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Month: November 2018

Get to know Sandra Jara, our certified yoga instructor that will take you to Ecuador

Get ready to unwind on a full week of adventure in Ecuador and discover the benefits of yoga by the side of Sanda Jara, our certified yoga teacher who will shine a light to many key aspects and guide you further in your path of this ancient practice. Today, we’ll tell you a little about this experienced instructor and show you why Hamaca decided to partner up with her to take you to this fantastic experience.

Sandra was born and raised in Colombia. Though the practice of yoga wasn’t as widespread as it is now, she grew up being close to it and practicing in Bogota, as one of her closest aunts studied it with other eastern philosophies.

Sandra moved to Barcelona to study two master’s degrees studies in dental surgery and aesthetics, and in psychology. She found many inspiring yoga teachers in Barcelona, studying various forms and learning from many different teachers. Not only did she love it, but she found quickly that her passion for human health and curiosity intensified the exploration of the mind-body connection. Since then, Sandra has integrated this practice daily and believes in the benefits of these practices for all aspects of life.

Sandra moved on from the traditional Hatha practices to discovering the benefits of different yoga styles, integrating learnings from Vipassana meditation retreats, teacher trainings, workshops, with many influences in the Ashtanga and Iyengar styles.

This path has taken her to many places around the world, including retreats in Spain, Turkey, Germany, Colombia, and immersions in Rishikesh, India to Hawaii. After 20 years since she discovered yoga, and now based in Vancouver, Sandra continues practicing, learning, and teaching this unique and mind-opening discipline.

With this upcoming tour, Sandra intends to help the participants to cultivate and deepen their knowledge of yoga practices. She looks for everyone to discover the benefits of breathing techniques (pranayama), meditation, and yoga Nidra. With exercises such as the asanas (or postures) for example, she aims to help everyone understand their own body and how to align it to avoid or recover from injuries. The best part is that everyone can join in, as yoga is a personal practice that can be adjusted to all our participant’s specific needs!

With this retreat, Sandra and for Hamaca Tropical Tours want to give everyone the time and space to reconnect with both themselves and with nature, while giving you the opportunity to do so in a harmonic and magical place. Ecuador offers a one-of-a-kind atmosphere to lift your spirit with yoga and other exciting activities such as bird watching, surfing, therapeutic massages, and nature walking.

Now that you know you’ll be in the hands of experts, we invite you to join us on this tour and discover the benefits that yoga can bring to your mind and body. There’s no better place to kickstart your wellness adventure than Tropical Latin America.

You can connect with Sandra by following her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jarayoga/ or her Facebook Fan Page sandrajarayoga  and learn more about her classes and workshops on her website https://www.sandrajarayoga.com

 

By Mariana Arámburu

Twitter & Instagram: @m_buru
Born and raised in Mexico City, Mariana graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana with a degree in Communication and Film. Later, she moved to Vancouver, BC, where she currently resides, and studied Creative Writing at Capilano University. Mariana loves photography and to visit new places. She also loves animals and aims to one day focus her work on conservation issues.

Celebrate Day of the Dead in Latin America

Known as Día de Muertos, Finados, or Día de los Difuntos, Day of the Dead has been celebrated in most Latin American countries for over centuries and, for anyone foreign to Hispanic cultures, it might have become the most representative festivity of this region. Its origins trace back to the Spanish conquest, when indigenous pagan religions and Christianity met and merged many of their rituals, including those concerning death. Today, we’ll give you a basic introduction to this celebration, so you can join us on honoring the lives of those who’ve passed away.

All prehispanic cultures performed rituals for their dead, but maybe the most influential part for our modern-day celebration comes from the Aztec Empire. When someone in the Aztec society died, their family would gather the most valuable objects of the deceased together, along with their favorite food and place them around the body, as a way of saying one last goodbye. Additionally, there was a whole month of summer where people would celebrate Mictecacihuatl, the goddess of the Aztec underworld, with offerings for her to keep looking over the bones of their deceased.

As for the European heritage, believe it or not, the roots Day of the Dead are the same to those of Halloween. They both originate from an early Christian festivity called Allhallowtide that lasts from October 31st to November 2nd, in where a mass is offered every night to honor and remember the dead. The third day of Allhallowtide celebrates All Souls Day, and commemorates all faithful Christians — saints, martyrs, and baptized people — who have passed away.

As Spaniards conquered the Aztecs, they realized that it was impossible to convert them into Catholicism without preserving many of their traditions. The celebrations for Mictecacihuatl continued, but they gradually ended up merging with Allhallowtide and spreading throughout the Spanish-conquered part of the continent. Now, our festivities to remember the dead start in October 28th and last for almost a week. Here, we welcome all those who have previously left the world of the living and have returned to visit us for a few days. Some activities include visiting their graves, decorating an altar, writing poems, and flying kites, depending on the country you find yourself celebrating. 

On November 2nd, we celebrate Day of the Dead, the day that these visiting souls return to the world of the dead. Before saying goodbye, we prepare their favorite meals of when they were alive and accompany it with different regional treats such as pan de muerto (a Mexican pastry), sugar skulls, fiambre (a Guatemalan salad), atole (a cornstarch-based beverage), colada morada (a drink made from fruit and black corn), or guaguas de pan (a baby-shaped Ecuadorian pastry). This way, we all have one last feast together before saying goodbye until next year.

As you can see, Day of the Dead is not a sad day in Latin America. It’s a bittersweet festivity to celebrate the lives of our most beloved friends and family members that already left us, and one more chance to share memories of them with those who’re still by our side.

 

By Mariana Arámburu

Twitter & Instagram: @m_buru
Born and raised in Mexico City, Mariana graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana with a degree in Communication and Film. Later, she moved to Vancouver, BC, where she currently resides, and studied Creative Writing at Capilano University. Mariana loves photography and to visit new places. She also loves animals and aims to one day focus her work on conservation issues.