Home from Nicaragua

Third Time was Charming!

I am back from my third coffee related trip. This time, visiting El Recreo Coffee Estate outside of Jinotega, Nicaragua.


Each of these farm-direct trips have been amazing. This one? Wow!
Super special.

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Being there with a crew of coffee folks made the experience extra enriching. And, getting to know the hard-working team at El Recreo was a beautiful bonus. ​

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“Our purpose is to put a name, a face, and a place
to every cup of coffee you drink.”
~ Bob & Michelle Fish, Co-Founders of One Bigg Island in Space

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Escaping Our Own Mind
Listening with Both Ears

There’s lots I want to share about my time in Nicaragua.

First, the coffee farm we stayed on is GORGEOUS!
No matter where we were throughout the 360 acres, everything was:

• Lush | the plants, trees, flowers, birds, streams, and waterfalls are EPIC
• Vibrant | the tortillas are handcrafted in the kitchen every day beginning at 3 AM so the workers have meals 3 times per day; the farm school is humming with laughter and learning; the health center is stocked and staffed; the chapel is a place of refuge.
• Socially responsible | the farm operates on solar power; the regenerative farm practices are visible everywhere: worm composting, repurposing invasive bamboo, etc.

All that said, it’s the PEOPLE who made this trip so memorable:

• We shared meals with the Administration Team who manage the farm.
• We served lunch, coffee, and cake to the workers in honor of birthdays happening in June and July.
• We were taught to make tortillas in the kitchen that serves all of the workers (Mine didn’t look so pretty, but served hot off the griddle, it was pretty delicious!)  
• We met the kids in the farm school and watched them delight in our gifts and hear them count to 10 in English! (Yes, we did count to 10 for them in Spanish as well 😉.)
• We helped distribute bonus packages to workers who have been on the farm more than 3 months and more than a year

On top of all that, I was able to lead yoga classes in the morning for whomever wanted to attend. If you’ve been in class with me, you know sometimes I give this unusual yoga cue: “Try listening with both of your ears.”

While you may not think of our ears as having anything to do with yoga, this is a quick way to separate ourselves from the constant chatter that rattles around in our head. When we focus on trying to hear with both ears, we get outside of our head and into the soundscape that surrounds us.

I teach in a lot of different environments, so sometimes this cue is less helpful.  Who wants to tune into the noise of a highway or the loud lawnmowers and leaf blowers buzzing around? 🤪

But at El Recreo, this was the BEST cue imaginable.

We listened to animated bird songs and bubbling waterfalls.
I hope that soundscape stays with me, because it’s an imprint my nervous system needs! ♥️

So, take a moment to settle into a peaceful place and try it!

Try listening with both of your ears.
Reach far away for a sound.
Then, bring your listening within to explore your own breath.
Enjoy 5 - 10 rounds of expansive, even breathing.

See how much better you feel?! 🥰

Yoga does not have to be complicated to be impactful, and it can happen anywhere!

With love and light,
~m