Why We Love Taos

We've been on the road a lot lately to far-flung destinations, and while we truly love it, once springtime approaches we are happy to be close to home.  

Now that everyone is back in the U.S., Yatra's spring season begins in Taos, NM.  From April 17-19, Karuna DiLibero will teach four two-hour classes at a special weekend retreat at El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa, and you can read all the details here.  Karuna has just returned from winter in Scotland (where it rains a lot) and we welcome her back to New Mexico, where the sun shines more than 300 days a year, and you can see the whole sky, all the time.

We're pleased to be working with new friends at El Monte Sagrado, an award-winning destination that is easily one of the most eco-friendly luxury resorts in the world.  The site boasts a Biolarium and The Living Machine, a holistically-designed eco-structure that incorporates recycled water, plants, and rock formation in a self-sustaining ecosystem.  This ecosystem flows throughout the property and creates an enclosed sanctuary around the resort's pool.  By treating and recycling the water with natural filters and purifiers, El Monte Sagrado sustains a fertile year-round environment, even at 7,000 feet above sea level.

On top of all that, there's a top-notch spa, and restaurant, all in a picturesque mountain town where you can hike, bike and escape the clamor of everyday life.  We hope to see you there.

Inspirations

If we are lucky, many special people touch our lives and make it richer and stronger. This past weekend I had the privilege to attend an event in Santa Fe honoring Gloria Steinem, a longtime inspiration to me. There I was pleased to greet once again two more outstanding and inspiring women: Count Me In's Nell Merlino, and Diane Denish, the Lt. Governor of the state of NM.

Both women are outspoken supporters of women entrepreneurs, and everyone at Yatra sends an enormous thank you for their encouragement and example. Be sure to check out Nell's new book "Stepping Out of Line," and visit www.countmein.org to join the RACE for women's economic independence! (See additional post below.)

Blessings,
Jodi

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala March 2009

Colorful markets. Women and girls in traditional dress, washing clothes in outdoor lavanderias. A breathtaking room to practice yoga - up in the trees, over the water, across from the volcanoes: Air, water, earth, fire all at once!

We are practicing with a group of beautiful warriors, and will return to Villa Sumaya again and again. Blessings to our hosts! We have now experienced the power of Lake Atitlan, known to locals as the Center of the Universe. Now we know why.