Earth, Sea, & Self

Earth, Sea, & Self is a yoga and vipassana meditation retreat for practitioners of all levels, led by Beryl Bender at Xinalani Retreat on Mexico's Pacific Coast near Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. Over a week, mornings are given to mindfulness meditation and classical ashtanga yoga, and the rest of the day is left open for the ocean, the mountainside and rest.

What to Expect

The retreat runs for a week, with arrival on the first day and departure on the eighth. Each morning begins with vipassana meditation, the Buddhist practice of training attention, taught by Beryl in a gentle and experienced way. Because the setting is quiet and everyone is practicing together as a sangha, it is easier to carry that awareness into meals, conversations and outings.

The daily rhythm is steady:

- 6:30 to 7:15 am: mindfulness meditation
- 7:00 to 7:30 am: morning coffee and snacks
- 7:45 to 9:30 am: dharma talk and asana practice
- 10:00 to 11:00 am: breakfast
- 11:30 am to 2:00 pm: free time for excursions, the spa or the beach
- 2:30 to 3:30 pm: lunch
- 4:00 to 6:00 pm: foundation training, excursions or beach time
- 7:30 to 8:30 pm: dinner

Free hours can be spent swimming in the Pacific, walking the beach, reading by the pool, soaking in the hot tubs, or taking a spa treatment. Optional outings include whale watching, time with wild dolphins, exploring the sierra around the retreat center, and a day trip into the city of Puerto Vallarta.

About Beryl Bender

Beryl Bender Birch is a yoga educator and the creator of Power Yoga. She studied philosophy and comparative religion at Syracuse University, and has been a devoted student of classical yoga, meditation and Buddhism for decades. She traveled to India with her teacher, the Jain monk Munishree Chitrabhanu, to continue her studies.

She taught Ashtanga Yoga at the New York Road Runners Club, where she became Wellness Director. With her husband, Thom Birch, she cofounded The Hard & the Soft Yoga Institute in New York, which has trained students and teachers for 50 years. Her bestselling book Power Yoga helped bring accessible, fitness-oriented yoga to a wide audience, and she has written three more, including Beyond Power Yoga and Boomer Yoga. She has also been an environmental and animal activist since the early seventies, and she leads yoga and meditation retreats around the world.

The Setting

Xinalani is a private mountainside retreat center on the Pacific Coast, reached by boat. Airport transfers and the boat ride to the center are part of the stay. Guests choose from Deluxe Rooms, Eco Chic Suites and Beach Casitas, with open-air or air-conditioned options in the first two, and the Beach Casita air-conditioned. Rooms can be taken as double or single occupancy. All meals are plant-based, and coffee, tea, fruit and granola are available through the day.

Before You Go

No prior experience is needed. The meditation instruction suits both beginners and long-time meditators, and the yoga classes offer foundation training and modifications. The retreat is taught in English.

Included are accommodation, three meals a day, coffee, tea, fruit and granola, daily yoga and meditation classes, dharma talks, airport and boat transfers, kayak and snorkel equipment, access to the spa and wellness facilities, and all taxes. Flights, alcoholic drinks, paid excursions and personal spa treatments are not included.