Pura Vida: Abundant Life in Costa Rica
Bobo bird. Photo: Sharon Mijares
by Sharon Shafiya Majid Mijares
Nature is a reflection of the divine. The early Judeo-Christian-Islamic stories speak of the longing for our return to the “garden of paradise,” noting the fruit trees, waters, and lush green landscape. Perhaps it is more than a metaphor.
Nature blesses us in so many ways, and we are blessed to have opportunities to spend time in its glory. This is one of the reasons why I moved to and remain in Costa Rica—for it is a land rich with power and beauty. Although Costa Rica is a relatively small country, it has 112 volcanic formations, 16 known volcanoes (of which seven are active), all on a piece of land that is 51,100 square kilometers in size. Its volcanoes are part of the Pacific Rim of Fire. It is a land without a military; its power is in the land.
If being cast from the garden of paradise represents the loss of original unity, then Mother Earth should be revered for She is the reconnecting force!
Costa Rica (translates as “rich coast”) is a place that invites peace in a troubled world, for it is a land with powerful forces of both peace and transformation. There are natural wonders to visit and explore in any direction one heads. And, it is also just as wondrous to simply sit and enjoy the nature in one’s own backyard.
Photo: Sharon Mijares
I have been living here for four years now. This tropical environment has helped to slow down my pace, to enable me to spend more time sitting quietly in nature, absorbing its beauty. This land has also introduced me to a lot of great ticos. (Tico or tica is the word for a Costa Rican man or woman.) Everyone agrees that this is the place of “pura vida” (pure life). The ticos use the expression “pura vida” to both say good bye and to use as a fitting exclamation in a conversation. And, pura vida it is! Waterfalls, lakes, rivers, abundant flowers, bushes, trees, and fruits, mountains, valleys—embraced by the Pacific and Caribbean oceans. It is a land in which to connect with Mother Earth and her many manifestations. It is a great place for the Sufi practice of the Element Breaths and to truly feel unification with each of these elements. It is also a place for simply loving life in all its many manifestations—and especially the birds. In fact, more than 893 species have been seen in this small land.
Some of the more beautiful birds love papayas and watermelon. Upon learning this I began sharing my fruit with them. This resulted in three Bobo (momotus momota) birds who feel comfortable enough to sit on the lowest step outside my door. These birds have a blue head with a black mask around the eyes and a black diamond on the chest, and a golden chest that blends into a green back with long blue tail feathers designed with a few black checks. They are a reminder that this is a tropical “paradise.” And, they also like the phrases from the Aramaic Lord’s prayer, associated with the Dances of Universal Peace.
Two weeks ago some Tico friends and myself were practicing for an Aramaic prayer retreat. Although there were two men, three women, and two babies, the Bobo birds watched us on a nearby branch—unafraid. In between the papaya, the music, and a general good vibe, the birds decided it was safe enough to hang out with us. Since then I have been singing Abwoon d’Bashamaya (the first line of the prayer in its original Aramaic) when the birds are in the area, and they let me walk within three feet, unafraid. They seem to be resonating with the mantra.
The other day one of my friends flew down and sat on the grass to the right as a butterfly of the exact same shade of blue, including the black markings, was flying around on the grass on my left side. Considering the butterflies and colorful Bobos (and numerous other birds), waterfalls, rivers, lush green trees, flowering plants, and mountains, one can only feel gratitude and connectedness to nature. Costa Rica is a reminder that breathing and connecting with nature is a way to re-enter the garden of paradise.
Photo: Sharon Mijares
Sharon Shafiya Majid Mijares is a licensed psychologist. She teaches on-line courses at three universities and has authored/edited five books, including The Revelation of the Breath: A Tribute to Its Wisdom, Power and Beauty (2009 SUNY Press). She lived in Egypt for three months last year, and visited the West Bank—leading workshops for women along the way. She recently led Institutes for Women and Global Change in Venezuela, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. For more information, visit her website.
