Yoga Retreat in Yelapa, Mexico
Pura Vida Wellness Center
Dec 31st 2022-Jan 8th, 2023
Cost $1,395
Theme of this Retreat: Slowing down and Being
Where is Yelapa, Mexico and why would I want to go there?
On our Yelapa Yoga Retreat we offer yoga, meditation, and much more for every body, an affordable, wonderful opportunity to relax, renew, and rejuvenate. Yelapa is a delightful Mexican fishing village, located on a sleepy little bay just south of Puerto Vallarta. Since there are no roads to Yelapa (one of the things we love most about the town!), we take a 45 minute boat ride from Puerto Vallarta to the village. As there are no roads in Yelapa, there are no cars, less noise, less pollution and less stress. The donkeys used for transport make their own noise and pollution, but we’ll manage! Temperatures in January: refreshing 60-65 at night, 75- 85 in the day. Note: This is the dry season, so normally lots of sun. The food is fresh and delicious, including local fish, chicken, enchiladas, tortillas, ceviche, beans, avocado, pies, fruit (papaya, banana, pineapple, melon, etc.). Fresh fruit beverages. Yum!
Upon Arrival in Mexico
We meet for one night in romantic old town Puerto Vallarta, staying right on the beach at the Emperador Hotel. On Saturday morning, we walk right across the walkway to the pier and boat that takes us on a beautiful 45 minute ride to Yelapa, often visited and welcomed by dolphins or whales enroute. In Yelapa, we walk 10 minutes to our home for the week, Pura Vida Wellness Center. Located a short walk from town, we enjoy an incredible view of the bay, sometimes spotting whales while we dine on the patio, or as we stretch with our patio yoga. Note: There are uneven paths and steep steps to our hotel, so please talk to us about any physical challenge you are concerned about.
Pura Vida Wellness Retreat Center
Pura Vida is a beautiful new retreat center, with most rooms that open up to the bay. All rooms have hot showers, and private bath. Security boxes in each room. They also have a wonderful new hot pool as well as infinity swimming pool. Hotel has wifi. Included are two meals each day, which gives us freedom to explore town for some delicious local foods. For priority rooms choice, with bay view, please add $50 per person for the week. There is also one dorm style room for four people, which lowers your overall price per person by $100 to $,1295. Single, if available, $1,795.
Yoga on the Patio or indoor Bamboo Deck
Overlooking the bay, accompanied by the birds. We generally do sunrise and sunset yoga, and various profound teachings, meditations, processes and workshops. We will have plenty of activities scheduled, yet keeping things as flexible and open as possible to allow people to create their own experience, with free time to relax, swim or snorkel every day, roam the village, hike the river valley, play in waterfalls, sip from coconuts, or drink fresh fruit juices on the beach. There are extra options available for a very reasonable fee, including massage, whale watching, fishing, snorkeling and other boat trips, island visits, parasailing, etc. Note: Everything is optional, but we encourage you to attend as many of the yoga and oneness classes to help create a sacred energy for the group
Theme: Being, and Slowing Down
I asked a local during our 2020 visit to Yelapa: “Do you have police in this village?” He responded: “No es necesario.” It’s not necessary! Isn’t that cool? A place in this world where police are not needed!
Our theme this year is slowing down, ahhhhhhh ……. being still, being who we are, stepping outside the rat race and remembering what is important: breath, community, consciousness. We will apply this to our slow food eating, to our slow yoga, our slow days on the beach ….
What does a typical day look like?
Sunrise yoga (sometimes with an optional meditation beforehand), then breakfast. Then we either have an activity (playshop, hike, island or beach visit), or just leisure time to stroll town or visit the beach for swimming, sunning, eating lunch, etc. Then a second yoga class before sunset. Then dinner, usually at the hotel, but a couple times we will go out to sample some of the excellent local restaurants. We will also offer a couple playshops (open to suggestions, possibly meditation, breath, healing, etc.). We also include a trip to a beautiful little beach with good snorkeling. Also included in your price is a traditional temescal, or native sweat lodge, to purify and heal.
About the instructors: Roy Holman & Liz Gross
Roy Holman: I am a 500 hour Certified Yoga teacher, in the Viniyoga tradition. I teach a safe, gentle, body-friendly, grounded, breath-connected, meditative, flowing traditional hatha yoga – a meditation in motion really. I like to move slow, give time to breathe deeply and savor the poses. I also teach breath-work (pranayama) and meditation, and also try to incorporate the many aspects of emotional healing and balancing I have learned. The meditation is a mindfulness style, with focus on breath awareness, heart opening, body senses, emotional clearing, and connection on all levels (body, breath, emotions, Earth, Spirit).
Liz Gross: “I believe all healing involves alignment of the soul with the body.” Liz is a gifted sound and vibration healer, and teaches with Roy on retreats. Liz teaches yoga, meditation, Oneness and often does some of the cooking on our retreats. “When you’re consciously in touch with the life energy within yourself, you have awareness & communication with the flow of energy that connects you to spirit. I feel very passionate about Vibrational Medicine and love working with others in this way & helping others to connect with their purpose and passion in life. Vibrational Energy Medicine brings the physical, emotional, mental, & spiritual bodies back into balance, which opens the way for rebuilding the healing systems of the body.”
Note: Please contact Roy prior to making air reservations for details. Basically, you fly into Puerto Vallarta, take a taxi to the hotel (to be announced in details later), and plan to fly home on or after Saturday. Some of us pay for an extra night (Saturday) and fly home Sunday.
What is included for $1,395
✓ 7 Nights Hotel (double or triple occupancy): 6 nights at Pura Vida in Yelapa and 1 in Puerto Vallarta. I can match you with others ($1,395 each for double room), or single room may be possible for additional fee of $400 ($1,795). Share room with 3 others, $1,295 each.
✓ Meals in Yelapa: Healthy buffet breakfast each morning after Yoga, and one other delicious buffet meal each day (lunch or dinner). Open to food requests and suggestions.
✓ Classes: All Yoga, Meditation, & Playshops
✓ Guided hike to waterfall up beautiful river valley
✓ Boat trips to Yelapa & return included.
✓ Traditional sweat lodge for all levels, not too too hot!
✓ Infinity pool and hot pool (salt water, no chlorine!).
✓ Snorkel and beach trip to Majahuitas.
Extra expenses and Options
Taxi ($20) or bus ($2) from and back to airport in Puerto Vallarta, other meals (eating out), souvenir shopping, tips, massage or watzu (water massage, about $70), optional extra activities (island trips, parasailing, mule trips, etc.) Price: $1,395 NOT including air, $1,995 INCLUDES AIR from Seattle. $50 extra includes priority water view room when possible. Single room $400 extra – if available, but talk with me first.
Reviews
“Thank you for all that you did to make our week in Yelapa magical. I had a great time and it truly changed my life for the better.” – Jennifer, Seattle 2015 Yelapa Retreat attendee
“The trouble with the rat race is, even if you win, you’re still a rat.” (nothing against rats!) – Lily Tomlin
“Thanks for being such a great organizer, instructor, and leader for the group! You made the trip a fantastic experiance and made your job look easy (when I know just how hard it is). I look forward to the next one!” – Dan, Seattle, WA, 2012 Yelapa, Mexico attendee