Retreat Diary: Mexico Wasn’t Just a Trip—It Was a Rebirth

A behind-the-scenes look at the retreat that changed everything

I went to Mexico to run through the retreat I created for others—but what unfolded was a pilgrimage into myself.

This wasn’t a vacation. This wasn’t even just a retreat. It was a ceremony stretched over seven weeks—three weeks of preparation, one potent week on sacred land, and three weeks of integration. I created this rhythm as a gift for my future participants, but before I ever shared it with anyone else, I had to walk it first.

Here’s what it looked like.

The Foundation: 3 Weeks of Preparing the Body, Mind, and Field

Before I even boarded the plane, the retreat had already begun.

I spent three weeks entering a slower, more intentional rhythm—what I now call the preparation arc. I practiced dry brushing and breathwork. I simplified my meals. I moved with care. I spent time journaling about the parts of myself I wanted to bring forward—and the parts I was ready to leave behind.

I lit a candle every morning and sat with the prompt:

“What in me is ready to be seen?”

By the time I got on the plane, I wasn’t rushing to get there. I was already arriving.

The Week in Mexico: A Living Ritual

I stayed at a place surrounded by palms and birdsong, where the walls breathed and the earth hummed underneath. And every day unfolded like a sacred verse.

Sunrise Yoga & Mirror Work

Each morning began with yoga just as the light broke the horizon. Gentle breath, sacred shapes, slow embodiment. Afterwards, I sat with myself in the mirror—eye to eye, heart to heart—offering silent recognition.

There is nothing quite like beginning the day by being witnessed by your own soul.

Juice Cleanse & Daily Massage

For five days, I let food fall away and nourished myself through fresh juices and mineral-rich broths. It wasn’t deprivation—it was devotion. Each afternoon, I received bodywork that unraveled old holding patterns I didn’t even realize I’d been gripping.

Excursions to the Cenote & Ruins

On one day, I descended into the watery womb of a cenote, letting its cool blue depth wash me clean. On another, I wandered ancient Mayan ruins, feet on sacred stones, heart full of questions too big for words.

These weren’t outings—they were initiations.

Afternoon Yoga & Nightly Silence

Each evening, I returned to my mat to integrate the day’s teachings. As the sun dropped, silence would fall like a soft shawl. No talking. No texting. Just stillness. I ended each night with candle gazing, watching the flame until my thoughts dissolved into glow.

Temezcal: The Rebirth

On the final full day, I entered the temezcal—a traditional sweat lodge ceremony. What I experienced in that dark, humid womb was beyond language. I left the circle soaked, shaking, and somehow more me than I had ever been.

It wasn’t symbolic—it was cellular rebirth.

The Companion Workbook

Throughout it all, I carried the retreat workbook I had written.

What I didn’t expect was how deeply it would hold me. It became more than a guide—it was a mirror, a map, a sacred friend. Filled with rituals, journaling prompts, daily reflections, and space to process, it helped me track the subtle transformations and anchor what I was learning.

The Integration: 3 Weeks of Living the Change

The hardest part of retreat is what comes after: the return.

But I had already built this into the rhythm—three weeks of integration practices designed to help me gently re-enter life without losing the gifts I’d gained. I continued silence every night after dinner. I kept my breathwork going. I took things off my calendar.

And I reminded myself:

You don’t need to shrink to fit back into the world.

That integration period was where the magic took root. Where the changes went from momentary to embodied.

What I Learned

This retreat was the culmination of decades of healing, study, and soul-work. But it was also just the beginning.

What I now know, with every fiber of my being, is that this retreat works.

Not because it gives you something you don’t already have—but because it creates the space for you to remember what’s been there all along.
Your clarity. Your wholeness. Your sacred rhythm.

An Invitation to Your Own Journey

If this retreat speaks to something ancient inside you—something weary of the noise and ready to return to your truth—then I invite you to join me.

This isn’t a vacation.
It’s a pilgrimage.
It’s a remembering.
It’s a rebirth.

The path is ready. The rhythm is waiting.
All you have to do is say yes.

🌞 Sun & Shadow on the Beach

April 20–26, 2026 · Tulum, Mexico

More than a retreat. A sacred return.
👉 visit www.bennyheals.com/retreats for more information and to reserve your spot!