Yesterday’s blog post gave me introspection overload. In an effort to prevent reader’s cramp (is that even a thing?) this post will contain a story of high adventure and pictures of gorgeous waterfalls. But first, here is the transcript from this morning’s 20 minute guided meditation:
Relax. There is no pressure to get it right because there is no such thing as getting it wrong. The process of living is its own reward. There is no prize for being richer, smarter, more successful or more holy than anyone else. The act of pursuing a spiritual path is simply to ease the way in this lifetime. When you die, all becomes clear and all are holy.
The same is true in this life too, but the illusion of separation prevents you from seeing it. You and all those around you are simply playing roles you chose to play before you arrived in this time / space reality. But those roles, and the decision to play them, is anything but frivolous. In fact, they are responsible for the expansion of all that is because those roles actively create the energetic tension that fills the space between.
There is no such thing as getting it right or getting it wrong. There is only the work of creating the space between by activating your desires and accepting the space between the inception of your desire and its fruition.
There is no “you” you are supposed to be, no ideal you are failing to live up to. You are everything you ever intended to be. You already are. Events are unfolding exactly as they are meant to unfold in your perfect timing.
When you doubt these words, look to the birds, the trees, the flowers, the grass, the dogs and all other sentinent creatures on this planet. They all relax into life’s rhythm, living out their time on this earth exactly and precisely as they intended.
Only man holds himself apart by creating the illusion of separation. This illusion was necessary to create the space between. But awareness of the illusion will set you free from it temporarily. And the temporary return to one-ness will relieve your angst and aid in mitigating human suffering.
There will come a time, and that time is near at hand, when human consciousness will no longer require the illusion of separation and the space between will disappear. Already there are those who have seen beyond the void, which is possible through plant medicines, deep meditation, after life experiences and other forms of spiritual awakening.
We left late Tuesday afternoon and spent six hours driving from Tamarindo to the region knows as Bajos del Toro. Our old beat-up
truck was a private rental. What it lacked in USB ports, heat, air conditioning, a radio, comfortable seats, and horsepower, it made up for in character.
Our driver was my daughter’s Israeli boyfriend, Liad. Callie kept Liad alert on the narrow, winding, potholed roads by learning useless Hebrew phrases like, “My grandma eats peas with a small spoon.” and “I eat honey with the big spoon.”
Callie and Liad had previously visited these two secret waterfalls near Bajos del Toro for a photo shoot for Callie’s swimsuit company, Conscious Creations Swimwear. We were returning with two drones and a professional camera to capture images of Callie modeling the company’s newest additions to the swimwear line.
Callie and Liad had provided fair warning. “This is a super challenging hike through the jungle,” Liad said. “It’s like the Costa Rican equivalent to Asungate.” I was a little surprised Liad would reference a 17,000 foot Peruvian trek we’d done together in June last year as a comparison to a day hike in Costa Rica. Really. How hard could it be? How hard, indeed.
First of all, we really should have had ropes. And a first aid kit. And a snake bite kit. And a machete. And much warmer clothing. And someone who was certified as a wilderness first responder. (This trek convinced me to sign up for a WFR course in Duluth next June!)
The trek to the first waterfall didn’t have a trail. For the most part, the easiest path was up the side of the river. But vertical walls along the canyon often forced us up into the jungle to navigate steep muddy slopes choked with spiny plants, ensnaring vines and any number of things that slither and skittle.
Our reward? A mystical waterfall plummeting hundreds of feet into the cave where we swam. The power of the waterfall reverberated through the cave, infusing the air with a magical mist. Viewing the dense, lush green jungle walls in the sunlight streaming through the mist was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.
We clambered back down the riverbed to a confluence where another river descended through an adjacent ravine. Traveling up this river was far easier than the first one as this route was more heavily trafficked. I was relieved to be on a real honest-to-goodness, albeit extremely muddy, trail.
Three tall waterfalls cascaded into a roiling river, bordered by high moss and fern-laden cliff walls. The affect was awe-inspiring.
We finished our day with an epic evening in a nearby hot spring fed by water from one of the three volcanos near the falls. Soaking in the warm, mineral-rich waters, the kids and I watched the stars come out one by one in the clear Costa Rican night sky.
Surrounded by nature in all its beauty, we reveled in the sensation of being blessed and connected.
Escape Bound will be offering expeditionary retreats where participants can experience the indigenous ceremonial use of plant-based medicines, including huachuma and ayahuasca. Use our contact form to be notified as upcoming retreat dates become available.
