Mindfulness on demand
How Off-Grid Living in the Jungle Teaches Us Effortless Presence
I was recently inspired to write this piece while describing our jungle life to family back home, struck by their perception of the constant perils that surround us. It made me reflect on the organic mindfulness demanded by this wilderness environment compared to the sense of ease and autopilot that can set in with urban living.
As I take another slow step through the humid jungle, a vibrant blue morpho butterfly flutters into view, its wings shimmering iridescent against the verdant foliage. I stop to admire its graceful flight, struck by how rarely I ever paused to appreciate such fleeting beauty back in the rush of urban commutes…
Mindfulness meditation has become quite the buzzword lately, touted as an antidote to modern distress. The practice encourages focused attention — consciously tuning into the present moment without judgment. And research continues revealing mindfulness’ benefits — lowered stress, increased focus, more vibrant health.
Yet carving out time for seated silent meditation can prove challenging amidst society’s emphasis on productivity and achieving future goals. The non-stop stimuli of the urban way of life easily distract attention inward. So mindfulness gets relegated to the realm of nice-to-have rather than a practical priority.
Here, in the Costa Rican jungle, we are discovering effortless mindfulness simply by embedding in surroundings that mandate tuning into the present. The raging mind I used to battle during meditation back home has been replaced by a vigilant presence organic to this wilderness existence.
Vigilant Awareness — No Choice But to Tune In
The humid jungle air hangs heavy as I gingerly watch for my next barefoot foothold, wary of thorns or any startled wildlife. Over the morning chatter of monkeys and birds, my husband calls out “Mind the snakes!” I pause my movement to scan the dense foliage by my ankles before taking another conscious step along the winding jungle trail behind our Costa Rican homestead.
I’ve noticed my family and friends back in The Netherlands perceive our life here as perilous. And while reasonable dangers exist, as a snake could lurk behind any bromeliad, I’ve found the vigilant presence the jungle demands has unlocked invaluable lessons about mindful living that modern distractions often obscured back in our former city life.
Our cautious morning trek is a far cry from the autopilot commutes we used to sleepwalk through in our urban life, focused more on the day’s tasks than the present sights and sounds. Now in the lush wilderness of the jungle, mindfulness arrives effortlessly — every step demands purposeful awareness as we’re embedded in the pulse of the natural world.
In the Moment Rewards — Beauty, Gratitude, and Awe
As I take another step through the shaded jungle corridor, that same morpho butterfly floats into view, its vibrant wings shimmering bright against the lush green. I stop once again struck by its grace — and a swell of gratitude for this magical moment that would’ve passed unseen back in my morning rush. Here in the jungle’s embrace, we inhabit the present moment out of necessity — vigilant to avoid dangers that could lurk just one distracted step away.
But this constant existence in the now unlocks rewards, too — a stillness unlike I’ve ever experienced, even amidst birdsong and chattering wildlife all around. With no room in one’s awareness for lingering worries about work or “what-ifs,” I find myself simply basking in our surroundings — the chorus of frogs after an afternoon rain; the sweet scent of night-blooming ylang ylang under a full moon. This enforced immersion in the present moment brings a tangible sense of awe and gratitude that modern distractions often obscured back home.
We cherish the jungle’s gift of a new vista every dawn. No two sunrises unveil the same display here, as if the rainforest delights in surprising all inhabitants each morning. Some days the sunrise palette spills brilliant tangerines and fuchsias across the canopy through lingering night fog, only to be chased by beams of vermillion streaming through parting mist. Other dawns we wake to painstaking watercolor wisps of purple and peach. And after stormy nights, the sunrise presents us a vision of sheer gold, rich and glinting with promise after the storm clouds take leave. Every morning, the avian choir voices a unique medley composed just for each passing daybreak. We breathe deep the sweet scents of night blooming jasmine and ylang ylang flowers only exposed once heat or rain coaxes them open. However the skies unveil their artistry each dawn, we are captivated spectators ready to greet the day’s particular marvel.
Enforced Slowness — Shedding Hurry to Center Presence
This jungle living also demands we slow down — both in pace and mindset. Back in the rush of city life, urgency reigned; busyness equaled importance. Here, enveloped within the untamed jungle, hurry holds little meaning. We’ve adapted our days to the rhythms of the natural world that surrounds us.
Navigating thick tree roots and muddy trails requires carefully planted feet — you cannot speed through sometimes slippery, sometimes broken terrain. But as we shed the constant pressure to maximize productivity, we’ve discovered a sweetness in unhurried existence. My morning ritual of hand-grinding cacao for my breakfast oats grounds me in sensory satisfaction that instantly available breakfast mix once obscured. We linger over meals, not to fill time, but to fully savor flavors and the company.
Where once we’d hustle through grocery aisles grabbing canned or packed essentials, we now mindfully prepare household staples from start to finish with our own hands. Like crafting coconut milk from scratch (a luxury that stores back in Europe sells criminally cheap considering the labor involved). We head out early before the day’s swelter to select the five ripest coconuts, chopping them open with a machete. We then collect the sweet water, taking care not to spill a drop. Onto our DIY coconut grater contraption we grate the white flesh before one’s arm tires. Finally we blend the grated coconut with the coconut water, letting the mixture strain for hours through a cheesecloth. This entire endeavor occupies most of a morning. But we relish in this self-sufficiency and take meditative pleasure from partaking in the sweet fruit of our mindfulness with the very first pouring of rich homemade coconut milk over similarly rich homemade Thai green curry.
Back in urban environs, days were governed by ticking clocks. Now our days unfold according to the passing of the sun and changing of the seasons. We rise with the dawn chorus, rearrange outdoor tasks based on the shifting sunlight and rainfall, and often find ourselves orchestrating evening meals by moonlight, not wanting precious time to waste. The strict delineations that appointments and schedules impose are replaced by a more fluid sequence of the organic clues and cues the natural world provides. We estimate sunset is nearing when hummingbird and nectar bat activity suddenly surges. The afternoon rains arrive right as the flock of green parrots take shelter. It may sound trivial, but aggregating our days around such innate environmental signals rather than sharp appointments has fostered a profoundly different sense of time, presence, and place within this ecosystem.
Interwoven Connectedness — Part of the Greater Jungle Whole
Beyond vigilant awareness and shed hurry, the jungle also cultivates in us a visceral sense of interconnection that urban life had obscured. Somehow dwelling within the vibrant diversity of flora and fauna erases separations; gone is the human sense of distinct exceptionalism when we find ourselves beholden each day to the intricate workings of the habitat holding us in its palms. Perhaps it’s the direct dependence on this environment for safety and sustenance — drinking from jungle streams, warming in the sun, taking shelter under broad leaves in the rain.
Some of our most cherished moments in the jungle have been chance encounters where rainforest unpredictability reveals itself in the form of fellow creature inhabitants. We were transfixed for nearly an hour by a diminutive sloth so still in the branches above we thought him a knot on the tree until he ever-so-slowly turned his head and met our gaze. My heart leapt one afternoon as I spied that telltale ringed tail weaving through terrain ahead — Bruno the coati, a regular resident during forage hours but never failing to delight. And a mama spider monkey’s perfect miniature son on her belly serving as our guide one hot day to strengthen community bonds. Or startling squadrons of crimson macaws erupting through the canopy as we collect eggs from our chicken coop.
Back in our old schedules, absorbed in work calls and errands and endless planning, such unplanned levity could pass unseen right in front of us despite constant conveniences and comforts. Here, we relish with childlike amazement the wildlife surprises that hasten our hearts and invite us to share in their whimsical world.
Beyond our animal neighbors, we feel deeply connected to the very land, waterways and skies holding us. We plan our daily tasks accounting for downpours that bring relief from the heat but also muddy the trails, slow to dry in the humidity. As sweat drips in the oppressive midday heat, we retreat like lizards to a shady grove or relish a passing breeze finally filtering through the treetops, reminding us of the preciousness of a simple gust. During especially muggy spells, we follow the birds’ lead, undertaking tasks that align with positions of the shifting sunlight that penetrates the canopy at opportune times. And when gazing up at tree branches, heavy with fruits, we are overcome with gratitude for provisions and abundance born of this rich earth. Where once modern infrastructure lulled us into feeling removed from immediate environs, here our fundamental sustenance and survival is braided to the land, rainfall, and ambient elements that envelope us.
As the first hints of dawn welcome a new day, I inhale the earthy aroma of jungle soil underfoot while on my mindful loop along the forest trail. I pause and close my eyes, listening to the soothing daybreak melody of birds greeting sunrise. A smile surfaces as I open my eyes to their songs — what wondrous teachers they’ve been.
We originally came to the Costa Rican wilderness seeking adventure, change, a break from modern routine. But this choice rooted us in something far more profound — an abiding mindfulness that arrives effortlessly here in the jungle’s embrace. The hazards demand vigilance; the beauty sparks appreciation. The slowness centers presence; the interconnection ignites awe.
Having tasted the organic awareness this environment cultivates, I wish for those living in the cities the stillness, the wonder that we’ve found here.
For us, the inside track to mindful living was simply embedding in surroundings that left no choice but to tune in fully to each sensory moment. Perhaps the jungles inside all cities hold similar secrets, waiting to be discovered once we shed our usual routines and open our senses to the present, remembering again how to wonder.
If you like my photos, please visit my instagram
If you would like to support us and become part of the sustainable off-grid living, read the story on our fundraiser page. We’re giving vouchers and name badges for baby trees to those who donate!
Read more updates about our sustainable off-grid living on our facebook page
