How to Stay Safe on the Costa Ballena
Plastic Free at the Envision Festival
This year when I went to Envision, it was different from any other Envision I had attended in the past. The first one, I set up on the beach with my massage table and a tent. For those that haven’t gone to this festival before, outside of the venue is a path to the beach where you can go for a beach swim, catch some waves, or watch the sunset and along the way is another little mini festival. Back in the day we called these spots within the festival “Shakedown Street” – a place where you can buy food, clothes, and festival things. The second year I worked for the local health food store, Mama Toucans, selling ice cream. And this year I PLAYED! Nothing but workshops, dance parties, and food.
In my down time (between the yoga classes, breathing workshops, sound healing sessions, educational talks, and beach gatherings), I reflected a lot on the person I was 3 years ago to the person I am now. I was that girl, back then, that said she doesn’t dance and she doesn’t stay out past ten. Yet this year, I danced all day, night, and into the morning! Saturday night I stayed out until 3 am! Now for me, who is normally in bed by 8 pm, that was a huge success.
What I love about Envision is that after the festival is over and the area clears out is there is still change in the air. First I hibernate and catch up on my sleep. I am an introvert by nature so alone time to digest and integrate is crucial for me. But as the days pass and the year continues, Envision changes me. It gives me a vision for a way I can live my live, everyday with a stronger view of a brighter world, together. I call this ‘living my yoga off the mat’. During the festival I get to experience what it means to be plastic free for four days, attend many different types of dance workshops, yoga styles and teachers, educational workshops (Permaculture, bitcoin, tree planting, living radiantly, womb healing, orgasm for health and many many more ) PLUS MUSIC ALL NIGHT INTO THE MORNING.
But the festival hasn’t just changed and impacted my life, it also impacts the entire town of Dominical and Uvita where the festival is held. For those that don’t live here in Dominical, Costa Rica probably can’t quite understand what this festival does for the community. In this very small town, I mean it is literally one strip of beach with a few stores and restaurant along the way, Envision brings anywhere from 5000-7000 people to the area. But not only does it bring lots of people and help the economy, the ones who live here get to experience a different way of living life for a few days. Most of us live around the sun. We wake up for the sunrise surf session and back home in bed by 9 pm. Yet when the festival comes, something is awakened in all of us where we dance all night into the sunrise music sets. (Some of us!)
Needless to say, Envision is more than just a Yoga, Art, and Music Festival, it’s a weekend that shows and shines a way to live our lives with a greater vision for health, happiness, creativity, inspiration, and happiness with compassion for the earth, the trees, the ocean, the sun, the sky and the stars.
