Exploring the Essence of Mindfulness with Yoga & Meditation
Imagine a week where each day begins and ends on your yoga mat with a view of the Pacific Ocean. . .
Maria and Richard are delighted to collaborate once again, offering a 7-day experience to explore the essence of mindfulness and unlock its potential to bring healing and joy into our lives.
For the second year in a row, our home for the week will be the beautiful Mar de Jade Retreat & Wellness Resort, nestled at the edge of the tropical jungle on the pristine sandy beach of Chacala, Mexico. These sacred grounds offer us the perfect venue for rest & reflection & rejuvenation.
Through yoga practices, mindfulness meditation sessions, and breath work, our daily rituals will guide us into a realm of profound well-being and calm. Our yoga sessions will include the active practices of vinyasa and hatha, as well as the more grounding experiences of restorative and gentle yoga.
You will have plenty of leisure time to visit the spa, read and relax, go snorkeling, take a jungle hike, tour the local farm, detox in Aztec Sweat Lodge, swim in the saltwater pool, relax in the jacuzzi and play in the ocean! One very special aspect of this retreat is our designated service project, where we dedicate time to giving back to the local community.
Our intention is to step away from the chaos and frenzy of day to day life and into this peaceful haven . . .
reclaiming the innate joy and deep sense of peace within.
Ready to Book?
This is a 2-step process. Completion of both steps is required to confirm your enrollment.
Step 1:
Pay your tuition with Yogabliss using the button below. Your deposit includes ~
Your spot in our Spring 2025 Retreat
Daily yoga and meditation practices guided by two of the most passionate, experienced instructors from the Seattle area
Personal retreat time (relax on the beach, explore Chacala, read, nap, and enjoy beautiful sunset views)
Tuition: $1,600
To inquire about paying your tuition in installments, please contact us at mariabliss@yogabliss.org.
Step 2:
Book your room with Mar de Jade Retreat & Wellness Center
What's included ~
6 nights accommodations and lodging with a variety of rooms to choose from
3 delicious meals per day (excluding alcoholic beverages) starting with dinner on the first night and ending with breakfast on the last day - all dietary restrictions/needs can be accommodated
Rates: Lodging at Mar de Jade includes a variety of rooming options ranging from $291 - $491/night. Please contact the Retreat Center directly to inquire about availability and rates.
*The sooner you book with Mar de Jade, the more rooming options you will have, so don’t wait! Private/Single rooms will be very limited.
*This is a unique link to book through Mar de Jade to get our exclusive retreat rates.
If you would prefer not to book online, please contact the resort using the following:
Phone Number: 1-800-257-0532
Email Address: info@mardejade.com
*Be sure to mention that you are a part of the Yogabliss Retreat group in your phone call/email.
What’s not included ~
Airfare, ground transportation to and from the airport, travel and medical insurance, spa treatments, optional excursions (whale watching, boat tour, sweat lodge, etc), and alcohol.
More about Chacala & Mar de Jade:
Welcome to Chacala, the crown jewel of the Riviera Nayarit. Nestled in a pristine bay, this coastal paradise enchants with golden sands, turquoise waters, and lush beauty. Just 90 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta Airport, it feels worlds away. Discover the town’s charm, from relaxed living to thrilling activities like hiking and boating. Unwind on the beach, embraced by coconut trees and palapa restaurants. Immerse yourself in Chacala’s warm and welcoming spirit for an idyllic travel experience. Check out the photos below to get a taste for this beautiful retreat center.
* * * Watch this short video from Dr. Laura the founder of Mar de Jade here: https://mardejade.com/about/
Cancellation Policy:
Should you need to cancel your reservation at least 90 days prior to the start of the retreat, you will receive a refund minus a $135 cancellation fee. Should you need to cancel less than 90 days prior to the retreat we will not be able to provide a refund so you are strongly urged you to obtain trip interruption & cancellation insurance.
In the unlikely event that the retreat is cancelled, you will receive a full refund.
Upon booking your room with Mar de Jade, please be sure to review their Resort cancellation policy.
Love Notes from Previous Attendees:
"Maria and Richard’s retreat was an amazing experience! The yoga sessions were great and took place in the most beautiful studio, overlooking the ocean and set to the sound of waves. The meditation and mindfulness practices were truly transformative. I learned so much, met lovely people, and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful ocean-front retreat center. Maria and Richard are kind, authentic, talented teachers, and it was a true privilege to spend time learning from them. I will always treasure the memories from my first retreat, and I hope to have the opportunity to attend many more!" - Amy S, Texas
“Mar de Jade is a wonderful place to practice yoga and mindfulness- it has such a beautiful connection to the land and the community. I loved our yoga practices overlooking the ocean- Maria and Richard are wonderful teaching partners- the sessions complemented and flowed into each other. Rooms, food and cocktails were all excellent!” - Susan E, Washington
“For me, a non-yoga person, the retreat that Maria and Richard organized was a remarkable introduction into what yoga, mindfulness and mediation can add to my daily life. The location was a relaxing, non-touristy spot on the Mexican coast, just north of Puerto Vallarta, and the sessions offered were approachable for all levels of practice (no one cared how inflexible I was!!). With at least two sessions a day, as a team, Maria and Richard provided a complimentary balance of different approaches to yoga and meditation. The retreat center offered comfortable accommodations, locally grown food and opportunities to meet the staff and tour the sustainable farm. There was ample time to sit, walk, swim, talk, read and explore the local flora and landscape. It opened my mind to the individual and community possibilities of practicing yoga, and left me wanting to experience it again in the future.” - Rhoda L, Washington
Your Guides:
Maria Bliss:
Maria is a passionate yoga teacher and has enjoyed owning a yoga studio in the Seattle area for over 20 years: Yogabliss.org. She holds numerous certifications in the yoga world and has relished mentoring many newer yoga teachers on their own paths. Maria’s love for movement began as a young dancer when she experienced a sense of physical freedom, self-expression and deep discipline that fed her soul. Her desire to share this passion led her to realize her gifts as a teacher of dance, fitness, and many other physical modalities as the years unfolded.
While dancing in a regional ballet company, Maria was introduced to yoga for strengthening, stretching and healing. Yoga soon became a form of self-study and life practice for her. Years later as a young wife and mother, her weekly yoga class became a dedicated and grounding practice that helped her navigate the beauty and challenges of life.
A deep curiosity for spiritual exploration and personal growth brought Maria to meditation nearly 30 years ago. Her path of practice led her to study Mindfulness Meditation with many of the great modern teachers. The late Michael Stone helped Maria establish the personal practice that inspired her to embark on the two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification offered by esteemed teachers Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach.
Currently, Maria finds her deepest calling as a both student and teacher of Mindfulness. Her classes focus on the breath as an anchor for fluid movement that is steady without rushing. Maria is known for skillful alignment-based instruction and intelligent functional movement sequences that offer students the freedom to listen, explore and enjoy! Whether on the mat or on the cushion, Maria brings her vast understanding of the practices, her own lived experience and her sweet sense of humor to each practice. She encourages going deep and getting juicy when it feels right, slowing down and backing off when it doesn’t. Always allowing time for noticing, resting, and connecting.
Maria teaches weekly yoga and meditation classes, extended practices & workshops and is delighted to lead retreats so that she can share these powerful practices more broadly.
Richard Guevara:
Richard is known for his authentic, non-judgmental teaching style and compassion-centered philosophy. His classes are playful and begin with and build upon the fundamentals as he believes it takes time to truly learn something well. With that, you can expect to move at a smooth pace that doesn’t feel rushed and gives you time to find what is exactly right.
Richard is a local Seattle teacher and known for his accessibility, humor, and ability to empower his students through one of yoga’s oldest messages, “compassion first.” Richard is always seeking more knowledge, which led him to San Francisco to train with his beloved teacher, Annie Carpenter, of Smart Flow Yoga. Smart Flow is a methodology that focuses on alignment of the shoulder girdle and pelvis to bring balance to the body, mind and spirit. With over a decade of experience in his field, Richard continues to bring change to his students and his community through love and compassion one student at a time.
You can expect joyful playfulness in Richard’s classes, as well as movement, sweat and breath. He often fuses classical Hatha style with strong Vinyasa flow.