Last days in Bali

My last days in Bali were wrapped up with trying Bintang beer for the first time and continued exploring. On the last day, I’d planned on visiting the popular Tirta Empul water temple for a water purification ceremony. But when the day arrived, it seemed like it would be crowded and far, so I caught a ride to the smaller, quieter Gunung Kawi temple.

This decision process was common in my trip to Bali—quietly going with the flow and altering the plan if something didn’t fit the moment. The driver and I were some of the only ones at Gunung Kawi early in the morning. I got to enjoy views like these all to myself:

The trip was a much needed reconnect to my spirit and practice. It’s hard not to feel spiritually inspired in Bali—every family has a temple in their backyard and they make offerings to their gods at multiple points throughout the day. Chickens, cats, and dogs roam on dirt and stone streets, and nature is abundantly all around you. Physically, I started moving and feeling good again after taking some time off to rest my back and joints. It was a joy to experience another enlightening and stress-free trip to the magical land of Ubud.

Sunrise Climb

Why, oh, why would we want to wake up before 2 in the morning for a two hour hike up a volcano? I wasn’t sure, but I decided to do something active (and a little crazy) and booked the Mt. Batur sunrise trek through my hotel. Shockingly, I was able to fall asleep at 8:30pm (maybe I was worn out from my chakra balancing session that day), so I got five hours of sleep.

When my alarm went off at 1:40am I was confused, but I pulled myself together, got dressed in my warmest clothes, and french braided half of my hair before the driver knocked on my door ten minutes later. I did my best to braid the other half of my head in the van while we drove around Ubud picking up a few other hikers. Around 2:30, the six of us got out at a coffee plantation where we were served banana Nutella crepes and tea or coffee. Lots of coffee for me, thanks!

My internal clock was totally out of whack, but I felt energetic and ready to hike. I was glad to have read some reviews beforehand and wore pants and my warm raincoat. It was cold sitting at the picnic tables and waiting in the parking lot, and some of the other girls were shivering in their shorts and tank tops. Things quickly warmed up once we started walking, though.

All the treks start around 2 or 3am because you want to make the two hour climb by sunrise and it’s Bali, so once the sun is up the world turns excruciatingly hot. Our guide passed out flashlights and led us into the long line of hikers making their way up the trail.

We stopped at certain points to rest and drink water while our guides either smoked cigarettes, toked funny cigarettes, or made offerings to the gods.

Our group for the day ended up being perfect. There were only six of us when some groups had twenty people. We were all around the same age, good fitness levels, and positive energy. The trail was pretty steep and rocky, but we kept a swift pace and enjoyed getting to know each other along the way.

I was also glad to have read some accounts that said the hike would be horribly hard, long, freezing, and slippery, because I found that the whole trek was easier than I was expecting. I was definitely winded from the climb, but I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the top where I felt warm and not totally exhausted.

The epic sunrise views were 100% worth it!

The guides served us some hard boiled eggs and white bread to keep our energy up, but most of the food went toward feeding stray dogs while we were distracted by the views.

Our guide was extremely helpful and more than willing to show off his photography tricks:

The hike got even better as the sun came up. We continued on the path to see more views of other two volcanoes in the distance.

My favorite highlight was coming across some wild monkeys at the top of the trail.

In case we needed a reminder that we were climbing on an active volcano, we could see steam rising up from certain holes in the rocks. We walked around at the top for about twenty minutes, then started to make our way down. I was worried that the steep, rocky trail we came up would be very challenging on the way back, but our guide took us on a different path that was much flatter and easier.

Before we knew it, we were getting scooped up by our driver. He gave us the option of returning to the coffee plantation for a drink or heading straight back to Ubud. We all agreed on getting back sooner. I was more than ready for these banana pancakes at my hotel and to rest up before three hours of yoga workshop in the afternoon.

I’m so glad I took a chance on this incredible hike that ended up making the perfect morning! Solo travel can get lonely, so signing up for activities that you want to do can be a great way to meet awesome like-minded travelers. 10/10 I would totally do it again!

Yoga Workshop Day 3

On the third day of our workshop with Kino, things got a little more physical. We talked about the obstacles that might spring up on the path to yoga— sickness, injury, laziness, lethargy, all types of doubt, neglect, preference for sensory pleasures, losing progress, bad moods, trembling limbs, and disturbed breathing. There are so many potential obstacles that it takes two sutras to cover them (1.30 & 1.31)! Kino reminded us of some (mainly trembling limbs, doubt and disturbed breathing) when we practiced lifting our legs and butts off the ground in various arm balances. It’s definitely enough to make you wonder how we’re supposed to stay on this struggling path for the long term.

The sutras that follow offer some advice. We’re supposed to keep going by returning every day to a single-pointed meditation practice. Patanjali says that single point can be the breath or any object of attention. This led us to talking about one of my favorite and one of the most popular sutras, 1.33:

Undisturbed calmness of the mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.

Well, that’s easier said than done, especially in today’s US political climate. I know my calmness of the mind has been disturbed when I read or hear about all sides of the debate and upcoming election. Today’s sutra is a gentle reminder to maintain our peaceful attitudes toward our neighbors/friends/family members/complete strangers even when they support an opposing viewpoint from us or act differently than we do. The best way to get someone to hear your opinion is not to tell someone that theirs is stupid or wrong—surprise! If you’re living your best, most peaceful, yogic way, attitude and actions always speak louder than words.

Healing

Reflecting back on the last few months has few months has me thinking: I’ve been meditating and chanting Hindu mantras, hanging out with Italian guys and eating delicious food in Sydney, and now exploring alternative healing practices in Bali… have I turned into Elizabeth Gilbert yet?? I was really wondering that on Monday when I went to see a traditional Balinese healer named Mr. Ketut.

Note: Half the men in Bali seem to be named Ketut, and Gilbert’s friend passed away a few years ago, so I can confirm that it was not the same healer from Eat, Pray, Love.

I wasn’t visiting the healer for any specific reason, apart from some minor aches and pains. But I was curious to see what the experience would be like, and I had been feeling a bit lethargic from all the physical resting I had done during January. I did some research and found that I didn’t want to go to the fancy spa/resorts that had good reviews because too expensive or to a non-Balinese person because also too expensive and I can do that in America. After reading carefully, I wound up at a place (Ubud Chakra Healing) with fewer reviews but a positive reputation. It was on the Monkey Forest Road across from the soccer fields in the back of a shop. I stopped by to make the appointment a couple days in advance and didn’t provide any other information.

When the day arrived, I wasn’t sure what to wear, so I wore my yoga pants and a tank top (I read that you’re supposed to dress modestly, but that’s all I had). I waited for a few minutes on the patio outside a family’s home and the young receptionist told me her father would be there soon. When the smiling and peaceful-looking healer arrived, we went upstairs to a room with a typical massage table and peaceful mantra music playing. I laid face up in my street clothes—beforehand I wasn’t sure if they’d give me something to change into.

He didn’t ask any advance questions about how I was feeling or why I was there, which I think is the way it should go. They say that during energy healing, the healer acts as a channel for the source energy to pass through. Their hands are supposedly guided to the places that need attention, and I think that sharing too much information might sway the healer to focus on those areas rather than letting the energy work naturally.

I closed my eyes and the healer held his hands over my head and face. He worked from my head down to my feet and back up, then instructed me to turn over for the other side. Sometimes he would gently press on a certain area or simply hold his hands over me. I read some reviews that Balinese healing sessions can be painful with a lot of kneading and pressing, but this session was very gentle with only light pressure—typically in Reiki and energy healing there is not a lot of massage or touching. I felt the most activity in my head. When Mr. Ketut pressed on my sinus area I felt a tingling sensation that lasted after the session. When he pressed his fingers above my eyebrows I could see in my mind’s eye a lot of light, almost like a strobe light or series of flashes that felt very intense. I could be wrong, but he seemed to spend extra time on my left knee, which has been giving me some trouble lately.

The whole process took about an hour and cost $40 USD (just sharing the details in case anyone reads this and is curious to try). Afterwards we sat and he asked how I was feeling. I told him I could still feel a bit of pressure and a pulsing sensation (not unpleasant) in my face and head. He didn’t speak much English, but he told me he felt some blocks in my heart area that he tried to work on. I was expecting some more revelations, but that’s all he told me. We sat for about five minutes so that I could drink water and let everything settle. I left the session feeling lighter and energized, and over the following week I have felt more energized, confident, and content.

The healer asked if I practice yoga and said that he could tell, because most people who come to see him already have a yoga or meditation practice. In my opinion, that’s a little bit of a shame because I think that all types of people can benefit from alternative healing methods. But of course there will always be some disbelievers or those who are less inclined to try.

You’ll see this crazy monkey statue at the corner of the soccer field on Monkey Forest Road

In yoga teaching these days, offering physical adjustments has become controversial—and with good reason, after we’ve seen many cases of longtime abuse being exposed. But I hope that, as teachers, we’ll continue to offer adjustments with consent, because even if you don’t believe in the energy work, there is something incredible about the healing power of touch. And I hope to live in a world where we aren’t afraid to reach out and touch someone— in a kind and mutually-agreed upon way, of course.

Penestanan

When in Bali, a brave person might do something wild like rent a scooter and drive themselves to anywhere they wanted inside or outside of the cities. I’m too afraid to drive unchaperoned in a foreign country, so I’m on foot. But these feet have taken me to some pretty nice places so far: on a ridge walk, into a rice paddy field, and up this sweet green flight of stairs to a new land…

They led to Penestanan, a lesser traveled part of Ubud, where I found gently trodden trails, a quiet market, and a homey cafe.

Penestanan is actually quite easy to walk to. You simply venture to the end of the main road, under the part with hanging vines, and cross the bridge over the river. Soon, the stairs appear on your left.

This part of the city is elevated, up the stairs or a big hill if you’re driving, so when you get to the top you see views like these:

I don’t know why, but the last time I stayed here I imagined that Ubud was smaller. I wasn’t sure if I would have enough to do during a six day trip. However, now that I’m here I’m finding so much to see and do! Even if those things include a slow walk past roosters and rabbits or sitting outside and reading a book.

I’m tempted to say I wish I had more time here, but actually I think I have daresay the perfect amount of time.

Yoga Workshop Day 1

When I mentioned to my grandma that I would be attending yet another yoga retreat, she was confused. “So, when you go to all these workshops and retreats, will you be learning new yoga or is it the same yoga?”

Ha ha. Since yoga as a spiritual practice has been around in India for about 5,000 years, I guess it’s the same yoga. It’s kind of like asking someone who goes to church every Sunday if it’s new church every week or the same church. And it’s important to remember that yoga didn’t start as an hour long exercise class to stretch out tight muscles. It is a spiritual practice that consists more of lifestyle and meditation than of the poses—physical asana is only one of the eight limbs of yoga.

In our first day of workshop with Kino we talked about how true progress in yoga is measured by the internal work. The purpose of yoga is to reach a state of non-reactivity.

If you read my last post about going to breathwork trauma release class and thought, “What kind of trauma do you have to release?”, well, the answer is that we all have experienced trauma, even if we don’t realize it. Even if you had an easy upbringing, there are still childhood memories of feeling ashamed or abandoned that are stored in the body and remembered. Then, of course, there are the everyday activities of living in society and interacting with one another

We go about our days experiencing a constant stream of stimuli, seeking what we think will make us happy and avoiding what we don’t like. Or worrying about the future and reflecting on the past. Yoga tries to get us to break up these habitual thoughts and to create a little bit of space between the stimulus and our immediate reaction, so that we can breathe.

Yeah, it’s interesting and exciting to learn to bend the body into new shapes. And yeah, I have (and maybe you have) heard a lot of the yoga philosophy before today. But if you, like me, have spent quite a lot of time living in society and thinking the same thoughts, maybe you’ve found that it’s necessary to learn the same lessons and practice the same good habits over and over until they fully mix things up and create new patterns in our lives. They say that freedom is what lies in the space between stimulus and response. So, I’ll be here practicing the same old yoga to become a little more free.

Expanding Expectations

The last time I came to Ubud I stayed a little outside the center in the most wonderful hotel. This time I wanted to be close to the yoga studio, so I’m in a guest house very close to Ubud market. I was nervous about staying so close to the main street—because it’s really busy and crowded with foot and road traffic—but the house is actually tucked away from the craziness of the center. I’ve been waking up each morning to the sounds of roosters crowing down the street. Then I step out onto the patio to enjoy a breakfast of what has been pancakes every day so far and might continue to be pancakes every day that I’m here.

There is a lot more to Ubud than meets the eye. The obvious place to start is the main road where you can find the market, Ubud Palace, and the Saraswati temple. But if those are your only tastes of the city, you might leave underwhelmed. The magic is out in the rice fields with views of volcanoes and banana trees. And in the little side streets with local people living their regular lives, nearby waterfalls, Indonesian warungs (restaurants), and healthy new-age healing spots.

Simply being in Bali is healing on its own. However, during this visit I’m also opening up to trying some “out-there” healing methods. After the workshop on day one, I stayed for the next class on “Deep Psoas Release Exercises” and spent the hour and a half fatiguing my hip flexors to then allow them to shake uncontrollably in order to release whatever needed to be released in there. It was astonishing to feel how much they would shake and how the shaking would travel through my body—into the back of the legs and all the way up into the abdomen. The teacher was a mystical woman who had a safe and calming energy. When I saw that she was leading a “Breath Work Trauma Release” class the next day, I decided to return… to be continued…

A Silent Stay

While in Bali, I had the chance to fulfill an interest that has been sparking my curiosity for a long time by spending a night at a silent retreat. While I don't think I stayed quite long enough to fully experience the plentiful benefits of time spent in silence, the retreat center provided a brief glimpse of all that can be gained from being alone with yourself in such a peaceful place.

Before my arrival, I was nervous. I had received recommendations, but I didn't think I would have enough time to go since I was (very sadly) only in Bali for four days and the retreat center is about an hour and a half outside of Ubud. Then it just so happened that I ended up with a free night and didn't have anywhere else scheduled to stay so I checked for openings and, after finding a few, made a reservation.

I wasn't sure when the silence would start. Would the van driver talk to me after picking me up? Would reception just hand me a bag and a list of instructions? How would I make travel arrangements to come back to the next day? All my concerns abated when I arrived to find the most cheerful and talkative Balinese woman waiting to check me in and show me around. The reception hut was an open talking zone, and she still toured me around the grounds in whispers after we had passed the white flags that started the zone of silence on the property.

My first surprise was at how much there was to do. There were five hours of guided yoga and meditation classes offered each day-- 2.5 in the morning and another 2.5 at night. Around the retreat center there were also many opportunities for more solitary mediation which could take place under a waterfall, in a labyrinth walking maze, or on a jungle trek through the woods. There was full library in the lounge and three mealtimes provided tasty, vegetarian, and organic buffets. There were lectures on green living, and frequent field trips where you could talk to the other guests. It was a light and delicious introduction to the more serious vipassana or ashram experience.

The second surprise was that dinner was set out between 4:30 and 6pm, right after the afternoon round of yoga and meditation. On the first day, I had to do some extra fast-paced jungle trekking to be ready for a meal at that time, but it helped to get into the habit of eating less and resisting the urge to try everything on the table... for the most part. It was a little uncomfortable to be around the other visitors without greeting anyone, but most people shared smiles and held doors for each other. Some even broke the rules a bit to mouth a "thank you".

The final surprise helped make sense of why dinner was so early. Since the retreat center runs efficiently on solar power, the lights in the main buildings turn off around 7, and most of my dorm mates were turning off their bed lamps to go to sleep at 8. It's a wonder how quickly our bodies adapt to the rhythm of nature when we don't have electronics to disrupt or entertain. I lay awake that night for a while listening to all the sounds outside, but eventually fell asleep feeling blessed to be in such a beautiful place.

Many Monkeys

Ever since the time, thirteen years ago, when my mom got married in Bali and went to a monkey forest without me, her monkey loving daughter, I knew that someday I would need to make my own journey to Bali to visit that same monkey sanctuary.

And let me tell you, it was worth the wait.

Within one minute of walking through the dark tunnel into the forest, I had a small monkey on my shoulders. Later on, another one got stuck in my hair. It was a little unsettling, which I guess makes some people dislike their visits there. And if you are one of those people, I will say that we have certain disagreements in our tastes.

Seeing all these monkeys was one of the best time of my life!