”You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”
Henry David Thoreau
If you moved to Costa Rica for a healthier lifestyle the sciences of psychology, biology and spirituality are now supporting an outdoor lifestyle. Prepare to leave the old world behind, and really connect with nature. There is a growing body of research showing that mindful awareness in nature increases feelings of awe and wonder, which diminishes self-consciousness, reduces rumination and relaxes the body physiologically.
Mindfulness is defined as paying attention on purpose, in the present moment and, non-judgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment to moment. In theory, mindfulness meditation can foster an increased sense of spirituality by ‘disengaging from a narrow self-focus, and engaging in a much broader view of interconnectedness in which oneself is not seen as separate from everyday activities, other people, or the world1.
Even though perfectly accurate, this definition unfortunately doesn’t fully illuminate how mindfulness can be linked to spirituality. Personal growth such as what mindfulness practitioners engage in are what lead to a balanced life and the practice is the gateway to spirituality. Spending time in nature is good for your physical and mental health. Paying closer attention to your experience and feelings through eco-mindfulness makes you feel more connected and alive.
Shamanistic religious systems are those in which a central personage is believed to have direct intercourse with the transcendent world, God/Spirit, as the force in Nature.
The word religion, as its etymology implies (Latin ‘re-ligio’ = ‘reconnection’). In Costa Rica, we have the opportunity to really connect to Nature and be inspired by the beauty and magic of life before us at every moment.
The Transcendentalist Movement in the late 1830s onward, including writers Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, in North America and Sophia Peabody, Mary Mann, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and José Martí in South America opened up to spending time in and observing nature to fully connect with self and the spiritual. Their writings explore natural simplicity, harmony, and beauty as models for just social and cultural conditions.
By remembering that we are a mirror of our environment, of the natural world that surrounds us, we can start by reminding ourselves of our faith in nature. We can focus on believing the truths of nature: that the sun will rise again tomorrow, that the seasons will continue, and that the universe will consistently rebalance itself. So embrace the beauty that surrounds you, pay attention to its obvious and subtle changes, slow down to follow its rhythm and allow yourself to focus your awareness to come to harmony with nature and self.
