How to Recharge Your Spirit: A Beginner’s Guide to Yoga Retreats in Mexico

I did one of those international yoga retreats and this is how it went. 

So you’ve done a few yoga classes and you’ve finally managed go to the gym for a month or more. You’re now a regular yogi in your classes practice and you’ve come to know your instructor quite well

You’re leaving one of your weekly practices and out of nowhere your instructor announces they’re hosting a Yoga Retreat in another country. They invite you enthusiastically to join. 

Now what? 

Imagine you sign up. All of the sudden you’ve hopped on a solo flight to an unknown destination (who’s language you don’t speak) and set your belongings and mat down on your bed beside 3 other beds of people you’ve never met 

If this sounds intimidating to you, let me tell you… at first it’s terrifying. But let me also share what you would miss otherwise. 

The yoga retreat I attended was hosted and operated by my very dear friend and yoga instructor, MaryBeth (MB the Yogi). We stayed at the most amazing, eco forward villa along the jungle outside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This retreat, known as Xinalani had the most amazing jungle like accommodations, healthy food, a range of activities available and the friendliest staff. 

We stayed at this villa a whole week in which every day and minute was planned out perfectly.  From early morning yoga, breakfast, afternoon group actives, practices, excursions and lunch, communal dinners and an evening practice to wind down. It was a perfect, all planned, inclusive trip that made it effortless to relax. 

The most surprising part however, was the community. Everyone had their own reasons for joining: enlightenment, recovery, recentering, rediscovery. Strangers who had never met became close knit friends and family.  Many of us still keep in touch to this day! 

The first night we all sat together in a circle, introduced ourselves and shared why we were there. After practicing with one another, hiking together, swimming in water falls, exploring the local town, exploring the jungle and exploring the ocean we all became a close knit group. No one wanted to “check back into reality” after the week was over. 

This trip was a lot of firsts for me as well. First time traveling internationally solo. This was especially daunting going to a country whose language I don’t speak (yet) and have hard of hearing. It was my first time attending any sort of yoga retreat, outside of the gym environment. It was my first time putting myself out there and getting to know a group of strangers whose only common thread was yoga. 

I became more independent. I gained a new found confidence that even I could travel solo and I gained an even deeper appreciation, love and respect for my yoga practice and community that I would have no otherwise gained in the classroom. 

If this post resonates with you, or if you’re interested in attending a yoga retreat like this; I’m proud to say my dear friend is leading another Embrace Abundance Yoga Retreat this time in Nosara, Costa Rica this year on May 3 – 10, 2025.

You can find more information on this retreat here and everything that’s included here.

I hope you find this post helpful and hopefully I’ll be able to attend a retreat with you sometime in the near future!  If you have any questions or would like any other details, I’d love to chat about them below.

To my fellow yogis, Namaste.