Pure Vida

pura vidaLately, I have been reflecting on how amazing life is. This past summer I have strengthened bonds with my best friends and came into contact with beautiful people who showed me what love truly is. They showed me that life is a great adventure that we all should cherish and experience together. Each of us grows, learns and rejoices together as a family; we are all connected and understand the way that each of us thinks and feels about the world, society, and wellbeing of others. Through inner thoughts and journeys, I have reflected on what makes me happy and what I should do to better my future.

This realization came about when I began understanding and appreciating the art of Yoga. I give credit to the multiple teachers I have worked with for guiding me on the path to harmony. It is hard to choose just one that has inspired me because all have done their part in different ways. Some teachers have shared with me stories about their life journeys to peace that have inspired my own day to day routine; others have helped me perfect my poses by working and guiding my body to make sure each position is correctly executed.

I want to become a Yoga teacher so that I can spread peace, hope and love to every person I encounter. When people come to me to vent about a stressful situation, I tell them to take a Yoga class so they can close their eyes and breath in the warm, healing power that Yoga brings. I promise them they will leave the class happier and calmer than when they entered. I love when I walk into a Yoga class and the instructor says, “Close your eyes, leave this day and its stresses behind you and start anew as we begin our Ujjayi breathing.” I believe this can bring great peace to someone who feels stuck in a rough patch.

The world we live in seems to be headed in a downhill spiral. I don’t want to have to raise my future family in an environment filled with negative energy; I want to raise a family in a beautiful, loving, and supportive environment, just like the one I have found for myself. I want to impact the world and become a part of a movement to change the way people think and feel about one another. The people in our lives are almost all we have and they are certainly what bring us the most happiness, so we must respect and love each and every one of them. “Pura Vida” translates from Spanish into “pure life”, “full of life”, or “this is living!”

Pura Vida is the Costa Rican way of life and learning how to instruct Yoga in this environment will strengthen my belief that through Yoga and meditation, we can become a happier world with a healthy future to look forward too. I want to promote this blissful outlook on life and all of life’s beauties. I am ready to use my gifts and talents to help the world in a positive way. I hope to do that through learning at the Anamaya Resort and Retreat Center in Montezuma, Costa Rica, to then return home with a new found understanding of life and all that is possible.

2012 Yoga Scholarship Essay

By: Niki Kleinberger

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