Check Out Kyle Brooks’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Brooks.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The land belongs to my partner Sasha and her parents. They built the retreat centre here as her mom was battling cancer, a battle she finally lost a couple of years after the project was completed and the first dozen or so retreats had run successfully. It’s up in the pine forests near San Cristóbal de las Casas, deep in Mayan territory, and the local abuelos have always recognized it as land with something sacred in it. Almost like a natural altar. That wasn’t a marketing idea we came up with later. That recognition came from people who’ve been rooted in that land for generations, long before we ever showed up.

The vision was simple. to create a space to share the teachings and practices that had inspired so much deep and profound transformation in us. We had each been sharing retreats for quite a few years under our first teacher before beginning the project. Under that teacher we had been encouraged to spend prolonged periods in solitary retreat and also to engage the practice of darkness retreat, So by the time the centre was complete and we were ready to open for our first retreats it felt pretty much natural to welcome people in.

Over the years, we deepened into our own study and practice of classical tantra and the way we share retreats has adjusted accordingly, placing a deeper emphasis on embodied awakening and engagement with the world.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well the loss of Sashas mother, who was the primary source of creative inspiration behind the project was a significant challenge.

Aside from this it has actually been a fairly smooth journey, as darkness retreats have become more popular in the last few years, we recently completed the build of our second darkness retreat cabin, which we are happily welcoming a steady stream of people into.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We have been deeply moved by decades of intensive spiritual practice. Our retreats are known for the depth of practice that fuels the transmission of the teachings.

We have worked a lot on the integration of psychotherapeutic practices and frameworks into a traditional tantric system of teaching and practice that creates a genuinely human and profoundly relatable approach to non-duality and life lived from the perspective of what is discovered in the practice.

We also strive to keep the retreats free from the rigidity of dogmatic views and hard rules, preferring instead to encourage and inspire and stoke the innate wisdom and guidance from within each participant.

What matters most to you? Why?
Sharing our years of practice and study with anyone willing to listen. It matters to us because its a crazy world out there and we see how much suffering is caused by a lack of connection to what truly matters in life. When a person lives out of alignment with the deepest sense of meaning, truth, direction that their life has to offer they become flat, empty and life begins to lose meaning. however its actually not that difficult to reconnect with the spark of creativity and meaning in ones life. This is a constant practice for us and we have found sharing it to be the most meaningful way to contribute to the world around us.

Pricing:

• Darkness retreats starting at 8,900mxn (varies depending on length)
• 4 day meditation retreats starting at 7,970 mxn (varies depending on accommodation options)
• 7 day meditation retreats starting at 14,530 mxn (varies depending on accommodation options)
• 10 day meditation retreats starting at 18,940 mxn (varies depending on accommodation options)
• 1:1 Mentorship focusing on ones innate wisdom and embodied intelligence. Minimum 3 month commitment starting at 5000 usd

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hridaya-family.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hridaya.family/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HridayaYogaFamily/