Have you ever thought you knew who you were, & suddenly begin feeling unfamiliar in your own body?
I have felt this way many times, to the point that now I know this means I am in the midst of a transformation. Whether it is going through a breakup, losing a friend, identity crisis, new environments, etc; change is inevitable, so we might as well learn how to embrace it.
The Zen Experience Retreat in Tulum was a huge stepping stone for me to rediscover who I am, specially because I was having one of those uncertain moments I just mentioned. The retreat consisted of 5 days full of scheduled meditations, yoga, credible speakers, ancient ceremonies, & reconnecting with nature.
//DAY 1 & 2 DIARY;
We began with a Cacao Ceremony which was focused on the healing of the heart chakra and honoring our ancestors. I had never heard of it before, but while drinking the warm bitter cacao somehow I felt at home, as if I knew exactly what to expect out of life in that instance.
In the evening I listened to guest speaker Prem Dayal, and I was enlightened. Below are some of the insights I jot down to share with you.
DISCLAIMER; please keep an open mind while reading these, they can either cause major denial or a major awakening.
- ’When we learn not to trust, we close our hearts off over time in order to protect ourselves. This doesn’t allow the energy of love to flow in, it’s a miserable life.’
- ‘In order to love, you must have the courage to be vulnerable.’
- ‘When two people are present in the Here and in the Now, this is where magic happens.’
This next one is my favorite, specially because I can struggle with being a control freak... who else can relate?
- ‘To love without expectations is to set your partner free.’
I mean, let’s talk about it. It is so tempting to demand/expect of your partner all the things of your check list. Unconsciously or consciously, you have your partner trying to meet unrealistic standards or even worse yet starving them of their own identity.
This truly resonated with me, even if at first it triggered me because I thought to myself,
‘Well I know what I want, how can that be a negative thing?!’
He reminded us of the true essence of Love; Freedom. This doesn’t mean accept less than you deserve, it simply suggests that we love ourselves and others as they are, rather than how we want them to be.
//DAY 3 & 4 DIARY;
The retreat was truly paradise, I started my mornings with the healthiest breakfast, followed by paddle boarding across the lake, then going into some sort of healing activity.
Over the spam of our late night all vegetarian dinners, we met Astrologer Jacson Correia, who truly read us to a T. When I say “us,” I am referring to my best friend Sofia, who I kept looking over in disbelief and laughter every time the astrologer said facts about one of us. Some were light, some were deep, we embraced it all.
It was shocking & simultaneously amusing finding more about how our birth charts determine our destinies. He delivered a message to me that I knew I wanted to spread;
“Be compassionate with yourself. Forgive yourself. You don’t need all the answers.” -Jacson
If you’re reading this, this is your sign to start meditating today. View it as if you’re taking a flight to a very far away place where you can only experience peace, because that is exactly what it is. One of the coaches, Marcia, took me on a guided meditation trip so deep into myself that I met all the unwanted thoughts in my subconscious and put them to rest. A practice that led me to unlocking my full potential.
Now let’s get down to the real deal, here are some creative pictures I sneaked in while having the one of the most spiritually fulfilling experiences of my life; 
//DAY 5 DIARY;
Last but definitely not least, I had the honor to listen to the one and only Deepak Chopra speak for 90 minutes. The time flew by but I remained with my crown chakra open to receive all the knowledge he was pouring on to the audience. And yes, we made eye contact, I am now cooler than ever.
To listen to one of my favorite guided affirmations by him click below;
Soul of Healing Affirmations by Deepak Chopra
I am not here to tell you that I have the answers to all your problems or even my own haha, but I am here to tell you that loving yourself might be the answer to a lot of them.
“LOVE HEALS, LOVE EMPOWERS, LOVE FORGIVES, LOVE CONTINUES ON,
& so do we as infinite beings.” —Xo, Thal