The Essence of a Blue Zone

Retreat Blogs

May 9

What is a blue zone really? This term where people on average live the longest is not something that people living in blue zones ever dreamed up. So, I thought it would help to hear from someone who grew up in a blue zone about this term. What does this term, blue zone, mean to the people who live in “the zone”?

Have a listen to or read the first few minutes of the interview I did with Marian Paniagua.

Mya: I like that this time we opened up the time together off recording so we can just jump right in! And those listening know that we just spent some time really creating intentionality behind what we're going to share.

Marian: Yes, yes. It's a very intimate space. And intention is the most important thing. When we get serious about it and we call on our spirits and our guides and we put intention to anything we do, then the outcome, is more rich. So yes, thank you for reminding me 'cause I actually, I was ready to just start the meeting right away, but then you said, no, I need this, I need to open the sacred space... So thank you for reminding me, that's what we do for each other…And today, I'm glad I was you reminded me to pause before opening this discussion about the Blue Zone! A cool subject. I really like this subject a lot.

Mya: It's a really cool idea, and the blue zone concept, I know was in the back of my mind before I came to Costa Rica for the first time. But when I came and I started to see these businesses built around the Blue Zone, that was like, Oh! I can buy spices from the Blue Zone and maybe I'll live longer! It's an idea that started to come more to the forefront of my thoughts. But it brings up so much because WHY do we care about Blue Zones in the first place???

Marian: I think that the reason why we care about Blue Zones in the first place is because we all as humans, and at least the ones who are enjoying this experience so much like we are, we want to extend that as much as possible. We want to live longer lives.

I was talking to a friend yesterday, sharing with him that through this process of self-awareness and self-knowledge and all that we do in yoga ceremonies, making life a ceremony, I had three beautiful realizations in life: one, I wasn't afraid of dying anymore, I wasn't afraid of death. Then later it was that I'm not afraid anymore of losing my parents anymore, I used to panic about it and think like, “Oh my God”, what am I gonna do when they die... And now I made peace with it, and I don't feel this anxiety that I used to feel before about them hurting.

And the third one is that is losing that implanted belief and feeling of not wanting to get old, nobody wants to get old. Nobody wants to lose their beauty, everybody wants to be forever young, and I got to the realization that I don't care anymore. Like the other day I saw an old lady who was walking slowly, and really wrinkled and she was maybe 90, and I thought, “Oh my God, Please let me get there, let me get there..

In a way where you don’t care about time, you walk super slowly. Imagine all the wisdom and peace that you can have (hopefully) when you are that age. Those who are enjoying life so much, the way we're doing it, is what we want to extend the most possible... So when we hear that there's five places in the world where people live longer. And for example, you, you are like, wait a minute, I have a house close to one of those spaces, you're like, I want to access that! I want to learn, I want to get to penetrate that secret and embody it!