This past Thanksgiving Playa Viva had the pleasure of hosting (for a second time!) Dana and Ron Robinson and their three kids Sofie, Nella, and Tymen. Ron is a chiropractor and his wife Dana is a kids and prenatal yoga teacher based in Chicago, IL.

This time, they came with a plan to engage with the local community of Juluchuca. The two of them graciously offered their skills to the community during their stay with us. Ron, a chiropractor, gave free adjustments sessions both to Playa Viva staff as well as at the local health clinic. Dana, a yoga instructor, taught a kids yoga class to a group of students at the primary school.

Juluchuca, the town neighboring Playa Viva, is a small traditional Mexican town of about 500-600 inhabitants. The local health clinic provides basic services for minor injuries and illnesses, and serves the residents of not only Juluchuca, but the neighboring towns of Rancho Nuevo, Ceiba, and Las Salinas. To receive the kind of treatment that Ron was offering, residents from these towns would have to travel at least to Zihuatanejo, if not farther, and many were in great need of such service.

The clinic helped to publicize Ron’s service, but most people found out by word of mouth within an hour of the first patient that was treated. Once word got around, families from all over Juluchuca and even the neighboring towns, from toddler to grandmother, came to stand in line and receive an adjustment.

Ron had contacted me early on about his family’s interest in serving the community in Juluchuca and how they felt it important to serve in whatever capacity they could.

“For me service has been a part of my life since I have been little.  My parents have always been involved by volunteering for local events, groups etc, but never internationally. They have always been leading by example and that is one thing that Dana and I have consciously made an effort to do as well for our kids.  We want our kids to experience different cultures, by not just being a tourist, but also by being connected through service.  For me this type of service allows for those you are serving to directly participate as well, which fosters a relationship and deeper connection.” – Ron Robinson

While Ron was making adjustments at the health clinic in town, over at the primary school, another special event was taking place: the kids yoga class. Dana came with great experience teaching yoga to not only kids, but also to pregnant mothers, babies, toddlers, and of course adults too! Dana started her own studio in Crystal Lake, Illinois called Sweet Feet Yoga, which centers around the importance of bringing the benefits of yoga to each stage of life.

“Ron and I both feel so blessed to be gifted with talents and skills that can be shared around the world no matter where we are … We had a  great time connecting to the community of Juluchuca through chiropractic and kids’ yoga.  The smiles on every person’s face after receiving their first chiropractic adjustment or experiencing the joy of their first kids’ yoga class were priceless.  Working as a family to connect and serve others gives us an opportunity to grow closer to each other, as well as closer to others that we may at first think are different from us, but in the end are not so different at all and become people that we care about, pray for, and hope to see many more times in the future.  Thank you to everyone there at Playa Viva for an experience of a lifetime.  We will definitely be back!” – Dana Robinson

The girls at the primary school expressed great interest in learning yoga and were overly excited to learn all they could from Dana.

At Playa Viva, we are committed to promoting transformational experiences just like the ones mentioned here. We are now working with the community to offer yoga more regularly for Juluchucans (both children and adults!).

It always starts with just one class.

Stay tuned for more info!