Just Be: Yogawood Retreat to Belize

Years ago I followed the story of Julia Butterfly Hill, as she made her way into a 200 foot tall Redwood tree to protest deforestation and then after when she made her way down, toured to speak, and then ultimately settled on a tropical island in Belize. I slowly gathered that she became friends with an expat couple who'd founded an ecoretreat on Ambergris Caye. Sometimes they did programming together. A few of my friends had lead retreats there.

I love stories like this.

And I love to step inside the story.

Ak'bol had been on my radar from that time. I sort of kept it in mind for the right moment. After we concluded the epic adventure of the Vietnam retreat, it seemed like something hot, relaxing, and not too far was the counterbalance (yoga retreats can be like yoga poses). I booked Ak'bol over President's Day weekend and invited students to join.

And then 2016 happened.

As the election hit fever pitch, everyone I knew navigated big tumult in their personal and professional lives, and then trump was elected, I kept exchanging furtive messages with those joining the retreat. The content all pretty much amounted to: "I need this so badly and yet I feel guilty."

Me too.

I'm doing my best to watch that. To know that I can be conscious in my decisions, that I can care for myself in the ways that I deem appropriate, and that I don't have to apologize for it. We all deserve the space to get perspective. We all deserve time to relax. We function in our lives better when we do it from a place of intention and awareness.

You don't have to go to Belize to create those circumstances, but I have to say, it's not a bad way to do it.

So, a group of burnt, travel weary people amassed on the beach of Ambergris Caye, Belize. Our first evening together we shared dinner and our intentions. I shared that I'm looking for that liminal space where I can hold onto my own peace but not disengage. I'm looking to stay in it and not lose myself. There were many nods. We gather our people.

As the week unfolded we met under the palms to watch sunrise and drink coffee. We wandered out to the pier, practiced pranayama, meditation, and asana. The mornings were more intense often followed by a swim in the turquoise waters. Looking out, you saw a break point that indicated the second largest reef in the world. 

After lunch, some took snorkel trips to Hol Chan, Shark Alley, and Mexico Rocks. Others went further afield to visit caves and Mayan temples in land. Some hailed a water taxi and sped south along the coastline to visit the town of San Pedro. Others channeled their inner lizards, laying in the hot sun or relaxing in the palm shade. Folks scheduled massages and swam in the pool.

In the evenings we gathered at sunset for Yin practice. I relaxed my control freak self and ceded most of the Yin practices to be taught by Kevin. As we shifted positions we watched the palm tree outlines claim the lowering sun. After Yin, we had evening meditation sits over the lapping water. By the time we concluded it was dark. Ak'bol has a light so you can enjoy watching the fish racing under the water.

We walked down the pier back to our private palapa for dinner. We talked about the constellations and yoga and our lives at home. We could see it a little more clearly from that distance. 

As we reclaimed ourselves we also claimed one another. As always happens, a tight community formed, one where people hunt for each other's lost go pros, loan out bug spray and hair ties, stage elaborate and beautiful photos, write one another epic odes, and make plans to do it again.

I used to see art as a solitary activity. One artist, one page, one pen. These experiences are teaching me other levels of art. Art as experience, co created by an assembly of thinking, feeling, engaged beings. I think this is what was intended by group yoga classes. For us to try to get it together and to do it together.