Wild Thing Co.

The following morning in Nosara, shuttles were arriving every few hours and dropping of four or more new students at a time. Three girls had moved into the room across from mine, but I had no sign of roommates yet. I was anxiously awaiting meeting who I’d be sharing my space with for the next three weeks. Then, I was hanging out organizing my bunk when my new roommate walked in. Her name was Taylor, she was from New York. Right away I loved her accent and her tough exterior. We were going to get along just fine.

That afternoon Bodhi Tree was buzzing with blooming friendships, trips to the beach, and students settling into their new spaces. In the evening we met in one of the primary yoga chalets to have our first official gathering. There were thirty mats set up in a circle, one for each of us. Thirty travel-worn but enthusiastic faces looked around the room at one another as our teachers Silvia Mordini and Emily Perry entered the chalet. Just imagine a group of strangers brought together from all around the world to stand in a room in the middle of a jungle. It was actually happening. Now. There was so much excitement in the air, I could taste it.

I’m not going to go into full detail about what happened over the next three weeks, but the entire experience was intimate and transformative. The days were long, hard, wonderful, satisfying, challenging, peaceful, emotional, healing, hot, wet, and often times full of mosquitos. I could never recreate that journey of self discovery. There were times that I wanted to give up. But my mantra grew louder and louder every day and with every challenge I successfully tackled: “I can do anything.”

It was the epitome of a once in a lifetime experience.

So at the end of August, when the time came to say goodbye to Bodhi Tree and all of my newly official yoga teacher friends, I was sad. But I knew in my heart that I had returned home to myself. I knew that I could do anything. I had quit my old life to listen to my heart, and here I was. A certified yoga instructor with an entirely new journey ahead of me. I was still trying to digest the experience, but the amount of work I had done over the last six months — both emotionally and physically — had set me up for whatever the next chapter of my life had in store. I had done the work. And I had done it honestly. I faced my demons and opened myself up to whatever could be. I put myself out there and put every ounce of myself into my creative work.

When I stepped off the plane at PDX I realized that the only souvenir I had brought home with me was a toolbox of skills, knowledge, and self-confidence. I felt like I could do anything. As I picked up my backpack from baggage claim I felt softer but stronger. More flexible but more driven. I could see my dreams in vivid color right in front of me and knew how to snatch them right out of thin air.

So that’s what I did.

Welcome to my dream: Wild Thing Co. A collective space for anyone who feels like their heart is calling them to speak their truth and chase their dreams. This is a space to promote the wild at heart and to bring us all together. To inspire one another. This is a space for every person who has ever felt like they were born to create. Or for anyone that has felt the desire to express themselves but hasn’t had a platform to do so. For those who feel most at home in your body or heart when you are your most creative self. I see you, I support you, and I dedicate this space to you.

So without any further ado, welcome home wild ones and stretchy minded people.

Creating space for wild ideas.

Rachel Montana

Editor in Chief, Yoga Teacher. Wild Thing Co.