6th annual maya tulum yoga retreat

Happy Friday Friends,

I've been back from Tulum for a few days. I feel like I'm just now getting back in the swing of things. I wanted to share a few photos with you and recap a few highlights from my recent yoga time in Tulum.

As always, the group was simply fantastic. This retreat was different than others I've led in the past in that there were five couple (including Andy and myself). We also had a mom/daughter duo and more than a hand full of awesome women traveling alone to treat themselves to a week of yoga and retreat. Five of the participants retreated with me last summer in Tulum so being reunited on the beach, in this sweet and sacred land brings me such happiness.

The group in general just meshed so well. Certainly a highlight for me. The week in general felt very light, airy, low-key, and fun.

I love walking around on the property of Maya Tulum and seeing lil pockets of yogis enjoying themselves. Swimming in the sea, laughing together while lounging on the beach, sipping a delicious drink. And I equally delight when I see people taking time for themselves. A quiet walk on the beach, walking around reveling in the beauty around, reading in the restaurant, writing in a lounge chair, napping in a hammock. Delicious.

A couple of my personal highlights include sharing 10 days with Andy in Mexico, and specifically having him as a part of the group yoga retreat experience. That was pretty special for me. He was pretty awesome and took all the yoga classes except for one (he even made it to class after a night of a few....or five too many drinks ;).  I loved introducing him to fellow students who I consider part of my yoga family. And I loved the lil ways he took care of me during the week. Pretty great.

We also treated ourselves and upgraded to an amazing villa. The views from this room are simply unbelievable. I felt like I was even retreating by having this space!

As with most things, there were a couple of rocky moments. The biggest being Andy and I getting sick on the day the retreat ended. We had booked two extra days to vacation and I was pretty excited to decompress, do some yoga, and spend quality time on the beach and in the water.

Not so much. But really, who can complain?

I know I'm 100% blessed to get to travel to such a place, to meet such amazing people, to be a part of such a thing, and consider it my work.

Craziness.

A big hearty thank you to everyone who traveled to Tulum to explore yoga, meet new people, create new experiences, and have some good ol' fashion fun. I admire all of you. And I adore you too.

As you might imagine, you'll find me (and Andy) back in the magical land of Tulum yet again next summer.

yoga at maya tulum

My bags were barely unpacked.

Still a smile on my face.
Still a twinkle in my eye.
My original plan (pre Maya Tulum)was to schedule a retreat to Costa Rica for next summer.
Ha! I knew as our van pulled out of Maya Tulum that I'd be back next summer.
It only took me four days to arrange the retreat for next summer. I've led this retreat at Maya Tulum for two summers now and it keeps getting better. I figure there's no reason to mess a perfect thing up.
A week after being back, Tracy and I talked for two hours about the magic of Maya Tulum.
It does not get any better than this place.

Forture Magazine has ranked Maya Tulum as the #1 barefoot resort. Very fitting for the gal who owns a yoga studio called Barefoot Works.

Spa Magazine says, "Maya Tulum Resort is a seaside Mexican Caribbean retreat center that offers: tranquil times, awe-inspiring scenery, and an opportunity to reconnect with yourself. Prepare to go barefoot, sleep under a thatch roof cabana, and leave fully renewed! Maya Tulum Resort was voted by USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and New York Times as one the top ten places to balance the body and soul. The resort was also recognized by Fortune Magazine as the #1 barefoot resort."

Seane Corn (my yogini crush) says that Maya Tulum is one of her fave places to teach. "The yoga room alone makes the hour and a half shuttle from Cancun worthwhile. It’s round, with a roof that goes straight up to the sky,” she says.

If you want to go along on this transformative trip next summer, please set an intention and start stashing some extra cash in your sock drawer. :-)

You'll practice yoga and pranayama.
You'll explore meditations that will open your heart and your mind.
You'll salute the sun as it rises. And walk on the beach as the sun sets.
You'll enjoy fresh, healthy and delicious foods.
You'll forge new friendships.
You'll frolick in the turquoise water.
You'll go barefoot for a week. And walk on the softest sand.
You'll enjoy massage sessions that will leave you feeling like putty and quite likely, change your life.
You'll see the most beautiful sights and hear the sweetest sounds.
You'll be free. Free from daily stresses. Free to do as you please.
You'll do more yoga. :-)
You'll be in paradise.
Your heart will be happy.

Paradise awaits you next summer..... July 11 - 18, 2009.
And the prices are actually cheaper than this year's trip. Imagine that! An ocean view room for only $1395!
Call today and put down your $300 deposit. That's all it takes! To register call 1-888-515-4580. And of course call me at 859.433.7787 or email barefootworks@hotmail.com with any questions.

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.

earth to sharon

Hola Amigas!

We're back from our heavenly retreat to Maya Tulum. The words are not coming to me just yet, so I'm gonna sit on this just a bit longer. Drink it all in. Savor it. I always say to myself "yoga is abiding in our own true nature which is joy." Never before have the words rang so true to me.

In the meantime enjoy a couple pics and I'll be back soon with words....and a fabulous slideshow highlighting our trip.

I've missed you all and hope to see you this week. :-)

off on a yoga adventure

The flip flops and flowy dresses
The suncreen and sunglasses
The yoga pants and yoga books
The candles and crafty supplies
The sequences, schedule, sutras, and bathing suits...

It's all there neatly packed in my suitcase.

This time tomorrow night I'll be under a blanket of stars outside my cabana listening to the waves wash upon the shore. Pen in hand, journal in lap, smile on my face writing about the lucky gal that gets to spend ten days in a little slice of heavan known as Maya Tulum

I'm off on a yoga adventure and I couldn't be more excited.

*Check back here to get the scoop while we're away in Mexico.

r&r

I had the very good fortune of spending three whole days on a big beautiful boat at Dale Hollow. The weekend was full of fireworks, yummy food (which included homemade ice cream), frolicking in the lake, and enjoying refreshing drinks with friends. Andy and I got to spend good quality time with our best buds, Liz and Tony. We caught up, laughed, danced a bit and sang a lot. Very good stuff.

Since I've been back (which hasn't been long) I'm focusing on the Tulum, Mexico retreat as I'm leaving in two more days! Yesterday was spent shopping for supplies needed for the trip. My friend was with me at Target and as I piled scissors, pretty pens, glue, color pencils, suncreen, flashlight, and more into my cart she says "If your bag gets checked, you're gonna have some explaining to do."

I did treat myself to a massage yesterday. Actually my sweet yoga trainees treated me to some massages. This was the first of four they bought for me as a gift. Then the shopping continued on to Micheals and Kmart.

Mostly, I'm feeling very happy these days. The first teacher training is finished, which I don't think I've completely processed just yet. I feel like this is such a milestone for myself, the studio, and the new teachers of course. I'm hoping the extra two days in Mexico will help me with bringing this to a close and I'll return very ready to gear up for next year. This seems most logical as I already have a few people rearing up, ready to go next time around. So if you are interested in applying for the training, my plan is to begin taking applications in August.

Much of July is being spent treating myself with some fun little trips. Like the boating, a couple extra days in Mexico and a two day trip with Andy to Asheville or Nashville, before he starts the new teaching year back again. I see the importance in taking time to care for oneself, and I fully intend to do that. And I hope that you're doing just the same. :-)

Have a happy Tuesday. Please join me at the studio today or tomorrow for a happy yoga class. Delia Rose a sweet,young and wise little gal from training will be teaching the noon class tomorrow. With a name like that how could she not be all of those?

i'd love to know...

What types of questions would you ask your yoga teacher?

Or

If you had never practiced yoga and you looked at the Barefoot Works website and you mozied over to teachers to read the bios.....what types of questions would you appreciate having answered?

I ask this because as some of you know we'll be adding some new yogini's to the teaching staff so I'm updating a few things. I've thought about having a Q&A on the bio page and I'd love to know what you'd like to know about your yoga teachers. :-)

So leave a comment or shoot me an email!

Just an FYI, Tulum pics will be coming as we're retreating to Mexico in about a month...big happy smiley face.

these days

I've been admiring how pretty Teresa's classes are when she teaches chair yoga. She did a class with the teacher trainees. It was pretty to watch and makes me happy to know that yoga can be practiced by all. All the gals felt so inspired afterwards.

I've been watching a late showing of Sex and the City. This was after working till 9:30 pm and before being back at the studio at 8:00 am the next morning. My friend couldn't believe I was snapping pics in the movie. Doesn't everybody?

I've been hanging out with my little nieces and nephews when I haven't been at the studio and teaching. I have to say that I have a whole new respect for the mama's and the papa's. Andy and I had the kids at our house four night during the past week. They're big work, big joy, big eaters, big heart warmers, and my goodness you can spend $50 so very quickly. Then you see them tuckered out like this: And you know it's completely worth all the time, energy....and money. ;-)

I'm working on a new business plan in a way that allows me to imagine more and stress less. There is a reason I'm not an accountant.

I'm working on the final details of teacher training. I'm a bit sad and a bit excited about the end. It has been much hard work, but as a teacher it's been the most rewarding thing I've done. I'm excited for the gals, excited about a soon to be completion of the first yoga teacher training, and a little saddened that our bi monthly dates will come to a close in a couple more weeks.

I've bought my plane ticket for Mexico and planning all the details for the days we'll be there. I'm doing down two days early as a litte treat for myself.

That's what's going on these days. I hope it's big happiness and joy where ever you are.