I woke up at 7 this morning to the sound of ocean waves right outside my panoramic windows. The sound I fell asleep to last night and will again fall asleep to this evening. I am at Maroma Resort & Spa on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, roughly halfway between Cancún and Playa del Carmen. This gorgeous beachfront property provides a jungle and ocean experience blend, featuring a real sense of place infused with Mayan sensibility.
What awaited me when I awoke was a tray of green tea I had ordered the night before and a morning paper. I sipped my tea watching the ocean, in awe of the silence. After a pick of fruit, I was off to a yoga class held in a rooftop palapa of the on-premise Kinan Spa. The kundalini session was an invigorating way to start the day, surrounded by views of the jungle all around and the melody of wind ruffling the trees. It has been unseasonably cold and cloudy since I arrived yesterday. Yet despite the cold front, I am still loving every minute of it.
After many kundalini breaths of fire and waking up the energy inside my body, I had a deliciously healthy breakfast. Chaya juice, made with this green leafy herb that grows in the area, has become my favorite way to start the day in the Yucatán.
After breakfast, I swayed in the hammock on the terrace of my stunning oceanfront suite, watching the clouds and sun vying for attention. The drama unfolding in the sky provided such a nice backdrop to my siesta.
My afternoon was spent at Kinan Spa, where I was treated to the two-hour Kinan Ritual, one of the signature treatments. Hot towels infused with local herbs were first wrapped around my body for cleansing and releasing of the toxins. I then got a full body exfoliation with local honey and salt, followed by a vigorous four-hand lomi lomi massage. I didn’t want the ritual to end but when it did, I felt as zen as zen can feel.
As I write this, with flickering candlelight all around me, I begin to be aware of the sound of the waves and the wind outside. They’re picking up, and telling me to go to my four-poster bed and appreciate the moment. And to be grateful for the day I just had, a perfect pairing of decadence, renewal and inner peace. There’s more to look forward to tomorrow: my first Temazcal experience, a shaman-led Mayan ritual of healing and rebirth inside a pyramid-shaped sweat lodge by the ocean.
Disclaimer: My current four-day trip to Mexico is sponsored by the Maroma Resort & Spa, an Orient-Express property, and American Airlines.
