My initial intent for a getaway was to find a yoga retreat somehwhere warm to get a short respite from the grey and cold of January in Portland. As my research into options began, I realized that I was better off devising a yoga retreat-ish experience of my own, one where I could make my own schedule, eat what I wanted when I wanted, and fully startfish out in a large bed in a room to myself. Once I saw that my options were either paying thousands of dollars more to have my own room or risk being boarded with a stranger I may not like, the decision was settled.
Since I was going to be doing this trip alone, I opted for Sayulita as I had been there several times before and I was comfortable being traveling to and from and maneuvering the small surf town. I had also attended yoga classes in the past and knew there would at least be a few options to choose from. As I started online digging to suss out all yoga opportunities open to me, I was surprised to find that there were actually just a few places that offered regular classes that were open to the public. Despite plenty of places popping up in map searches when typing in ‘yoga’ or looking into businesses promoted by ‘Sayulitalife.com’, the towns local business directory, many of these locations specialized in yoga retreats, private classes, and even a hiking and yoga on the beach excursion. Although I did have hopes to fit the the hike/yoga experience into my trip, having caught a nasty cold on my journey to Sayulita took me down the first few days of my trip and bumped that adventure from my itinerary.
It had been over 10 years since I had lodged on the North side of Sayulita (on the other side of The Bridge), so it was a happy accident that the 3 places I ended up going to for yoga were all located on the north side as well. Sayulita is tiny town, but I was pleased nonetheless with the convenience of everything being so close to where I was staying. The Rose Room Yoga, Yoga at Hotelito Los Suenos, and Alchemize House all had an online presence and I was able to view their websites, schedules and Instagrams before arriving. I had been concerned about packing my yoga mat with me so was elated to learn that all the places offered mats with their class price.
Rose Room Yoga (Rooftop of Don Bonito Hotel)
29 PALMAR SAYULITA MEXICO
The Don Bonito is a modern and minimalist hotel, striking with it’s white and black decor and expertly lit thriving, tropical plants. It has a chic coffee shop on the street level and a small pool in the interior courtyard. If a hotel can be sexy, this hotel was it, at least from what I could tell walking through the areas open to the public.
The rooftop yoga space is two floors up a steep set of stairs from the coffee shop. The stairs gave way to a large, airy space with high ceilings complete with fans for the warmer months. In one corner the mats, blocks, straps, bolsters and blankets can be found in tall built in, and there is as bench and hanging hooks for personal items in the back corner. On the Sunday morning that I attended my first class, I was impressed at the turnout of just over 20 students. Although we had to scoot a bit to make room for additional straggling latecomers, it was nothing like the pervastive cramming that is normalized at some of the more corporate studios in the States. Nothing takes me out of my zen faster than having to shimmy up or down my mat to negotiate space to spread my wings or getting a faceful of Stranger Butt as I attempt my pasarita.
From the 3rd floor the vantage point was high up in the palm trees and you had the feeling of practicing from a tree house. And as it was overcast that first day, I had not noticed the ocean beyond the trees and was struck with a sense of awe when the instructor reminded us to breath and look out onto the ocean. My eyes flicked up and I exhaled, feeling myself filling with joy that I had made it down to Sayulita and was getting this incredible experience of moving my body while gazing upon the ocean just a block away. The one other time I could recall doing yoga by the ocean, I was actually on the beach at the urging of a fellow traveler who was a yoga instructor, and as dreamy as it had initially sounded to practice there, I quickly realized that the incessant moving of the sand beneath my feet was completely untenable for a successful yoga session and I vowed never to do it again. This however was much different, and I felt invigorated surrounded by the palm trees, practicing with a view of the ocean, reveling in the din of street noise and rooster calls in true Sayulita fashion.
Although the schedule may change throughout the year, during my January visit they offered classes 7 days a week, and 3 to 4 classes a day Monday through Friday. Most classes were varying degrees of Vinyasa during the day and restorative classes were offered in the evenings, and Saturdays at noon were to a live DJ set. I liked the the instructors at Rose Room, and was especially impressed with Audra whose descriptive language and hands-on adjustments helped make small tweaks to my form that improved my practice and leveled up my bodily awareness.
Classes can be purchased as single class drop ins, packs of 5, 10, 20, or as weekly or monthly passes, multi-month or annual membership. They also offer teacher training, as well as private events. While classes can be purchased in person with pesos at a slight discount, you can also pay by credit card and purchase prior to arriving- you’ll just let them know the Confirmed Order number when you check in. Classes are taught in English, and they were very responsive to their email for any questions.
Yoga at Hotelito Los Suenos (Rooftop Palapas of Hotelito Los Suenos)
Calle Rosalio Tapia No. 10
Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico 63734
The grounds of the Hotelito Los Suenos was breathtaking and I could not wait to take a class under its rooftop palapa. The hotel itself is a sprawling Spanish style stucco structure with 3 levels and wide, winding stairs. It houses two seperate dipping pools and like much of Sayulita, is laden with lush tropical gardens and open air courtyards that give it a refreshing and almost romantic feel.
Classes could be purchased at reception with a discount offered for those paying in pesos, and like the Rose Room could be purchased by single drop in, as well as 5, 10 and 20 packs, as and weekly and monthly unlimited passes were also available and the occasional yoga retreat. The hotel also offered 50% discounts on classes for guest of the hotel, as well as a free class for guests staying 5 nights or more. Another perk which I did get to take advantage of was adding on their buffet breakfast for another 100 pesos. The breakfast was delicious and well-known in Sayulita so I was excited to be able to saunter over after my sweaty class and take in the stunning surroundings of the hotel and enjoy my tasty meal from their rooftop dining area just across the walkway from their yoga palapas.
Several classes were taught every weekday and limited classes on the weekends. Like Rose Room, their evening classes were restorative while the morning and afternoon classses tended to be Vinyasa and Hatha styles with a few morning meditations mixed in. My first class was a Yin class taught by Enrique (Henry on the schedule-@Ohmhenryoga on Instagram) in their larger palapa. After wandering around the hotel and getting a bit lost on the MC Escher-esq stairways, I found myself at a huge rooftop space with a high thatched roof and long white decorative curtains. Enrique, who that evening was teaching class accomplanied by his three lovely pups (cleary staples at these classes as regulars seemed well acquainted with these cuties!) had stations set up along the wall complete with mats, straps, bolsters, blanket and blocks for students as we would be doing mostly restorative utilizing the wall for hip opening. He himself had his spot staked out with his collection of incense, stones and statues and I was very excited to have him instruct as I could tell he would teach with heart and from a fountain of experience. Despite the intense hip opening, the class was soothing and I was thankful for such a beautiful space to practice in and I slept deeply that night.. Although our class that evening was fewer than 10 students, the space was so large that it could have easily entertained 30 or 40 students comfortably and based on some Instagram posts it seems it can get pretty packed during some classes.
A few days later, I came for a morning class and I had not realized there was more than one yoga space. Although I was disappointed not be practicing in the larger space as I had wanted to see the view of the ocean from the mat if there was one, I quite enjoyed the smaller palapa despite its much lower roof. As the original teacher had called out sick, Enrique was standing in and I got to experience the vinyasa side of him and was impressed at the challenging and sweaty flow he produced.
C. Miramar 13, Plaza Nawalli, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., Mexico
When I first arrived to the address I was confused as it is housed within a complex with several other businesses and a large group of people having coffee at the cafe in the complex were blocking my view of the signage pointing to Alchemize House at the top of the stairs.
Alchemize House is a small Community Wellness Club specializing in contrast therapy. They offer a cold plunge, normal temp pool, a sauna, a small lounge/work space and a rooftop area for yoga and pilates. The price of each class includes 30 minutes of use of the contrast therapy elements after the class, but hour passes or day passes can also be purchased seperately. The space for yoga was more snug than the other locations I had visited, and even with fewer than 10 students we were having to stagger on our mats as not to touch our neighbors too intimately. Like the other locations I visited, mats, straps and blocks were provided. Unlike The Rose Room and Hotelito Los Suenos which were on side streets, Alchemize house was an a bit of a busier street so there was a bit more noise even on the rooftop.
After changing into my swim suit I took a quick cleansing shower in the outdoor shower and made my way into the sauna. The sauna had two tiers and could comfortably accomodate 10 and basically all of us from the yoga class were crammed in there. The heat felt good as it was unseasonably cold for Sayulita that day and the man who had put himself in charge of the water checked in with the rest of us and we all urged him to make it hotter and hotter. Most everyone else seemed well versed in the world of cold plunges, but as someone who hates being cold, I just did my mandatory quick dip and then quickly shimmied out, dried off and changed back into my clothes, patting myself on the back for even getting inat all. Although I had envisioned a day spent doing the hot/cold sessions for hours on end, I realized its just not my thing. The pool was a cool 45-50 ℉, and I watched in awe as other guests managed to stay submerged for 2 minutes, the minimum amount of time for the cold plunge to have its positive effects on the nervous system.