This is a dedication to my magical experience with Prana Pacifico Retreats in Nuqui, Colombia, founded by my dear friend Linsey Rankin. The love and empowerment I experienced on this retreat will carry with me for the rest of my life.

The magic of Prana Pacifico began on the tiny airplane that flew us over Colombia’s ornate jungles. I sat in front, right behind the pilot, and could see his whole control board. I suddenly thought of adventure movies, where people would hop on little planes like this to get to the jungle – and here I was, on a little plane with just seats and windows that were slid open to the world outside, on my way to the jungle. The plane rode lower than typical planes, which meant I could better study the details of the landscape below. It was beautiful. I could see exotic flora decorating the hills and mountainsides, a pattern of wild, dark green jungle plants mixed with delicate, light colored trees that looked like they could pass for flowers or ferns. Then I spotted a thin line of water breaking between the raised jungle, trailing down into a winding river that the plane continued to follow until we met a blanket of clouds. Even the thick cloud coverage was magical. It looked creamy, like a whipped cream pillow that I wanted to jump into and lay on.

We arrived at a tiny airport, but our traveling wasn’t over yet. Due to a temporary closure of the airport in Nuqui, we had to take a local van to a boat that would then bring us to Nuqui. A mix of travelers from the airplane all stuffed into two different vans, our bags piled on top. We found out pretty quickly that the van was not very durable. As we rode over the bumpy dirt road, the seats rattled along and began to collapse under our weight. First Kyle’s seat abruptly fell to the floor, causing us all to crack up. Then there was our seat in the back with me, Marie and the pretty Colombian girl who understood English and laughed along with us. Every so often our seat would drop down, causing us all to squeal and laugh – it was all part of the adventure. Outside, we passed by the raw jungle, now up close and personal. I had another rush of realization: I never thought I would find myself in a remote part of the world where nature thrived and ruled; but here I was, on a real adventure. How did I get here? The world is full of surprises.

We reached a pueblito and were dropped off near the coast, watching the locals lounged under a tree that looked like an umbrella. The vans took off with our bags towards a boat in the distance and we followed, making our way across the muddy sand. Tim and I began to notice these funny patterns in the sand and wondered where they could’ve come from. They were so intricate and consistently appeared under our feet. We decided to call them little ‘sunbursts.’ It was all part of the mystery of this place. As we waited on a sandy mound for our boat, we watched chocolate-skinned children sit and roll in the sand, curiously watching us and feeling the black sand filter through their little fingers. It all seemed so beautiful to me – it was so natural and innocent.

We boarded the boat and slipped on our life jackets. The boat slowly made its way over some waves, still in shallow waters, and then suddenly burst off in full speed, causing everyone to scream in delight. The boat hopped on waves and wind smacked us in the face, whipping our hair in every direction. I had a ridiculous smile on my face. Finally, I was back to the ocean. I watched the blue waters around me with easy content, like reuniting with an old friend. The ocean air streamed into my nostrils – it was surprisingly sweet and warm, wrapped around my skin like a comfortable welcoming.

At one point I noticed I was technically on the wrong side of the boat for a good ride; the view of the coastline was on the other side. But I was so happy, I didn’t care. I just enjoyed what I could see between the bodies of the other passengers and began enjoying the view of the others’ joy. I watched their smiles, their laughter, their excited conversations. And it made me happy.

I almost didn’t want to get off the boat when we got to Nuqui, but luckily we still had one more boat ride to go. I enjoyed our last leg of traveling for the day, beer in hand, trying not to knock my teeth out as I took sips. The coastline was incredible. It was wilder and greener than the coastline I’d see in Costa Rica. It was so untouched. And then, there it was: our home for the next week. It was a hell of a rock, covered in wild jungle plants, hiding our treehouse. We could see a stairway winding around the edge of the rock, followed by a dock that acted as a jumping board for swimming. Our boat parked on the sand and began to unload. The minute I stepped on the sand, I twirled around in circles, soaking in the fact that this was where I was staying. There were no buildings for several meters and no one in sight. All I saw was the towering jungle, an emerald green lagoon, the bright ocean and an inviting stairway that disappeared into our mystical rock of an island.

Then the climb began – apparently 300 steps to the top. But even that was exhilarating, and we received a congratulatory applause when we made it to the top. The steps welcomed us to an open deck, followed by a few more steps to the dining area. It looked like we were on a shipwrecked boat, decorated with nautical tones. We were shown to our rooms, which were on different levels, followed by a bottom deck and top deck that gave you a 360 degree view of the paradise around us. I couldn’t believe where I was.

Everyone set down their bags and slipped on their bathing suits, eager to jump into the ocean. Linsey led the group down the steps, along a walkway that showed us the extravagancy of the vegetation that lived on our rock, and to our diving board. One by one, we jumped into the ocean, letting ourselves completely release. Vacation had begun – we can just be kids now.

Every morning we awoke the sound of Saskia’s melodic bell tones. Our day began with an introduction to the chakra of the day, followed by poses that celebrated the energy of that chakra. This chakra carried on with us for the rest of the day, even coming up during our play time. By our second day, strangers had become friends and this unspoken bond and openness began to form a warm blanket around us. Saskia read this comfortable energy and turned our night class into a partner yoga session, expanding the friendship that was already accelerating among this unique set of individuals.

The magic of waterfalls, quiet jungle music, rolling waves and intricate twisting trees mixed in with the magic of the human connection of the retreat. Long after our second and third plates of stomach-satisfying dinners, we stayed at the table, listening to Linsey’s laugh-inducing storytelling, sharing our dreams with one another and diving into the parts of ourselves that we forgot when we were working away in the real world. One night Tim saw me trying to draw a mandala and asked me, “Do you want me to teach you how to draw a mandala tomorrow?” The next day he sat down next to me, along with other curious learners, and gave us a lesson on how to draw a mandala. The next few days, everyone let their inner creativity bloom and our dinner table was covered in mandala drawings, each unique and beautiful. We even began making collective mandalas, each person taking a turn to add their own creative touch until the mandala had a piece of everyone in it. Mandala making opened up an inner part of me that I didn’t know was there. It became a form of meditation and a brain warm-up to open up my creativity. I expanded mandala making to my classroom, making drawings on scrap paper and distributing copies to my students for coloring. Prana Pacifico encouraged me to create my own joy.

At Prana Pacifico, everyone was able to share a part of themselves that inspired the rest of us. We watched Kai lose herself into her hoola hooping and she showed us how to perform acroyoga, we danced to the beat of Tim’s drum and we tasted Zach’s specialty cocktails. I faced my inner demons and gained insights from others on how to suppress them, how to let go of people from my past by pulling out the invisible strings from my body that attached me to them. And best of all, I realized that dreams do come true. When you set intentions and fight for them, you might find yourself in the middle of paradise in Colombia, surrounded by incredible people who inspire you. Never wanting to leave the magic of our little rock island, Saskia told us how to bring the retreat with us. Every day, we could give ourselves at least 5 minutes of Sun Salutations, a moment for ourselves to set intentions for the day and meditate.

After feeling strong, body and mind, I was encouraged to practice my own yoga every day. And I did, marking each day with a sticky tab on my closet shelf. You deserve to gift yourself, to bring paradise along with you. Release density.

If you are looking for a getaway to paradise or an opportunity to rediscover your inner passions and outer strength, take a look at Prana Pacifico Retreats.

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Sometimes pictures are worth a thousands words – and I’ve got a video to share. Here is a video that expresses what my words couldn’t, made by the talented Marcela Restrepo:

(Turn up the volume!)