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Daily Wellness approach is Pura Vida
Wellness from Costa Rica, Zona Azul
In Costa Rica, everyone knows about Pura Vida. Pura Vida as a way of life is famous the world over. Lesser known is Costa Rica's "Plan de Vida" which is the simple sense of purpose and satisfaction of how one's life contributes to the good of the community, the natural environment, and personal goals, shared experiences with others, and personally meaningful rewards to look forward to in each coming day. It is appreciation of today, each day, understanding that with the challenges one may face in life, the attitude we bring to everything about our lives is one of the most important influences on how each day plays out in our experience. The builds a an awareness that every moment is an opportunity, and a Pura Vida attitude of gratitude.
While Plan de Vida and the Pura Vida attitude developed in Costa Rican culture organically, The featured aspects of Purpose and Belong make up half of 4 pillars of Wellness that Humana research found to lower healthcare costs, maximize Vitality of Life, and most significantly contribute to overall Quality of Life and Happiness.
From the Humana Corporate Social Responsibility report.
"Wellness engagement (4 Pillars) includes improved overall health, healthier behaviors and choices, . . . resulting in happier, healthier employees, all while saving money." Humana's 4 Pillars identified Health, Belonging, Purpose and Security as the fundamental needs or experienced qualities of life each person needs to live with mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health necessary to maximize the number of days each year that an employee is able to work. For Humana, it started with being a company aspiring to lower costs and maximize profit, but became being about maximizing all facets of health in employees, customers, and in the community.
Plan de Vida, brought to media attention by Dan Buettner and used by Jorge Vindas of the Nicoya Blue Zone Association, includes having a positive outlook and sense your own Purpose in Life, how you fit in to the bigger picture (groups you BELONG to), how do you benefit, how you contribute to, and what's meaningful to you.
This approach to best HEALTH, with feeling the beauty and connection with Nature is Costa Rica's secret ingredients for Happiness & Joy throughout life.
The famous work by Buettner & Butler on Blue Zones in the world focused on the healthiest life habits as factors that provide for the longest healthiest life spans of human life on Earth. (www.bluezones.com) The Nicoya peninsula of Costa Rica was identified as one of those 5 or 6 "Blue Zones" having the highest number of people living to and through 100 years of age,
Combine the 4 Health Vitality pillars for Mental, Emotional, and Physical health with Costa Rica Pura Vida attitude + cultural habits of daily life, and we have a unique approach for Wellness, our Zona Azul Plan de Vida. Zona Azul Wellness looks at two facets each of the 3 Vitality pillars for a happy and healthy life, Belong, Health & Purpose, each of these having a more personal aspect and a more public or social aspect of a daily/weekly practice that when regularly included in life adds to the happiness and health in your daily experience. In this way, Zona Azul Wellness practices can help you adopt your own Zona Azul Plan de Vida.
Belong
Most dear to our hearts is providing EcoTours in Costa Rica. Connect with Nature, deepen your connection with family and friends, feel the beauty and love, share in the natural beauty and love of Costa Rica. Pura Vida! Click the Toucan Avatar for our Homepage to select your tour or adventure in Nature!
Health
Natural unprocessed foods and hydration for a balanced diet. There are many ways to assemble a health oriented meal plan, at's as easy as starting a new habit!
Are you more action oriented? Movement is a key daily habit for Wellness in the Zona Azul Plan de Vida! See our Yoga page in the menu, tune in for Sir Hex A Lot's weekly yoga flow on Instagram @costaricabluezone or check out a special focus video recorded on Youtube channel "Zona Azul Yoga with Sir Hex A Lot."
Purpose
Your raison d'etre and your way to give back to the greater good.
To help develop more deeply in Purpose, see our Mindfulness page, we share 3 types of practicing Mindfulness, so you've got options! Forest Bathing (What is that!?), Meditation, and lowering stress levels through deep breathing and somatic relaxation. Find out more, clink the link in the photo!
In the famous words of one Costa Rican host on the spirit of Pura Vida:
“Pura Vida for me is everything, like Pura Vida is ‘oh my goodness it’s a good day, I love this day, I love my life, I like to speak with you, Pura Vida,’ yeah!”-Carmen, Tortuga Lodge Costa Rica from Lucas Jahn YouTube documentary
Zona Azul Wellness symbol
Internal Focus
Connecting: with Nature, BFFs
Healthy Diet, Portion Appropriate, & Hydration
Healthy Diet, Portion Appropriate, & Hydration
Costa Rica Blue Zone Service, CR Zona Azul, is first and foremost about Ecotours. Feeling connected with Nature and sharing this with you is our purpose, our mission. Sharing this experience with those close to you is the best!
Healthy Diet, Portion Appropriate, & Hydration
Healthy Diet, Portion Appropriate, & Hydration
Healthy Diet, Portion Appropriate, & Hydration
Drinking a glass of water along with your meal helps the body get the nutrients it needs and enhances feeling satisfied with a health foods. What are your favorite natural foods? Try some new fresh foods meal preparation.
Mindfulness
Healthy Diet, Portion Appropriate, & Hydration
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a key way to de-stress and restore yourself. Whether through meditation, spending time in Nature (Forest Bathing) even walking or Yoga shifting your attention to being open in the here and now is the Pura Vida way!
External Focus
Family, Friends & extended Community
Higher Purpose -Give to the greater good
Family, Friends & extended Community
Where do you feel being loved, being a member of the tribe matters the most to you? Extended family, community groups, church or social tribe (inner circle) sharing and spending time as part of a group strengthens resilience and health in the body and mind.
Fitness Activity & Healthy Beauty
Higher Purpose -Give to the greater good
Family, Friends & extended Community
Build it if you want to have it. Your physical health and beauty that is, another way to say use or lose it! Can you alot 20 minutes a day to a favorite form of self-care routine? You'll feel better, the habit is what matters. Having a habit makes completing it each day much easier.
Higher Purpose -Give to the greater good
Higher Purpose -Give to the greater good
Higher Purpose -Give to the greater good
Finally, aside from what you do in your daily life, who are you? What is your life about? Is it achieving professional excellence? Contributing to the academic community? Giving to your family's happiness? Connecting with your Purpose sets your Plan de Vida.