5 Reasons Why Delta Groove Yoga Mexico Retreat is for You

The first time I went to the Mexican Jungle was 20 years ago. At the time, I stood at a big crossroads, knowing I didn’t want to continue the academic career I’d been pursuing for the last ten years, but with no clear idea of what was next—or how. 

The primal forest has been the backdrop of most of my childhood dreams. At age 5, my best friend Pedro and I took turns impersonating Mowgli, monkeys, leopards, and lions who grunted while hanging from my bunk bed in the elegant setting of my family’s Paris apartment. 

At 30, my grown up dream of Philosophy was no longer potent enough to carry me forth, so reverting to more primal archetypes seemed a propos. I searched online for “Mexican jungle” and found a yoga and creative writing retreat without walls or electricity tucked between the Sierra Madre and the pristine Pacific coast of Jalisco, Mexico. Perfect. It gave me everything I’d hoped for: rejuvenation, adventure, new perspective, community—and more: a Dharma, a mission, a life purpose. 

Since then I have become a creative writing instructor, published a novel, and become a yoga instructor. I am the co-owner Delta Groove Yoga studio, and I co-lead DGY Kundalini Yoga Training School in Memphis, TN. I’ve led 17 international Yoga & Writing retreats in Mexico, France, and Costa-Rica.

In the past couple of years I've stepped back from international retreats. It takes a lot of passion to make these happen, and my passion had fizzled out. Then, last Fall I really needed a change of scenery so I decided to go check out this place I’d been following on social media because some of my favorite teachers regularly posted gorgeous pictures from there. 

It was everything I’d hoped for—and more.

As a very busy 52 year-old, I am still a sucker for a good adventure, and nothing energizes me more than lush, vibrant greenery bustling with birds and friendly critters. I also long for a comfortable bed, an elegant decor, effortless access to warm Caribbean waters, and a general atmosphere of EASE. Wearing very little clothes, bare feet in soft white sand, daily yoga, and mindful, sustainable beauty everywhere are a pretty flawless recipe to achieve just that. Sprinkle some gorgeous ancient culture on top, and I'm in heaven.

Ikal Tulum Hotel ranks five shining stars on all counts. After 5 days there I felt 10 years younger; happier; more hopeful, whole, healthy—and sexy, too! It became obvious that I couldn’t pass sharing all this love with my yoga fam and community. 

5 Reasons Why Delta Groove Yoga Mexico Retreat in Tulum is for You:

1. PAUSE. Say good-bye to your mental load. Your mind can finally rest! There’s an itinerary, there are experienced teachers, and there’s delicious fresh food that you don’t have to prep or clean afterwards. Nothing to figure out, no problems to solve. Just be. 

2. RELAX. Your nervous system can finally regulate. Your body will soften, surrounded by natural beauty, soft white sand, warm turquoise water, impeccable room service, lush bedding, empowering yoga, and non-violent vibes all around. 

3. CONNECT. Enjoy being around people who only want what you want: Peace and Harmony. 

4. EXPAND. Experience a renewed sense of what’s possible—balance, beauty and bliss in the palm of your hand. Our sacred ceremonies will provide a safe container for your inner and outer exploration. 

5. RE-ENCHANT. Acquire simple tools and practices to bring the magic back home with you. 

Ikal Tulum Hotel is an Oasis inside Tulum’s protected & pristine National park, also known for housing Tulum's Mayan Ruins. It’s very easy to access. All you need to do is book your plane ticket. We'll put you in touch with a trusted shuttle service who will pick you up at the Tulum airport and drop you off at the hotel. You can have breakfast in Memphis, and lunch on the beach! I cannot wait to go back. I look forward to sharing all this love with you.

Ready to sign up or learn more? Click here!

Breathwork for Healing: Your Guide to Practicing Pranayama in Memphis

Have you ever noticed how your breath gets faster and shallower when you’re anxious? Or how you might breathe more deeply and easily when you feel relaxed? Our breath is directly connected to our mental state — and that’s a two-way street! We can actually influence our mental state through our breath as well. 

Pranayama, the practice of controlling the breath — and the vital energy it contains — is a key part of any yoga practice. In this blog post, we breathe life into the benefits of pranayama, introduce you to some of the varieties of pranayama, and help you get started with your own pranayama practice. 

What is pranayama or breathwork?

“Prana” is a Sanskrit word that means vital life force. It’s the universal force that runs through us and everything around us, and the Yogic traditions say it’s delivered to us through our breath. Pranayama is the practice of controlling the flow of that energy through the breath, and it’s one of the key components to yoga, included in the Eight Limbs of Yoga that Patanjali defined in the Yoga Sutras. 

What’s called our normal “breath body” consists of three parts:

• The inhale, when you fill your lungs with air

• The exhale, when you empty your lungs of air

• The pause between, the natural vacuum created between these two states

Pranayama involves adjusting, or controlling, different parts of the breath body. For example, making either the inhale or the exhale more forceful than its counterpart, or lengthening a phase of the breath. We’ll talk more about different types of pranayama in a moment.

Through practicing different techniques of pranayama, we can observe how the breath can energize, soothe, detoxify, and even transform us. During a yoga class, the breath can also help us cultivate a mind-body connection, creating a link between our physical practice and that blissful and clear state known as samadhi that some people access during meditation or savasana. 

What are the benefits of pranayama?

There are many benefits to pranayama practice. A review of available research into the effects of pranayama techniques from the National Library of Medicine includes: 

• Strengthening respiratory muscles, like lung tissue and the muscles in your abdomen and diaphragm 

• Expanding your breath body/counteracting abnormal breathing patterns

• Reducing airway obstruction and inflammation and increase lung capacity and functioning

• Reducing perceived stress and improve mood

• Lowering cortisol levels, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular stress responses

• Helping the body shift from a state of sympathetic nervous system response (fight, flight, freeze) to parasympathetic nervous system response (rest and digest)

That last benefit is a key one. By helping our bodies shift into parasympathetic dominance, it’s thought that we get a host of benefits, including a reduction in anxiety and fatigue, which can help us show up better in the world. One study showed that whether the type of pranayama practiced included rapid or slow breathing, as long as an intention to relax was included, the brain was better able to block out external stimulus, resulting in that enhanced meditative mind state. 

Read more about the many benefits of a meditative state of mind.

What are some common breathwork techniques?

There are many different types of pranayama practiced in the yoga traditions. In this section, we’ll break down a few of the ones you’re most likely to encounter in your yoga practice.

Ujjayi Breath

Also known as victorious breath or ocean’s wave breath, ujjayi breath is one of the most commonly encountered pranayama techniques in yoga. In ujjayi breath, you focus on full inhales and exhales, breathing deeply and fully with a slight constriction in the back of your throat. The effect is almost like fogging a mirror with your mouth closed. You might feel the caress of the breath on the back of your throat, and you should hear your inhales and exhales sound like ocean waves lapping against the sand. This pranayama style is often linked to movement in vinyasa-style yoga classes and can help you find a place to rest your awareness and senses as you go deeper into your body during your yoga practice. 

Sama Vritti Breath

Also known as box breath, sama vritti involves equalizing the different parts of the breath. For example, you might use a four count and it would look like:

1. Inhale to the count of four

2. Hold the breath in to the count of four

3. Exhale to the count of four

4. Hold the breath out to the count of four

This is a simple breathing technique that you might have encountered outside of yoga classes as well. It’s often suggested for people as a way to calm their nerves. Try it the next time you feel stressed before a big meeting or any time you feel your nervous system jump into gear. You can adjust the count up or down to fit your needs, just make sure that each part is equal.

Kapalabhati Breath

Also known as skull-shining breath or breath of fire, kapalabhati breath is a pranayama technique often encountered in kundalini yoga classes. This is an energizing breathing technique that purifies the internal energetic pathways. It involves emphasizing the exhale and letting the inhale happen without effort. Breathing is done in and out through the nostrils, and each exhale is done forcefully, as you pump your abdomen in toward your spine, really emptying the breath on each exhale. The vacuum created by forcefully emptying the breath allows the inhale to happen automatically. 

This technique can take some getting used to as in our normal breathing pattern, the inhale is usually of greater focus. When first learning this technique, many yogis make the mistake of exhaling from their chest instead of their abdomen. As much as you can, bring that focus to pumping the abdomen in order to forcefully clear the breath and help to awaken the kundalini, that primordial creative energy that resides at the base of the spine. 

Nadi Shodhana Breath

Also known as alternate-nostril breathing, nadi shodhana is another pranayama technique you’ll almost certainly encounter in your yoga classes. The nadis are energy channels that run along either side of the spine and connect to our nostrils. The left nadi is said to encompass the feminine, intuitive, or lunar aspect of the self, and the right nadi is the masculine, action-oriented, or solar aspect. 

In our natural breathing, we switch which nostril (and thus nadi) we primarily inhale through several times a day. Nadi shodhana encourages us to balance those two sides with intention. Many people find this a very calming breathing technique, as it brings our energy channels into balance. 

To practice, come to a cross-legged position. Bring the left hand into gyan mudra, with the index finger and thumb pads touching and the other three fingers laying straight out, and rest the hand palm-up on your left knee. You’ll use the thumb and ring finger on your right hand to alternately close your nostrils. The index and middle finger of your right hand can either close into your palm, or they can point up and rest in front of the middle of your brow. To begin:

• Close the right nostril with your thumb and inhale through the left nostril

• Close the left nostril with your ring finger; open right nostril and exhale through the right

• Inhale through the right nostril; close right nostril, open left and exhale through the left nostril

• Inhale left, exhale right

• Inhale right, exhale left

• Continue, switching nostrils after each inhale

• To end, exhale through your left nostril and then return to your natural breath

Holotropic or healing breathwork

Unlike the other forms of pranayama we’ve talked about here, holotropic breathwork is usually its own class and won’t be found as part of a physical yoga class. This form of pranayama involves rapid, controlled breathwork that helps practitioners attain an alternate form of consciousness with the goal of transformation or healing. Classes are taught by trained professionals who lay the groundwork for what to expect, set a mood for the practice with the use of music, scent, and sound, and guide you through the journey. Classes vary based on the teacher and the technique they are trained in. At Delta Groove, we also offer private breathwork classes for yourself or your small group, where you can have a personalized and private experience. 

How do I start practicing pranayama?

You can experiment with some of these pranayama techniques on your own. For example, sama vritti is an accessible breathwork style that can be done almost anytime anywhere. To get started, choose a place where you can sit comfortably and try it out without interruption for a few minutes. Start small as you begin your pranayama practice. Many practitioners see benefits of breathwork after just three minutes. As you get comfortable, you can work your way up to longer sessions. 

A common challenge for those new to pranayama is a wandering mind. A thought comes by, and it’s all too easy to jump on the train and go for a ride. Resist that urge by keeping your awareness focused on your breath. Again, sama vritti is helpful in this regard because you have a number to count to for each part of the breath. You can take this method of giving your mind something to focus on into other pranayama techniques as well.

• Use visualization: In ujjayi breath, visualize the waves going in and out with your inhales and exhales.

• Count your breaths: Inhale is 1. Exhale is 2. Inhale is 3. Exhale is 4. Keep counting until you get to 10, then start over. Another way to do this is with a mantra. You can use the syllables involved in Kirtan Kriya, for example. Inhale is “sa,” exhale is “ta,” inhale is “na,” exhale is “ma.” “Sa ta na ma” represents the cycles of life: infinity, birth, transformation, rebirth. 

• Trace the breath with your senses: See what you feel inside your body by tracing the path of each breath in through your nose, into your lungs and abdomen and then back out. Notice things like how your ribs expand or the temperature of the breath on your nose as it goes in and comes out.

• Use mantra: Try using a saying that resonates with you. For example, as you breathe in, mentally say, “I breathe in peace.” As you exhale, mentally say, “I release stress.” 

One thing to remember during breathwork is that you are in control. If you start feeling anxious for any reason, return to your normal breathing. If you have high blood pressure or are pregnant, consult your doctor before beginning a pranayama program. 

With some of the other breathing techniques, like kapalabhati and, certainly, holotropic breathwork, practitioners might benefit from the help of a teacher. Luckily, we know just the place. 😉

Learn breathwork in Memphis at Delta Groove

At Delta Groove Yoga in Midtown Memphis, we incorporate breathwork into all of our yoga classes. Pranayama is an integral part of yoga, so if you attend a yoga class at Delta Groove, odds are, you’ll encounter one or more of these breathing techniques. 

Check out our class descriptions to find the right class for you. 

In addition to our kundalini, vinyasa, ashtanga, and gentle yoga classes, we also offer class styles that focus more explicitly on pranayama:

Meditation, Mantra, and Pranayama

This is a class to develop your meditation practice using Kundalini Yoga Meditations, Mantras, and Pranayama. Using specific seated postures, angles, and breathing sequences, you’ll cultivate energy balance to create inner peace so as to project outer peace. This class is suitable for students of any experience level and any mobility. 

Breathwork Class

Breathwork starts with a guided meditation/relaxation followed by a transformative breathwork journey. The class then moves into a guided visualization where you can connect with different versions of you, your guides, past loved ones or any messages you might receive. This class includes optional sharing at the end, and participants are encouraged to bring a journal if they’d like to take notes. Sound, essential oils, and sacred circle work are all a part of this class.

Breathwork and Sound Healing

In this class, breath is used to heal, release, connect with ourselves and reach higher states of consciousness. Breathwork starts with a guided meditation/relaxation followed by a transformative breathwork journey. To end, the facilitator adds a beautiful layer of sound healing to ground you back into your body and being. Sound, essential oils, and sacred circle work are all a part of this class. Dress comfortably and bring your journal to take notes if you’d like. 

Private Breathwork

In private breathwork sessions through our Healing Arts Center, breathwork is used as an active meditation that gets you out of your head and into your body and heart. Each session is individualized and tailored to your personal needs. Using the Ancient Eastern breathing techniques, music, and essential oils, you will be guided through a somatic journey of emotional release and healing. The breathwork technique used is a two-part pranayama breath done through the mouth while laying down. You will travel through stages of active breath moving energy in the body followed by a reflective rest period to intuitively integrate your session. Find out more and book your session.

Check out our full class schedule to find the right yoga, meditation, or breathwork session that feels right for you. See you on the mat!

Make it Your Own: Yoga Modifications & Props to Support Your Practice

Yoga is a deeply personal practice. In fact, the Sanskrit meaning of the word yoga is to yoke, unite, or join. What union you’re creating is up to you. For some, it’s a union between their mind and their body, or their mind, body, and spirit. For others, it’s a union between their physical body and the life force energy that surrounds us (and is accessible through our breath). The common denominator in these definitions, though? It’s you.

The key to cultivating the kind of practice you want to get out of yoga is to make adjustments to fit your body, mind, and spirit. One of the beautiful things about yoga is that it meets you where you are: you don’t have to already be flexible or “in shape” to do yoga. But too often, we operate from an “all or nothing” mentality that can get in the way of adjusting a class to meet our body’s needs today. In this blog post, we’ll talk about ways you can use props, adjust poses, and find other ways to give yourself what you need during any yoga class. 

What are yoga modifications?

You might hear teachers talk about modifications or adjustments during yoga classes, encouraging you to make any modifications that feel right for your body. But what does that mean in practice?

Yoga encourages us to work with our edge, that place where we feel challenged but not overwhelmed. In fact, that’s how we expand our edge. But pushing yourself too much too soon just to get your body into the shape you think you’re supposed to be in – sometimes called end-gaming a pose – isn’t how to do it.

For example, if you have tight hamstrings, you loosen them over time by working them to a point of challenge, where you feel that deep stretch (without pain) and then backing off. Over time, your muscles become more limber and your flexibility increases. You might have seen this idea in action in forward folds if you’ve been practicing for a while. Your tight hamstrings might prevent you from reaching your toes, but as you continue to practice, you notice that you get closer and closer. 

An off-the-mat analogy we can use is training for a 5K. Training and running apps offer “couch to 5K” programs because it’s not realistic to think that most non-runners can just get up one day and run 5 kilometers. Instead, you start off running for part of the time and walking for part of the time. As you continue to train, you run more and walk less, and the length of sessions increases. In this way, you build your strength and endurance and expand your edge.

What happens when you jump straight from the couch into a 5K? For many people, an injury is what happens. They might end up with shin splints, or they’re too sore to continue training the next day and their momentum falls off. The key is providing yourself with support to meet you where you are in order to keep going and meet your goals slowly and steadily. The same principles apply in yoga (and a lot of other areas of life, too!).

In yoga, we refer to this idea of building up slowly and steadily, starting with extra support and then slowly decreasing the amount of support, as krama. It’s the same idea as “you have to crawl before you can walk.” 

With this in mind, yoga modifications are the different types of support you give yourself during your practice. And because every individual’s body is different, they vary greatly. Teachers will make suggestions, but in a public yoga class with people of all experience levels and abilities, they are purposefully general. The best thing you can do for your yoga practice is to figure out how to make your own modifications and give your body the support it needs on any given day. 

How to modify yoga poses

There are two primary ways to modify yoga poses. One is by decreasing the intensity of the pose by what is commonly referred to as “backing out of it,” and the other is through the use of props. 

Decreasing the intensity of a pose will look different for each person, but it essentially means not coming to the full expression of the pose. To keep with our couch-to-5K analogy, the full expression of the pose can be thought of as the 5K. It’s the end goal, and again, if you push yourself to get to that end goal before you’re ready, you might not like the outcome. 

So how do you “back out” of a pose? Here are a few examples:

• In bent-knee poses, like lunges, chair, and Warriors I and II, don’t bend your knee as deeply. The deeper the bend, the more weight and strain you’re putting on that knee. 

• In straight-leg poses, like forward folds, keep what we call a microbend in the knees. This relieves tight hamstrings and helps you maintain that lower inward, or lumbar, curve in your spine, which is crucial if you have low back pain.

• In backbends, like cobra, cow, or locust, don’t lift your back body as high, and focus on keeping a long back of the neck instead of crunching those vertebrae in the cervical spine. 

• In positions where your arms are extended, like in downward-facing dog or high plank, come to your forearms to relieve wrist pain and to take stress out of your shoulders.

• In extended-leg positions like downward-facing dog or high lunge, lower your knee(s) to the ground to help distribute weight through the body as you continue to build strength.

• In longer-held poses, like in a yin class, come out of the position completely for a brief rest and then go back into it. 

There’s also always the option to back out of a pose completely, take a different shape, and just rest. This is an option I took a lot as a beginner yogi. I was recovering from a serious injury and years of unhealthy behaviors, and sometimes during class, I’d just feel done. I practiced compassion with myself during those times and let myself come to child’s pose or to rest on my back. Instead of kicking myself for needing that extra support, I’d focus on my breathing and send myself love. Giving myself this grace is one of the things that kept me coming back to yoga class, which led me to get stronger, love myself better, and eventually even get my yoga teacher certificate. Everyone starts somewhere. 

How to use props in yoga

You can also use props to help modify poses. At Delta Groove yoga studio in Memphis, you’ll find straps, blocks, blankets, cushions, and bolsters in the back of the studio. You don’t have to wait for an instructor to tell you to grab them. Experiment with props to find how they can support your practice. 

A few ideas for how to use props to support your yoga practice include:

• Add a layer of cushion under sensitive knees with a blanket or by using two mats stacked on top of each other.

• Bring the ground to you in standing forward folds by placing blocks under your hands. Notice how you can also deepen the stretch with grounded hands.

• Create more length in your spine in seated twists by using a block under your back/kickstand hand behind you.

• Sit on a blanket, cushion, or bolster (whatever works for your body) in seated forward folds to unpin your tailbone and make it easier to hinge forward at the hips. 

• Use a bolster under your torso or a block under your head for child’s pose to make this a truly restful pose. 

• Use a rolled or folded blanket under your hip in pigeon pose to help your body release into the pose. 

• Place a folded blanket between your heels and your bottom in rock pose to decrease the intensity of sitting your hips back on your heels. 

• Use a folded blanket under your heels in squatting poses like crow so you can really ground down into the feet.

• Use blocks under your hands in downward-facing dog to decrease the amount of pressure on your wrists and shoulders. 

Often, beginner yogis think about props as just being for people who “can’t do” the pose. There’s nothing further from the truth. In addition to providing support, the use of yoga props also helps you explore the pose more fully. When our body parts are just dangling, our body feels unsteady in space. By providing support, we let our muscles feel grounded and that helps them relax, which can help us really feel the effect the pose has on our bodies. 

You are your best yoga teacher

We learn a lot about ourselves on our yoga mats. We learn about our physical bodies, like what does and doesn’t feel safe or “good” to us, and we also learn about our habits. If you push yourself too hard on your yoga mat because you’re concerned with how others might perceive your practice, odds are you do that off the mat too. If you notice you’re clenching too hard in your practice, tightening your muscles more than is needed for the pose, maybe think about where else in life you might take that too-tight stance. Over time, yoga helps you learn to listen to your body and identify your habits, and that’s when you start truly being able to make mindful adjustments to give yourself what you need. 

Remember that you are your greatest teacher and there’s no better way to find the right yoga modifications for you than to experiment in a variety of yoga classes. At Delta Groove, we are a true community where yogis of all types are welcomed and encouraged. Our teachers, staff, and community members are inclusive, supportive, and friendly to help you feel comfortable checking out any class. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice to support your body. See you on the mat!