True Nature Travels Blog

In Case You Needed Some Convincing…

We know how that feels. That itch we get when we think of the open road, flying above the clouds, and stepping foot into territory we have never explored. Good ole’ wanderlust.

Travel is such an amazing opportunity to grow our minds, expand our views, and develop our sense of community.

Now, what if you traveled with purpose? A chance to expand skill sets for the real world, network with fellow student leaders, and form long lasting relationship.
You have probably considered and perhaps have even Traveled aboard for educational reasons. However, committing yourself to a full semester can be a little scary and not to mention a little pricey.

Consider a week long program with True Nature Education where you will reap the benefits and go on an adventure of a lifetime!

Top Universities, published a fantastic article of the top 25 reasons to travel abroad. So in case you needed a little convincing we thought we should share!

1. It’ll look good on your CV

If you can explore a new country at the same time as picking up the international skills to gain a decent graduate job, then that’s pretty good going.

2. Brush up on your language skills

Remember the foreign language skills you picked up in school? No, me neither. Refresh them by studying abroad; you might be surprised at how much you remember.

3. Meet a diverse range of people

Your exposure to many different types of people will not only help you to develop your people skills, but it will also give you a firmer knowledge of others, both friend and foe.

4. Make lifelong friends

You may not love every single person you meet, but chances are that you’ll meet at least one lifelong friend (if you’re good at keeping in touch, that is).

5. Discover new and exciting foods

Get more paella /poutine /pierogi /schnitzel /shawarma /chimichanga /katsudon /bobotie /baklava (delete as appropriate) in your life.

6. Study and learn differently

Often those studying abroad will experience a completely new way of teaching. This can be daunting, but it will also open your mind to new ways of learning.

7. Gain independence

It’s not easy being independent – to paraphrase Destiny’s Child – but it’s also a heck of a lot better than living with your parents as a 20-something.

8. Learn self-reliance

Moving abroad is the ultimate test in self-reliance. When (or if) you move back, you’ll likely rely on others less and you’ll take more responsibility for yourself.

9. You’ll gain a greater knowledge of different cultures

Cultural sensitivity isn’t just a quality which politicians may be accused of lacking; it’s also something you can develop while studying abroad!

10. See your own culture through a new lens

It’s easy to accept your own culture as absolute, but living in another country can help inform your point of view on your home culture, allowing you to develop your own views rather than simply accepting those defined by where happen to come from.

11. Learn more about yourself

Throwing yourself into a completely new environment will help you to figure out what you’re good at, as well as what you’re not so good at. These are things that can then be built on during your study abroad experience.

12. Become an adult

Speed up the transition from teenager to adult by leaping into the unknown. You’ll have to fend for yourself, buy your own meals and wash your own clothes, but it’ll all be worth it.

13. Gain life experience

One of the ultimate reasons to study abroad is to gain life experience. You’ll learn how to organize your life and condense it into one suitcase, handle unforeseen situations, be independent and self-sufficient.

14. Be spontaneous and adventurous

When you’re hundreds of thousands of miles away from home, spontaneity and adventurousness are your best friends. Open your mind up to new experiences and sights and the fun will come your way.

15. You learn to appreciate the smaller things more

Studying abroad usually means you have even fewer possessions than the average student, and being that much further from home can really make you miss those familiar comforts you’d taken for granted. Welcome to a new-found appreciation of everything from your parents’ cooking to having more than two pairs of shoes to choose from.

16. Gain a global mind-set

Whether it’s in work, study or play, you’ll be able to use your new global mind-set to back up arguments, inform your beliefs and steer your future.

17. It’s an unforgettable experience

Even if your friends back home get bored of hearing about it (warning: they will), your study abroad experience will stay with you long after it’s over.

18. You’ll appreciate your home and family more

Any memories of parental arguments or sibling rivalry will pale in comparison to your memories of how amazing they are. (Likewise, they’ll have time to forget about all your less attractive attributes too…) When you get back these relationships will look so much stronger!

19. Use your spare time to explore

In between lectures and lab sessions, studying abroad should leave you with plenty of time to explore. Whether you’re one for visiting iconic landmarks, trying new foods or bartering at local markets, there’s always bound to be a better way of spending your time than scrolling through Facebook!

20. Increase your international job prospects

While you can always go home at the end of your time as an international student, many choose to stay put and apply for a working visa. Even if you return home or decide to seek work elsewhere, the international experience provided by studying abroad is likely to be looked on favorably by employers.

21. Because “variety is the spice of life”

It might be something your dad says when opting for a different flavor of crisps at the supermarket, but it’s true; change, variety and new experiences are what make life worth living. Mix it up a bit: study abroad!

Whether you choose to do a week long excursion or a semester long immersement, go explore! Be sure to check out our upcoming trips if you want to have a taste of what going abroad can do for you!

True Nature Travels Blog

Life Lessons from Costa Rica

True Nature Education is so lucky to work along side with some truly special individuals. Our village leader, Lindsay, has a kind heart and open mind. Read about her trials and tribulations in Costa Rica, and how these challenges has transformed into learning experiences. Interested in an authentic Costa Rica service adventure? Be sure to sign-up for our December trip here!

Learning is fantastic!

It is fun when we can find a way to learn while we enjoy the moment, however for most of the people, not all the places are nice, not all the days are amazing.

As soon as I started writing this, my almost 4 years old who is right next to me, jumps on the bench while he memorizes the days of the week.

There are some people watching us, however I feel happy to see how much energy he has, how much he enjoys his time with me, at the hospital.

My last three months have been plenty of visits to the clinic, to the hospital, to the health care center, to the drugstore. When I am not in those places, I am spending hours right next to my mother’s bed, trying to help her as much I can, putting in practice all what I have been learning from the nurses and doctors.

A warrior is right here, resting on a bed. She has been my favorite teacher, the one that helped me to learn all what I know. The one that worked so hard in order to have her kids in the best schools, the one that created a program for helping the local school and church when we moved here, the one that always had a room for the needest people and food and cloth and shoes to give without expecting to get anything back.

She is our priority now. We need to learn more, she is a real model to me, to all of us.She deserves to live! And I hope she will be fine soon, very soon.

Maybe someone may think that my son should be sitting next to me. Maybe someone may think that I should ask him to wait in a complete silence. Maybe I should do both things, but I am not doing anything.
He is happy, I feel happy and she feels happy to know we are fine.

His happiness gives me a reason to feel peace. There is a story inside of me, that no one of the present people here know. They do not really know how much I have been crying, how much I have been suffering.
Now it is time for me to join his happiness!
It is time to enjoy.
I am learning. We do not have to judge the people.
No one knows what is behind a smile.

My three suggestions for today and forever are:
1. Enjoy the moments
2. Learn from the ones that helped to build your own story.
3. Believe, don’t judge and never, never complain.

True Nature Travels Blog

A Taste of Biodynamic Farming and Just One of the Opportunities of Travel Abroad!

When one travels, a new door is opened. A door that leads into a fresh world; full of growth, experience, and shiny new thoughts. With this expansion of our mind, different opportunities are born. We feel inspired and motivated. Why not expose ourselves to this type of transformation through travel?

True Nature Education is dedicated to bringing students an authentic and eye-opening travel experience. We partner with some amazing organizations so you can dive in head first into Costa Rica, local service, and non-stop adventure.

One component of the service adventure trips includes staying at a sustainable rainforest eco-lodge hotel, offering an intimate experience of primary rainforest together with a certified organic biodynamic farm. On this mystical eco-lodge is a man full of wisdom of the land, plants, and sustainable farming. As we deplete more and more of our resources, it is interesting and imperative we explore alternative farming methods, and Steven Farrell is database of knowledge.

As part of the trip, the students get to experience this first hand with a taste of what eco-tourism and biodynamic farming looks like.

Tico Times did a fantastic article about Steven Farrell and dives into what the lodge is all about……

“In 1994, a shaggy Gringo made his home at a remote little farm south of La Fortuna, in Costa Rica’s Central Highlands. He grew his living in the form of organic turmeric and ginger, and today that same hippie, Steven Farrell, oversees 207 acres of biodynamic farm at the same site, along with a spa, a rain forest yoga studio and an eco-lodge.

He welcomes guests to stay, rest and learn about the property, though it remains a working ginger and turmeric farm that accommodates more pigs, goats and water buffalo than people. I recently traveled to this far-flung green gem and received a lesson in what it means to be a biodynamic operation.

Basically, the farm takes a holistic approach to organic agriculture that incorporates the use of farm animals for fertilization and labor, as well as astronomical planting and harvesting. Biodynamic agriculture was pioneered in 1924 by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, and its sometimes bizarre practices are followed worldwide – particularly in northern California.

Farrell describes the biodynamic process as the homeopathic use of organics, cosmic energy, minerals and herbs to create a form of spiritual agriculture.

Farrell is a self-taught encyclopedia about the natural world surrounding his farm, and he can rattle off plant names in English, Spanish and Latin. When speaking of the flora’s medicinal qualities, Farrell beams behind his great white beard and excitedly tells you all he knows.

“You can come to this nice place to eat healthy, be well and have a comfortable vacation from the world,” he said. “But here you can also learn from nature how to live in a more sustainable way. We grow and eat food that is really food, not an imitation. Hopefully aspects of how we live here can be extended into your lifestyle, wherever you live.”

Farrell and those who live at Finca Luna Nueva, including several interns, serve as sustainability guides with their educational nature walks, lovingly prepared food and simple kindness. Intern Cathryn Henning works the fields in the mornings in tall boots as a protection from snakes, and devises new ways to keep the turmeric and ginger plants healthy. In the afternoon she’s in the café, whisking up papaya-turmeric-vanilla-ginger smoothies and chocolates for guests.

“The farm is unique for its intention,” she said, which is to “re-associate” with nature by escaping worldly distractions and living more simply.

On the Sacred Seed Garden Tour, guests can smell and taste the sources of spices like cinnamon, bitters, and allspice. Farrell encouraged me to eat various leaves and bright fruits, which was an especially thrilling departure from the adult voice in my head warning me not to put strange things in my mouth.

On the jungle tours, the staff shares some of the most interesting tidbits about the local trees. For example, I learned about how matapalo trees use their killer vines to climb up other species and slowly strangle them. I also found out that the sap of certain trees makes excellent bug repellent (warning: when rubbed on the skin to deflect mosquitoes, the sap dries in annoying white streaks).

Around the property, ripe jackfruit, bananas and star fruit beckon to be picked from the trees. In the café, freshly made sarsaparilla soda and green tea kombucha are favorites, as are the whole wheat bread at breakfast, the yuca cakes filled with tree spinach at lunch and the coconut-crusted fish at dinner. For a lesson in food chemistry, ask Farrell about the “miracle berries” that block the tongue’s sour receptors and turn the tartest lemon into the sweetest dessert.

In addition to the fine organic dining, the property features an ozonated pool and Jacuzzi, an on-call massage therapist and a yoga platform ensconced in the rainforest. The rooms have especially comfortable beds that are regularly adorned with fresh ferns and marigolds. There is no television.

On her second visit, Oriental medicine and acupuncture practitioner Claudette Baker said she is fascinated by the healing capability of the farm. She’s organizing a yoga retreat there for a group of her patients who have survived cancer.

“This place has a simple elegance,” said Baker, who is from the U.S. City of Chicago. “Here there is no pollution or modern noise. The oxygen and energy is pure and there are few distractions.” ”

Interested in joining a retreat with True Nature Education? We would love to have you! Check out our abroad programs here!
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True Nature Travels Blog

We Are All One Team! A Note From a Costa Rican Village Leader

Love in details…

And I start typing this letter while Costa Rica plays vs Canada.

All the family is together in our home, we are eating pejibayes and enjoying the moment. Soccer is part of the most important things for the Costa Rican people, you will discover this very soon.

Inspiration comes even when we pay attention to the game, to my three years old who is kicking a ball in my porch, to the rain that sometimes makes the tv signal become so poor… When there is not a good way to watch the game, we start talking, we imagine how interesting it could be to be there, doing our best in the soccer field…

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her tonight… Almost all the Costa Rican are asking God to protect the goalkeeper… I am join them!!!

Life is like a soccer game. We need to work together, we need to protect our team, we need to do our best… There are many people around, many people that are just watching, many people that are expecting to do the job in a better way, however they are just expecting to do it…They are not in the soccer field!

I feel passion for the colors of my flag. I am this kind of person who feels emotion when listening the national anthem, I am this kind of person who is proud about her country, about her planet, about the universe…

Tonight I am wearing my t’shirt…

Small details are the best! I just imagine how amazing it could be if I could have the courage to wear the t’shirt not only for the soccer game, but for life, for a better world. I’d like to have a team, my team, your team, our team…

It is clear we can make our best, we can make a difference if we all forget a 7hjZj9K718ADrXbj8VKmr1LeHKnBwjtmci_lMaW75LQ

bout the limits, about the borders. If we play for a reason. If we play with love.

Seriously, life may not be like a game sometimes, however we can try to enjoy, we can try to play and have fun.

Having too many reasons to be happy, it is a waste of time to be sad…to be angry… to be indifferent.

A new volunteer team is coming soon, We are ready to start playing, enjoying, living the moment, experiencing love in the small details…

I love my family, I love to share with them, I am sure we all will love to share what we are, how we live, with you…

This is the second time and I am not sure if Costa Rica will win the game, however I am happy, I won… I spent the night in a happy way, I am still celebrating to have too many amazing people around and more people amazing people coming, like you.

See you soon, team!

Pura Vida!
-Lindsay Padilla

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Lindsay Padilla has been a dedicated True Nature Village Leader the past 8 years. She is committed to serving her community and supporting True Nature’s groups that visit her village. She is also a wonderful mother of two.

True Nature Travels Blog

"BE THE LIGHT" WEATHERING THE STORM AND SPREADING LIGHTNESS THROUGH SERVICE

Student Service Trip in Costa Rica and Overcoming Obstacles

True Nature Education had the privilege of partnering with The National Society of Leadership and Success this past month. 25 lovely students with hearts full of compassion and eagerness adventured to Costa Rica to provide service to the local communities, and in the process had a blast! A student service trip is a fantastic opportunity to broaden horizons and participate in global community service.

True Nature Education works with some amazing individuals in the local villages. One of these leaders is Lindsay Padilla. A Costa Rican native, her mindfulness and guidance always touches our hearts.

Check out some of her insight on shining bright through the storms and spreading this light through service!

“It was a rainy night and I was at home with my two little boys.

No more people there and lots of thunders dancing and singing in my backyard… I love to listen to Mother’s Nature sounds, however sometimes it seems like a different rhythm… Mother’s Nature wasn’t as peaceful as I wanted her to be specifically that night.

So I decided to sit on my favorite rocking chair, with my kids. We played a game, it consisted of imagine us to be sailing, enjoying of the blue ocean and the bright sun… Everything was fantastic until the moment when Andres, my 8 years old asked me if I was scary…

Game over! They discovered my feelings and guess what? I was really scary…

We were expecting to welcome a TNE group next day and the volunteer action already planned was to work on a sustainable farm, a new project that is going to benefit a group of people from my community.

I am not always so dramatic, but Imagine your plans, imagine your dreams surrounded by lots of rain and maybe lightening… I was scary for the moment, for my present and I was not sure about next day, about my future, about our tomorrow…

I was expecting to share my “tomorrow” with people from different places, coming from far away to make a difference and the weather was not the perfect from my perspective.

As soon as I listened my husband opening the door, I felt better, I felt my family completed. My kids went to sleep and we sat on the floor, with a candle.

All the house was dark, but there was a little light… Poor darkness, I bet darkness was not feeling completed because of our little light…

And I suddenly thought of our actions… Sometimes we feel it is not too much what we can do, sometimes we think of the storms, we think of the scary moments, we think of the darkness around the world, but we were born to be a light, to bring light, to make the darkness a little clear. Do we have to limit our good intention because of our doubts about the future? About tomorrow? No!!!

We were talking until our candle decided not to light… And it was a good night, the light is still inside us and you know what? Next day we enjoyed of the sun. No more rain until the moment when we finished our volunteer service… Mothers are known because of their DEEP love and Mother Nature showed us what love means, even during the rain…

It feels incredible to be part of the ones that are doing something, anything.

We have been welcoming too many “lights” from TNE. People that decided to be the difference, to be grateful even for the stormy days.

The stormy days are not totally bad, during the stormy days, maybe you can find out inspiration to be the light that others are needing.

Let’s your light be!”

Shine on True Nature family!

Interested in joining a service student trip? Check out our calendar here! http://truenatureeducation.com/events/

True Nature Travels Blog

#EverydayMindfulness Instagram Challenge October 1-14!

Please join us from October 1-14 for our very first Instagram Challenge! (btw – we are @truenatureeducation on insta) Yes, we are finally jumping on the instagram challenge train – and when our team here at True Nature thought, “What sort of challenge would reflect what is important to us,” MINDFULNESS came up right away and how we look to bring presence and mindfulness into our work for the company and also into our everyday lives.

A little bit about mindfulness (from our point of view)…

Mindfulness is a VERB. It is a word created to be put into action and not just talked about during a yoga class or thought about while meditating or read about only in books. In fact, mindfulness is one of the most important tools you can invite into your heart to bring your practice off the mat and the cushion and into your day to day life. In short, mindfulness is pretty freaking awesome.

From lowering stress, improving health, shifting relationship dynamics, increasing focus in students (of all ages) there are a plethora of studies and research out there that basically talks mindfulness up to being a key element to invite into your life, if you want to live with a sense of connection, freedom and happiness to the life you are living. Mindfulness helps us to notice the presence, peace and beauty that is always available to us, in each and every moment.

The Challenge!

OK! So, here is what we are asking you to do. Post an image everyday (or as many days as you can) and share how you chose to mindful in that moment. Maybe it was going for a walk, doing the dishes, changing a diaper, sending emails, having a conversation – truly, while we may not really have the opportunity to practice headstand in every moment of our lives, we DO in fact have the chance to practice mindfulness – so get creative and go for it!

We hope you will join us all through the month of October using the hashtag #everydaymindfulness and posting an image of where you found an opportunity to practice mindfulness in your day. Maybe it was sitting in traffic or walking the dog, washing the dishes or simply connecting with a friend. We look forward to seeing you during this journey. Let’s set an intention together that by taking five minutes a day for mindfulness, that it transforms us to notice the life that is right here, in front of us, always unfolding.

Our Sponsors!

Samara Zelniker – Follow her on instagram @mindfulnessmatters

Samara Zelniker is the founder and president of Mindfulness Matters. She began her company after several years in the corporate workplace. She often came home feeling depleted, unfulfilled and with limited time and energy to focus on extracurricular activities. She thought that if she were feeling this way, others probably were too. A shift in focus from stress and sluggishness to health and action was a must. Samara received her 200 hour teacher training through Power Yoga Canada.

She recently went on a life changing trip to Nairobi, Kenya where she helped train 150 people from all over Africa to become yoga teachers. Through this, she received an additional 100 hours of teacher training through Africa Yoga Project. She was deeply touched by the people that she met and inspired by how yoga shaped their daily lives.

Alana Roach – Follow her on Instagram @alanaroachyoga

Alana is a 2015 True Nature Faculty Member and is hosting her first retreat in Costa Rica January 17th-24th 2015. Alana’s love for yoga came from firsthand experience with just how powerful the practice is.

“In 2009, Yoga found me. I felt as though I was at true peace. I finally knew what the word meant. Until that moment, I had just understood it cerebrally. There is something profound to be said about Peace dropping into the heart. I realize now that I have been training to practice and teach yoga my whole life”

In 2012, her journey took her to India for 3 months where she trained with incredible locals near the Himalayas and fell into a rhythm of practice that felt sustaining. She has been teaching ever since all over the world and is currently in Costa Rica to spread the light of yoga there. CYT and E-RYT certified in Vinyasa with a focus in Ashtanga Yoga and her personal studies of energy work, yoga theory, and style ranging from restorative to power and everything in between. With over 1,000 hours of teaching experience, Alana teaches all levels and all ages. www.alanaroachyoga.com

Dana Phillips – Follow her on Instagram @tulaajewelry

Dana Phillips is a Reiki Master, Meditation Teacher, Mom to two-legged and four legged beings and founder of Tulaa Jewelry where she designs and creates each piece using healing stones. Dana reiki’s each piece to activate the natural healing qualities of the stones. She loves custom orders and feels that she can then connect directly with her customers by creating special pieces specifically for their needs.

Prizes from the Instagram challenge are from Dana and Tulaa Jewelry!

Jessica Durivage-Kerridge – follow her on Instagram @whereismyguru

Jessica Durivage-Kerridge is the Global Relations Coordinator right here at True Nature! Her first true love affair was with travel and seeing the world. She’s a mystic mama who wears the badge “seeker of truth” on her heart (and who wears her heart on her sleeve). Since 2001 Jessica has been an passionate and purposeful traveler with several trips around the globe sharing her gifts and talents to the communities she meets.

Jessica now resides in Myrtle Beach, SC with her husband Carl, son Ellis, dog Julia Olive and two cats, Suki and Spooky. You can find more about Jessica, her writing and teaching at www.whereismyguru.com and www.365thingsproject.com

Get started NOW and promote the challenge!

Use this copy (or edit for you!) and grab one of the photos below to let your community know that you are down with #everydaymindfulness and we will see you on October 1st!

Join me and @truenatureeducation @mindfulnessmatters @alanaroachyoga @tulaajewelry and @whereismyguru all month long this October for their #everydaymindfulness instagram challenge! We will be sharing moments of #mindfulness during our busy days to find more peace and presence in our lives!