True Nature Travels Blog

Healing Power of Service

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Earlier this month we had the privilege of hosting a group from Asheville, North Carolina, which is our U.S. hometown. 🙂
This group, led by Jeff Firewalker and Cat Matlock, took part in a half-day service project in San Rafael, a village many know that True Nature has been working in for many years. The mission of the project was to paint the home of a woman named Doña Ana. While seemingly a straight forward task, by the end of its duration, the power of service had really shined through. 

Lindsay Padilla, True Nature Village Representative, shared that “the group arrived, and after welcoming them we started painting, and at the end, it was like another house! The colors are beautiful. We have been painting many houses, but this group did an especially wonderful job. They were so dedicated to service. In the end, Doña Ana was so grateful she was moved to tears. She had a great reason for it.”

In addition to the service project, the children from the community then invited the group to play soccer. They also enjoyed a cooking lesson, describing that they truly “felt the love from the Padilla Kitchen.”
 
Jeff and Cat also offered their healing services to Lindsay’s mother, who is in the process of healing from cancer. Lindsay shared that “not only did the group come to our village to help work, paint, and connect, they also came to help my mother heal which was so gracious and unexpected.”
 
Each time a group joins us in Costa Rica, it is a unique experience. Every time we have the opportunity to serve together, a sense of growth and healing happens within ourselves and within those that we serve. This reciprocal process continues to inspire us at True Nature Education and keeps us going each day and each trip. The power of service is true and eminent. 
 
Pura Vida.
 
When was the last time you took time out of your life to be of service? Have you ever felt the power of service?

True Nature Travels Blog

Learning to Let Go – From the Road with the Society in Costa Rica

Beach Cleanup
Cleaning up Costa Rica’s beaches.

One of the main themes that we practice at True Nature Education is the function and meaning of mindfulness.

We have found by subtly utilizing mindfulness in our programs our participants are able to have a more memorable, rewarding, and profound experience while traveling with us. Why is this? Because when we are mindful we are able to experience the moment more fully, and therefore can truly enjoy the fruits of our life. These “fruits” are especially rich and inspiring are especially rich and inspiring when traveling, on retreat, and learning new things, in a new place.

On the second day of our retreat, the National Society of Leadership and Success group members had a great discussion about using mindfulness in letting go of unnecessary elements and allowing room in our mind, body, and spirit for the incredible raw beauty that Costa Rica was shedding upon us in our journey through the country.

Beach Cleanup Post Group Shot
Post beach cleanup group shot!

Here’s some reflection from Kathryn, from this discussion:

Have you ever thought about what you’d like to let go of in your life?
At 6:15 AM, I decided let go of the hate to make room for forgiveness.
Letting go was the theme of the Day 3 as we entered into the Second Stage of our Costa Rica Journey. I began my morning with yoga and ending my night listening to a young man’s beyond inspiring poetry. Today was another wonderfully full day, filled with cleaning up the beach, parasailing, and becoming one with the rain forest at Manuel Antonio National Park. Every day that I am here I learn more and more not only about the wilderness, but about the fascinating people who I am sharing this adventure with, and most of all, about myself. Today was a good day. Todo Bien. (“All good”). Pura Vida.
– Kathryn Hima, Western Connecticut State University, CT

 

Stay tuned with us on Facebook and Twitter for snippets of the program in action. You can also visually follow us on Instagram, @truenatureeducation.