Mexico Immersion Destination Retreat: A Dia De Los Muertos Experience

November 22, 2021

Beyond a yoga retreat. This Mexico immersion destination retreat was a journey inward through the understanding of ancestry and death through the honoring of the Mexican holiday of Dia De Los Muertos.

The beautiful souls that joined us in Mazunte had profound insights and a sense of coming home to themselves and their authentic beings. The pre-immersion process prepared them to arrive into Mexico with a feeling of security and safety to allow them to drop into the practice and awareness more quickly and allowing the magic to be unearthed.

The post immersion process allowed for deeper reflections and a way to maintain the energy and lessons gained during the retreat. And we continue to keep up the support of the group after our time spent in Mexico together.

Our Experience

Meditations with Kristin

We didn’t miss a single sunset during our time in Mazunte. Meditations honoring our ancestors and spirit animals as an expression of our authentic selves. Deepening our practice, our connection with nature and our human senses as reverence for life itself.

Slow-Flow Yoga with Shigeko

This peaceful settling, overlooking the ocean provided us the opportunity to slow down further with Shigeko, allowing us to hear our ancestors and the wisdom from the magical lands of Mazunte.

Temezcal

We fully immersed with the locals in Mazunte as well. Learning about the history of the land and the tradition of Dia De Los Muertos from Salvador. Those that felt comfortable, also had the opportunity to participate in the ceremony of Temezcal with this incredible man. Temezcal is a type of low heat sweat lodge, which originated with pre-Hispanic Indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica. The songs and prayers offered to ourselves, one another and our ancestors in this sacred space was extremely powerful. As well as the lessons learned about the difference of what our bodies need versus what our minds tell us what need. It was POWERFUL, to say the least!

Dia De Los Muertos

Dia De Los Muertos is a Mexican tradition celebrated over the days of October 31 – November 2nd to celebrate and welcome back our loved ones that have since passed. It is celebrated October 31 through November 2nd. On October 31st preparations for welcoming back our ancestors and loved ones begins with creating an Ofrenda (or altar). Pictures of the loved ones that are being honored are placed on the altar along side Aztec marigold flowers known as cempazúchitl, as the scent invites our ancestors to join us back in this dimension during this time. The creativity of each altar is unique to the person creating it. The altars are also adorned with the loved ones favorite foods, items, and even music.

We traveled with pictures of our loved ones to build a joint Ofrenda together for a ceremony that was offered by Lucie Custonomade from France. Local traveler and healer, Lucie, was in Mazunte deepening her ceremonial practices. We were honored to receive her gifts. She created a ceremonial space that allowed us to be transformed into a corpse and feel into the energy of being in another dimension. Deepened vulnerabilities, allowance and tears of healing. What an experience!!

October 31st the cemetery preparations of cleaning and decorations begin. November 1st is a day of peace and solitude for family members to be at the ceremony and on November 2nd others are welcomed into celebrate the cemetery. Which is precisely what we did. It was such an privilege to be in this space with such beauty surrounding the gravestones, and watching others sing, drink, and celebrate the lives of those that have passed.

QiGong with Shigeko

What a blessing to be able to learn Qigong from Shigeko on Playa Mermejita. A traveler from Canada also joined us.

Yoga Honoring Your Authentic Expression of Self with Kristin

An invitation to move and express your authentic self through movement. Who knew this would end up with the co-creation of building a sand turtle on the beach! Such beautiful, authentic expressions of self.

Post-Immersion Reflections

I joined a yoga studio [upon my return] to keep my practice going. I am taking the risk and going all in [to my art career] and I have Mazunte to thank for a lot of that. I wasn’t expecting to feel this way coming out of it, but [the experience was] super powerful and [I am] super grateful for [everyone] supporting me. -John

[Death] is a transition, not an ending.

[After Mazunte] I’m staying barefoot as much as possible. Dirty feet and a direct connection to the earth makes a bigger difference than I knew before. -Steve

I realized [through the retreat] that there are so many things we do not need. We create more complications in our lives [through these attachments]. Life in Mazunte is so simple. Fresh food, yoga, play. [Space to] create. [My] intention is to keep Mazunte with me for a long time. -Shigeko

I feel a deeper connection with my grandfather through this experience. -Greg

The magic of Mazunte allows space for deep introspection. I feel connected to animals, humans, trees, flowers and all of life in ways I’ve never experienced before. It was a honor to celebrate the lives and legacies of all that have come before us with a deeper recognition that we are all one. What a privilege to practice with reverence on these sacred lands. -Kristin