SOMA surf camp

"be in the moment," she said, as i tried to not be distracted by the butterflies fluttering amid the wildflowers outside the thatch hut gabriella uses as her popoyo yoga studio. i tried to focus on my breathing, "om, shanti," and calm the shaking leg holding myself in warrior two. 

we were on vacation for a ten day surf and yoga camp and each day had been better than the prior. our host, SOMA surf resort, gave us all the connections and set up all the activities and transport during our stay-- and there were many. we hiked Mombacho Volcano, explored Granada, galloped on the beach, surfed almost daily, did yoga, kick boxing, lounged by the pool, napped in hammocks, got massages, went deep sea fishing, and (of course) had a visit and private session with a shaman. but despite all the activities and early morning wake-ups to fit it all in, we leave feeling relaxed, full from all the delicious meals SOMA created, and have smiles, sun, stories, and yes, some bruises to show for the past days adventures.

it's not every day that you have the opportunity to spend a week and a half with two of your best friends in the remote tropics of Nicaragua. so when my friend, Alexis, suggested and researched the details of the trip, it was a no brainer that I was in. SOMA surf resort was rated #1 in Trip Advisor and while we certainly sought a "surf camp" to improve (OK, learn) our surfing abilities, "resort" was more our travel temperature. what Casey and her husband, Bill, the owners, have created is a beautiful hillside respite that allows you to feel relaxed and catered to, but even better, like a personal guest of theirs. at times they would relax with us in the pool, and at other times they would be the ones bringing our Tona beers or Flor de Cana cocktails. having previously been Calvin Klein's VP of marketing for 17 years, Casey has an eye for detail, precision, and luxury. those all transferred over to the way she runs SOMA, crafting a tightly run, beautiful, comfortable retreat for her guests. and while she runs the business side of the operation, no surf camp would be worthwhile without a surf guru.

Bill tried to put us on the best waves and showed us the many beautiful beaches and breaks, but as the novices we were, regardless of all the pointers and instructions he provided, we still managed to ingest more sand and sea than we thought possible. but "that which does not kill you only makes you stronger" and we are certainly stronger surfers, albeit worse for the wear. by the end of our ten days we were on hard tops and learning to turn, a huge improvement in our eyes.

as the Shaman told me as I lay on the table on our last night, having just had my chakras opened, "this trip is a turning point. a new beginning. you may not know why now, but you will discover it in the coming days." and while I have yet to identify the degree to which i have changed, i know that for that week, there was no other time, place, or moment i was to be in.