Spotlight: MEXICO

Mexico lindo y querido! After living 15 years in NY I’m back to my homeland, and it has been a beautiful comeback, this time to the very special tropical area of Mexico, Riviera Maya. It’s full of incredible beaches and nature, but what I find even more special are the “cenotes.” In Maya, “hoyo de agua,” these natural water caves are pure magic, unique in the world, mayas considered them portals to the underworld and sacred source of life. It’s worth the trip just to visit these beautiful natural pools and caves.

We chose Cenote Minotauro, a small but very pretty cenote with Mariel and Adriana, two amazing yoguis devoted to the learning and teachings of yoga based in Mexico. Mariel recently opened a yoga studio built around an old and majestic Kopo tree, hence the name “Kopo Yoga.” She had a dream the studio was to be created there, and the universe conspired to make it a reality. Today, it’s a space for community and yoga practice—you can’t miss it if you come to Playa del Carmen.
Miriam Castillo
@miriamcastilloart

“Joy to me is connection, to yourself, to people, to nature, most importantly to a sense of belonging to something greater than life. To the magic of existing and living on this earth. Once you realize that it exists within, all the time, joy appears instantly, not in the future plans, or big dreams, but in any moment you decide to feel it. It is there as long as you are breathing.”
Adriana Zavala
@adryzav

“How does joy feel? The gentle yet powerful freedom of being able to love what IS. The effervescent trust in whatever is arising at this present moment, beyond expectations and uncertainty. The wholehearted contentment of accepting and embracing life as it unravels… and smiling because we are able to experience it all by being ALIVE.”
Mariel Chapoy
@marielchapoy

“I define joy as an opportunity to see things with the divine grace of a simple smile. To look into the eyes of others, to look at the sky and the stars. To know that I am alive as I feel my heart beating, and to share and laugh with others. To dance, to dream and to remember that every moment in this life is filled with the presence of God.”