Wellness Spaces Blog
Beyond Yoga Retreat in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
When YOUALITY was there: March 19th 2022 – April 9th 2022
Overall Rating:
8.1/10
Accommodations: 8/10
People/Community: 9/10
Experiences/Excursions: 9/10
Meals: 7/10
Workshops: 7/10
Yoga Classes and Spaces: 8/10
Value for Money: 9/10
At YOUALITY, we believe in making the most of our life journey, no matter how long or short our stay in this life is. It is so easy, especially in the Western World, to forget our true purpose in this life and to become so engrossed in everyday, mundane tasks, that our life becomes void of the experiences which make us feel the most alive. Every once in a while, there is an experience or opportunity that can change our perspective and being, and we believe that Beyond Yoga Retreat in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is one of those experiences.
At YOUALITY, we travel the world and experience different wellness spaces, so you know exactly what you are getting into prior to your travel. Time and resources for wellness can often be limited, which is why we want you to be able to make the most informed decisions as you plan your most intimate and life-changing experiences!
Beyond Yoga Retreat in Puerto Vallarta is located in Conchas Chinas, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Conchas Chinas is an upscale neighborhood located in the heart of the city with some of the most stunning views. Beyond Yoga Retreat is nestled in the jungle, but still in walking distance to some amazing restaurants, shopping, bars, and beautiful beaches. Although leaving the retreat excessively is not encouraged in order to provide you with the most immersive and life-changing, healing, experience, the retreat staff is very accommodating to the needs and wishes of each vacationer, and they even provide a map of how to get to different places if you do choose to spend some of your time exploring the city. Uber is also very convenient and affordable, and is readily available to pick you up from the retreat in case you want to explore the night life and don’t feel comfortable walking late at night.
As far as accommodations go, we rated Beyond Yoga Retreat at an 8/10. The grounds are absolutely breathtaking, with jungle and ocean views. There are plenty of clean bathrooms in all of the shared spaces, as well as the villas. The beds are pretty comfortable and there is a cleaning crew that cleans your room and common spaces daily. You also always have access to healthy snacks and a variety of healthy teas in the common area of your villa at all hours of the day. There is also clean, filtered, water available in each of the villas at all times. The only reason we took away 2 points for accommodations is because for most of the more affordable accommodations, you will be required to share a bathroom with around 4 people. There is always an option to pay more and get your own bathroom, but the cost does go up significantly for that option. Another downside for the more affordable options is sharing a room with strangers. Although we think it is also a great way to build life-long friendships, some people may snore or be very light sleepers, which can cause some sleepless nights. The only suggestion we have for Beyond is to offer more selection of spaces which have a little more privacy without such a significant price increase.
We rated the people/community at Beyond Yoga Retreat a 9/10.
The people/community at Beyond Yoga is absolutely amazing. You can expect to make meaningful connections and to possibly even make life-long friends. Although there are some couples and groups that do attend the retreat together, there are plenty of solo travelers who are there to expand their network and make connections. We recommend this retreat for anyone who is looking for a sense of community on their trip. The only reason we took away 1 point is because the retreat was full to capacity for the 3 weeks we were there, which at times made it more chaotic and overwhelming, and sometimes turned somewhat cliquey.
We rated the experiences/excursions at Beyond Yoga Retreat a 9/10. Along with the purchase of your retreat, vacationers are also provided with one snorkel excursion, one hiking excursion to a waterfall, as well as a complimentary massage and sound healing session. The snorkel and hiking excursions are a great way to build strong bonds and connections with fellow vacationers, while seeing some of the most beautiful parts of Puerto Vallarta and exploring local culture. The sound bath is accompanied with yoga nidra and will put you in the most relaxing state you have ever experienced. Perhaps the most exciting and unique part of this entire retreat is the cacao ceremony. Beyond Yoga Retreat brings in local shamans to provide you with high grade cacao paired with music to open the heart and create a space for release. Every experience in this magical vortex brings with it comradery, openness, love, and healing. The only reason we took 1 point in this category is due to the fact that the retreat was full to capacity the whole time we were there, and the excursions did get a little chaotic and less intimate due to the number of people on the excursions. Our recommendation to Beyond would be to break up the groups into 2 for excursions when the retreat is full to capacity.
We rated the Meals/Meal Experience at Beyond Yoga Retreat a 7/10.
The meals at Beyond Yoga were 100% Vegan and so delicious. Every meal is well thought out and you rarely feel like you are missing any nutrients. You can expect a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages including homemade tortilla chips, fresh guacamole, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Most dinners also come with low-sugar, vegan, desserts which are delicious and come with absolutely no guilt. We did take away 3 points for 2 reasons. The first reason is because some of the dinners were very light. This is a common ayurvedic tradition and makes sense, but with the amount of daily activity, it can leave you feeling somewhat famished in the night. Another reason we took a few points was because of the communal dining style. It gets extremely loud in the dining space and feels somewhat overwhelming. This arrangement can often take away the chance for mindful eating. However, the staff does encourage vacationers to take their plates to their villas to enjoy a more intimate meal there if they choose.
We rated the Workshops at Beyond Yoga Retreat a 7/10.
The workshops were overall pretty informative and inspiring. From learning basics like the 8 limbs of yoga, to a specialized ayurvedic workshop, we found a lot of value in the workshops. This was also a great opportunity to bond with your fellow vacationers and to ask deeper and more philosophical questions to the amazing teachers of Beyond. We did take a few points as the workshops were more so intro or beginners type workshops and could feel somewhat long and drawn out at times. They also did not remain completely consistent, as the teachers often changed, and the workshops offered slightly different information given who the teachers were.
We rated the Yoga Classes/Space at Beyond Yoga Retreat an 8/10.
The actual yoga classes at Beyond Yoga were absolutely amazing. The teachers are extremely accommodating to different levels and were able to provide modifications to make any poses easier or more difficult based on each individual’s abilities. There was also a wide range of yoga available, from power, to yin, hatha, vinyasa, and even kundalini. There was absolutely no shortage of variety which we appreciated. We did take some points due to the jungle studio being very cramped. For a full-to-capacity retreat, we do not believe that the jungle studio is equipped for everyone to truly feel like they have their personal space for a fully relaxing practice. Another drawback is that you never know what kind of class you will be walking into, as each teacher seems to choose their own style, and you never know what you might get. Overall, tougher styles of yoga tend to be taught in the morning, while slower-paced yoga is reserved for the evening. Despite not knowing what kind of yoga class you might be in for, each teacher brings a very special touch to the retreat and we were never disappointed by a class. Because you do not choose your classes however, it is a great opportunity to explore and try styles of yoga that you may not normally choose, and this will help you grow your practice.
We rated the overall Value for Money at Beyond Yoga Retreat a 9/10
Extra Information:
Some other things we feels are important for potential vacationers to know are as follows:
1. For an additional charge, there is laundry service available. If you sign up for this service, housekeeping will do your laundry once half way through the week. They will wash, dry and fold your clothes so you can keep your packing light.
2. The retreats are designed to be held for 1 week. There is a new group that comes in every Saturday afternoon when the old group leaves every Saturday Morning. Youality purchased 3 consecutive to make for a longer stay. If you decide to stay for longer than a week, the entire week, including the excursions starts over on every Saturday. It can feel somewhat overwhelming with so many people leaving and arriving each week, and can cause some social fatigue as you will be meeting a new group of people every week you stay. YOUALITY feels that 1-2 weeks would be the perfect amount of time to reap maximum benefits of this retreat.
3. The grounds themselves are absolutely gorgeous, but do require physical strength to navigate. There are a lot of stairs and inclines which does make it harder for someone who is not in decent physical shape. If you have a lot of pain or difficulty walking, this would not be the right retreat for you.
Here is a direct booking link to their website:
https://beyondyogaretreat.com/
The photos on their website are very accurate and you can expect exactly what you see!