A few times a week, after a hearty breakfast, campers gather
under the peaceful shade of the mango tree and commit themselves to an hour of uninhibited movement and expression.
Jemy, a camp volunteer from Holland, leads the meditation practice with enthusiasm and careful guidance. He encourages people to let go, while giving them advice on how to do so. After working as a volunteer at Dreamsea for a few weeks, he took some time off to travel through Costa Rica, and has now returned to teach other campers how to free themselves through the practice.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_empty_space empty_h=”0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”100″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”2″ top_padding=”7″ bottom_padding=”7″ back_color=”accent” back_image=”52711″ back_attachment=”scroll” back_position=”center center” parallax=”yes” overlay_color=”color-xsdn” overlay_alpha=”0″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” expand_height=”yes” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”7″ top_padding=”2″ bottom_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”0″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”0″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_size=”h3″ text_space=”fontspace-731609″ text_font=”font-762333″ text_weight=”500″ text_transform=”uppercase” text_color=”color-jevc” separator=”yes” separator_color=”yes” sub_reduced=”yes” text_align=”text-center” text_serif=””]After researching the art of meditation through books and internet guides, Jemy has developed a passion that he is eager to share with the World.[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_empty_space empty_h=”1″][vc_column_text]While traditional meditation focuses on silence as a tool for finding inner peace, dynamic meditation exhausts the body first, which in turn exhausts the mind and makes it easier to look inwards and focus on finding peace.
I was lucky enough to participate in one of Jamie’s classes at Dreamsea. As someone who struggles with calming my chaotic mind through traditional meditation, I found Jemy’s practices physically challenging but fun, and I briefly attained a peaceful state of mind after the exciting session.
A typical dynamic meditation consists of five different phases, starting with five to ten minutes of heavy breathing. After constant rapid and intense breathing through the nose, the body feels full of open space and energized, ready to take on the next phases.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space empty_h=”1″][vc_empty_space empty_h=”0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”70″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”2″ top_padding=”7″ bottom_padding=”7″ back_image=”52712″ back_attachment=”scroll” back_position=”center bottom” parallax=”yes” overlay_color=”color-xsdn” overlay_alpha=”0″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” expand_height=”yes” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”7″ top_padding=”2″ bottom_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_size=”h3″ text_space=”fontspace-731609″ text_font=”font-762333″ text_weight=”500″ text_transform=”uppercase” text_color=”color-jevc” separator=”yes” separator_color=”yes” sub_reduced=”yes” text_align=”text-center” text_serif=””]During the second phase, emotional expression, the mind mingles with a variety of different feelings, while the body moves in natural reaction.[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”0″][vc_column_text]As Jemy shouts out different emotions, like anger or sadness, the rugged screams and heavy sobs of the group echo throughout the camp. Even Tito the dog joins in for the anger phase, barking loudly and running through the group. It’s quite difficult to achieve a genuine emotion on the spot, but by faking it at first, I find the feeling eventually consumes the mind and becomes authentic. For example, as Jemy tells us to feel happy and express laughter, everyone bursts out in a forced, theatrical laugh which is so absurd that we all start laughing for real.
The third phase Jemy refers to as the “monkey jump”, which feels like a primitive, animalistic force has taken over our bodies. With hands raised overhead, everyone jumps in rhythm with a deep, growling grunt emerging from our throats like a band of angry chimps. Though it seems crazy at first, the action is quite difficult to do for five minutes straight, and it feels liberating to succumb to the strange action without any reason or logic.
After this physically demanding phase, everyone stands motionless, drifting back to a state of awareness and focusing on the looseness of the body.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_empty_space empty_h=”0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”100″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”2″ top_padding=”7″ bottom_padding=”7″ back_image=”52714″ back_attachment=”scroll” back_position=”center bottom” parallax=”yes” overlay_color=”color-xsdn” overlay_alpha=”0″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” expand_height=”yes” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”7″ top_padding=”2″ bottom_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_size=”h3″ text_space=”fontspace-731609″ text_font=”font-762333″ text_weight=”500″ text_transform=”uppercase” text_color=”color-jevc” separator=”yes” separator_color=”yes” sub_reduced=”yes” text_align=”text-center” text_serif=””]The last phase begins with silence, to reflect and observe how the mind and body are feeling. [/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”0″][vc_column_text]After a dance break, to celebrate a successful meditation, we all sit in a
circle and share our thoughts about the session. The group atmosphere really enhanced the meditation, as the shared energy and enthusiasm created a comfortable space in which we could all express ourselves without hesitation.
Guests and volunteers alike can benefit from dynamic meditation at Dreamsea Costa Rica. It allows people to escape their comfort zones and connect with their emotions while simultaneously allowing the
body to move in strange but enjoyable ways. Jemy’s main piece of advice for beginners is to have fun. Don’t worry about looking weird or wonder if you’re doing everything correctly.
Meditation can be intimidating, but at Dreamsea the goal is to just enjoy the experience.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_empty_space empty_h=”0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”75″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”2″ top_padding=”7″ bottom_padding=”7″ back_image=”52716″ back_attachment=”scroll” back_position=”center center” parallax=”yes” overlay_color=”color-xsdn” overlay_alpha=”0″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” expand_height=”yes” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”7″ top_padding=”2″ bottom_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”0″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_size=”h3″ text_space=”fontspace-731609″ text_font=”font-762333″ text_weight=”500″ text_transform=”uppercase” text_color=”color-jevc” separator=”yes” separator_color=”yes” sub_reduced=”yes” text_align=”text-center” text_serif=””]BLOG CREDITS[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_column_text]THE WORDS: This article was written by the passionate and thought-provoking Gabby Boucher, who is from the US, and is currently exploring the World while soaking up perspective and sun. You can follow her incredible adventures via her INSTAGRAM.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_custom_heading text_size=”h3″ text_space=”fontspace-731609″ text_font=”font-762333″ text_weight=”500″ text_transform=”uppercase” text_color=”color-jevc” separator=”yes” separator_color=”yes” sub_reduced=”yes” text_align=”text-center” text_serif=””]WANT TO JOIN THE DREAMSEA SURF CAMP OF COSTA RICA TEAM?[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_column_text]