“Naturalness and simplicity are a great virtue. One must develop an understanding of the yogic journey itself, remembering the necessity of relaxation, focus, and persistent returning to the present.” –Chip Hartranft in The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali

Yoga can have different meanings for different people, but at its best it gives us a sensation of well-being and peace, and allows us to become masters of our own minds. You do not need to go to a class to practice yoga; however, we all need guidance and the practice must begin somewhere.

When I first visited  San Jose del Cabo–it was 2004, I think–finding yoga in town was a simple task. There were only a couple of yogis sharing their practices with others. Some high-end resorts would offer private yoga for guests, but the locals had relatively few options.

This has changed in recent years, and it is wonderful to see the growing quality of yoga in this town.  Yoga in San Jose del Cabo has expanded from these once-few options to a wide variety of practitioners, studios, and styles, available for all to enjoy.

Here are five ways to experience the San Jose del Cabo yoga scene:

1. Take a class with the locals

Padma Yoga is a Hatha Yoga Studio located just a few steps away from Las Palmas Beach, behind Cynthia’s Fresh Restaurant. They offer group and private sessions.

Kaleidoscope Yoga Studio is located at Mi Cielo Azul in the Chamizal neighborhood above Guacamaya’s restaurant, the Nun’s Hospital and the Liga Mac used book store. The well-known Caryl Lefell guides yoga practice here. Her yoga sessions vary in length, usually one to two hours depending on the level of ability of the students. Beginning sessions are typically one hour long. The cost is generally US$10 to $15 per session, but can be as high as US$40 per session.

Manoma Yoga, Lifestyle & Spa is located at Huizache #7, Col. Magisterial, and offers Kundalini and Hatha yogas in the mornings Monday through Thursday. A walk-in session costs US$15, but if you plan to stay a season, you can get a monthly membership. They speak Spanish.

Transformative Wellness is Natasha Grbich’s yoga studio. She was raised in the Sant Mat spiritual tradition with focus on vegetarianism, meditation, self study, satsang and mantra. She offers Jivamukti yoga and Hatha yoga for teachers and serious practitioners of yoga. Her sessions are from 9:30am – 11:15am on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and cost US$10 per session.

Raices y Brazos Yoga Center is a location offering a wide variety of yoga styles such as Dynamic Hatha, Inner flow, Restorative, and Prenatal. With a wide spectrum of yogis guiding practice, you won’t be disappointed. Sessions are open Sunday through Saturday and cost US$10 per session.

For further details and scheduling, please visit their individual websites.

2. Go to classes at a resort

If you are staying at a resort, make sure to ask for their yoga service. High end resorts like Palmilla and Ventanas al Paraiso enjoy spa facilities where you can enjoy a private or group practice with their own instructors, and many offer beach sessions. Costs will vary depending on the resort you are staying at and the deals offered in the season, but they can be around US$25 per person. They are usually only for guests staying at the resort, but some Boutique Hotels like Casa Natalia or El Encanto Inn offer regular schedules of yoga practice and you can always just walk in and take the class.

3. Schedule a private session

Peter “Pedro” Domecq is the founder and visionary behind Raices Y Brazos. Peter has been exploring community and holistic living for most of his life. He is trained as an anthropologist, ecologist, ecological designer, yoga instructor, and breathwork facilitator. He has worked in the health food industry, community development, organic farming, and “intentional” communities. As an instructor and facilitator, Peter is dedicated to personal growth and evolution. Trained in Dynamic Hatha yoga by Mathew and Holly Krepps, Peter continues to develop his style of practice and teaching, grounded in awareness and mindful presence. To reserve and get rate information, e-mail pedro@raicesybrazos.org or visit his website at www.raicesybrazos.com

Robin Clements is Trainer and Facilitator of The Transformational Breath Foundation, is internationally certified by Dr. Judith Kravitz, and is Co-Creator of the Breath Wave Experience. He is certified in the healing arts of Alphabiotics, Postural Integration, Watsu, Aqua Cranial Sacral, La Stone Therapy and he works as a yoga instructor and assistant to his teacher, Shiva Rea. To make reservations and get rate information, visit his BajaWellness website.

Caryl Leffel is a certified Yoga/Pilates instructor and Personal Fitness Trainer. She is a registered teacher with Yoga Alliance. Certified by NESTA for Pilates and American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a Personal Fitness Trainer, her practice combines Anusara, Astanga, Dynamic Method, Hatha, Parayoga, Power Vinyasa, and Viniyoga styles. She provides private and semi-private sessions for travelers, group events, and people who would like to enjoy the privacy and convenience of their own beautiful space. Pricing depends on length of session, distance to class site and number of participants. E-mail  to schedule your private session at yoga@kaleidoscopeyoga.com or visit her website, Kaleidoscope Yoga.

Amanda Luisa Rodriguez is a RYT, Reiki Master, Light Worker and owner of Soul Girl Yoga. She offers private yoga and meditation instruction. Her cost is US$60 per hour for private sessions and US $10 for each additional person. To reserve, e-mail Soulgirlyoga@gmail.com

Yesica “Yeye” Pineda guides meditative yoga sessions for practitioners at all levels of practice. Her yoga combines sacred sound and music frequencies that create harmony and balance and align bodies/mind/spirit. Yesica has practiced vipassana meditation since 2002 and has been teaching yoga since 2002. Her foundation in yoga practice includes her training in PowerYoga with its founder Bryan Kest in Santa Monica, California, with whom she has trained on a daily basis whenever in town since 2000. When in Boulder, CO, Yesica practices Ashtanga Yoga with Richard Freeman. Honoring “The teacher is within” yoga philosophy, she invites practitioners to trust and embrace all limbs of this ancient spiritual discipline and let the practice itself lead the way. In San Jose del Cabo, you can find her at Raices y Brazos. Her yoga is available for download at www.yogichocolate.com Her private practice includes yoga retreats as a traveling private yoga teacher. You can reserve and negotiate your retreat cost via e-mail yeyeorganicpop@gmail.com or visit her website www.planetarymoodsmusic.com

4. Attend a workshop or retreat

In San Jose del Cabo, you can expect to find workshops and retreats dedicated to a healthy lifestyle year-round, as well as the availability of forums through which to bring your own retreat or workshop to our town through via local centers like Raices y Brazos or Baja Wellness, who recently brought Shiva Rea to San Jose del Cabo.

Soul Girl Yoga organizes retreats for 5-day, 4-night spiritual quests for  US$3,500 per person, located in beautiful Rancho Las Cruces.  Meditation, Qui Gong, traditional native Mexican shamanic cleansing and healing, yoga flow, hatha yoga, vinyasa flow, reiki sessions for healing, massage, facials, light work and breathing classes are all incorporated into these retreats. They also include water meditation, a day hike to sacred pools for vision quest, and much more.  There is one coming up this July.

Kaleidoscope Yoga offers Prana, Dosha and Partner Yoga workshops. E-mail kaleidoman@kaleidoscopeyoga.com for detailed info.

Contact your favorite Hotel or Resort in the area and find out what retreats they are holding.

5. Do your own practice on the beach

When it comes to yoga practice, the sand is not the best surface to hold your poses because you need proper spine alignment. Unless you are an experienced yogi, it is better to practice in grass; however, yoga can be much more than only asana practice so you might want to practice stillness or pranayama and observe your breath–perfect activities for San Jose del Cabo beaches. Choose your favorite sunrise spot not too crowded to practice.

Whether you are new to yoga or continuing a devoted practice, the ocean here will surely inspire you. Feel free to add your favorite yogi or yogini to our Baja.com list, or leave a comment to tell us about your Baja yoga experiences.

Most surfers have a kind of peace attached to their walk–some kind of “Zen” energy that clears their eyes as well as their conversations, especially right after they come out of the ocean.

As a traveler surfer, whenever you decide to venture into any beach around the world for the first time, it is important to choose the right beach, go at the right time of year, know the etiquette, take a lesson if you are a beginner and get the right equipment; however, these aren’t the only things to pay careful attention to.

Choosing your swell point

The first thing to learn is when “swell season” is and choose the specific days that are good for surfing.

Photo by Sagi Walk

The swell points here, both right and left, are famous with surfers all over because Baja California Sur offers two bodies of water on either side of the peninsula. So when the season changes, the surf doesn’t disappear, it drifts between the Pacific Ocean in the winter and the Sea of Cortez in the summer, so you can surf all year.

The ideal swell at the beaches in Los Cabos come from the South, which arrive in the summer. Beaches on the Pacific need swell from the North due to their position and the type of ocean floor. Winter surfing is good on the Pacific shore with a northwest swell from a few kilometers above the Todos Santos area to El migrino, which is just a few kilometers from Cabo San Lucas.

Acapulquito Beach in Costa Azul just outside of San Jose del Cabo is a popular place to learn. There is a great surf shop right at the beach and wave access close to shore. The waves are strong and fast right. The beach breaks from April through November. Punta Palmilla by the Palmilla resort is a right point that only breaks on huge (20ft and up) swells. A very good right reef break is at Playa El Tule.

To find bigger waves, go north of Cabo San Lucas about 40 minutes to Cerritos Beach where there is a sandy beach and strong Pacific waves. Except for the bigger swells, this is an excellent beach for beginners, due to the playful waves, sandy bottom, and left and right breaking waves.

Remember that, in the water, the surfer closest to the peak of the wave has priority. Do not drop in. To avoid collision, paddle towards the whitewater or paddle wide on wave shoulder, whichever is closest to you.

Choosing your board

Short Boards are designed to be light, fast and for plain ripping.
Classic Longboards are smooth, graceful, elegant, fun and classic. They are ideal to learn with.
Performer Boards are versatile and work on any type of wave.
Water Hog Boards are designed to be good wave catchers.
Hybrids are performance boards good for any age or size.
Fish Boards’ design can generate speed from any swell, strong or weak.

Writing about surfing, I thought of India Wood, founder of Baja Botanicals, yogi teacher and herbalist, and mainly a passionate surfer who loves San Jose del Cabo. When I asked her to share her San Jose del Cabo experience she said:

“I love to get up early and surf at Zipper’s, it’s a religious experience, sometimes even sacred! The ‘dawn patrol’ was a fairly steady, albeit, crusty group. We encouraged and enjoyed our early AM sessions. There are days with Patrick, Chris, Proffe, Daniel, Lance; Sweet to be with the guys who know how to share waves. The ‘Aloha spirit’ can be sadly lacking at times, but it is a true treat when it’s there. Fantastic surf, bonfires in the evenings, classic surf mojo. I’ll always have great memories of beach camping in spring and summer. Oh, and the evenings at Zipper’s, listening to Bill and Autumn, dancing into the night with the Rosefields, Phyllis and Gloria, Bob and Chris Gaglia, Lynn and Murray Huggins. Wow, it’s all coming back to me now that you’ve got me thinking on it! The evenings under clear skies, before cell phones, when parties would spontaneously arise. Eclipses would be ‘discovered’ without the assistance of computers; Fun!”

Clearly, when in Baja, what else if not surfing?

Do you have any Baja surfing experiences or stories to share? Join the discussion in the comments.

“Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.”  -Pablo Picasso

Baja is a wonderful place, and it invites wonderful people. Witnessing its organic growth and creative surrender is a delight and a privilege for those who have fallen in love with its simplicity and closeness to nature.

Image courtesy of Casa Dhalia

San Jose del Cabo is a charming town at Baja California Peninsula land’s end. In contrast to its sister town Cabo San Lucas (known to be a party fancy town), San Jose del Cabo’s identity has evolved from family values and cozy community ideals, born from its dedication to the ocean and its way of life.

It is not a surprise that art has blossomed in a romantic renaissance movement, defining San Jose del Cabo as an artsy town where time and space stop and merge.

When you visit San Jose del Cabo, take the time to walk through its downtown Art District. Galleries such as Casa Dhalia are home to a unique selection of Baja’s top contemporary artists such as Sondra Richardson, Leah Porter, and photographer Prissma Lara.

As you walk the town on a Thursday night, you will encounter the Art Walk, where all galleries open their doors to visitors, inviting tourists and locals to mix in a relaxed and creative atmosphere.

Galleries participating in the weekly Art Walk include:

• Los Cabos Amber Gallery,  where you can find one-of-a-kind jewelry and sculptures made from 22-25 million year old, 100 percent natural, untreated Chiapas Mexican amber; their Fine Art Annex features Ronsai’s abstract art and the photography of famous Bruce Herman
• Galeria Corsica, which represents more than 50 artists
• Casa Don Pablo, where you find authentic mexican artesanias
• Dennis Wentworth Porter who, for close to two decades, has been capturing the beauty of Mexico and who opened Casa Dhalia, a studio dedicated only to his art
• El Armario, which offers Mexican Folk Art
• El Lunario fine arts gallery, where you can admire award-winning Mexican and international artists such as Yandi Monardo and Tere Metta
• Frank Arnold Gallery, which gives us the opportunity to visit the working art studio and living space of this international abstract artist
• Galeria de Ida Victoria, where you can get familiar with an in-house custom frame studio specializing in preservation framing and get inspired by its paintings, sculptures, photography and prints
• Ivan Guadarrama Gallery, where you can interact with original art (life castings)
• La Dolce Art Gallery, which invites you to admire Mexican Artist Alejandrina Calderoni and also dine on the best Italian food in town
• La Sacristia Art and History Gallery, which displays genuine pottery and ceramic art
• Arenas Gallery, where you can find find Mata Ortiz pottery
• Muvezi Gallery, which inspires you to support Africa and admire Zimbabwe’s sculptors
• Patricia Mendoza Art Gallery, which shows contemporary Mexican artists known nationally and internationally in important collections and museums
• Arte Galeria, which is Blacksmith Shop, Art Studio, and Restoration in one

Believe me when I tell you that San Jose del Cabo, in itself, is pure art.

Have you experienced the Art Walk?  Do you have any stories or hints to share?

One of the greatest pleasures of travel is the opportunity to encounter new cultures through local food. In seaside San Jose del Cabo, you will find an eclectic assortment of foods and styles, from fresh fruits and veggies to seafood, Italian, California-style, European, Turkish, Spanish, French, American, Chinese, Japanese—and of course, traditional Mexican tacos.

Did you know that many of these local restaurants source their ingredients from the San Jose del Cabo Organic Farmer’s Market? Here, you can find produce from a variety of local organic farms, such as that produced by Sabor de Amor (Taste of Love).

A branch of the organization Raices y Brazos, Sabor de amor is located at Colonia Chamizal San Jose del Cabo. Its mission is to “reach out and nourish folks through homegrown local organic foods infused with love and intention.” Raices y Brazos is an integral center for the exploration of individual and collective evolution. Its areas of exploration include: art, music, yoga, dance, healing, spirit, ecology, activism, education, organizing and community building.

The growers are a mix of volunteers who travel from all over to sustain the gardens and the local community that works on it; it is a significant community effort, directed and founded by Peter Domecq. You will find them as a strong presence in the Farmers Market, offering the veggies of the season. You can find out in detail which veggies and fruits are in season at San Jose del Cabo Organic Market’s website.

What is organic?  Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality. Organic foods are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

You will find variations of this definition often, but they are incomplete. What is special about our Farmer’s Market in San Jose del Cabo is its resonance with what many of us feel and believe. Being organic is a natural way of life in spirit, in words, and in actions.

So yes, you can eat organic in San Jose del Cabo!

How much do you know about organic food in Mexico or even organic food in general? Comment with your experiences and knowledge.

The Group of Twenty, or G-20 in Los Cabos

The debate at the G-20 meetings is always interesting. Typically the tax globalization imposes on our environment is at least a subtext. It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out in Baja. Los Cabo is a “high tourist zone” and an area where the impact of globalization and development on the environment has only been modestly acknowledged. As much as Cabo travel takes a toll on the region, Baja, remains a virtual sanctuary when it comes to protected zones around the world and, as it is an area worthy of protection, it’s also a role model. Cabo Pulmo’s success in restoring a precious marine zone is a role model to the world. While I few years ago, this is what we would all be watching from Baja. I think with the changing times most Baja residents are hoping that the G20 sends the world a message that it’s safe to visit us here in Baja and that Mexico is a region that should be considered on a world scale. Mexico is a safe country to travel to and there are reasons why  it has been qualified one of the happiest countries in the world.

There have been six G-20 Leaders’ Summits (Washington, London, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Seoul and Cannes). This year Mexico will become the first Latin American country to chair the annual Presidency of the group establishing the following priorities:

Economic stabilization and structural reforms as foundations for growth and employment.

Strengthening the financial system and fostering financial inclusion to promote economic growth.

Improving the international financial architecture in an interconnected world.

Enhancing food security and addressing commodity price volatility.

Promoting sustainable development, green growth and the fight against climate change.

The G-20 2012’s calendar is active through out the whole year and already a dialogue prior to the Leaders’ Summit in June has ended successfully  in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur.

Global economy complexity reflects a world population often in competition for limited resources. The obsolete rules of all ‘isms of the financial world are bound to change if we are to live as a healthier and wealthier world community. During this Summit, it is our hope that all those who visit Baja get inspired by its very own natural sustainable way of living; at the least, Baja will remind us that people need to take care of the limited resources on which we depend.

Sunshine never felt so close to the skin, and the blue green desert colors never reflected so much light into the mood of a morning than that day I landed in San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Being born and raised Mexican, a familiarity with the relaxing feeling of home blew a breath out of me, in full blossom inspiration. The weather was perfect. The energy was quite exciting as people on vacation wore their sandals, hats and drinks into the street.

I was amazed by the friendly welcome the natives had prepared so I would maybe choose right there at the airport their company for the rest of my trip; in my case, I had a great quality to add…I was there to see my brother, Gerardo Pineda. My brother was one of them, therefore, their smiles were even closer to the heart and an open imaginary red carpet was laid on the floor since the very beginning. Thanks bro.

After the ritual timing of long-awaited encountering, me meeting the Pineda newborn and my rock star sister-in-law Cristina Estrada, I started to look around and connect with the town vibe.

Imagine, I had been gone for 10 years from my precious Mexico after being selected, from millions of talented people in the country, as one of the 12 “Valores Juveniles” (think “American Idol” in Mexican version). My professional journey in music took me to Los Angeles, California, where I spent those 10 years deep down cultured into the Mecca of the production of dreams all related to entertainment, music, arts, movies, theater, technology, popularity and the fantasy bubble-making that only LA people can relate to….the exhausting pursuit of fame. This path of non-stop self-image reflection eventually made me spirituality hungry so after I finished my “Grammy winner team” Music Album Yeye Organic Pop I took a retreat from it all. I engaged in my yoga and meditation studies, which brought me back to my inner-self and the recognition that in order to know where to go next, I had to come back to the beginning. Back to the basics, always remember who you are and where you come from…family.

So once in San Jose del Cabo, it was easy for me to recognize the simplicity of family values and the everyday joy of waking up by the ocean, eating home made food and living a life of social connection where the only purpose is rest and fun. As I started to find out, everybody there, and I mean everybody, is either relaxing and having fun, or making others relax and have fun. What a paradise!

On a morning walk by the beach, as I looked at the horizon and felt the desert heat, with my bare feet in the water and my breath so present, I told my brother: I want to live here. He said: Excellent! Why don’t you? That is how my next 4 years in Cabo started.  After a month exploring the town and its creative possibilities, I flew back to Topanga, packed my car with personal home made dreams, said goodbye to my beloved California friends, closed my cycle there and drove my car down La Baja, where a new cycle of life in yoga, writing and music awaited! I had fallen in love.

If you like driving the land…La Baja is a must. The South West cost of the USA is a gem, the little romantic looking towns and the surfing beaches are very nice. You do have to cross the border and experience border people, which as intense as it can get, but it will only enrich your awareness about how fortunate you are because you get to move on from the stagnation that only a world of limits can create.

If you are driving down through La Baja remember this: at some point the ocean will surprise you facing you in grandiose display of magnanimous power, in contrast with the Desert colors of the Earth. Your heart will pump in so much awe, that moment will bring you into divine consciousness. It is powerful. From then on you will keep driving, and you will have more than enough time to gather your inner-self for what is awaiting you at the end of your drive, San Jose del Cabo… La Baja Peninsula’s Land’s end.

In contrast with Cabo San Lucas, the wild-party town, San Jose del Cabo is a cute family town, with its old missionary church (you know San means Saint), with its downtown cozy feeling, with its diversity of food, restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, home-made bakeries, family owned “tienditas”, art galleries Mega Resort hotels, boutique style hotels, simple free-style Palapas, native family own home-style hotels, spas, gyms, parks, farmer markets, healing centers, realtors, the marina, extreme sports, horse riding, its local brewery, the ocean…and yes! Its own eclectic party scene!

San Jose del Cabo is defined by its people: rich people, people specialized in service, fishing people, water sports people, young people, surfers, realtors, lawyers, salesmen, tourists, politicians, artists, famous people, cooks, dancers, yogis, healers, natives, foreigners, Mexicans; fathers, mothers, daughters and sons, children and pets. Everyone there ruled by the ocean tide and the moon cycles. The Sun shines all year long.

This is my story, but the stories people have to tell about this beautiful place on Earth are unending… all of which are united by a common factor…the magnetic force of the land. Follow our blog and enjoy these stories on Baja.com. It is my good intention to bring you closer to the fun by presenting you with the coolest happenings and the people who make it all true. After all, they are the heart of San Jose del Cabo, and when you finally make it here, you can play it to the beat!

Love

yeye