Sunrise on a volcano - pure pleasure after an overnight hike through the jungle n the dark

My initial introduction to Bali

I was initially introduced to Bali by a great teacher Karen Kingston, on a Feng Shui and Space Clearing training I did nearly 20 years ago. Having young children and a young business I was never able to visit in person until this summer. Home to many great teachers including one of om Embodied yoga teachers I was thrilled to be able to begin to build real connections with such a special place. I got to meet many studio and retreat center owners. And investigate collaborations with other teacher training collages. Who knows what collaborations will take place in the coming years.

A tourist haven

As a country it is beautiful, peaceful, and so welcoming. On the island of Bali, there is so much to see and do. It is a tourist center. the traffic is mad, so the only way to travel is to jump on the back of a scooter. Notice I said back, no way you could drive – it’s totally crazy. Journeys ranged from 13c to €4.50. The food is fantastic, with lots of choice. It is a tourist destination, so you can get lots of different cuisines. And obviously, the temples were out of this world.

Offerings of Gratitude

As I have said, I learned ‘space clearing’ from Karen Kingstton, who trained in Bali, so the techniques I use in the studio and teach in our teacher training come directly form here. It was amazing to see all the businesses, homes and cars have daily offerings. The offerings are generally flowers, and other symbols, typically on a tray made of banana tree leaves. This is a symbol of celebration, and an act of gratitude. It is the final step of the clearing process. I got to talk to so many people using the same techniques and learned so much. (If you’re interested in learning more, see Karen’s two books below).

Hiking in the Dark

One of the highlights was a hike we took, up the side of a volcano, in the dark, so we were on the top by sunrise. It was breathtaking. We then had boiled eggs and steamed banana (better than it sounds) cooked form the heat of the volcano.

Yoga all around us

And, of course, there was the yoga. We visited many different yoga centres and tried out lots of different types of classes, and meet lots of teachers from all over the world. Tara Judelle the person who trademarked Embodied Flow, another training programme based on embodied yoga and somatics teaches in the Yoga Barn in Ubud.

We hope to return later in the year, next time to visit a more remote part if the country, where I will be volunteering, teaching, and exploring other training options which we can bring back to the studio and Teacher Training Programs. Watch this space.