Ometeotl

 **Blogging while watching Big Brother - it's that time of year again!"

Well it's been almost a month since I returned from Mexico and I have had some time to process and come up with words to try and articulate this incredible experience. I went into the trip thinking it was just a yoga retreat and a nice get away - wow, was it so much more than that. It was such a spiritual trip - I learned so much about myself, I met so many incredible women, I cried, I let go of a lot, and I learned what it meant to disconnect to connect. 

One of my favorite parts was participating in the Temazcal ceremony. This sacred ritual has been part of Mexican and South American culture for around 1,000 years. The word itself originates from a Nahuatl word Temāzcalli, which translates to “house of heat.” We entered an igloo-shaped hut with hot volcanic rocks placed in the center, and different teas were poured over the rocks to produce steam. Herbs like basil, mint, and sage were scattered on the floor to help with the cleansing process. The sweat lodge symbolizes a mother's womb and being re-born into the world.  

                                                 

We started around the fire… being thankful for the the 4 elements of nature: Water, Air, Fire and Earth.

Before we entered, we lit the fire under the coals and made intentions of what we wanted to let go during the ceremony.         

Once inside, I thought immediately, there is no way I can stay in here for more than 20 mins. IT WAS SO HOT. Unlike any feeling I have ever felt in my life. I kept thinking to myself, if I can give birth, I can do this. We had a shaman who led us through meditation and chanting. I really can't believe I made it the whole 2 hours! Coming out of the Temazcal, I felt like a new person.  Two things I learned through the experience: 1. I can do hard things. 2. I am stronger than my thoughts. 

One of the mornings, we got up early and went kayaking to see the beautiful, Acapulco sunrise. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. We got caught in a rain storm and had to kayak to a tree and take shelter under the tree while holding onto it. It was actually a great metaphor for life: You go into things with certain expectations, but it might not go the way you think it will. And that when storms come into your life, you just have to wait it out until it passes. It always passes. 

After practicing yoga with this view, it's hard to go back to my basement. 

One of the coolest parts of the trip was meeting such a diverse group of women from all over the world. Countries represented: 🇲🇽 🇧🇷 🇺🇸 🇮🇹 🇦🇹 🇻🇪 🇵🇪 🇪🇸🇨🇭 🇦🇷

The first night, one of the retreat organizers said we want to get to know each other in terms of not what you do, but who you are. That really resonated with me and I made sure with every interaction, I was having meaningful conversations and really got to know these women, besides their line of work. I thoroughly enjoyed every meal, not only because of the delicious food, but because of the conversations that took place during each meal. 

This is definitely a trip I will never forget. 

Huge shout out to the guardians at Uxhia Retreats. They went above and beyond making me feel included, thought of every detail, and are incredible humans.  I am internally grateful our paths crossed.

oxox, 

JJ

PS - If you have any questions or ever thought about doing something like this, I'm happy to chat!