DISPATCH FROM NICARAGUA
written by: Victoria Rutledge
With great privilege and joy, I am writing this blog post from beautiful San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. For the last two years, Elizabeth and I have had the pleasure of spending a week at Costa Dulce, an eco-lodge nestled atop a slope that cascades onto a white sand beach. The waves are steady and perfect for beginner surfers, there are no rip tides, but plenty of what folks this year are calling “tubes,” a translucent tubular sea creature that is completely harmless, and still very interesting to swim through. If one tires of surfing and boogie boarding, there are three pools to bathe in, including a newly added infinity pool next to the lookout yoga studio, where sea and sky come together. It’s impossibly breathtaking, more than I have words to say.
As I write this, it is only Tuesday, which means for most of us in our deeply over-scheduled lives, we are just starting to feel our shoulders fall away from our ears, the creases in our foreheads soften, and the pressure to be in “go-mode” fade. The simple luxury of three fabulous meals a day that one has absolutely no hand in preparing is enough to set my mind at ease. Pair that with the deeply complimentary teaching styles of Elizabeth and myself (she teaches me incredible new alignment breakthroughs every morning, I lull our sunburned bodies into softness with gentle stretching and yoga nidra) and the whole week feels like an indulgence beyond belief.
Not the kind of White Lotus Indulgence though.
And without any spoilers, I would say that there is a real remedy to spiritual malaise in this place. Everything is outside. Howler monkeys, resident cats and dogs, and vibrantly colored birds join us for mealtimes. It’s hard not to feel like a small and peaceful part of something more beautiful, more meaningful. But maybe that’s just the sun, sand, and chlorine going to my head. Thankfully, there is an option for a four handed massage to press me back into my body, and reality.
We are already looking at the calendar for 2026, watching as Costa Dulce adds more beautiful single rooms and amenities to the property. As for me, I’ll try my best to stay in the moments as they happen, and come back to Portland resourced and committed to delivering heart centered practices. And of course, to tempt you to join me next year.
Interested in joining us next year? Email us for more information & to maybe even lock in a deal :)
(p.s. payment plans available)
