| The rainforest in Central America taught me a | | | | |
| wonderful lesson: if you can quiet yourself | | | | This concept of focused attention and |
| and truly focus your attention on your | | | | awareness turned a horseback-riding jaunt |
| surroundings, you will see a multitude of | | | | into the discovery that a tree might not just |
| things that were seemingly invisible. To | | | | be a tree. My guide and I had been riding |
| view the wonders that the rainforest offers | | | | for nearly an hour, our horses running up and |
| takes increased attention and awareness. The | | | | down the hills. We were very isolated and |
| obvious analogy to life is that heightened | | | | there was simply not a soul in sight for |
| awareness will gift us a life that offers to | | | | miles and miles. We rode past a large tree |
| intrigue us, to expand our horizons and offer | | | | much like the others in Costa Rica that |
| new sources of joy. | | | | spread their limbs in a horizontal fashion |
| | | | when I heard Luis gasp. There nestled in the |
| My two teenagers and I traveled to Costa Rica | | | | branches of a tree was a coyote, something I |
| recently for a 10-day vacation filled with | | | | never would have seen had it not been for |
| adventure and discovery, not to mention a | | | | Luis' fine tuned attention and eyesight. |
| break from the routine. I had arranged the | | | | |
| trip with a wonderful tour company so that we | | | | It wasn't only the rainforest that revealed |
| had a personal guide with us for the majority | | | | it self to me. I reconnected with my two |
| of the trip. Our trip had all been | | | | teenagers as well. What with my work and |
| pre-arranged and included a tour of the | | | | their school, social life and teenage drama, |
| capital, a visit to a butterfly farm, four | | | | the talk between us at home seemed to |
| days on the majestic Pacific coast where we | | | | revolve more around the mundane details of |
| snorkeled, paddled an outrigger canoe, went | | | | daily life than true communication. Too much |
| deep sea fishing and scuba diving and travel | | | | going on and not enough attention on the |
| to the Arenal Volcano where we explored the | | | | things and people that matter. The change in |
| rainforest by hiking and zip-lining on a | | | | locale and the absecnse of everything that |
| canopy tour. These were but some but not | | | | distracted us at home made for a renewed |
| all of our activities. | | | | ability to be with each other. I noticed the |
| | | | little things that had evaded me at home: |
| The guide who really opened my eyes was a | | | | watching Jake and Sylvie walking with their |
| sweet, cherubic Costa Rican named | | | | arms around each other filled me with joy. |
| Constantino. He picked us up in his van at | | | | Having conversations that opened them up |
| our hotel on the coast and spent four days | | | | reminded me of their intelligence and depth. |
| traveling with us to the area of the Arenal | | | | I had a renewed sense of who they were and |
| Volcano and then on to San Jose, the capital | | | | how blessed I was to have these incredible |
| city. Constantino has a deep respect and | | | | human beings as my children. |
| sense of awe at the nature that surrounds | | | | |
| him. He has kept the delight and wonder of | | | | It is the lack of awareness and focus that |
| childhood alive in himself. His knowledge of | | | | robs of us so much in life. Something as |
| the land is immense. He seemed to know all | | | | simple as the art of listening to another |
| there was to know about his country and it's | | | | person is a prime example. All too often |
| history as well as everything that makes up | | | | when we are in a conversation, our minds are |
| the natural world in Costa Rica. He regaled | | | | elsewhere and we miss out on most of what is |
| us with stories. His life lessons were | | | | being said and felt. In my training as a |
| endless but the one that stands out the most | | | | Life Coach, listening is a skill that is |
| for me was his lesson of awareness while in | | | | highly emphasized. We are taught about |
| the forest. | | | | numerous levels to listening. The first is |
| | | | where we listen but don't really hear. Our |
| The creatures that we had discovered on the | | | | minds are elsewhere or thinking of our next |
| Pacific coast were both new and amazing but I | | | | response. In the next level, we focus out |
| told the kids that in the wet forest (all the | | | | attention directly on the person without |
| forests in Costa Rica are so-called | | | | distraction. It is the third level that can |
| rainforests but some are dry and some are | | | | reveal the most to us about the other person |
| wet) we would see even more. We had been in | | | | because not only are we focusing on what they |
| the wet forest in the Arenal area for a day | | | | say but we also are deeply aware of their |
| or so when they mentioned to Constantino that | | | | presence, which allows us to tune into their |
| they really hadn't seen much wildlife at all | | | | total geography. This is where real |
| in that dense jungle. That is when our man | | | | communication takes place. |
| in Costa Rica gave us his very wise insights | | | | |
| on awareness. | | | | The same can be said about our own bodies. |
| | | | How many of us don't recognize the signals |
| What he said to us was this: You can walk | | | | our bodies attempt to send us because we are |
| through the rainforest for an hour and think | | | | just not tuned into ourselves? Suddenly it |
| that there is little or no wildlife there but | | | | seems we have a full blown cold when all |
| that is far from the truth. The forest is | | | | along our bodies were trying to tell us that |
| extremely deep and dense and many of the | | | | one was coming on. Lack of attention to a |
| creatures that reside there are camouflaged | | | | strained muscle erupts into a full blown |
| for their own protection. You need to | | | | crisis. |
| concentrate your attention and stop to really | | | | |
| look. For instance, as you walk you could be | | | | The world, our lives and the people in them |
| totally unaware of the howler monkeys | | | | will open up and explode with revelations if |
| scurrying through the treetops. It is only | | | | we only pay them more attention. Take the |
| when you stop and listen that you will hear | | | | time and make the effort to be more aware. |
| the sounds that they make jumping from branch | | | | Here are a few ideas: |
| to branch. Even then you need to fix your | | | | |
| gaze intently on the canopy of the forest to | | | | - Slow down. When you become frantic, you |
| notice their presence. When you do, suddenly | | | | lose your ability to focus. Simply noticing |
| you become aware of the life that exists on | | | | that you are in a heightened state of |
| the roof of the rainforest. Monkeys | | | | activity is the first step. Stop and take a |
| everywhere! | | | | few minutes to practice deep breathing. |
| | | | Everything will come back into focus. Take |
| As you walk, you might not see what is | | | | deep breathing breaks a few times a day. |
| happening on the very ground you tread upon. | | | | |
| Upon closer inspection, we see a poison dart | | | | - Stop multi-tasking. You may be handling ten |
| frog sitting at the root of a tree. Gigantic | | | | things at once but you sacrifice quality with |
| ants are carrying leaves ten times their size | | | | quantity. Studies reveal that focusing on |
| to build a nest and their anthill looks to be | | | | one task completely will result in much |
| the size of a small village. Butterflies dart | | | | better results. |
| amongst the trees and plants. I even spotted | | | | |
| a tarantula by simply fixing my eyes on the | | | | - Listen to your body's signals. You might |
| ground. If you can sit quietly and | | | | be able to bypass an outburst of anger if you |
| concentrate, you might see the tree sloths | | | | notice the signs that precede such an |
| that inhabit the forest. Birds are suddenly | | | | outburst such as increased heart rate and a |
| everywhere when we stop and focus out | | | | tingling feeling. |
| attention on their cries. Toucans appear. | | | | |
| With an increased awareness and focus, the | | | | - Take time for nature. Very little in life |
| jungle that had seemed bereft of creatures | | | | is as soothing and inspiring as an encounter |
| comes alive. | | | | with the natural world around us. A simple |
| | | | walk in the woods can be the recipe for a |
| Constantino's wisdom became even more | | | | renewed sense of wonder, serenity and the |
| apparent as we set off for our canopy tour, | | | | necessary energy to plow onward. |
| where we rode a sky tram to the very top of | | | | |
| the rainforest and flew from platform to | | | | - Practice mindfulness. Perform your |
| platform on a zip-line! Constantino told us | | | | everyday task with a sense of mindfulness, |
| that we would be able to discover the forest | | | | which might be translated as being aware of |
| from an entirely different perspective, much | | | | the present moment. |
| like the monkey's experience. We would be | | | | |
| seeing it from the top versus the bottom and | | | | - Prioritize. On that never ending to-do |
| this could open up a very different and new | | | | list, what really need to get handled today? |
| vantage point. | | | | |
| | | | - Listen with mindfulness. |
| He was right of course. Looking down at the | | | | |
| rainforest gives you a new understanding. It | | | | - Learn to meditate. It increases your |
| is almost like two separate worlds. There is | | | | ability to concentrate, focus and be aware. |
| more light which gives the forest a different | | | | Even ten minutes a day is highly beneficial. |
| look and feel altogether. The view is a | | | | |
| panorama of treetops, almost like green | | | | Life is short but sweet. Take the time to |
| clouds. You see things on the top that don't | | | | taste all the sweetness. The old adage about |
| exist on the bottom. You are also viewing the | | | | stopping to smell the roses is fitting but |
| wildlife that live in the trees at eye level | | | | being fully aware of that rose is even better |
| which gives you a new perspective, most | | | | yet! There is more to that rose than just its |
| evident with the birds and monkeys. It is the | | | | scent. Don't rush through life and miss out |
| angle of sight that changes and reveals them | | | | on all it has to offer. Cultivating awareness |
| to you differently. | | | | yields huge returns, all of them good. |