UVITA, COSTA RICA — Growth is a word exchanged often around the Envision Festival community. We talk about the growth of plants: the growth of herbs and vegetables planted in a personal garden to treat ailments and provide nourishment. The growth of the bio-diversity of the ecosystem surrounding coastal Rancho La Merced, Envision Festival’s site and home. The growth of trees planted on the property by years of festival-goers past, participating in the annual tree planting ceremony, or by Federico Gutierrez, the property caretaker who cares for the grounds during the wet season.

We talk about the growth of community: the growth of urban gardens to allow neighbors to teach and to learn together. The growth of trust between strangers and festival-goers that easily become friends; the growth of women, empowered by their connection to one another and their femininity. And we talk about the growth of ourselves: the growth to become a deeper trained music producer or visual performer. The growth of the mind after meditation practice and achieving stillness. The growth of the heart after constantly opening up to strangers; and after it all, the growth of the field of vision when each person realizes the world is much bigger than they originally could see.

Envision Festival’s ability to grow strong lies in the passion and versatility of its programming.  The creators of Envision are hands on. Sarah Wu, one of the festival’s founders can be found daily across the event hosting workshops and leading ecosystem tours of the property. To hear her speak is to understand her inspiring scope of knowledge and purity of passion. She lives as a permaculturist, and brings the knowledge of plants to intertwine with the festival at every turn. A walk through the central hub known as the Village will find the Village Witches hosting an Elixir Bar, as well as a herbal healing clinic that trains and graduates many professionals in herbal medicine.

This is not the only big creator that interacts on a personal level. In fact, many of the Envision presenters, teachers, and artists can be found participating in the festival events. JAI DEV SINGH, Kundalini yoga guru, and head of the festival’s sponsor partner, Life Force Academy, made mention in his classes of walking among the crowds of dancers previous evenings. I can confirm, he was standing mere feet away when I noticed him at RÜFÜS DU SOL, as Saturday night touched Sunday morning. The headlining set at the technicolor Sol stage was not to be missed, it was clear.

These interactions bring a tight sense of community through familiarity. Over the course of the seven event days, small interactions with people from a yoga class make pals at a permaculture workshop, then by Sunday on the dancefloor, lifelong friends.  There is a set of pillars the festival is built on that include sustainability, music, movement, art, education, health and spirituality. Each attendee’s interest in some combination of these topics fall somewhere above the norm, and those passions motivate them to make the decision to join the event. The like-minded energy of the people surrounding every action throughout the day creates a buzz felt by everyone sharing the experience.

The group’s communal attitude softly nudges each individual towards growth and presents a challenge to look deeper. Pura Vida is a Costa Rican phrase that translates directly into “pure life” but means going with the flow.

At Envision, flow state is a phrase encountered in dance classes and meditation sessions alike. In in this case, it can also be seen live in each eyes closed, arms up, big smile sway at the CLOZEE sunrise set. A flow state is a feeling of surrender to within, a way of clearing the mind regardless of the actions of the body. Envision is full of so many moments of flow, in fact, that the term “default world” gets tossed around as an alternative to the community present in the days of the event.

There are comments presented at workshops about the carbon footprint of each traveler’s flight to reach Envision, and the hypocrisy of looking past it in a land of sustainability and regeneration forums. Bumble is brought up as a curiously corporate sponsor decision. “I see commercialism as the transitional ethic of consumerism,” explains Sarah Wu. “Selling out is a double edged sword…and djs are paid too much.” Rising costs, including a new luxury tax implemented in Costa Rica means becoming creative for ways to keep ticket prices similar year-over-year.

Anything from a sponsor in the realm of giveaway was screened to be useful, and the stories for each sponsor came from a place of meaning, yet edginess in their respective community. Envision Festival, its producers, its artists and its attendees have in its 10 years become self-aware.

The late night ragers wandering back to the tent from TIPPER can meet the morning yoga buffs heading out for breakfast before class and the surfers catching the opening hours at the beach. At Envision, they co-exist because each is passionate about their actions and bursting into each moment of their experience. For each moment of awe and beauty comes a pressing wave of inspiration, sometimes to heal but always grow. Maybe to live more in the moment, maybe to bring a new idea back home, maybe to begin a journey – the growth comes in different ways.

Envision Festival wants to share its teachings with you on its beautiful grounds and treat you to stunning performances. It is aware where its weaknesses lie, and isn’t afraid to talk about problems head on, explain itself, or take criticism. Its strength lies in the passion behind the hands and minds that make the festival grow and the beautiful experience that the passion has created after 10 years of learning and teaching.

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Written by: Laura Sowers