How I Reset Myself in Tulum - Part 2

I have never been so excited about writing a blog post like this one. Why? I guess it is because of the amazing moments and deep human connection I made throughout this retreat. If you don’t know what I am talking about, that means you miss the Part I post.

Now without further due, let me jump into the day 3 to day 5 retreat!

Day 3: Cenotes & Temazcals

Day three started again with a few workshops over closing your first 100K dollar deal, how to stay self-motivated, and finally, how to invest in vacation homes and rent out through Airbnb. After that, we all got into transportation vans and took a drive to experience one of the Must-Do activities in Tulum - Cenotes.

Cenotes are natural sinkholes where limestone caved in to create natural caves. These caves have natural flowing water through them and were even used for Mayan sacrificial purposes in those times. The Cenotes amazed me by the clear, blue water and how cold it was given Tulum’s tropical hot weather. At first, I was a bit nervous because all I could think about was those 12 Thai boys that were trapped in a cave in 2018. But, my usual adventurous personality overcame my fear. Not only I went into all of the three cenotes, but also dived into two of them for the first time!!! Swimming back to back from others in a tiny narrow path with bats flying over our head above our head from time to time is a very fun and exciting way to bond with everyone.

After the Cenotes, we went to a different place to experience The Mayan Temazcal Ceremony. Mayan Temazcal Ceremonies are used to rebirth warriors after wars or other such events. They are also believed to be therapeutic and meditative. Our leader emphasized that it would clear our body of toxins, physical and mental. Essentially, a Temazcal is a sweat lodge. Before we entered the igloo-shaped hut, we prayed to the Mayan God’s, offering Copal as a sacrifice. The leader blessed the group, and we entered the Temazcal. Once inside, hot volcanic rocks were placed inside the middle, and herbal water was brought in a bucket. The candles were blown out, we were knee-to-knee in the dark, and the sweating began.

The leader started by pouring the first cup of herbal water over the hot rocks and guided us to breathe very heavily, letting the herbal medicine do its work inside as the steam rose around me. Immediately, I was drenched in sweat from my head. As we began the first of three songs, I realized the sweating was just beginning. As the 45 minutes passed, we had the herbal water thrown on us from time to time for relief. The sweat felt amazing. It really was like it was washing away all negative energy and thoughts. The third chant came to an end and we shouted, screamed, clapped, and made noise to welcome the reborn warriors that we became.

We exited the hut, feeling the relief from the hot, humid air of the Temazcal. The leader baptized us and wished us the best in all we do. I feel as though he was so genuine and kind-hearted, that we really were all reborn in that hut together.

We ended the night by having a home-cooked meal at the place we did the Temazcal ceremony. It was like the perfect ending to a beautiful day. My heart was full and happy!

Day 4: Volunteering & Cacao

Day four started with an excessive amount of cuteness! Remember when I said Alyne loves animals? Alyne arranged a volunteer activity at an animal shelter in Playa Del Carmen, called Accion Animals. Not a day in my life that I thought I would be ok being surrounded by so many dogs because of my childhood trauma with my neighbor’s dog. I was truly shocked to realize not only I was not scared or freaking out, but also truly enjoyed interacting with them and styling them for photos. Alyne certainly knows how to delegate jobs, doesn’t she?!

We washed, groomed, and took pictures of the dogs. That was where I met Pandita! Pandita means panda in Spanish, and panda is the national animal of China...Where I am from! Pandita literally melted in my arm. I could tell that she was very much lack in love and she just enjoyed human embrace so much! I ended up sponsoring Pandita, which is a way of paying for his medical costs so that she could be adopted sooner.

To end the day, we found ourselves in another traditional Mayan ceremony called the Cacao ceremony. When the Mayan’s ruled, cacao, was considered gold. They believed that humanity was made from cacao, so, therefore, it must be worth gold. In this ceremony, we learned about the human life circle through the growth of cacao. Though it was a cultural experience, I did wish it was much shorter than it actually lasted…(I fell asleep multiple times for a few seconds…)

Day 5, the Final Day: Filming & Group Photos

On day 5, we started the day by filming a villa tour for Alyne. It was quite fascinating to see how Alyne created content. Even though this film involved every person in this retreat, we were able to finish filming the video with just 3 runs!!

After that, we all got dressed in the cute Mexican outfits that Alyne prepared for all of us. They are so bright and vibrant, just like the Mexican food & culture. We took a lot of group photos and all of us also got to take some photos with just Alyne!

Although I was ready to see my family again, leaving this retreat was not easy. It almost felt surreal that I was able to connect with 17 individuals on such a deep level. I also felt that I was able to reset my mind and gained different perspectives on many things that I had carried in my heart for so long such as my father’s passing. I did feel like I was recharged, reset, and ready to go home to take on more!