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
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