Spa Magazine

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Your center of gravity feels higher after five days of yoga. Your spine stretches taller, your legs seem longer, and your glutes ride higher on your frame. True, this physical lift may be an illusion — I wish I’d measured — but the shift to a higher mental state is as real as the smile on your face.

The Tides Zihuatanejo

I arrived at The Tides Zihuatanejo, located on Mexico’s serene southwestern shore, for my first yoga retreat with trepidation. Having lapsed in my yoga practice for more than a year, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the others or, worse, that I would hurt myself.

In preparation, I had cut back on calories for two weeks and had added a second Pilates class to my usual once-a-week schedule. But, still, I worried. The retreat involved 12 hours of yoga over five days, which was far more intense than my usual exercise schedule. I imagined myself pulling a muscle, unhinging a joint, and going home in a wheelchair. As it turned out, I had nothing to fear.

The first yoga session of the retreat was scheduled a few hours after my arrival, which gave me plenty of time to enjoy The Tides’ in-room welcome: guacamole and chips, a fresh margarita, and a pitcher of hibiscus tea on my coffee table, along with “Welcome Ms. Burden” spelled out in flower petals on my bed. I even tried out the private plunge pool bubbling on my balcony. 

Refreshed from my dip, I pulled on a pair of yoga pants, a racerback tank, and a loose cover-up and found my way through a maze of winding paths to the thatched-roof Yoga Pavilion, where all the classes would be held. The view was heavenly: The pavilion faces the setting sun, Zihuatanejo Bay, and the Pacific Ocean from the justly famous Playa La Ropa, a pristine white crescent of powder-soft sand.

Yoga with Tom Morley

The friendly, laid-back demeanor of the other nine yoga students and instructor Tom Morley put me at ease right away. Morley’s advice to our group was to spend the next few days savoring the gift of existence as it unfolded moment to moment—and to listen to our bodies. Along with these words came the invitation to skip a class, arrive late or leave early, rest in Child’s Pose, or modify an asana according to what felt right. 

Relieved from any pressure to perform at the level of others or push myself to the limit, I eased into my first session slowly. Instead of arching backward into Wheel Pose (similar to a backbend), I kept my shoulders on the mat and simply lifted my hips into Bridge. Rather than fully raising the top half of my body into Upward-Facing Dog, I stayed closer to the ground in Cobra. Like some others in the group, I used a block for balance during Half Moon Pose, and instead of doing Chaturanga Dandasana (a push-up-like posture that can challenge even seasoned practitioners), I did a modified version, dropping my knees, chest, and chin to the floor. I also took extended breaks between postures, relaxing in Child’s Pose and concentrating on the steady in and out of my breath.

Next: More yoga, and of course, saving time for the spa.