Lana Wedmore - Married to Paradise: One Womans Courageous Journey of Intuition, Passion, and Purpose to Build an Eco Lodge in the Rainforest

Married to Paradise: One Womans Courageous Journey of Intuition, Passion, and Purpose to Build an Eco Lodge in the Rainforest

2020 by Lana Wedmore. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This story is told from the authors experience and perspective. Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Published in the United States by WriteLife Publishing

(an imprint of Boutique of Quality Books Publishing Company, Inc.)

www.writelife.com

Printed in the United States of America

978-1-60808-232-2 (p)

978-1-60808-233-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020933075

Book design by Robin Krauss, www.bookformatters.com

Cover design by Rebecca Lown, www.rebeccalowndesign.com

First editor: Michelle Booth

Second editor: Olivia Swenson

CONTENTS

T o my mother for teaching me about respect and values; my father for teaching me about philosophy and astrology; and my stepfather for teaching me to be courageous and to work hard for what you want in this life. To everyone who has been a part of my life, thank you for all of your love and support.

M arried to Paradise first germinated within the lush and airy space of the Rancho Grande, or great room, at Luna Lodge. There, I sit with guests and friends during meals and we share our stories. These stories are rich, full of the flesh and bones and heartbeats of our lives. We travel into whole worlds of existence that span the globe.

My stories come from more than thirty years of living within the wilds of the Costa Rican rainforest. I tell of when a boa constrictor nearly squeezed my dog to death. I tell of how a white hawk once cast his glorious shadow across my body while I lay in Savasana, and so became my friend and guide. But most importantly, I tell of how, by following my intuition and overcoming great odds, I built my lifes dream: a lodge nestled in the middle of a rainforest, and how through this experience, I found my true home.

After relating my stories, guests would look at me in awe, and then exclaim, Lana, you have to write a book. You have to record this tale for the world to read. It is important and it will help people. For years I listened to this response, from hundreds of people, but I was so busy with the lodge and with projects that Im passionate about, such as preserving the rainforest, saving sea turtles, and preventing fish farming in our area, that I never ventured into writing.

One day, when yet another guest at the lodge told me he thought I should write a book, I told him my life was so complicated that I wouldnt even know where to focus a book. He said a lovely thing that remained with me: Write it all. There was such freedom in that notion. It was as though the sky opened and I was flying with my friend the white hawk.

One morning shortly after that, I awoke and said to myself, Im writing a book!

A decade before, a journalist had come to the lodge to write an article for La Vie Claire, a magazine adorned with rich photos and published out of the U.S. She wrote of her experience on the Osa Peninsula including a detailed account of the liberating time she had at Luna Lodge. She introduced me in the article as a magical Shaman who talked with the forests animals, always reaching for my highest dreams and inspiring others to do the same. She captured the true essence of Luna Lodge; I loved the article so much I kept a copy of it in the Rancho Grande for guests to read.

The day I decided to write this book, I called the journalist who wrote that article, Lesley S. King. We hadnt spoken in a decade but she said she had thought of me over the years, and had wondered if I would ever want to write a book. I told her I sensed it was time for this project because of what I was going through. My boyfriend of twelve years and I had just broken up, so I had more space to focus.

As we began the writing process, I could see the Divines hand in it. I realized how much I needed to give myself love and attention. After so many years of giving to the community, to the lodge, and to my boyfriend, I had forgotten about myself. Writing Married to Paradise became a way for me to heal. I thought I was here on this earth to help protect the rainforest, but now I know that Im here to do that, and more; Im here to help people become more aware of their need to heal themselves. Now I know my mission is to heal myself, to help heal others, and to heal Pachamama, Mother Earth.

As Lesley and I recorded the beginnings of this creation, we went all the way back to my childhood and my struggles and accomplishments as a young adult, and the experiences that shaped me and gave me the courage to meet the momentous challenges of building a lodge in the rainforest. Through this process, an interesting thing occurred, which often happens when we open up to a new experience in our lives. As my outer life came onto the page, my inner life began to swell with the power of a tsunami. Suddenly, my spiritual path gained momentum. I had pursued spirituality for many years through yoga and study with many inspiring teachers who came to Luna Lodge, but this felt like a crucial new beginning. Revelations came to me daily about my family, my work, my past, and future. The revelations about my past helped heal some deep wounds. Most notably, my sister and I had been estranged for a decade, and through the great surge of love I was experiencing, we reconciled. During this time I also became a Forest Bathing Guide and a Reiki Master.

Everything happens in the Divines perfect time. When I built Luna Lodge I was being guided, but I didnt know it. I achieved my dream by listening to my intuition, and that fundamental idea threads throughout this book. My soul was guiding me, and I knew that I had to build this place, and I had to be in this place to feel this deep, healing love.

These days, Im traveling a lot. I speak and raise money for the White Hawk Foundation, whose mandate is to set aside rainforest to preserve it. I also speak about healing within, and the value of doing forest bathing. This work helps me see how much the world needs a book like Married to Paradise. People are ready to return to the more elemental part of themselves, to get in touch with their senses and with the love that each one has within.

After my travels in a world that can be chaotic and extroverted, I always return to the rainforest. This sumptuous place throbbing with life calls me back, and I know that I am blessed to have this way of reconnecting with myself. We each have our ways, though in our busyness, its easy to ignore them. This book, I hope, will serve as a reminder to many to come back into themselves, into the tastes, sounds, and sensations of life, the sensuality that can be such a gift every day if we only open to the now and pay attention.

My father used to quote Ralph Waldo Emerson to me: Do the thing and you will have the power. In writing this book, we took a step and then another. It took two years to write it, and then we set out to find a publisher. We were graced with an excellent one, that offers a lot of support throughout the process of birthing a book into the world. Now Married to Paradise has manifested, with a stunning cover and an inspiring story. Through taking one step, whole new worlds opened to me. Thats what I did when I built the lodge, too. I stepped in and took action. This story inspired new beginnings for me. I hope it will do the same for you.