The Incredible Benefits Of “Water Therapy”

I discovered water therapy by accident when I visited Ubud (a village in Bali, popular for its many healing modalities) for a mini getaway and asked my spiritual teacher what would be a fun, relaxing, and unconventional activity to experience. When she recommended Watsu — a form of aquatic bodywork used for deep relaxation and therapy…

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3 Ways To Transform Any Obstacle Into An Opportunity

Last month, I was about to catch a flight at the Guatemala City airport when I noticed that my passport and US permanent residency card was missing. As you can imagine, losing all my travel documents in a foreign country during a work trip (and to rub salt in the wound, on the same day…

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Words Beyond Translation: Ojalá

Cusco, Peru How often does what we desperately wish for come true? Ojalá has always been one of my favorite Spanish words, perhaps precisely for the magic and the possibility that it holds. Although it is directly translated to “hopefully,” ojalá actually derives from an Arabic expression: “ma sha allah,” which means “should God will…

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Words Beyond Translation: Ichi-go Ichi-e

A Japanese Encounter in Nepal Think of all the people you meet in your lifetime. What if you recognized each of those encounters as irreplicable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and gave them your utmost presence and attention? Literally translated into ichi (one) go (time) ichi (one) e (meeting/encounter), ichi-go ichi-e is an old Japanese proverb that means…

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Words Beyond Translation: Hacerle Ganas

Antigua, Guatemala The expression “hacerle ganas” in Spanish captures a sentiment of strength and perseverance that I’ve consistently found present in Latin American cultures: specifically, what it means to keep moving forward towards a goal, even when faced with adversity. Hacerle ganas roughly means “to create the desire.” It is rooted in the common idiomatic…

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What We Can All Learn From Costa Rica’s Pura Vida Philosophy

Ease. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of Costa Rica. Not because life there is easy, but because the Costa Ricans make it effortless. How? Through their mindset and attitude. You may have heard of the very popular Costa Rican phrase, Pura Vida, which translates to “pure life.” It’s also…

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Words Beyond Translation: Retrouvailles

When I think of a reunion, I imagine two long-lost lovers running towards one another, limbs akimbo as fireworks play in the background. But in reality, encounters between loved ones are much simpler and meaningful than that. Rooted in the word “retrouver,” which literally means “to find something again,” the French word retrouvailles is a…

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Why I’ll Always Love Bali, An Island Paradise Like No Other

I’ve traveled to over 50 countries in six continents, and to this day, Bali is still one of my favorite places in the world. When I first arrived in Bali last year, I felt broken. Six months prior, I had left my corporate life in New York City behind, and was in the midst of…

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Words Beyond Translation: Vale la Pena

Lazio, Italy Vale la pena is an Italian expression that has a direct translation but, as a native Italian speaker, I can tell you that it’s not quite the same. Vale la pena means “it’s worth it,” yet there is a keyword in the Italian phrase that is lost in the English version: pena, punishment. In Italian,…

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Words Beyond Translation: Waldeinsamkeit

Colorado, United States I recently came to learn of a German word that perfectly captures one’s deep and intimate connection with nature. Waldeinsamkeit roughly translates to “the feeling of being alone in the woods.” The structure of the word says it all: “wald” means woods/forest, and “einsamkeit” means loneliness or solitude. This word is about…

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Words Beyond Translation: Lagom

Skinnskatteberg, Sweden The Swedes are well-known for their minimalist, functional, and sustainable approach to living, and this is reflected in the untranslatable word lagom. Lagom means not too much and not too little: it’s just the right amount, and as the Swedish proverb goes, “the right amount is best.” Lagom asks us to create balance in…

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Words Beyond Translation: Saudade

No one had to teach me the meaning of saudade, because I’ve intimately understood it since I could speak. Saudade is a famous Portuguese word: countless articles have been written trying to capture its essence, but none of them have quite explained how it makes me feel. Saudade is a feeling of longing, melancholy, desire,…

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Words Beyond Translation: Kefi

Celinne_Da_Costa

I experienced kefi before I even knew it was a word. Kefi accurately captures Greek culture as I’ve experienced it. The word roughly translates to: the spirit of joy, passion, euphoria, enthusiasm, exuberance, frenzy. It’s that overpowering emotion you have when you completely let go in the moment, release inhibitions, and allow yourself to joyfully feel…

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Words Beyond Translation: Rasa

Celinne_Da_Costa

JAVA, INDONESIA As a writer and a traveler, I scavenge the world for words that carry far more meaning than their direct translation. Laden with context, multifaceted, and tailored to culture, these words can only be understood when we experience them. During my visit to Java, I serendipitously found myself in front of a small,…

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Why Do We Fight For What We Don’t Want?

Celinne_Da_Costa

It’s strange to think how much the trajectory of our lives can be dictated by society’s definition of success. Why do we waste time and energy fighting for what we don’t want, rather than unapologetically pursue our own passions? 

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