Back in June 2023, I attended a seven day meditation retreat in Cancun, Mexico hosted by Dr. Joe Dispenza. I have practiced meditation for several years and decided to learn more about the science behind it this past year which brought me to Dr. Joe’s work. I started with the book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, bought his meditations and have been an avid student of his work ever since. This practice has really changed my life from the inside out and has guided me through some very challenging times. After some big life changes earlier this year, I decided to check out one of his retreats. Lucky for me, the Cancun retreat, which is notoriously hard to get into, was coming up. I signed up immediately when registration opened and was so excited and nervous when I got in.
Retreat Prep
Before attending the retreat, you are to compete an online course to learn more about the science behind the practice as well as practice some of the meditations. There is a short pre-retreat quiz on these materials. I absolutely loved the course and ended up going through it twice before the retreat. By the time I left for the retreat, I was meditating for an hour every day and I couldn’t wait to deepen my practice further.
To Attend Alone or with a Partner/Friend
It is not uncommon to attend meditation retreats by yourself. It’s a very spiritual experience and going alone allows you to meet a lot of new people as there is no friend or partner to cling to. It is also common to attend retreats with a partner as it’s an amazing experience to share together so you can’t go wrong either way! If you decide to go with a friend or partner, I’d recommend not sitting together during the meditations and keynotes so you can meet other attendees more freely. I attended alone and I’m very grateful I did as I met a lot of new and incredible people.
Arrival and Retreat Logistics
The day before I left for the retreat I was upgraded to First Class on my flight down (which has never happened before!) so I took that as an omen that it was going to be a great week. I arrived in Cancun and took the pre-arranged shuttle to the resort we were staying at – the Barcelo Maya Riviera. This is an all inclusive resort so all food is provided with your stay and the food was pretty good! The check in process was smooth, my room was insanely beautiful with the biggest bed I had ever seen, a beautiful bathroom and a bathtub on my balcony. All of that didn’t matter as you spend very little time in your room except for sleeping!
There were 1800 people in attendance from 70 different countries and I had never been around so many like minded people in my life. You’re assigned to seating sections which change each day by the color of lanyard you choose when you arrive. There is also a lot of research done at these retreats on the effects of meditation on the body so I signed up in advanced to participate in that.
I arrived on a Monday and the opening keynote was that evening with Dr. Joe. I was able to go to the beach and relax a little before we dove into a weeks worth of fun. Some attendees arrive a couple of days early to settle in beforehand which I would do next time. I would also recommend staying a day later after the retreat ends or you may miss the last few hours depending on your flight schedule. The energy at these retreats is like no other. You are in the most beautiful location with beautiful people who are all deepening their meditation practice and understanding.
What to Pack
Since you spend a lot of time in the convention center attending keynotes by Dr. Joe and meditating, I recommend dressing in layers as it can get chilly with the AC. I mostly stuck to comfy clothes throughout the week. Some people brought nicer clothes for dinner but most went straight to dinner in their comfy clothes after we got out around 8/8:30pm. How fancy you want to dress is up to you but I definitely recommend making sure whatever you wear is comfortable! Most people bring something to lay down on whether that’s a blanket, yoga mat or blow up camping pad for the lay down portions of the meditations. I brought a blanket that I carried with me in my backpack and I used an extra sweatshirt as my pillow for the laying down portions. I brought coverups for the beach walking meditations at sunrise so I could jump in the ocean right after. Lastly, I brought a journal to take notes and journal throughout the week.
Week’s Schedule
Each day followed a schedule of three keynotes/lectures and three live meditations. We started each day at 6am and ended around 8/8:30pm. One day we started at 4am to complete a 4.5 hour meditation. There were breaks throughout the day where you could fit an ocean swim in, lay in the sun, exercise, eat and connect with other attendees. We did three meditations each day (there are four types- sitting, standing, laying, walking) ranging from an hour to a couple of hours each. When you’re in a meditative state, you lose track of time so it’s hard to tell how long you’re meditating without looking at the clock, which I rarely did. Three of the mornings we did walking meditations on the beach for sunrise. Each day, we had three lectures in the convention center to deepen our understanding of the science and build a scientific model (as knowledge is the precursor to experience). I loved the lectures. They were absolutely captivating as Dr. Joe is an incredible, interesting and engaging speaker.
I disconnected from technology, kept my phone on airplane mode and stayed as present as I could (that’s the whole practice!) throughout the week. I met the most amazing people and made new lasting friendships and by the end of the week the group of 1800 people felt like one big family. There’s a lot of dancing, healing and a very positive, palpable energy throughout the week. By the second day, I was feeling more joy than I had felt in a very long time. I reached a new level of happiness that I did not know was possible and I developed new skills to get me back to that place when life inevitably throws difficult things your way.
I went in with no expectations and was completely blown away. I hadn’t researched other’s past experiences, a schedule was not sent in advanced, and I had not previously attended a meditation retreat. In this unknown I found joy and the gift of the eternal present moment which is truly the only moment we have. I understand why people go back again and again, I definitely will too 🙂
Returning Home
After the meditation retreat, coming back to real life is a bit of a transition. You’re in a beautiful bubble of bliss for a week and applying what you learned to your day to day life is the next step. Since I returned, I joined a walking meditation group in Colorado with people who practice Dr. Joe’s work. I also do not miss a morning of meditation. It’s a pillar of my routine and something I will not compromise on. Sometimes I meditate multiple times a day to come back into the present and change my state of being to a positive one when I am challenged with returning back to old habits. The things I saw, learned and experienced during the weeklong, I will never forget. Meditation is a powerful, life long practice that I wake up and look forward to doing each day. If you’re interested in learning more, check out any of Dr. Joe’s books. I have no doubt picking up this practice will change your life, like it has mine.
Until the next tale… Happy trails.
-Hannah
Tales of My Trails 
I am so glad it was a positive experience and it brought you joy and peace.
LikeLiked by 1 person