Playa del Carmen
I come back to this place time and time again because it never ceases to amaze me with its generosity and profound spirituality. This post is long overdue and I hope it truly shows how grateful I am to the people I met, their gifts and their friendships.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
I don’t remember the year when I landed in Playa for the first time but I do remember the exact details of my first day! Tricks of old age I guess. After a diving trip in Cozumel, I wanted a nice beach to lounge for 48 hours decompression before returning home. I was told to go to Playa and stroll on the beach to pick a hotel. I accepted an offer to see a room from a man that seemed trust worthy. He took my silence as a sign of bargaining and lowered the price! After checking in, I went to the bar next door and sat on a swing drinking a beer and chatting to young people. I remember looking at the stars and the moon and feeling blissful.
Awareness of the healing energy in Playa started when I stayed at the Alhambra hotel. I chose it because they offered free yoga classes in the morning. Ariel was teaching the classes and I found last August, Claudine was the manager. My room was in front of the sea and I could hear its gentle roaring all night. Very soothing and healing. Inspired by the experience, I renewed my commitment to a daily yoga practice.
THE AWAKENING
In 2012, I went with the women in my family to celebrate big birthdays including mine (50 years old). We all love the beach so it was the perfect way to party and commemorate these ocassions.
I went to yoga classes with Sam and felt in love with his approach of syncing the energy of day with the Mayan calendar. It blew me away and I can honestly say it was the first time I started to feel the energy flowing through me in a yoga class.
The following spring I returned for six weeks. This trip made a big impact and marks the beginning of a time of deep transformation for me. I learnt and practice Qi Gong every other day with Daniel Alvarado. It was practically a private class and very intensive. I saw the sun rising most days and I continue to practice Gam yoga with Sam daily. I was able to connect many dots between the practice and the teachings I received of energy medicine and Ayurveda just before my trip. Synchronicity at its best striking once more.
I also went to a Temazcal (energy bath). Nothing had prepared me for this experience. I felt some strong force building inside me and I remember at some point thinking it was too much. We chanted some old songs lead by Paula. I literally felt like time stopped and felt connected to all participants. The certainty of vision that came to me scared me. I was really quiet and couldn’t speak so I came back the day after to talk to her. A conversation that challenged some of my believes… and opened new doors.
I met Sarah, a travel blog writer at the time. She is still living in Playa in a unique and wonderful journey of her own. Synchronicity has reunited us a few times in Playa and Bali! We have shared amazing experiences and I am fortunate to have met her.
I found a community of people like me seeking for a deeper meaning in life and a connection to others based in acceptance without judging. Strong feelings of belonging flooded me.
Needless to say, I feel very connected and drawn to this place for many reasons. Perhaps the most wonderful thing of Playa is not the energy vortex and all the things that happen there but the people that live in it. People that have given me their friendship unconditionally.
THIS YEAR
I was very fortunate to take some classes with Sam. A meditation with bowls by Shaman Ahau led by Daniel. A fire meditation led by Jose Luis at the old ruins the day of the eclipse. A dance meditation with Sarah and her friends. Many meditations on my own by the beach and floating in the water. My own custom retreat!
This time, I was not prepared for the gong bath with Sam. I felt every fiber of my bean vibrate! I am not exaggerating. I had a couple of clear visions. When working with energy, I found difficult to discern what these visions are and their meaning. It could be for me, the person leading the session, or many other possibilities. Anyhow, back to the gong bath, I never felt my chakras so aligned! Even if you don’t have a strong awareness of energy, it is hard to ignore the energy building and flowing through your body.
Most nurturing and healing of all was spending some quality time with close family and basking in the warmth of their love under the sunshine! A big thank you to them too!
MY FAVORITE FOOD PLACES
By now you know how important it is for me food as part of any healing… I quickly found places where they cater to my goals.
My two favorite places to eat in 2012 became el Sangha-Rito and Bio-Natural. The first one, the cooks quickly became my best friends. These women are very loving, attentive, and willing to cook me what ever I need it. I had several dietary restrictions at the time and they comply with love and no complaints. I usually get my own choice of vegetable drink in the morning and menu of they day with a few tweaks of my own… They even welcomed any knowledge to learn more about the healing aspect of food.
At Bio-Natural, Meybell was starting a business of vegetarian meals. She has a clear vision for her business and her life. I gave her some feedback about complete proteins and increasing the amount of protein in her dishes. The following year her menu reflected huge improvements. I love their salads and hummus. It is hard to find good salads in Mexico. She is as force of nature! and I admire her drive immensely. I have learnt lots from her.
Kaxapa factory is run by Venezuelans… I assure you I am not bias at all! They cook one of my most favorite foods in the world, cachapas! Their vegetarian pabellon became a fast favorite. It is a family run business. The love and care they put in the food and the way they treat customers makes you feel like royalty when you eat here. The fact that they ask me what I want to eat and make it for me even if it is not on the menu, it is priceless! I am still in awe that Wilma made me golfeados for my family when I visited in August!
The most amazing feature about all these 3 places is that they are still open today, they have expanded and grown better in many aspects. Really speaks of their owners commitment and success.
ART AND WISDOM
I like to close this post with a message I found in one of the graffiti on La Quinta Avenida:
“La mar fuente de profunda sabiduría. Hogar de infita paz. Nos regalas la vida.” (The sea Source of profound wisdom. Home of infite peace. You give us the gift of life.)
Thanks for sticking with me and reading this long post!