Ever since I started practicing yoga, I always wanted to go on a yoga retreat. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew as part of my ‘yes’ year, I needed to go. So after extensive research and going back and forth for a few days, I decided on an Ayurveda detox yoga retreat in Tulum Mexico. All I read was ‘yoga retreat’ and ‘Mexico’, so the Ayurveda detox part was a surprise, but it led to an unexpected lifestyle change which resulted in me giving up caffeine.
For 7 days I did sunrise and sunset yoga with a small group of enthusiastic yogis, each one of us coming to Mexico with a different reason but connected by our love for yoga. Before sunrise yoga, our private chef Alfredo would have a detox drink ready for us, I can’t tell you what was in it but it was tasty. Sunrise yoga was a dream, practicing while listening to the sound of the waves and the gentle breeze on my face, truly magical. After yoga, we would have breakfast which was always something different, healthy and well plated. Our meals were carefully crafted and made with such care, all following an Ayurveda diet, which is similar to a vegan diet but based on your dosha. During a workshop I learned that doshas are types of energy that circulate in your body. There are 3 doshas that are responsible for physiological functions. So knowing which one of the main characteristics for each dosha you match best with, can help determine which foods should be part of your diet. I of course had never heard of any of this and found it all very insightful.
My mornings were usually spent napping or reading, then lunch which was another delicious wholesome meal. During the afternoons, I was either reading, or exploring Playa del Carmen, which I fell in love with. I know this isn’t the real Mexico but the very touristy version with the shops and restaurants but I still loved it. I caught a glimpse of some of the real Mexico, that wasn’t behind the guarded gated communities where tourists stayed in their holiday homes or the millions of luxurious resorts. As you can imagine there was quite a contrast and I wasn’t surprised by what I saw, it left me feeling a little sad.
As part of the retreat, there were organized excursions which saw me visiting the Tulum Ruins on an unbelievably hot day. I am a little embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know anything about them and was interested to hear that they were one of the last cities inhabited by the Maya people. The Tulum Ruins overlook the Caribbean Sea and were one of the few enclosed cities built by the Mayas. Visiting the Ruins was especially important to me as it was well preserved. I couldn’t help but think of Great Zimbabwe that I visited so long ago as a child. The Tulum Ruins were a snapshot of a period in history of some of the cleverest people who invented the Mayan calendar and according to our guide, developed a sophisticated writing system during that era. I was especially fascinated by how they studied the seasons and would be the source of information of when the locals should start harvesting or planting crops. I was truly fascinated and a little embarrassed at having no in depth knowledge despite priding myself on being a history nerd.
One of the excursions was an afternoon at a cenote. According to Google, cenotes are water-filled sinkholes that naturally occur in limestone rock when an underground cave collapses in on itself and exposes the groundwater underneath. I assumed this would be a hot spring of some sort. We needed to shower before going in, to avoid polluting the water which could negatively impact whatever lived in the water. I wasn’t sure exactly what lived in there, so I went in for a few minutes, swam for a bit just for the experience, never mind that there were giant iguanas everywhere that I was absolutely terrified of. It was nonetheless beautiful but I wasn’t taking any chances in there.
Because of this yoga retreat, Mexico will always hold a special place in my heart. I don’t know if it was the beauty of Tulum, or the Tulum Ruins that inadvertently took me back to my childhood, or the cutest doggy I saw, or the yoga, or simply having someone take such good care of me by making the most nourishing meals. Either way, it was truly special and I was happy to say ‘yes’ to this experience during my year, Namaste…
