An emotional, spiritual, and cockroach-filled day
I woke up at 7am and headed to the beach to run. My body felt good, so I ran 6 instead of my typical 4. The beach was crowded with walkers, runners, and surfers, all getting their outdoor activities in before it gets too hot and the work day begins.
I grabbed a juice at the Harmony Juice Bar and headed to my 9am osteopath appointment. Osteopathy "is a psuedoscientific system of alternative medicine that emphasizes physical manipulation of the body's muscle tissue and bones" (thank you, Wikipedia). One major tenet of osteopathy is that the body is an integrated unit of mind, body, spirit. As Sophie gently felt & massaged around my head, chest, feet, and back she said, "the body is a map of everything we have ever felt or experienced; the body never lies." As a frequent consumer of massages, it was one of the more physically meaningful therapies I have ever had. It was also a deeply emotional appointment, where Sophie identified personal experiences down to the year they happened and details of the experience. She said my body was ready to release certain things it's been holding, in some cases for 30 years. As we focused on releasing, a muscle in my arm started to aggressively twitch. My body was physically reacting to the release. I waited to travel to Nosara until I felt "ready" - sadly, nearly 3 months after I quit my job! At the time, I couldn't define "ready", but when I finally booked the trip, I felt a strong pull to get here. I think it all makes sense now.
After my appointment with Sophie, I went to Yoga Nidra at Harmony. This practice is described as a simple guided progression through regenerative brainwave states or "waking dreaming". The thatched roof, open outdoor studio is beautiful. I grabbed a meditation cushion, cylindric pillow, and two square pillows - one to support my head and one at my feet. Ceiling fans moved the warm air around the space, as colorful silk aerial yoga scarves swayed from the beams above. Birds chirping, leaves rustling, and the faintest sound of the ocean were our class soundtrack. Pennie, our instructor, invited us to listen to every word she said or let our minds wander into a subconscious state or even sleep! I assumed because I have a harder time meditating (even for 10 minutes), I would follow her guidance for the entire 60 minute class. But, within 20 minutes, I was in a "waking dreaming" state. A lot came up and I found the entire experience to be profoundly transformative, particularly following my osteopathy appointment.
I ate a late lunch and returned to my room to read in my hammock. At 5pm, I met Lauren to walk the beach while the sun set. A few Tico's (local Costa Ricans) were playing soccer on the sand. It took every fibre of my being not to run over and join, but Lauren doesn't play and I didn't want to leave her hanging. After sunset, we ran into Sarah and invited her to join us for an early dinner at Howler's Beach Lounge. It was fun to introduce two new friends!
Did you think the night was over after dinner? It wasn't. I got back to my room at 9pm and, after my daily Nosara real estate research, I finally turned the lights off at 10:30pm. Moments later, I felt something brush against my arm. I turned the lights on, and a cockroach scurried off the pillow. I left the lights on for the next hour and eventually "got him." Hoping that this was a one-time situation, I finally turned the lights off again at midnight. At about 12:30am, another cockroach sauntered across my head. I SPRUNG out of bed, dramatically ripped my shorts and t-shirt off, and cried (NYC Kiki: 1; Nosara Kiki: 0). I was exhausted from an emotionally taxing day and knew this was the beginning of a sleepless night. I relocated to the small couch in my room, turned all of the lights on, and started season 5 of Friends on my laptop. I stayed awake and vigilant until about 4am and finally dozed between 4-7am. I meet with the Harmony manager in a few minutes to discuss my options for the next 2 nights.
I apologize for leaving you with what I am sure is the feeling of bugs all over your skin, but that is all I got!
XO,
Kels
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