The Earth is always singing ...

The Yoga community in Bali, and in particular Ubud, is thriving with many international teachers regularly hosting retreats and workshops. Bali Spirit is the main yoga centre on the island, and is owned by ex-New Yorker Meghan, who has the yoga scene here totally vibing with amazing events. The Yoga Barn is her studio, a two-story open-air yoga space overlooking the rice paddies and surrounded by coconut palms, only minute away from the fab shopping streets of Ubud and the famous Monkey Forest. We had the opportunity a few weeks ago to go there and see Dave Stringer leading Kirtan.

If you're new to the yoga lingo, Kirtan is the devotional form of yoga, where chanting the sacred names of the gods/goddesses/hindu archetypes is accompanied by inspiring music, usually tabla (drums) and harmonium (looks like a piano in a box with accordian attached).
Kirtan is usually led by one who calls out the chant, and the other participants respond by repeating the chant. It is an uplifting process that stills the mind, dissolves worries, opens the heart, and is a way to tune in to the frequency of love and bliss.

I had seen Dave Stringer in Los Angeles at an event that was hosted by Shiva Rea, an all night yoga festival that was helping to raise money for "Trees for the Future" charity. He totally rocked the house back then with his energy and resounding vocals, and I was keen to relive that experience. The surroundings were quite different - seated in a candlelit open-air yoga room in Bali as opposed to dancing like crazy in a packed-to-the-rafters yoga studio in Hollywood - but the experience was just as uplifting, and definitely more heart-opening. It was an eclectic bunch of about 80 people who gathered on this balmy Bali Sunday evening ... the local expats, a few Balinese, the uber-cool tattooed and body-pierced yoga-set, a few hippie-types, a grandmother, a toddler, yoga teacher training students, and some Japanese tourists. Regardless of nationality, background or economic status, kirtan is something that always brings people together, even if you think you can't sing! At the end of the closing chant we all sat in silence, listening to the sounds of crickets and frogs in the rice-paddies below ... a beautiful reminder that the Earth is always singing ... we just need to listen ...

Om Namah Shivaya!!

Heaven on Earth?

The culture of Bali is unique. Anyone who has travelled here can comment on the general happiness of the people, their family values, their willingness to help a fellow human being - it seems that smiling is a national past-time. Many people even comment that the Balinese people have reached such a level of contentment that they want for nothing in their lives. It is not an exaggeration that when a Balinese is asked what heaven is like, he or she would say "Just like Bali, only without the mundane worries of life." They want to live in Bali, die in Bali and reincarnate in Bali!

Balinese society is very community oriented ... family life is important, as well as village life. The extended family all live together (mum, dad, kids and all the aunties, uncles and grandparents) in a compound complete with it's own temple, sleeping quarters, veggie gardens, coconut trees and livestock. Even as Bali is exposed to Western culture, they retain their rich heritage of religious customs and traditions, and live close to nature. Their culture is based on a form of Hinduism called "Hindu Darma" (very different from the Hinduism practiced in India) which plays a large role in the family customs and community lifestyle. This is evident in the multitude of rituals performed at various times of the day, month and year, as well as in the local arts and crafts. There is a ceremony for just about every event ... ceremony for the rice harvest, ceremony for the rain, ceremony for the ancestors, for each of the gods and goddesses, every time a new home is built, ceremonies to ward off demons and placate the gods ...

My favourite time of day in Bali is early morning ... seeing household members (usually the women) wearing their "temple attire" making their canang, or morning offerings to the gods. These offerings are presented to the gods along with a small prayer for good health and prosperity, and as thanks for the abundance available to them (even though many of them are extremely poor!) They consist of a banana leaf tray with some rice, fresh flowers, food, a coin and incense. These simple, natural offerings are placed in the important parts of every Balinese home, business, temple and even randomly on the beach. As these morning offerings create wafts of incense that permeate through the streets, I am reminded of the yogic principle of "Ishvara pranidhana" - surrendering to a higher source. Ishvara pranidhana is a "big picture" yoga practice: it initiates a sacred shift of perspective that helps us to remember, align with and receive the grace of being alive.

As Westerners, the concept of surrendering as a virtue may seem strange - it has connotations of giving up, or giving in to someone or something that could dictate our future. But in a yogic context, surrendering simply means letting go of our narrow-minded individual concerns and perspective, our ego-centred approach to life. It allows us to move toward a deeper knowing of our connection to everything in the universe, and to the qualities of our divine nature - grace, peace, unconditional love, compassion, clarity and freedom.

In our yoga practice, we can experience Ishvara pranidhana by treating challenging yoga poses as microcosms of life's own challenges, and offering the moment as an opportunity to reach beyond the ego-self and connect to the higher force that guides us - our own inner teacher. Ishvara pranidhana connects every action to it's sacred source, and allows us to tune our own inner compass to the journey that lies ahead of us on the spiritual path - the journey from our head to our heart, and our acknowledgement of the divine within each and every one of us.

A day in the life of a Yoga teacher trainee in Bali!

So what does happen on a daily basis when you're a beautiful location, learning about and studying something you're absolutely passionate about, and surrounded by like-minded friends?

5.55am - Alarm goes off

6.00am - 7.30am - Yoga class with Nicole or Mark in open-air yoga room to the sounds of Bali waking up - birds, gekkos, frogs, waves crashing in the distance, the hum of many motorbikes on the nearby highway...

7.30am - 8.30am - A walk on the beach or a refreshing dip and maybe some laps in Desa Seni's saltwater pool? Mmm ... decisions ... perhaps a fresh coconut juice!

8.30am - 9.30am - Breakfast in the lounge - tropical fruit salad, watermelon juice, ginger tea and farmers breakfast of poached eggs and home-grown veggie hash brown. All served with a smile!

9.30am - 12.30pm - Teacher training session - the most taxing part of the day!

12.30pm - 1.30pm - Lunch of home-grown salad, veggies, fish, and the most AMAZING hummous ever! Share funny stories and belly-laughs with other teacher training friends... discover mutual love of chocolate mousse with your new yoga buddies (glad to know that everyone has a sweet tooth so you won't be the only one ordering dessert!

1.30pm - 3.00pm - Free time! What to do? Study-time by the pool? Maybe a a quick surf or ride the scooter in to Seminyak for a spot of shopping. Or opt for a traditional Balinese massage or spa treatment. Decisions, decisions ...

3.00pm - 4.00pm Yin yoga class and meditation - again in the open-air yoga room with a cool afternoon sea breeze blowing. Relax on a bolster for "snuggle yoga" ....mmmmm

4.00pm-7.00pm - Teacher training session - what a great environment to learn in! Apply mosquito repellant liberally around 6pm - fortunately Desa Seni make their own natural repellant and it actually smells good (hopefully not to the mozzies!)

7.00pm-8.00pm - Dinner ... more amazing food ... more belly laughs and funny stories ... maybe dessert? The BEST chocolate brownies ever, or something more traditional like sticky black rice? This certainly ain't bootcamp!! Don't hold back!

8.00pm and onwards - reflect on a fabulous day with the perfect blend of study, yoga, relaxation, good company and food! Time for bed!

Connoisseur of massages

One of the things I love about Bali is the availability of massages and other beauty and well-being treatments available at a fraction of the cost we are used to paying back home. Without trying to sound too indulgent (that’s hard!) I have been doing my best to sample as many as possible. Here’s my journey (so far) … It all started with a foot massage on the beach. Dreamland, one of the prettiest beaches on the island is frequented by sarong peddlers, ice-cream sellers, sun-bed merchants and a myriad of other locals just trying to make a quid. The moment you make eye contact with them they’ve got you … if you happen to sneak a look at any of their wares, they’ll never leave you alone. Ever. I drove a hard bargain buying some sarongs and thought that by saying “ok, no money left, I spent it all on sarongs” they would move on to the next unsuspecting tourist. Wrong. The fact that she had given me 25,000 rupiah change meant she knew that I had AT LEAST 25,000 left to spend (It’s about $3). She sidled up to the bottom of my sun lounge, grabbed my foot and started rubbing … “Leddy, leddy, you wan foot massaaaaze??” How could I say no? “Ok, but I only have 25,000”. Of course, she already knew that. “Ok I do for you 25,000” Sold. It was surprisingly good for $3.

Since then I have sampled the chocolate body scrub (no I didn’t try and eat it, but I’m sure I could have); a coffee body scrub and massage, a traditional Javanese body scrub, massage and soak in flower petal bath, several pedicures, and last night, the massage to beat all others: a 2 ½ hour full body massage and reflexology treatment. Probably the most phenomenal bodywork I’ve ever experienced – she got into EVERY muscle I have, found various trigger points that made me nearly jump off the table in agony, rubbed and stretched out every visible part of my anatomy with a surprising amount of strength and vigour for someone of such small stature. And all for about $25. Highly recommended to do this, at least once in your life! I’m sure I’ll be back next week ….

Bali Bliss

Our home for two months, Desa Seni Village Resort, is set amongst lush rice paddies, only 10 minutes in one direction by car to the upmarket area of Seminyak, and in the other direction to Echo Beach and Canggu’s famous surf break. Riding with my surf board on the scooter is an experience – negotiating the traffic, potholes and random mangey dogs requires some skill, but mostly pure recklessness. I’m getting the hang of it though. Life at Desa Seni is good – early morning practices in the beautiful open-air yoga room followed by breakfast of fresh fruit, coconut juice, and free-ranged local eggs. It doesn’t get much better!! Breaks in the teacher training schedule are spent either lying by the saltwater pool, getting massages and pedicures in our rooms, or zooming down to the local beach for a quick surf – awesome! Teacher training is going well- with a very intimate group it has been lovely getting to know everyone personally and an atmosphere of caring and trust has been created. It is such a blessing for everyone to be away from their everyday lives, allowing them to be fully focussed on the process that is taking place.

Today's quote: "Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens" ~ Carl Jung

High Drama!

We’re into our second week of Level 1 Yoga Teacher Training already! As slow as the days seem to be (everyone’s on “Bali Time”), the weeks seem to be flying by. But not without excitement or drama – on our third day, Mark got smashed by a rogue wave while standing on a reef in knee-deep water at infamous surf break – Uluwatu. Result: torn cartilage in his ribs and a prescription of rest and visits to the local Balinese healer. As always, it could have been worse, and after riding the hour-long trip from Uluwatu back to Canggu on the motorbike with his surfboard, potentially broken ribs, in the dark with a bug in his (good) eye, we knew things could only get better! We were all excited to hire motorbikes (automatic scooters) for only $3 a day and have spent much time terrorizing the locals with our less than average riding skills. I stacked it in the gravely driveway, stubbed my toe and blew out a brand new pairs of Havianas, while my passenger Evelyn jumped gracefully off the back unscathed. Angie stacked a couple of times in the driveway and lost some skin off her knees. Julie accelerated full pelt towards a brick wall, screaming all the way, and managed to turn at the last minute, and narrowly avoided becoming part of the brickwork. Tanya accelerated before she got on, promptly dropped the bike and opted for the passenger seat. Smart. God help the roads!
Other than that, the biggest danger we face each day around this place is over-indulging in the fantastic food and getting sunburnt by the pool. Oh, and the mozzies at around 6pm each day!

Paradise found!

If anyone had told me 2 years ago that I would be facilitating a yoga teacher training in Bali, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. So arriving here on this beautiful island – not for a holiday, but getting paid doing what I love – seems kind of surreal. As our driver picked us up from the airport for the 40 minute drive to our destination, Desa Seni resort at Canggu, we were greeted by a tropical shower – the kind you don’t mind getting wet in, as the rain is nice and warm and you know that winter in Sydney is a long way away! It’s Bali’s “winter time” too, not that you’d know it by the weather – warm, humid and balmy. Except that all the Balinese are wearing jumpers and jackets, and those riding one of the gazillion scooters on the island jump off their bikes at the first drop of rain and whip out their plastic ponchos to keep the rain off. It’s a hilarious sight, as scooters whiz by, their rider’s poncho flapping in the wind like multi-coloured super-heros.

Our home away from home for the next 2 months, is a village resort owned by Tom and Howard, North American expats who have lived the Balinese dream for the last 15 years, and have created their own little piece of paradise set amidst the rice paddies. Desa Seni (means in Balinese “art village” is absolutely exquisite. It is not a display of opulent luxury, as many of the Balinese resorts are, but a step back in time to life in a traditional Balinese village. Everywhere you look, there is some piece of the Balinese culture, religion or reflection of their connection to nature – displayed in the most artistic way. The permaculture gardens are full of exotic fruit, flowers and home-grown vegetables, which they use in their restaurant. They even have their own rice paddies! They make their own natural mosquito repellant that smells so good you could wear it as perfume! The houses are gorgeously, quirky and typically Balinese. Our outdoor bathroom complete with it’s own garden is simple, yet seems luxurious. At the end of the day, I look forward to their “turn-down service” where they make up the beds, complete with mozzie nets and place a little card on your pillow with the day’s inspirational quote and a frangipanni from the garden. What more could you want out of life?

Today's quote: "There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden, or even your bathtub" ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Changing the world, one horse at a time

Friday 25th April
Our last day! I saddled up Blackie for our final day together, and realized how sad I was going to be to leave our creek-side camp. It’s amazing when you totally immerse yourself into a lifestyle (whether it’s a yogic one or the life of a drover) how it begins to feel so natural. I really feel at home in the country, where people are real and down-to-earth and tell it like it is. It makes me realize how much of a façade we all put up in our daily lives when dealing with people. The natural horsemanship lessons have opened my eyes to the fact that when you work WITH nature, it works with us. When you work against nature, it works against us – just look at what is happening in the world today. If people could treat others as well as Jillian has taught us to treat our horses, the world would be a much happier place. I remember on the drive from Tamworth to the property, Jillian’s husband Steve commented, “If you believe in re-incarnation, you’d want to come back as one of Jillian’s horses or dogs – they are treated so well and are so happy and content.” I think I believe him. Not that I really want to come back as a horse or a dog, but just imagine if we cultivated a relationship of mutual trust and respect with everyone we came into contact with, not to mention the planet we live on? Wouldn’t it be a better world? I love being able to travel and meet new people – the experience makes us more aware and our lives more rich by being able to embody and share our new knowledge. I really feel that Jillian and Steve are living their dream and passion – and changing the world one horse (and rider!) at a time.
That in itself is an inspiration.

Drier than a dead dingo's donger

Thursday 24th April

Thursday is sheep mustering day. Once again, we saddle up and head for the hills. It is raining – thank God for Driza-bones – we put them on and instantly feel like stockmen, although they are a bit smelly – I think it’s what they are oiled with. Jillian is glad about the rain. According to her, lately it’s been “drier than a dead dingo’s donger”. I guess that’s pretty dry. She’s likely to get a better price for her cattle at the sale yards when there’s rain about, as buyers would have nice green paddocks to fatten up the cows for sirloins and rump steak – apologies to the vegetarian readers, but as I’ve recently discovered, that’s life on the land!

Back to the sheep … by the time we had ascended the mountain, a large rain cloud had descended upon us, and it was pelting down. I had thought spotting black angus cattle in the mountains was hard, but looking for grubby grey sheep in the gullies and blackberry bushes in the middle of a cloud is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Sheep are also quite stupid, all you need is for one to go the wrong way, and of course they all go – like sheep! Luckily we had the dogs on our side again, who took care of the strays. I also noticed that Blackie didn’t mind giving them a bit of nip on their woolly bums to get them going –very cute, not to mention helpful. Luckily it was such hard work that we didn’t notice how cold it was, until we started to make our way back to the sheepyards. So happy to get back to camp and dry off in front of the roaring camp fire, and thaw out my hands in a nice hot cup of tea!

Just a long enough break to get enough feeling left in our hands for the afternoon’s activity – sheep shearing!!! Yep, I did it, although I’m not sure how my sheep feels about her haircut – it looks like a dog’s breakfast (good country saying!!). Shearers generally get paid by the sheep they shear, and the going rate is $2 per sheep. I would be lucky to make a dollar on this one, she’s a bit rough. I think I’ll stick to teaching yoga for sure! x x N

Predator or prey?

Wednesday 23rd April

Today is an easy day for both us and the horses. In fact, the horses have gone to the very furthest boundary of their paddock, which is up a huge hill – I think they’re on to us. It’s like “catch me if you can”, although it doesn’t take much – guided by their stomachs, they always can always be tempted by a big handful of corn.

This morning Jillian gave us a Natural Horsemanship demonstration. This is kind of how it works… Did you know that horses, cows, antelopes, deer, sheep an any animal that has it’s eyes on the side of it’s head is considered a “prey animal”, meaning one who gets preyed upon. Any animal that has its eyes at the front of it’s head (like dogs, cats, lions and even humans) are considered to be predators. Eyes in the front of the head allow us depth perception, so we know how far away from us our prey is. Prey animals have eyes on the side so they can see any potential threats in their peripheral vision. It’s pretty interesting, I’d never thought about it before. When using natural horsemanship, you cease becoming a predator, and convince your horse that you are the “lead mare” in its herd. No, you don’t have to grow your eyes in the side of your head! Basically, you build trust between yourself and the horse, through a series of non-verbal communication. Horses respond best to body language and gentle commands, once they come to trust you. It’s an amazing thing to watch, and at the end of the demonstration, Jillian had a brand-new horse that she had never worked with before following her around, like she was leading it on an invisible piece of string. You have to see it to believe it. Actually it’s a technique called “join up” which as been devised (and trademarked!) by Monty Roberts, the original Horse Whisperer (see www.montyroberts.com) I am inspired! I google "The Horse Directory" for horses for sale ... hmmm... I wonder if the back yard is big enough? xx N

Push em' up cows!

Tuesday 22nd April

What a day! I have a new respect for farmers – it is tough work, and very dirty.! We saddle up nice and early and set off up one of the many hills to the top paddock, where we have to muster and bring in about 50 black angus cattle, which were scattered all over – in gullies, up hills, down ditches. Round ‘em up and bring ‘em in was the order. I felt like a real cowgirl. With lots of “c’mon cattle!” and “whoop whoop whoop” and “yar! Yar! Push ‘em up cows!” we rounded them up and brought them back. They made it look so easy on McLeod’s daughters. I guess they didn’t show the bits where the cows went the wrong way and ended up in the bush, or in the dam. The most entertaining part of the whole experience is watching the working dogs at work – and boy do they work! Whippet thin from running miles chasing cows out of the gullies, ditches and anywhere the horses can’t (or more correctly – won’t) go. Barking madly, biting heels, swinging on cow-tails – it’s an action-packed event when the dogs get involved. The cows were reluctantly herded into the yards where they were tagged for sale, sorted by age, and whether they were pregnant or not. As Jillian said “It pays to be pregnant around here” – the ones who aren’t are sent off to the T-bone factory. That’s life on the farm. Later that afternoon we herded the prego-cows back to their rightful paddocks. Up more hills, down more hills, across creeks, rocks – all I can say is, “I’m glad I don’t have to walk!”. Back to the campfire for another hearty meal, more hilarious stories about Jillian’s dad, and an early night. My voice is hoarse (no pun intended) from yelling at cows all day. I struggle to keep my eyes open until 8pm! Looking forward to some sweet dreams ... x x Nicole

Where's Nicole

Hi everyone,

You may have noticed my absence around the studio lately and perhaps thought that I’d defected to the Blue Mountains forever? Well, while I still love our mountain home, especially with a huge stock of firewood just delivered for our first mountain winter (brrrrr….!), I’ve actually jetted off to the much warmer climate of Bali for a couple of months. We’re running our first ever teacher training program in Bali – something to be really excited about. But before I give you the low-down on Bali, here’s what else I’ve been up to lately …. Completely unrelated to yoga, but fun nonetheless … mustering cattle in the New England region of NSW … read on!
Stay warm,
Nicole

Monday 21 April - A childhood dream!

A five-day horse camp is something I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a horse-mad teenager. Somehow I could never convince my parents that it was a good idea. So, some 17 years after the initial urge arose, I find myself in Tamworth – the home town of the famous Country Music Festival, some big grain silos and not much else. My final destination – a property called “Hickman’s Run”, on which I would participate in a Mountain Cattle Drive. (www.mountaincattle.com.au) Going back to my country roots? Well, I did visit my aunt and uncle’s dairy farm once or twice growing up, and rode the odd pony. Cattle mustering – now where the hell did that idea come from? Even Phil raised an eyebrow.

I was picked up at the Tamworth YHA (thank God I’d had the foresight to book myself into the slightly more luxurious Best Western down the road) for an hours drive to what seemed to be the middle of no-where. Cows, cows, more cows and plenty of horses. Jillian and Steve Sullivan, my hosts for the week, own 1,300 odd acres of mountainous countryside where they mostly run cattle, some sheep and yes, plenty of horses. Jillian is considered to be one of Australia’s top horsewomen – apparently it’s been in her blood since before she could walk. She is the real deal … no bulls**t, very Australian, born and bred on the land and most at home in the saddle. I like her instantly.

Once assigned our living quarters (army tents) we ware given our eating utensils (kind of like the army – no ration packs in sight though!), and introduced to our fellow musterers (or should I call us stockmen/women?) and our trusty horses. Mine’s name is Blackie, and he was, in fact quite black after a good brushing. 20 years old, good, solid and well-fed. We bonded instantly – he’s quite a cuddly fellow, for a horse, and he sidled in for a smooch straight away. Once assigned our horses, they are our responsibility for the 5 days to groom, feed, saddle, water and ride. Awesome – I am in horsie heaven. Our first lesson is “Natural Horsemanship”, also known as “horse-whispering” – think Robert Redford in the movie “The Horse Whisperer”. In a nutshell, Natural Horsemanship is learning to think like a horse (??), understanding their behaviour in the herd, and how to gently and without force, become your horse’s natural leader. We are taught some “games” that we have to play each day with our horses, to build a relationship of trust. After that, a saddling up lesson, a lesson on how to roll a Driza-bone, then off for a ride. No doubt I will become well-aquainted with my mole-skin jeans, RM Williams boots, Driza-bone and Akubra hat. In fact, I look like I am auditioning for McLeod’s Daughters.

Our first ride is quite easy (well, not for the horses), a LOT of up hill, down hill, across creek, up another hill, down the other side, back across the creek etc etc. Nice and smooth, then back to base camp for a hearty dinner round the camp fire, plenty of funny stories about Jillian’s dad, who has been bucked by horses and zapped by electric fences more times than I’ve had hot dinners. Early to bed, as tomorrow we’re cattle mustering – yeehah!