maya tulum - paradise at the edge of the sea

"There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled.
There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled.
You feel it, don't you?"
-Rumi

It's been less than twenty four hours since I've returned from Maya Tulum. I'm not completely sure that my feet are grounded here in Kentucky just yet. That's a work in progress at the moment! My beach walks have returned to cemetery walks and my morning yoga practices were in my yoga room and the studio, not the sandy beach of Tulum. Yet I feel so happy and so very fortunate that for two years in a row I've gotten to experience paradise at the edge of the sea at a cozy little resort called Maya Tulum.

Maya Tulum is so magical in so many different ways. It's easy there. It's simple. You get up, watch the sun rise, enjoy a cup of coffee, teach/practice yoga, have breakfast, enjoy the beach, read, have a spa treatment, eat lunch, teach/practice yoga, take a walk, eat dinner, journal, go to bed. Get up the next morning and repeat. I thought it was pretty miraculous that in the nine days there, I only left the resort once to walk five minutes up the road. That was it. I had no desire to leave again. I met another yoga teacher who was at Maya Tulum for the fourth time and she said she's NEVER left the resort any of the times she has been there. And she was there for two and a half weeks this time. People walk around blissed out at this place.

The people at Maya Tulum make this resort the special place that it is. This is the single best thing about the resort. Yes the beach is heavenly, the food is divine, and the cabanas are so sweet. But they don't hold a candle to the people that work here day in and day out. They know your name, your cabana, your preferred spa treatment, and your drink of choice. Everyone greets you with a smile and kind words. They go the extra mile to take care of you. They make you laugh. They touch your heart with their kind ways.

Nicole and Ileana took care of all of our yoga needs and made sure that our group was well taken care of. America helped us make some of the most important decisions, which spa services to partake in. Lisbeth rallied up more people for the temazcal (mayan sweat lodge) when we feared it might be canceled. Eduardo, Cecelio and Eli saw to it that we were well fed, well hydrated and happy with our food. Like last year Fabian (therapist/shaman healer) amazed me by his ways of knowing my story, just by looking into my eyes. He has taught me about what it means to live the life of yogi without making any effort on his part. His kind and compassionate ways are truly inspiring. And he has new fans in Jeanne and Tracy. Yes our little group kept him busy with holistic massages!

Our group of yoga gals was perfect. A small, but very mighty group. Together we laughed, cried, sweated, mediated, reflected, rallied, visualized, crafted, walked, sun bathed, floated, and flipped. We learned each others strengths and weaknesses. We confirmed intentions and encouraged one another to do better to be better. To live with an open heart and a free mind. To operate from a place of joy and bliss. To focus on abundance and gratitude. To nurture our mind, body and spirit. Yes,it was an amazing week, with amazing people of all sorts.

In short, everyone needs to experience this place called Maya Tulum. I promise you'll walk away with a renewed sense of joy, bliss and peace. This place and these people will light a candle in your heart. This place and these people will fill a void in your soul. I'm sure of it.