Tulum Adventures

We are thrilled to announce the kick off of our 2012 winter season class schedule at Anahata ~ Heart Centre & Healing Space~.

2011 was a huge year for Retiro Maya, as it gave birth to many beautiful projects. Our brain child was Anahata, which was born out of love and devotion as an offering to Gaia, the Great Mother, so we can continue to work and grow in her honor, with her and for her.

Anahata is and continues to be Retiro Maya's Heart Centre, a Healing Space open for all. One Love. One Heart. Lets get together and feel all right...

Kundalini Yoga by Damaris:

Monday & Wednesday @8am

Hatha Yoga & Live Flute by Flavio:

Tuesday @8am

Chi Kung by Maiko:

Thursday @8am

Hatha Yoga by Guille:

Friday @8am

We are stoked to learn that this week UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural organization, has recognized Mariachi. According to UNESCO: "Mariachi is a traditional music and fundamental element of Mexican culture, transmitting values, heritage, history and different Indian languages."

About.com published the good news in its Mexico Travel Section stating that "in the meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage being held in Bali from November 22 to 29, 2011, the Mexican musical tradition was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity along with over a dozen other cultural traditions from around the world.

Intangible cultural heritage includes traditions or expressions transmitted through the generations, such as social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature, or techniques related to traditional crafts. Countries with cultural elements that are approved as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity agree to take measures to protect and safeguard them. There are now seven elements of Mexican culture which have been recognized by UNESCO, including traditional Mexican cuisine, and Day of the Dead festivities. See the complete list: Mexico's Intangible Cultural Heritage”.

Tulum has its synchronistic ways of magically delivering unique “clicks of understanding”, those “Aha” moments we all have at some point on our journey as we walk our path of spiritual growth.

You might come down to Tulum on a romantic escape, on recharge getaway, on a yoga retreat, or on a holistic healing vacation…what ever the case may be, here, in the mystic land of the Maya, you will certainly have your own set of personal “Aha” moments. You can take my word for it.

I would personally like to share a meditation that took me right into la crème de la crème of my “Aha” moments as I was reading “Living in the Heart”, by Drunvalo Melichizedek.

Drunvalo, a world famous spiritual author and workshop facilitator, shares in his book that this meditation was given to him by Sri Yukteswar as he sat in meditation in front of an altar with pictures of Krishna, Jesus, Babaji, Lahiri Maharshi, Sri Yukteswar and Yogananda, right before addressing a huge crowd in a spiritual event.

“Sri Yukteswar went directly to the point, as I will now. He told me that in India no one would even consider approaching the divine without a certain state of mind and heart, and he gave me very specific instructions on exactly how to consciously connect to the divine and finally with God. Here is what he told me”, Drunvalo shares, and then goes on citing Sri Yukteswar’s words.

“You can be anywhere, but for me, I use an altar with a single candle to focus my mental attention. I feel and know the presence of my teachers, and we all begin to breathe together, as one”.

Unify with Divine Mother

“Let your attention shift to a place on Earth that you feel is the most beautiful place in the world. It could be anywhere – a mountain scene with trees, lakes and rivers; or an arid, sandy desert with almost no life – whatever you perceive as beautiful. See as much detail as you can.”

“For example, if your place is a mountain scene, see the mountains and the white, billowing clouds. See and sense the forest and trees moving wit the wind. See the animals – the deer and elk, little rabbits and squirels. Look down and see the clear water of the rivers. Begin to feel love for this place and for all of nature. Continue to grow into this space of love with nature until your heart is beating with the warmth of your love.

“When the time feels right, send your love to the center of the Earth using your intention so that Mother Earth can directly feel the love you have for her. You can place your love into a small sphere to contain it and send it to the Mother if you wish, but it is your intention that is so important. Then wait, as a child. Wait until Mother Earth sends her love back to you and you can feel it. You are her child, and I know she loves you.

“As your Mother’s love enters your body, open completely, allowing this love to move anywhere throughout your body. Let it enter all of your cells. Let it move throughout your light body. Let it move wherever it wishes to move. Feel this beautiful love your Mother has surrounded you with and remain in this union with Mother Earth until it feels complete”.

Unify with the Divine Father

“At the right moment, which only you can know, without breaking the love union with your Mother, look to your Father, to your Heavenly Father. Look to the rest of creation beyond the Earth. Place your attention on a night sky. See the Milky Way as it meanders across the heavens. Watch the Planets and the Moon swirl around you and the Earth. Feel the Sun hidden beneath the Earth. Realize the incredible depth of space”.

“Feel the love you have for the Father, for the Divine Father is the spirit of all creation, except the Divine Mother. And when this love becomes so great that it just can’t stay inside you any longer, let it move into the heavens with your intention. Again, you can send your love into the heavens inside a small sphere, if you wish”.

Drunvalo continues, “Sri Yukteswar says to place your love in a small sphere and with your intention send it into the heavens. He says to send it to he unity consciousness grid around the Earth. If you don’t know what this grid is, then don’t worry, just do as most indigenous peoples of the world do: send your love to the Sun. Like the grids, the Sun is connected to all the other suns and stars and eventually to al life everywhere. Some people, such as the Hopi of the Southwest of the United States, send their love to the Great Central Sun, which is another concept that everyone has but that is equally valid. Choose one – which one doesn’t matter. The intent is for your love to reach all life everywhere.

Then he goes on citing Sri Yukteswar:

“Once your love has been sent into the heavens to the Divine Father, again wait; you wait for the Father to send his love back to you. And of course, he will always do so. You are his child forever, and the Divine Father will always, always love you. And just like with the Mother Earth’s love, when you feel the love of the Divine Father enter your being, let it move anywhere it wants to. It is your Father’s love, and it is pure.

The Holy Trinity is Alive

“At this moment something that rarely happens is manifesting: the Hoy Trinity is alive on Earth. The Divine Mother and the Divine Father are joined with you in pure love and you, the Divine Child, complete the triangle”.

Drunvalo goes on saying that “according to Sri Yukteswar it is only in this particular state of consciousness that God can be known directly. And so the final step in this meditation is to become aware of the presence of God – all around you and within you […] To reach this state of consciousness, once you are in the Holy Trinity, you can achieve this experience by simply opening your heart to the presence of God. For some reason that God only knows, in the Holy Trinity state the presence of God is easily perceivable”.

“Once you have reached the level of consciousness achieved by the Unity Breath, you may find that it gets easier and easier until, finally, you are in this place all the time. This is the ideal according to all of my mentors who know if this meditation”.

“I believe that the Unity Breath creates the vibration within you that allows you to find the holy grail, the sacred space in the heart, the place where God originally created all that is. It is so simple. What you have been looking for is right inside your own hear”, Drunvalo graciously concludes.

The best coconut ice cream you will ever get your hands on is made in paradisiacal Tulum…and once you’ve tasted it your senses will be grooved for eva’.

You’ll be craving it under the sun, bathing in the turquoise ocean, during beach walks, while swimming in cenotes, watching the sunset and even under the stars. You’ll slowly but surely notice how your ears will be watching out for the sweetest sound…no, not the ocean waves…but the ‘ting, ting, ting’ of Don Chava’s ‘magic’ bell as he announces his arrival in his hand-adapted 15 year old yellow tricycle packed with coconut goodness, plus the tropical flavor of the day ~mango, pineapple, guava, just to mention a few other delights ~ served in home made waffle cones…heaven is just scoops away!

Since your local correspondent here jus can’t get enough of that sweet coconut lovin’, she has tried every possible trick to assure she gets her day’s scoop, everything from chasing Don Chava down the beach strip with her bike, to standing outside Retiro Maya praying to hear the infamous ‘ting, ting, ting’, and even arranging her hole day around being up at Retiro Maya’s restaurant around 3:00 p.m so she can rush down as soon as she hears the ‘magic’ bell. Call her crazy, but not until you’ve tried this elixir…then, like her and many other locals, you’ll even be hearing the ‘ting, ting, ting’ in your dreams…

But no worries…I’ve done my job to make sure that when you are down here in paradise you wont have to do all of the above to get your sensed rocked…Sirena has taken the coconut groove one step further so not only the locals are getting the sweetness…now Retiro Maya’s guests are part of the gang.

So…if you’re ready to be grooved, just let us know when you check in and we’ll make sure Don Chava makes a daily stop to scoop up your escape with some coconut TLC.

“Revolve your life around the solstices and equinoxes and everything else will be taken care of.” ~ Yogi Bhajan.

Sirena takes us again on one of her signature adventures. This time we’re off with our sista’ SiosMar to be treated to a Janzu ~water massage session~ at a secret lagoon located just outside Tulum.

Turtles are here to teach humanity that we are already in the right place at the right time.