Day 1:
After a typical long travel day, we arrived in Mexico late Saturday night. Despite a longer than normal check-in at the resort, we were able to jump in bed relatively easily so we could get a spectacular start to the day. Katie and I had the pleasure of ordering room service which included two salads (Caprese & caesar) as well as a camomile tea for myself which took an hour to arrive. Needless to say, we scarfed them down and passed out. We awoke for our very first yoga session Sunday morning. We grabbed a spot in the shade on the grass, laid out our mats and began our first day of meditation (read to us by Andrea Kwan) and yoga led by my love Eva Redpath. I loved being able to lay there and look up at the perfect blue sky and be grateful for the moment of being in a sunny place for our fitness retreat.
After eating an epic breakfast that consisted of an egg-white omelette, sausage, bacon and granola my roommate Katie, Payel and I did our first beach walk in the glorious sun. I was obsessed with the pelicans sitting on the wharf and had to snap several pictures.
11 o clock came and it was time for our first butt whopping by Eva. Her mid-morning boot camps this year were epic. They were just hard enough in the Mexico heat to challenge us but great in the sense that she made us feel accomplished at the end of our time sweating together.
Charlotte and I chose matching sunglasses for our bootcamp workouts all week since we break or loose glasses easily so we needed a twinsies Color Me Rad sunglasses pic.
After lunch we got a bit of free time and rushed to change into bikinis and head down to the ocean to soak up some sun. Last year I found myself lazing around in my room way too much so I definitely forced myself to work on my tan more this year (safely with 60 SPF kid’s sunscreen LOL). Our first group session was late afternoon on day 1 and we loved our arts and crafts time of putting together vision boards for our binders. Our binders carried our work sheets for the week and Katie had a bit too much fun making hers. We couldn’t help but giggle at her set up.
Here’s my vision board below. I chose all quotes this year vs. images. My favourite quote this year is the one underneath Destroy Your Limits. It reads “We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible”. Sometimes I do limit myself in terms of what I want to go after and choose things I know I can accomplish so this year I’m choosing a bigger goal that scares me and excites me and I’m choosing to think it possible.
As the schedule every evening after group we would don our running gear and sweat it out with a sunset beach run. I brought my Garmin with me so we could track our kms. We figured 4K would be a decent run in the deep sand. So at the 2K mark I threw my hands in the air and turned around. There wasn’t much packed sand to run in so there was definitely extra effort that was put in. Ankles and calves felt the pain.
Dinner that night was the Italian restaurant on the 2nd floor down by the beach. We had a lovely meal with all the ladies, lots of carb appetizers, red wine and I ordered the sea bass for my main. All in all the perfect start to the trip.
Day 2:
Since I was responsible for guiding yoga on Day 2 I really wanted to take us down to the beach or at least by the pool near the ocean so we could hear the waves. If you’re in Mexico and by the ocean you should experience yoga listening to the waves at least once! As luck would have it one of the girls found us a rooftop and an amazing rooftop at that. I gasped when I got out of the 3rd floor elevator (yes I took the elevator despite being on a fitness retreat) and below is what I saw. Needless to say we spoiled ourselves in the morning with this view every day.
Andrea led us through the morning meditation every day. Day 2’s theme was about facing & witnessing our fears and then I was able to take the girls through a Moksha flow I experienced during my 30 day challenge. I was so blessed to be able to guide yoga for the first time in my life and have it flow naturally. The girls were so supportive with thank yous that just made my day. Eva snapped a pic of us holding tree with our hearts open to the sky and hands open embracing what the day would bring.
During group session later that afternoon I had the pleasure and a moment of “this is why I was placed on this trip” when I sat beside Lisa for a partner share session. The theme for group was about limiting beliefs and were able to share an amazing moment of realization that we were not alone in our story and past pain. We made plans for a romantic dinner for two (LOL) later that night to continue our conversation and I am just so happy we were able to talk and support each other. The margarita (yes I did indulge!), ceviche and steak made my stomach happy!
Day 3:
The morning came and we rushed to the rooftop to experience our bliss again. I don’t think we truly realized how amazing it is to practice yoga on with a view like the one we had. I’m already missing it.
Then pure jokes began as we left yoga. I brought a carton of unsweetened chocolate almond milk with me for my coffee and granola this year. As I carried it with me to breakfast we had to take a cheesy photo for my Instagram.
I had the pleasure of teaching bootcamp on day 2 and Tuesday Tabata was a hit! I love leading tabata workouts and challenging everyone to find strength they didn’t know they had. I asked the girls to repeat two sayings after me before we got started. 1. I am an athlete and 2. I am stronger than I think. I then asked them to only utter positive words of encouragement for each other as the only things that could leave their mouths! My way of dispelling any potential whining, complaining about being sore, etc. For me it really worked and I absolutely loved the positive energy they gave each other. Our workout involved the following 8 exercises. One leg burpees, tricep pushup into two mountain climbers, tuck jumps, crawl outs, plank jacks, jump squats, scissors and football runs. The ladies kindly gave me a group shot post sweat session.
The evening run that night was a bit tough for me. I was still fighting a sinus infection from a few days before we left for Mexico and it was still hanging on. My endurance was shot, my pace was slow but I ran a few steps behind Katie & Charlotte so I could tell them when they got to the 2K mark to turn back. It pushed me to run the full distance despite being so sick. I could barely function after but water and a quick lie down before dinner was all I needed. I did feel a tad badass in my Tough Mudder shirt. 🙂
We had another group dinner that night at the sushi restaurant on site and it was less than lovely. We asked for sake and got white wine and the food took forever to come out. But the company with the ladies was fantabulous. I got to sit beside Charlotte & Lisa and took a group shot with my roomie Katie, Debbie (who I met last year on the retreat) and Jodie (new to this year’s retreat and just a beautiful soul).
It was a great start to the trip and I couldn’t wait for more days with these amazing women in the sun of Mexico!