Gifts from Guatemala
my watercolor sketch of Swell in El Paredón
My dear friend Jess told me about a Creativity and Yoga Retreat called Raw Edge Retreats in El Paredón, Guateamala and I hopped on the opportunity to join her. I typically prioritize experiences over practicality and this choice was no different. I almost always say “yes” to travel regardless of financial, work, or relationship obstacles. This certainly is not a good strategy for everyone (ya think?), but it has worked for me. When I can say “yes” to travel, it is reliably worthwhile. It gets me out of the contentment of my routine. I need structure to stay grounded, but transformation in my life occurs when I am spontaneously uncomfortable. Lake Atitlán was on my list of “Nonnegotiable Places I Will Visit” since I was in undergraduate school. Signing up for this retreat sparked the idea to make my stay in Guatemala longer, so I invited my friend Dana along to the lake to experience some extra magic.
I chose ten words to summarize what happened on my trip.
Mystery
Lake Atitlán is in the heart of Mayan culture and has beautifully preserved Mayan villages. The word “atitlán” translates to “the place where the rainbow gets its color” and makes complete sense if you’ve been there. Mayan secrets can be found if you are open to receiving. Mayan culture is still very much alive and vibrant in traditional weaving, song, cacao, and ayahuasca. There was no way of knowing how the mystery of Mayan wisdom would change me until I was immersed.
Connection
When I travel I seem to encounter the people meant for me to meet or perhaps I am so open that I find value in every connection I make. Dana and I made friends instantly at the Eagle’s Nest in San Marcos. Before we knew it, we were adopted into a family of a transient soul searchers. I learned something from each individual I spent time with. In fact, I made deeper connections there than I do in my routine daily life. The same was true in El Paredón. Embarking on a weeklong retreat in a new place with people you’ve never met produces synergy for close relationships fast. I made lifelong friends on the beach; we each had intimate conversations, revealed personal stories, and realized we all had something in common.
Energy
The energy of Lake Atitlán and surrounding volcanoes is profound. You can taste it, smell it, see it, feel it, and hear it. All portals wide open to take in sensory information known and unknown. An immediate shift of my outer and inner landscape happened with the first glimpse of the lake. I had the revelation here that I do not own energy at all – I merely play with it. The framework of “your energy” vs. “my energy” no longer exists in my mind. Energy does not belong to any of us; we exchange it, manipulate it, and use it. Sounds like a relief, right?
Ceremony
This word continued to be a theme throughout the time I was in Guatemala. I came to do the physical practice of yoga and found myself communing in other ways. I was marked with my first tattoos in a ceremonial way never to be repeated. I participated in a sacred cacao ceremony. I received a healing ceremony utilizing hypnosis. I burned barriers in a fire ceremony. Those who practice ceremony in absolutely everything they do are in strong relationship with the Divine or Spirit.
Affirmation
Nana Marina Cruz is a Maya Tz'utujil, a spiritual guide, residing in San Pedro and I was lucky enough to have a private cacao ceremony with her. During a moment in our ceremony, she declared that the plans I have for my life are good and true so any decision I make for my future will be the right one, I only need to make it. I have never been more directly and succinctly affirmed by someone who knew nothing about me. I want to keep most of what happened in this cacao ceremony private; I know I can never go back to being the same person I was before it.
Alchemy
How do you change from a limiting belief mindset to an abundant mindset? This was my question for Maho Balthazar. She used hypnosis and bodywork to alchemize pathways for new somatic sensations associated with new belief systems. Through multiple kinds of hypnotic visualizations, I accessed deep wisdom of ease and calm. An abundant mindset doesn’t mean “more money or more stuff” to me. It means being so much in the flow of life that what is meant for me is effortlessly seen and given. There is a sweetness and tenderness in my body for the past version of me working to step into this new version of me.
Inspiration
I woke up with the sun every single day around 6 AM. I must emphasize that I am not a morning person at all, but I awakened with a fresh mindset to discover something new in my environment daily. Everything was source for inspiration from clothes drying on the mountainside tin roofs to the colors painting the sky over the ocean. Now my task is to hold on to this inspiration and learn how to keep the flame burning.
Motivation
I had a burning interest to create and to learn while I was in Guatemala. I could feel the kinetic momentum forward and I wondered if it was because I was connected to myself in a different way there. How did the heaviness in my body lift? I was completely activated. I practiced Kundalini, I journaled, I sketched, I water colored, I questioned, I rested, and I took advantage of the moment. All these practices culminated to a bold motivation to share my purpose with the world.
Creativity
On our Raw Edge Retreat, Bri and Rachel gave us journal prompts to explore our own creativity over our morning Guatemalan coffee. What are our first memories of when hours passed by like minutes? When did creativity take hold in our lives, and who or what influenced it? What are our barriers to creativity? I kindly reminisced about my childhood. Although I sometimes rebel against my family, I can thank my mom and dad for my creativity. They inspired and encouraged much of my creative process that I still hold onto today. I ferociously read as a younger person and this also contributed to my active imagination. My imagination is essential to keep my creativity working as an adult.
Power
“Stepping into my power” is a rare thing for me. I am always “working through something” or limiting myself by putting up my own walls of resistance. I tapped into something in Guatemala that reminded me of the power I harness. This reminder actually translated into action and core belief. There is so much more to unpack on this topic, and I am still translating what this means for me in the present. All I know right now is that it is a gift.
