Yoga in Yelapa

Keith’s Magical Mexico Retreat
February 19-26, 2011
(the week of President’s Day)

Deepen Your Yoga Practice South of the Border
Practice Breathing with Breathtaking Views and Fresh Pacific Air
Take a Mid-Winter Break in a Warm Peaceful Paradise
Jungle, Beach & Bliss (with No cars)!

$1,090 Includes:

Yoga with Keith at the stunning Casa Vida Yoga Studio
-    www.yogainyelapa.com
-    See Yoga Schedule information below
One night lodging upon arrival in Puerto Vallarta at Hotel Eloisa
-    Saturday February 19th
-    www.hoteleloisa.com
-    In the fun, safe and historic “Romantic Zone”
Six nights lodging at Casas de Los Suenos in Yelapa
-    Sunday Feb 20th to Saturday February 26th
-    www.palapainyelapa.com/pages/suenos.html
Round-trip boat transportation from Puerto Vallarta to Yelapa
Mule transfers of luggage from Yelapa pier to lodging
Simple daily breakfasts
Lunches and dinners each day in Yelapa created and served by a private chef who specializes in healthy, delicious meals and is able to accommodate special needs of group members. (One lunch and dinner not included; see below).
One local fiesta Mexican BBQ in the village center.
All tips for baggage, meals, and housekeeping services
A guided hike to a local waterfall

Not Included:
Airfare – Currently around $550 (and rising) for direct flight from SFO
Transportation in Puerto Vallarta (a taxi from the airport is about $25)
Meals in Puerto Vallarta.
Optional “extra night” lodging in Puerta Vallarta (Saturday 2/26)
Boat-ride to/from Yelapa for any participants who travel separately from the group ($10-$20)
One Lunch and one Dinner in Yelapa, so participants have the opportunity to enjoy Yelapa’s wonderful restaurants.

Yoga Schedule:
Mornings sessions (Monday through Saturday) will include pranayama (breathing exercises), energetic vinyasa flow asana practices and meditation (in potentially varying orders).
There will be plenty of free time in the middle of the day (for beaching, hiking, chilling out or exploring the village).
The afternoon yoga sessions (Sunday through Friday) will be a more diverse collection of whatever we want them to be (contact yoga, yin yoga, specialized workshops on inversions, alignment, balancing, arm balances…).
One or two afternoon sessions may be superseded by the guided hike to the waterfall (included in retreat price) or an optional whale/dolphin watching boat trip (not included in retreat price).
The practice is accessible to all levels; challenging to all levels. Everyone will get enough yoga.

About Yelapa:
Yelapa is a small coastal village reached only by boat, but just 45-minutes from Puerto Vallarta.
There are no cars in Yelapa; mules and horses are still used daily for transportation.
Yelapa offers spectacular nature experiences of plants, birds, sun and sea. The village is best suited to participants who enjoy walking.
The yoga studio is a five to seven minute hike up a mountain with a breathtaking view.
The lodgings at Casas de Los Suenos are set below the yoga studio (a much shorter walk down to the beach).

Accommodations:
Casas de Los Suenos offers a tropical beauty connected to nature with the comforts of hot water for showers and great places to hang out during your stay in Yelapa.
The lodgings are made up of a number of casitas or “palapas” which offer flexibility to configure to our group.
Prices are per person based on double occupancy.
“Double Occupancy” does NOT mean you have to register with someone else.
The entire retreat experience is set up to build a safe, supportive group environment that will foster independent introspection. We each create our own inner peace and get to bond with new friends.
One huge palapa called Casa Grande is ideal for housing up to 5 single people. This includes two bedrooms at double occupancy and one person in a big loft area.
Please don’t get bogged down with accommodation details at this time. Once the make-up of the group starts to take shape, we will figure out who stays where and with whom…

Pricing Notes:
I maintain a strong belief that yoga should be accessible to everybody so I strive to keep retreat prices affordable.
If you are pleasantly surprised by the prices above, please do not be concerned that this is a bare-bones budget retreat.
The yoga studio and accommodations in Yelapa are nicer than any place I have ever hosted or participated in a yoga retreat.
We have already exceeded the ”critical mass” minimum number of 12 attendees! This does NOT mean we are “full” just that we are fully committed. I have sent the deposit and this is absolutely happening. Now is the time to register and book your tickets to “lock in your airfare”.

Save your space NOW by going to the “Contact” tab and writing “Yoga Mexico por favor!” (or anything as clearly obvious) in the message box. Please check “yoga retreats” in the “I am interested in” box and don’t forget to include your e-mail address.
Upon receiving your registration request, I will send you an e-mail with a registration form and information on how to get a deposit to me.
A $300 deposit will save your space until the full payment is received.
Full payment will be due on Friday, January 7th, 2011.
Payments can be made in cash or via checks payable to Keith Erickson or YogaKeith.

Or Pay By Credit Card:

Travel Notes:
EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS.

Ideally (for safety, camaraderie and shared taxis from the airport to our hotel) as many of us as possible will travel together on the same flight. If you want to travel with the group, we will be on the following non-stop United Airline flights:

#877 Departing SFO 9:12 AM Saturday Feb 19th Arriving Puerta Vallarta 2:53 PM

#878 Departing Puerta Vallarta 3:50 PM Sunday Feb 27th Arriving SFO at 5:37 PM

PLEASE NOTE THE ABOVE ITINERARY INCLUDES ONE OPTIONAL EXTRA NIGHT IN PUERTA VALLARTA ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 26TH. LODGING FOR THIS EXTRA EVENING IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RETREAT PRICE. Alternatively, you could take the same flight #878 on Saturday if you do not want to spend an extra evening in Puerta Vallarta. But you are already in Puerta Vallarta and it is a Saturday…

When last checked (late July), the round trip price (on Expedia) was $550.

Accommodations at Hotel Eloisa for the night of our arrival (Saturday February 19th) are included in the price of the retreat. We will establish a meeting place for an optional group dinner that evening.
On Sunday morning we will share a chartered boat to Yelapa (also included in the price) and the pier is walking distance from the hotel. So, if you stick with the team, out of pocket transfer costs will be minimal.
Our last evening in Yelapa will be Friday February 25th. On Saturday morning (2/26) we may or may not have a morning yoga session before our chartered boat takes us back to Puerta Vallarta mid morning.
We will be arriving in Puerta Vallarta around 11:00 on Saturday morning. With this schedule, you can safely make a flight departing any time after 2:00PM on Saturday.
Alternatively, Anna and I will be staying an extra night (Saturday Feb 26th) in Puerta Vallarta (NOT included in retreat price) and will be flying home on Sunday (February 27th). Anyone who wants to stay and enjoy an extra night in Mexico is welcome to hang out with us.