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7 Days of Self-Discovery at a Yoga Retreat in Cuba (Part 1)

A group of Women sitting cross legged in a wooden floored shelter striking yoga poses

Updated on May 7th, 2024

Looking for a yoga retreat? Maybe a holiday in Havana? Or a life-changing experience which includes both of these things? Then look no further than this fantastic yoga retreat in Cuba.”

Where?

Mhai Yoga Retreat, Playa Del Este, Havana, Cuba

Why?

When I was on a fitness & yoga retreat in the Dominican Republic  I met Kathy, running a retreat operating in parallel to the programme I was on. We instantly hit it off & she told me about her next overseas event in April, in Cuba. As anyone who has read anything I’ve written on Cuba will know, I love the country! I had nowhere better to be in April, so I decided to go & join her. It was one of the best decisions I made during my 5 months away, regenerating me in so many ways. To see more on the best & worst of how I spent this time see my blog post 5 Month Self Tour of the Caribbean.

What do you need to know?

Retreat Insider Instructors demonstrating Pop Physique, at retreat insider, Viñales, Cuba

Mhai Yoga is a unique place, on the beach in the residential area of Tarará, 15 minutes’ drive from Havana. The shala (the platform where we practised yoga) is outside overlooking the sea, the food is mainly vegetarian & totally delicious & the people are amazing. I was looking forward to going back to Cuba & I was looking forward to practising yoga with my friend Kathy from Retreat Insider (I didn’t get a chance in the Dominican Republic). The yoga was also complemented by a new class for me – Pop Physique which was run by Jodi, based on ballet and so far predominantly available in the USA (& Toronto, Canada by Jodi).

For each day Mhai Yoga has a word to represent the daily focus & this is a great structure to recount my journey.

Day 1 – ACCEPT
An amazing welcome buffet at Mhai Yoga with Retreat Insider, Viñales, Cuba

I arrived in the afternoon to meet the other members of the retreat, settle in & eat our first delicious, vegetarian, organic lunch. One thing was for sure, I was not going to go hungry!

Our first yoga session with Kathy was a chance to introduce ourselves to her, to each other and share our goals & thoughts about our time together.

For me, I understood the benefits & enjoyed the way yoga made me feel. I had been on retreats before & I always enjoyed the rejuvenating qualities of yoga but would never describe myself as a yogi.

By this, I mean that I didn’t know the names of most of the poses (I generally need a description of what to do with each body part before I can start to manipulate myself into the correct posture!), my balance wasn’t very good & I had never really been exposed to or had any great interest in the theories behind yoga.”

Also, I get confused by the link with breath & need a constant reminder of when I need to breath in & out… & sometimes just to breath! I had never really understood the idea that yoga is “practice” as opposed to a class which I take as an isolated experience within my fitness regime.

The Yoga
Mhai Yoga Shala, coloured ribbons blow in the breeze, at Mhai Yoga retreat, Viñales, Cuba

Kathy introduced herself too & described her form of yoga as Vinyasa Flow, focussing on strength & breath. She links each practice to the chakras with a different theme every day, each building on the last. She also develops a new playlist for each practice which made the experience different each time & unique to the yoga I had experienced before.

Today was a yin & restorative yoga (holding poses for an extended time & more about relaxing & stretching). Kathy linked us to the first chakra, ROOT:

“Nourish and nurture myself, be grounded, stable, and feel connected to the oneness of life/universe.” – Sounded good to me & felt good too!

We ended the day meeting Coco who ran the retreat & talked to us about Cuba & the reason why today is all about ACCEPT. Cuba is a unique place, with challenges that we are not used to facing which can be incredibly frustrating. Once you know this & learn to ACCEPT Cuba as it is, is when you fall in love with the country, and I have! Here, there are a lot of restrictions & complications with things that we find straightforward, but ACCEPT & you will be rewarded.

To read more about my Cuban experiences, see my post – A First Timer’s Guide to Cuba. And to find out why I spent my first night at a police station check out THIS ONE!

Day 2 – CONNECT
A couple hold hands silhouetted on the sand by the sunset of a Cuban Beach

We were encouraged (optional) to go & sit on the beach for Sunrise Meditation each morning. We were asked not to speak until afterwards & take the time to CONNECT with ourselves & our surroundings before we started the day. I did this most mornings & especially on this first one. There was something very spiritual about watching the sun come upon a new day & seeing my fellow retreaters sitting at intervals in front of me scattered on the beach engrossed in their own thoughts.

At 7.30am we started our 2nd yoga session of the week. Today was focussed on the chakra of SENSUALITY:

Be at home and at ease in my body and find balance in relationships between myself and others”.

SueWhereWhyWhat between classes with the instructors from Mhai Yoga, Viñales, Cuba

This resonated with me as I was starting to discover the benefits of living for the last 3 weeks on a yacht. In previous yoga classes, I have struggled as soon as the instructor says “Balance”. My Tree Pose (when you raise one foot off the ground & place it on the side of your other leg) has never been very impressive. Where others seem to have no problem in getting their foot right up near their crotch, I have issues with it even leaving the floor. After 3 weeks living on a yacht, I saw a transformation which I wasn’t expecting. As a result, to say I felt more at ease with my body was an understatement!

SueWhereWhyWhat with friends from Mhai Yoga on a day out in Havana, CubaGetting to Know You

Today was also the day when we really started to CONNECT & build relationships among the group. Overall we consisted of 10 & our 2 instructors. As Kathy & Jodi are from Toronto this included 5 Canadians, 2 from the US, 2 French & 1 of each German, Polish & me, representing the UK.

I discovered that I was honoured to be at the retreat with an amazing & interesting group of supportive, strong & independent women (& one man!).”

As the group progressed, our connection & recognition of our luck to all be there together grew along with our yoga. It was amazing to see the support & pride we all felt for each other as our practice became better & we really gelled as a cohesive team.

Over the last few years, yoga retreats have been a key place where I have made friends on my travels and we have gone on to have adventures together. To read all about it check out my blog post HERE.

Chataranga Workshop

In the afternoon Kathy ran a Chataranga Workshop, giving us the opportunity to better understand the Chataranga Flow & build it into our practice. To be honest, I didn’t have a clue what Chataranga meant but I was up for getting involved in anything & everything that was offered during the week. It ended up being a turning point for my practice for the rest of the week.

In my novice description, Chaturanga to me means practically how you move between poses during a Sun Salutation Flow. It’s the difference between using the ground to push your body off & using your strength to suspend yourself above the ground while you transition from one pose to another. What I learnt was how to engage fully in the movement.

I was already feeling stronger, more powerful, balanced & more CONNECTED with my body. I had even started to understand why they call it yoga ‘practice’.”

With Kathy, I was also seeing a focus on our improvement across the retreat which I have never experienced before. This retreat was already shaping up to be a unique experience & perfect timing for me.

Love a yoga retreat? Check out my post A Yoga Retreat in Iceland – Finding Freedom Again.

Pop Physique
SueWhereWhyWhat & a class demonstrating Pop Physique, at retreat insider, Viñales, Cuba

The 3rd session of the day was our first chance to sample Pop Physique. This is an exercise class derived from the principles of ballet & barre workouts and currently only available in a few places in the USA & Toronto (via Jodi). The workout is based around small movements which build strength through repetition. Basically, it looks like you’re barely moving but hurts like hell! Through 6 sessions (1 per day for the remainder of the retreat) I swear my bum lifted by about 2 inches! Good fun & definitely felt like it was working wonders for my muscle tone.

The final event of the day was a Mojito Workshop – learning how to make real (& very strong!) mojitos from the experts & a great way to further develop & CONNECT as a group!

Day 3 – DISCOVER
SueWhereWhyWhat with friends from Mhai Yoga on a day out in Havana, Cuba

After our early morning Pop session & delicious breakfast, we then had an excursion to Havana & we were in for a treat! We gathered downstairs for our transport to the city (about a 15-minute drive). We were thrilled to see 3 beautifully restored old American cars outside waiting for us. After many photo opportunities, we over-excitedly headed to explore this intriguing, stunning & inspirational city.

We DISCOVERED the city on a walking tour of the streets, went for a mojito & a delicious traditional lunch at a famous paladar – Ivan Chef Justo. After my previous visit to the capital, I was pleased to see that Havana hasn’t really changed. However, it is definitely busier with tourists than when I was there in 2016.

In the evening we had another Yin & Restorative yoga session, this time focussed on the 3rd chakra, POWER:

 May I be able to honour myself, be who I am in the world, and express that power without fear“.

The backstreets of Havana Vieja, sees a blue car and people standing in the shade, CubaIt’s Getting Emotional

In the beginning, Kathy asked us to think about who our practice was dedicated to. I chose Terry, my husband who we tragically lost just before Christmas in 2014. To read more about my journey see my About Me page.

At the end of the session, as we moved towards Savasana (corpse pose & the final relaxation pose of the practice), Kathy asked us to bring into our minds the person that we were dedicating the session to.

My “I AM” practice was for Terry & as he came into view I realised that everything I have done since the devastation of his loss has been possible because of him. I know that he would be thrilled to know that I was living life on my terms & it is all down to him. But I loved him to pieces & I miss him like hell.”

I cried all the way through Savasana

When we finished Kathy closed up the session with tears in her eyes as she looked at me. I explained the reason for my tears & she summed things up with a simple comment “Sometimes it’s good to be vulnerable”. I thought about this for a minute & realised that I have fought a lot over the last few years – to keep a smile on my face, to keep driving my life forward, to make a new life. I fight every day against being vulnerable & it felt good to finally let it in. So, today really did turn out to be all about DISCOVERY.

Day 4 – BALANCE

After another Sunrise Meditation, we started the day proper with yoga. The fourth chakra is LOVE:

Free to feel my true feelings, desires, and passions and be at home in my heart”.

A class demonstrating Yoga, at retreat insider, Viñales, Cuba

Kathy focussed on the mantra of “I CAN” & for me this meant my Mum. I lost my Mum nearly 20 years ago & she has always been a true inspiration for me to believe I CAN do anything I put my mind to. This was embedded when I first decided to travel alone in my 20’s. She did nothing but encourage me & for this, I will always be truly grateful to her. She gave me the biggest & bravest gift anyone could ever offer & made me the person I am today. I CAN was all for her.

With today’s focus on I CAN, I made another realisation. My BALANCE was improving by the day. It was a revelation because I was now able to stand on one leg comfortably. As a result, it was not just the BALANCING act, but being able to move while still holding the pose. This was the first time I have ever felt confident & stable enough, where before it would not have been a possibility.

As we moved to the final part of the practice I brought my Mum back into my minds focus. Again, I cried all the way through Savasana. This was becoming a habit.”

A Bit of Pampering

The rest of the morning some of the group had a Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) lesson but I opted for a couple of treatments from our visiting beauticians, a facial & long overdue pedicure. As with most things in Cuba, the brands of skincare that we are used to are not available, but instead, I had a relaxing & rejuvenating facial massage using natural, locally produced products & came away feeling refreshed, lightheaded & looking 10 years younger (at least in my eyes!).

Exploring Tarará
A broken Inner Mosaic Circle, frames adjacent tiled murals, at the Old Theatre, Tarara, Cuba

Tarará, where the retreat was based, is a gated resort town & a fascinating location. It was built in the 1940’s. Numerous US families lived here but the government confiscated their houses after the revolution. It is now an interesting mix of beautiful 1940’s restored homes & abandoned houses taken over by nature. In this second category is the theatre which I spent the afternoon exploring in an otherworldly photographic study. I can safely say it’s not like anywhere I’ve ever been & there were only 2 of us there for the whole afternoon.

That evening, after our Pop session the group decided to go to the local bar just for a couple of drinks, before being struck by a massive lightning storm & ended up staying much longer than we had planned! It was impressive & dramatic to witness the attack of nature & the girls embraced the opportunity by dancing in the rain. It was a beautiful experience!

What next?

So, the first 4 days of my retreat had already been a voyage of self-discovery but I was in for a lot more as my yoga practice developed, so did my physical & mental strength & realisation. Read Part 2 where I share how my experience grew, culminating in my meeting with a Fortune Teller. You can also find out about my experiences in Vinales, as well as my amazing, mind-blowing sunrise hike! Finally, to read a tongue-in-cheek guide of my experiences learning salsa, see Havana Salsa Lessons. Learning about Dance & Embracing Life in Cuba

Interested to read more?

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34 Comments

  1. Sue, once again an amazing account of your travels and life’s adventures. You really are inspiring and now I want to take up yoga! This retreat sounds amazing. I take it that it wasn’t for beginners? Take care and I look forward to the next instalment of Suewherewhywhat lots of love xxx

    1. Nicola,
      Such lovely feedback, thank you so much & glad I’ve inspired you towards the yoga! The retreat was for all levels so if you’re a beginner I would actually think it would be good place to start. My honest recommendation would be to take a few classes before hand to get into it a bit but with an instructor like Kathy, she has loads of tips, advise & patience to help improve your practice and encourages on an individual level too. The things that I do know about yoga is that we are not all created equal & we have to listen to our bodies so one person might easily get into a pose which you really struggle with. The good thing about a retreat is that each day you can see your progress & that is really encouraging. On the retreat I attended we were all of a different standard – some had not done much yoga at all & others were teaching but I know we all grew & improved throughout the week.I hope you enjoy it anyway. Thank you so much for your lovely feedback & I’m so pleased that you find what I have to say interesting! I hope all is well with you & keep me posted!
      Lots of Love
      Sue xxx

  2. You need to go to india sue, a yoga retreat near Rishikesh or haridwar or one in the Himalayas. Then come and teach some classes in leicester 🙂

    1. Hi Nish,
      Thank you so much for the suggestions! I don’t think I’m up to teaching yet as I’m only just learning the names of the poses & have to concentrate so much on my balance, I’m not sure I could talk at the same time! India does sound amazing though. If you’ve got any recommendations for a retreat in Rishiikesh, Haridwar or the Himalayas then please share. I have more of India to explore on my Life List so this sounds like an excellent idea to tag on!

      Great to hear from you & thank you so much for getting in touch – hope all is well with you.

      Sue xx

  3. Hiya lovely xx Reading your updates is like you are 3 steps ahead and our personal tour guide. Al and I have just got into yoga and I would LOVE to go back to Cuba so ✅ (one day and at some point) Whilst currently on hols we are planning next years Greek Island hopping. I’d spotted Paros as somewhere I’d like to go. Al fancies Mykonos and Santorini so will look forward to your next update. Much love

    1. Caz,
      Thank you so much for getting in touch. Really pleased to hear about your yoga & I would always recommend Cuba – when you do go I hope you find my First Timer’s Guide useful (https://www.suewherewhywhat.com/countries/cuba/updated-a-first-timers-guide-to-cuba-2018/) – all the things I wish I’d known before I went! I am in Greece now & having a fantastic time – so far been to Athens, Paros, Naxos & currently in Milos. All are so beautiful & different from each other which makes island hopping great fun & an excellent way to make 2 weeks seem like 4! Our final stop is Santorini & we fly home from there. I have also been to Ios, Mykonos & 1 year even got an overnight ferry to Kos! I have loads to share on this, recommendations & advice & will be publishing an article & video in the next few weeks so I’ll let you know when. Thank you so much again for getting in touch & please let me know if there is any more information you need & I’ll see what I can do! I hope all is well & love to Al too

      Sue xxx

  4. I loved reading this post, Sue. Thank you for sharing both the happy and sad bits with such bravery!

  5. Hi Sue
    What wonderful reading. Love hearing about what you are up to…
    I’m so inspired to do a yoga retreat now… was looking at Crete for next summer… with your teacher.
    Sending you lots of love and keep writing and I will keep following xxx

    1. Bev,
      So lovely to hear from you & really pleased to hear that you’re enjoying my blog! I would thoroughly recommend any retreat with Kathy & please keep me posted or let me know if you need any further info. I’ll be going back to Cuba next February if you fancy it 😉

      I hope all is well & thank you so much again for getting in touch.
      Lots of Love
      Sue xxx

  6. Wow! Looks like an incredible experience. My favorite is probably day 4 – a true look into the Cuban culture! (Also, I love your shirt in the header photo!)

    1. Thank you Dani for getting in touch & I’m really pleased you enjoyed the article. I love the shirt too! I bought it there & they are specially designed for Mhai Yoga!

      Regards
      Sue

  7. I loved reading this post! I’ve always wanted to go to a yoga retreat. Do you need to be an advanced yogi to do these kinds of trips?

    1. Hi Anna – thank you so much for getting in touch & I’m really pleased you enjoyed my post! This particular retreat took people of all abilities in yoga. All of us had done some yoga before but some members of the group were teachers whereas others had very little experience. The joy of this retreat was that you were encouraged to hold poses within your ability (which is similar to most other retreats I have attended). If you don’t have much experience, you can still get a lot (maybe even more) from your time here. I hope that helps!
      Sue

  8. Yoga and Cuba what could be better, I trust you get to have a moijito at the end of the day!

    1. Catherine – thanks a lot for your comment & it was great to have the chance to “escape” for a mojito (or a beer) to the local hotel, or on some evenings they also offered mojitos at Mhai Yoga. My kind of retreat!
      Regards
      Sue

  9. I’ve never done a yoga retreat before, and I’ve never really been interested. But this one seems pretty nice! I like that they have over activities planned besides the yoga, like SUP and the mojito class!

    1. Thanks a lot for getting in touch Brianna. I got so much more out of this than just the yoga which I think is reflected in the blog post. I would definitely recommend it if you fancy something similar in the future!

      Regards
      Sue

    1. Thanks Anya for getting in touch. I have to say I felt this was the best of both worlds as I often tell people that Cuba is my favourite country to visit! The retreat is owned & run by a guy called Eduardo who unfortunately wasn’t there when I visited but will be when I return in Feb. He is the ‘godfather’ of yoga in Cuba so if you are interested in both yoga & Cuba then this is the place to be!
      Regards
      Sue

  10. It’s so interesting to think about how yachting can help with yoga! I think this is part of why travel is so important – you never know how a new or different experience will impact your life in another area… maybe even years later!

    1. Thanks Carly for your comment & I couldn’t agree more! It didn’t even enter my brain how much my balance had improved until I arrived at the retreat.
      Regards
      Sue

  11. I have always wanted to try a yoga retreat! Thanks for letting know about this wonderful option. Cuba is on my list too so this is perfect!

    1. Thank you for your comment Viola. I would definitely recommend a yoga retreat & Cuba in itself is such a different & beautiful country to visit that to do both there is a truly unique experience. In Mhai Yoga they do a great job of bringing the best of Cuba into the retreat & in so doing you can’t escape that this is a cultural as well as a self-development opportunity. I hope you enjoy it if you go!
      Regards
      Sue

  12. I have never been able to connect to Yoga, maybe because I never went ahead with a proper trainer. This 7 day retreat seems like a way for people like me to find a connection with Yoga. I’d definitely give this a try.

    1. Shivani – thanks for visiting & taking the time to comment. I never really connected before this either. I just saw it as a yoga class in isolation but something that wasn’t as effective as my weights classes or a run. I have realised that a good teacher makes all the difference, especially one who is actually invested in you. A retreat like this is a great way to try it & see if it fits you as they can see & help you to progress as the week goes on. Hope this has helped & let me know if you decide to ‘take the plunge’ as I’d love to hear how you got on!
      Regards
      Sue

  13. This all sounds so incredible, from the sunrise meditation sessions and Pop Physique workouts to the mojito making and facials and SUP. I’ve been thinking about *one day* going on a yoga retreat, but wow, if they’re all like this, I should probably quit putting it off! Glad to hear that you grew more confident and comfortable in your practice, and that you could bring your mom and husband into your experience <3

    1. Thanks a lot Dylan & glad I brought your ‘one day’ a little closer by sharing this experience! I’d thoroughly recommend this retreat as I’ve been on others but they were often about denying yourself (I love my food!) & although they made me feel great & lose weight I didn’t feel I grew as much & had such a cultural experience. I hope you get the same when you choose to ‘dip your toe in the water’!
      Regards
      Sue

  14. I actually never heard about yoga retreats in Cuba, now when Bali is the hot spot! But it seems like you had a fabulous time! I am dreaming to visit Cuba one day, it’s like number one of my list, and I definitely wouldn’t mind try yoga too! I’ve heard it’s so good for your body!

    1. Ada – I’m not sure that there are many retreats in Cuba which is probably why you’ve not heard a lot about them! I would definitely recommend Cuba as a destination – its my favourite country. There’s something very different about the spirit of the people, the beautiful scenery & interesting history that makes visiting a unique experience. I’d recommend to anyone!
      Regards
      Sue

  15. Super interesting share! I had no idea that this yoga retreat outside of Havana existed, but I’m glad to learn about it. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    1. Thank you, Carley, & if you enjoy yoga, you will love it! Even if you don’t…it’s Havana so what’s not to love?! 😉 Sue x

    1. Thanks, Nicole & they still run the retreats. With us all, it has been challenging but what I see from Mahi Yoga is that they are still doing retreats & my friend Kathy is hoping she will sh=till be able to host one in Feb 2021. Fingers crossed on that one! Sue x

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