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!!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
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.
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!
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!
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