Radical Sabbatical from the Mundane

by Ikam Acosta (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Costa Rica

I was on a plane at the edge of my sanity, Costa Rica-bound, not knowing what to expect, when something told me, "just breathe." The previous year had been spent worrying about my future, my goals, and whether I had squandered my time and money the last few years being subjected to the daily grind and superficial endeavors living a shallow lifestyle, ignoring my spiritual calling and ultimate life purpose. I had been at a dead end job that barely paid my bills, not seeing much future ahead of me, feeling like I was stuck in a rut. This was my final chance to dive into myself and figure out what path I was ultimately going to pursue. I had felt the calling of shamanism and spirituality many times, but this was the adventure that would make me or break me in the end. I decided this radical sabbatical from my mundane world would either be what snapped me out of my banal existence, or what put me more in debt. The risk was worth the price, as living as I had been up until I boarded the plane was not what I had envisioned in my cards years ago. I was on my way to visiting a friend on Lake Arenal, overlooking one of Costa Rica's majestic volcanoes. She was an old friend of 20 years and my mentor, the woman who got me into the trauma resolution field many years ago. I was to undergo a transformation during this visit; to heal my mind and soul from the burden of my daily worries and cares. Little did I know the radical rebirth my journey would provide. I arrived and met my lovely friend, who drove me to her house on the lake. The minute we got on the highway and started driving towards the mountains, my stresses immediately started melting away. We saw some monkeys on the way over to her bungalow, which were a nice surprise. I was surprised at all the stray dogs on the streets, and later learned that Costa Rica has a no kill policy, so there are dogs running rampant throughout. I get to her bungalow and she served me some tea. Watching the hummingbirds in her garden was soothing to me, and the gentle breeze helped my nervous system grow more at ease. Just being in this tropical paradise was enough to give my brain the signal to start relaxing and leave my cares back in the states. The next day I visited a taita, a native healer or medicine man. The ritual I underwent allowed me to connect with my higher self and analyze how I had not been living in accordance with my life mission and the things I expected for myself. I received the healing energy of the ritual and felt the medicine working instantly. It was as if my whole life, I had been preparing for this moment, to discover who I really was. Being in this state allowed me to receive a glimpse into the spirit world and remember what I had been put on earth to do. The rest of the night, I was silent, absorbing the wisdom I had gained. That evening, I slept with the windows open, listening to the rain and absorbing all the primal sounds from the rainforest. I heard birds, insects, and coyotes. The smell of humidity overwhelmed me. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, but a smell which carried a particular life force. One pregnant with new hope. I felt a feeling of regeneration, as if every single cell in my body was being reprogrammed for better things. A hopeful future lay ahead. How could one session with a shaman provide such instantaneous results? I remembered back to my grad school days in my religious studies program and recalled how healing rituals were about going back to the beginning and recreating ourselves anew, along with the story. It is a retelling of the story, re-framing chaos into order. My visit with the shaman had re-shaped my journey into a promising one, and now I am ready to embark upon my unknown with promise and excitement. Pura vida, indeed.