Reflections from Costa Rica

learning the wisdom of the ocean waves

I’ve just returned from Costa Rica, where days of warm sunlight and the steady rhythm of the ocean worked their quiet magic on me. We were in Tamarindo, CR - a surfing town on the Pacific Coast. I am no surfer, but I could float on sunny waves professionally if that were such a thing!

I spent hours in the waves - floating and learning how the sea invites us to surrender control and trust its rhythm. At first, I braced against the water as each wave rolled in, trying to meet it head-on. But soon, I began noticing something … if I timed my breath and softened my stance, I could slip beneath the crest, gliding under the white chaos and emerging on the other side unscathed. The wave still carried force, but I didn’t need to take the hit to know its power.

It struck me how much life mirrors the rhythm of the sea with its endless dance of waves rising and falling. Some arrive with force, carrying the weight of change, loss, or transition, demanding our full presence and willingness to meet them head-on. Others build quietly in the distance, not ours to ride but to witness, reminding us to stay attuned.

I left Costa Rica feeling like the ocean taught me about discernment: to sense which waves belong to me and which will only deplete me if I take them on too soon. By paying attention, I learned when to dive beneath the surface, to let what’s not mine roll past, and to surface again .. steady and ready for what’s truly meant for me.

And oh, that feeling of weightlessness as the waves held me, sunlight on my skin, no rush, only the pure joy of surrender. It reminded me how deeply restorative it is to surrender, even just for a moment. I’m profoundly grateful for the privilege of such rest, for the beauty of water and sunlight and time to simply be. I return home centered, salt still in my hair, ready to ride whatever waves life sends next.