s heading “How To Become a Traveling Yogi” :

The more you expand, the more will unfold before you….

Eka Pada Raja Kapotanasana - Pigeon Pose - in the park

Yoga Teacher Training Costa Rica

Guanacaste province is located in the northwest of Costa Rica. This province is the warmest in the country and between November and April there is hardly any rain (dry season), resulting in dry forests and a desert like climate.

During one of these hot months is when I decided it was a good time to do a Yoga Teacher Training. It happened to be located just outside of Tamarindo, which is basically as far as you can go from Puerto Viejo (southeastern corner of the country). And it was indeed hot, even I used air-condition! And, occasionally, I really missed the green jungle and all its sounds, movements, rain and humidity. I was surprised, however, that the howler monkeys woke us up around 5 am still, and they were close! Strolling around the surrounding areas showed me the many mango trees and it started to make sense why heaps of monkey families were hanging around in the desert.

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Sunset Playa Negra, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

We started late in the mornings (6:45), when the sun was already up, making the sun heat the shala to a boiling temperature by the end of practice (9:30).  Everyday we also practiced teaching, had philosophy class, anatomy class and Yin Yoga. In total, we did more or less five to six hours of physical practice everyday. I truly enjoy that kind of intensity every now and again. The regularity takes my practice to new levels and the wisdom from the physical asanas (postures) grows deeper inside me. For anyone wanting to experience profound transformation, I recommend trying longer retreats (no matter what level you’re at on your path). And of course, I recommend joining me and Yoga By Magie for any workshops, classes and retreats :)

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Reversed Prayer. Sunset Jaco Beach, Puntarenas province, Costa Rica

Every seventh day we had a day off. If you’re a yoga junkie, it’s hard not to do any practice at all, even though the body really needs some rest to process what it’s learning. I kept my morning meditations, in addition to going with some of the girls to Playa Negra to try Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga for the first time! We went to an empty beach where the ocean was quiet enough to not knock us of balance. Doing yoga outside can be challenging, but if you’re used to it and have a good drishti (focus) you will enjoy SUP yoga. My favorite part was lying in Savasana (on my back), hands touching the water, looking up to Father Sky and Grandmother Moon, noticing the shore with its trees in the distance while the sun was setting over the west coast of Costa Rica. Big hug to Naturalbeautyyoga who showed us this place!

I am grateful for having met such a beautiful group of strong, independent and open-minded women. Already a couple days in, I asked to experiment with them by guiding them through a drum meditation and ended up doing another one the week after. Thank you all for being so receptive and for everything you shared during these weeks!

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Me and two of the girls drove down to Jaco for a couple of nights to get a different scenery and some beach. While they headed back home to Canada, I went visiting another yogini in San Jose and together we bussed down to Puerto Viejo to watch the craziness of the last Easter days. That is to say, I am now back in the buzzing jungle doing yoga, writing on the porch, doing sweat lodges and work at the wellness center.

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Sabeena, Megan, Magie at Jaco Beach, Costa Rica

What did you do for Easter?

Pura Vida

Famous sunset Jaco Beach, Costa RIca. Foto: Magdalena Larsson