Hello friends,
Mother Nature decided September needed a rather dramatic finale.
We had Hurricane Polo followed almost immediately by Hurricane Rachel, and while Puerto Vallarta was fortunate to avoid the worst of the winds, we certainly didn't escape all of the effects.
The rain associated with Polo caused flooding throughout parts of the city. Some areas of Las Glorias reportedly saw water around 30 centimeters deep, roads had to be closed, and businesses were affected. Down at the Malecón, waves strong enough to throw rocks onto the pedestrian walkway.
And because apparently one hurricane wasn't enough excitement for the week, along came Rachel. She stayed offshore, but brought another round of rain and rough ocean conditions to the region.
Up here at Casa Vallarta Breeze, though?
We were incredibly fortunate.
No dramatic winds. No flying patio furniture. No Toto, we're-not-in-Kansas-anymore moments. Just a whole lot of tropical rain while the storms did their thing offshore.
And now, hopefully, we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming. 😅
Apparently I'm a Morning Person Now ☀️
Here's a sentence younger Jai probably never expected to say:
I'm genuinely excited about starting work at 6:30 in the morning.
Our first 6:30 AM personal training session happens this coming Monday!
Somewhere along the way, I really did become a morning person.
Mornings at Casa Vallarta Breeze are special. The air is cooler. The crickets and critters are still humming their little tunes. Everything feels peaceful, fresh and not quite claimed by the day yet.
There's this wonderful sense of unencumbered optimism in the morning. Nothing has gone wrong yet. 😂 The whole day is sitting there in front of you with possibilities.
I love it.
So yes, apparently 6:30 AM Jai is now a thing.
Just don't call 8:00 PM Jai.
He's winding down for the evening and would like you to respect his boundaries. 😅
We Have Concessions! And Oh My... Do We. 🤤
The training area has gotten considerably tastier.
We now have a selection of pre-workout energy snacks, post-workout recovery goodies and cold drinks featuring products from TruSnack, Wild Protein and OWYN.
The Key Lime Ginger TruSnack bars have been the runaway favorite so far. We're already on our second display pack.
The Wild Protein Moka bar is another favorite, with 15 grams of protein at just 153 calories.
We've also stocked ice-cold zero-calorie electrolyte drinks, coconut water and what may be the sleeper hit of the entire operation:
OWYN Chocolate Protein Shakes.
Thirty-two grams of protein. 200 calories. Zero sugar.
But those numbers don't adequately convey the important part.
One of my training clients finished her workout yesterday, tried one and announced:
"It tastes like I got it from Dairy Queen!"
And honestly?
It does. 😂
It's ridiculously rich and satisfying while packing about as much protein as many people's entire meal.
And because I was worried we'd gotten too dessert-y, there are salty options too, including TruSnack puffs made with garbanzo and brown rice.
Best of all, everything we're offering is vegan and cruelty-free.
Ahimsa even applies to snack time around here.
Non-harming just tastes better. 🌱
I Had a Realization: We're Not Even in the Same Business as most Yoga Studios and never have been...
I had an interesting conversation with some students recently.
We were talking about another local yoga studio that was heavily discounting its monthly package at almost exactly the same time my own pricing increased by 10%.
Someone said:
"They're your competition!"
And without even thinking about it, I replied:
"No they aren't. We're not even in the same business."
The words came out before I really considered them.
And then I realized:
That's exactly right.
This may actually be the clearest explanation I've found for why I moved away from identifying my work simply as a "yoga studio."
There are plenty of places built around creating an experience.
You can walk into a large class, put your mat somewhere in the room, watch the instructor and follow along.
There are sound baths, cacao ceremonies, highly social classes, spiritual experiences and beautiful spaces designed to attract visitors and bring groups of people together.
There's nothing inherently wrong with any of that.
It's simply not what I do.
My work is built around something different.
Education. Personal development. Physical advancement.
If you're working with me, you're not an anonymous person on a mat somewhere in the back of the room.
I'm watching you.
Not in a creepy way. Mostly.. 😝
I'm watching how you move. I'm learning what you understand and what you don't. I'm looking for where you can improve. I'm considering what you're trying to accomplish and how the work we're doing today moves you toward that goal.
Whether we're working together in yoga, strength training, nutrition, fitness or comprehensive wellness coaching, the underlying purpose is the same:
Progress.
Sometimes progress means becoming stronger.
Sometimes it's losing weight.
Sometimes it's better mobility, balance or confidence.
Sometimes it's refining a yoga practice you've had for twenty years.
Sometimes it's learning about your nervous system and practicing disarming the grenade.
That's what excites me.
I don't want to entertain you for an hour.
I want to leave you better equipped for the rest of your life.
That approach isn't necessarily the easiest path.
Frankly, it's probably not the most lucrative one either. Personal attention doesn't scale particularly well.
But I've watched clients make changes that genuinely alter the trajectory of their lives.
I'll choose that path every day of the week.
And suddenly that conversation made the evolution from Vallarta Breeze Yoga to Japheth Salsbery Wellness feel even more obvious to me.
I didn't leave yoga behind.
I finally stopped defining the work by only one of the tools I use to accomplish it.
Paying Got A Whole Lot Easier
Last month I told you we were working toward accepting credit cards directly here at the Casa.
We did it!
And people are loving it.
No trip to the bank. No remembering to grab cash before your session. No advance planning necessary.
We've also added email receipts for both cash and card payments, which gives everyone an easy way to keep track of purchases and renewal dates.
It sounds like a small operational change, but it's one I'm really happy to finally be able to offer.
The Season Is Coming, And My Calendar Knows It
Things are definitely starting to pick up.
My 9:30 AM personal training sessions are now pretty much spoken for.
There is still some early-morning availability at 6:30 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through much of October, but those slots fill toward the end of the month.
Going into November, 11:00 AM becomes the best bet for availability.
Yes, it's still pretty warm at 11:00 right now.
But we have some enormous fans.
And honestly, that's usually when I work out. 💪
So if you can handle it, so can I. 😅
If You've Been Thinking About It, Come On In. ❣️
If you're local and you've got wellness goals you've been putting off, get in here.
Let's work on them together.
If you're coming to Vallarta for the season and already know you want personal training, yoga or coaching while you're here, now is a very good time to get something on the calendar.
And if you're only coming down for a vacation and want to join us for yoga?
Book it.
If you've been here before, you already know the vibe.
We're here to learn. Refine. Progress.
What progress looks like is different for every person.
That's precisely the point.
You're not coming here to watch a performance at the front of the room.
You're coming here to work on you.
And I'll be here to help.
Let's keep becoming stronger, healthier, more capable versions of ourselves.
See you around.
xx, Jai ❤️
