Everything falls into place when I arrive at a peaceful beach in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula for Maya Tulum’s Mind/ Body/Spirit program. After intensive instruction in the Spartan monastery and the luxurious La Costa, letting go at this casual resort feels just right. Here, with the continual crash of waves, endless blue skies, perfect climate, and constant breeze, I put into practice all that I have learned. Awakened by nature – bird songs, heavy surf, rustling palm leaves – I effortlessly meditate for a half-hour at sunrise, and again at sunset, unruffled by my pervasive thoughts.
I practice yoga twice daily, paying attention to whether I stick with the easiest iteration of an asana or strive for more challenging variations. I practice mindfulness at every meal, attuned to my hunger levels, careful to include all six tastes balanced for my dosha and appreciative of the fresh bounty of lovingly prepared, primarily vegetarian, food. And I continue the path of detoxification, feeling no draw to beachy piña coladas, and choosing a Mayan clay body treatment, in which I’m massaged with, mineral-rich local clay and wrapped while my face is slathered with Mayan honey, celebrated for its healing attributes.
That night I join twelve others in a beehive-shaped brick oven for Temezcal, the ancient Aztec sweat lodge ritual, led by Fabian, a third-generation shaman. Together, we chant for more hot stones, and sigh as Fabian splashes the stones, creating intense steam, which releases our sweat and, in some cases, our emotions. Afterward, we express our gratitude for having shared this sacred tradition.
While connecting with nature was emphasized in both my Zen and Ayurvedic training, concentrated instruction left little time to be outdoors. Maya Tulum, however, fully embraces the environment, from the round dining hall with windows that open to the ocean to my thatch-roofed beachfront cabana. I soak in the indigenous culture on an excursion to the ruins of Coba, where my guide is a proud descendant of the ancient Mayans who forged a vast empire from the jungle. Maya Tulum also allows me to balance scheduled activities with free time to enjoy the beach.
The lessons of the Zen Mountain Monastery and Chopra Center have paved my route to lasting balance, and Maya Tulum, with its nurturing beach, yoga classes, vibrant meals, holistic spa services, and eco-excursions provides the perfect environment for me to transition from learning to being. As Rakesh, a manager of the resort who teaches The Five Tibetan Rites (see March/April 2006 issue) while he’s on property, tells me, Maya Tulum lets us “disconnect to reconnect” and seek wellness through nature. Repeat guest Mary Harbison would agree. She first visited Maya Tulum with a friend who wanted to help her through a difficult year, marked by health challenges and family strife. “She had never seen me so off-balance'” recalls Harbison, who first tried yoga at Maya Tulum and has been practicing ever since. “I absolutely loved it. I couldn’t believe how good it was at taking you away. Right in the beginning I broke into tears . . . You can have these emotional releases that come out of nowhere.” A global traveler, Harbison finds herself repeatedly drawn to Maya Tulum, and recently switched roles, introducing a friend who was going through a break-up to the Mind/Body/Spirit program. Harbison continues, “I told her, ‘I’ve got the perfect thing for you.’ I took her here for Christmas. It made her so happy and took her away from all the pain and negativism.” Harbison has booked Mind/Body/Spirit weeks for next Christmas and beyond. “There’s balance between the good and the bad, professional life and personal life. You absolutely have to give yourself a way to find that balance.” For her, Maya Tulum is the way. “It’s restorative, and it brings me back to that place of balance.”
Find out More:
Discover your dosha:
Go to Chopra.com and take the dosha quiz; explore the principles that govern your constitution. You’ll also find an online shop with books, dosha-balancing tools, and other products.
Delve into dharma:
Tackle the big questions with guidance from “Cybermonk,” online access to a senior monastic at the Zen Mountain Monastery, at mro.org/zmm/zmmhome. The site also links to The Monastery Store, with books from non-profit Dharma Communications, plus meditation supplies, Zen artwork, and more.
Soothe your senses:
Merely gazing at Maya Tulum’s website. Mayatulum.com, can induce a state of calm; turn the volume on for auditory enhancement.
May/June 2006
- Simpler Hair Color - April 20, 2026
- AlimajEssentials LLC - April 20, 2026
- Innersense - April 20, 2026