Belize Recap — Emilie Maynor

Hey Guys! I had the chance to travel to Belize for a 30hr Yin Yoga Training last week and wanted to share the trip with y'all.

So, here's the thing - this whole trip happened in a matter of 3 weeks. It was a flash of planning, organizing and re-arranging clients to make it happen, but it happened thanks to a sweet, sweet friend & yoga student.

I've been itching for more Elemental Yoga Therapy since I left Bali and was craving this training with my first EYT teacher, Sofia. Sometime in June I realized it just wasn't in the cards - despite the reasonable pricing, I couldn't afford it.

Flash forward to the end of July, when said sweet yoga student came to my Saturday yoga class at Villager Yoga. We were catching up and I shared with her how badly I wanted to do this training, but couldn't at the moment. Her eyes lit up. She had enrolled in the training, but could no longer attend. She wanted to GIFT me her spot. GIFT. GIFT. GIFT. I crumbled - how does one receive such a gift. I couldn't? Could I? Could I simply accept? The norm of reciprocity says that I "owe" something. But I didn't. She was thrilled I could attend. THRILLED - without hesitation, she passed the torch to me and we set the wheels in motion for me to take her place.

The finances were still tight even with her gift, and I casually mentioned the trip to a college friend I hadn't seen in 3 years that she should come. SHE CAME!

(LIFE HACK - pay attention when things happen with ease! When pieces begin to fall in place, it's the universe saying, "You got this! I support you!" And that's EXACTLY how this trip worked out.)

I landed in Belize City on a Wednesday. Belize City is not really a place you want to spend much time. I spent the day exploring then had a wonderful dinner with the training crew at Om Shanti Cafe & Retreat facility. Om Shanti is this little haven in Belize City. They have fresh juices & food + a gorgeous harbor view, fresh food & a sweet little yoga studio.

We stayed at The Great House Inn - which was LOVELY! I think most people just stay there as an overnight before the islands, but I stayed 5 nights. They were crazy nice & accommodating. The Raddison is right across the street & has a pool, which is where I met Erin every day after class. There's really not much to see or do in the area, but Erin made the most of it while I was in training. She booked excursions like cave tubing, a zoo tour & a killer zipline ride and by the time we left, all the locals knew her by name - which REALLY helped us score a deal on the ferry & find an ATM that would accept our US credit cards.

(Travel Tip - Belize ATM's will not accept cards with a chip. You have to friend all the locals & find the ONE international bank that does read chips...BIG shout out to Erin for sorting all that out in the pouring rain while I was in training! HA!)

The Training

This was an Elemental Yoga Therapy training with a focus on using yin yoga to connect with and release the Central Nervous System from the stress captivity we live in.

We learned about using yoga postures, long holds & deep breath to help the body transition from fight or flight mode to a rest & digest state

- which is where the body THRIVES, but as modern day folks, we RARELY get to experience that sort of release.

I plan to do a series this fall to integrate everything from this retreat. I could do a whole post - or even a training - on what I learned, but the gist is that we all have this amazing body. The body has an amazing capability to sustain us, so we need to let it - give it space! That means slowing down sometimes. (I'll do a training recap if y'all want - just let me know)

Once training was over, Erin and I took a 45 min ferry to Caye Caulker. It's a small unassuming island with zero cars & 100% vibrancy!

We spent 36 hrs living the Belize Island life - which I highly recommend! Caye Caulker is vibrant & accessible, without being overwhelming. The entire island is completely walkable, which makes it easy to navigate. Fresh food everywhere! In fact, just outside our air b&b, we met Charles. He own's the sunshine cafe that makes fresh smoothies & quiches daily. He'll even add some rum to your fruit smoothie if you provide the rum :)

We took a 5 minute water taxi to a close island, Coco Caye, and lived it up for our short island visit! Coco Caye is GORGEOUS! It's an organized beach with crystal clear water, a restaurant/bar & over the water swings - ultimate vacation vibes!

All in all, I'll definitely be back to Belize! I travel a lot and rarely go back to the same place twice, but Caye Caulker stole a little piece of my heart, I'll be back!

Have you been to Belize? I'd love to hear about! Leave me a comment about your experience or any questions you have!