Pura Vida

 Great transformations come from within. 

I spent over a week in Costa Rica with my family, we stayed with close friends who live there now. The beauty of this country is not only in its beaches, breezes, forests and wildlife but in their philosophy of living. Pura Vida is a common saying in Costa Rica, in Spanish it translates as "pure life" but it is so much more. Pura Vida can be used as a greeting (hola, Pura vida) to mean all is well, as a good bye (ciao, Pura vida) indicating you had a fantastic time or as a way to show gratitude (Pura vida gracias!) for something or someone. As a philosophy, Pura Vida means letting go, living simply and enjoying life. In Costa Rica, Pura Vida embodies a sense of belonging to a culture that connects closely with nature and the flow of life. Pura Vida is spending time with loved ones, paying attention to locally grown foods, eating seasonally, preparing meals with care, being active outdoors (maybe when it's not -10 degrees!) and finding happiness in the moment. In congruence with living simply, Pura Vida is a rejection of consumerism by being mindful of what we purchase and not being defined by our possessions. Embodying the essence of Pura Vida is collecting experiences and memories instead of things, enjoying life's simple treasures, cultivating kindness and living peacefully. As a person who worries a lot, especially living with the daily news, my emotions overwhelm me. The Pura Vida philosophy is not about ignoring the difficulties and challenges of our current world with regard to violence, racism and climate change. It is about taking the time to process, understand and grieve these things that are happening, bearing witness to it all, choosing hope over fear and right action to support aspects of discernment, integrity, vulnerability and purpose. 

The Blue Morpho butterfly is one of the largest butterflies in the world, its wings span 5 to 8 inches. They live in Central American rain forests for only 115 days, flying in and around the forest floor in lower trees and shrubs. The underside of the Morpho's wings are dull brown with eye spots that offer camouflage against predators when their wings are closed. The contrasting beauty of the iridescent blue on their wings helps them attract mates and they "taste-smell" the air with their antennae. The name 'Morpho', meaning change, is also an epithet of Venus and Aphrodite. The beauty of the blue Morpho butterfly is mesmerizing, it truly is a wonder to witness and observe them in nature.