When I packed my bags this summer at the beginning of July, said goodbye to my loved ones at home and boarded the plane to Jordan, I already knew that this trip was not just going to be normal sightseeing and discovering new places for me. I really wanted to learn more about myself and also gain exciting new insights into completely different ways of thinking and views of life. Different ones than I had known all my life from home.
Yoga Retreat Bali: A whole new attitude to life!
At home, yoga is mostly seen as a means to an end, either to shape the body the way you want it to be or as a pure relaxation technique, but here in Bali I quickly realised that there is much more to the whole yoga lifestyle.
In fact, during my week here at Oneworld Retreats on https://www.all-balihotels.net/en/, just like during my Ayurveda retreat in Kerala South India, physical fitness was completely secondary. The main focus was to get blocked energies in the body flowing again and thus to really be able to heal illnesses.
Linda, the best teacher I can imagine for this subject, explained to us that almost all illnesses are triggered by energy blockages if these exist for a long time and are not released now and then.
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I also found the questions about who or what we actually are incredibly exciting and coherent. Of course I don't want to go that far, but I am deeply impressed and I already know for sure that the whole yogi lifestyle is absolutely right for me and that this week here was definitely not my last retreat of this kind! Especially in places like the Natya Resort Ubud!
Oneworld Retreats Bali: Yoga in a magical setting
I really liked the fact that you were not rudely awakened by an alarm clock or a phone call early in the morning, but by the gentle ringing of a bell, with which a member of the hotel staff goes to each room at seven o'clock in the morning and rings the bell.
I also found this so great in Mexico, at my Life Source Retreat in Tulum on the coast! At 7.30am the first session began punctually with a glass of hot lemon water and energy exercises. The focus of all the asanas was on breathing and thus directing the energies in the body.
It was quite difficult for me not to eat anything until 10 o'clock, because the morning session always lasted two and a half hours. But the beautiful surroundings around the Yoga Shala, open on three sides, the calls of the kingfishers, and the many chipmunks jumping around made me forget the time every time. Every evening at 5pm we meditated during the sunset, which I found incredibly beautiful and relaxing!
Yoga Retreat Bali: Nature as Meditation
The Kumara Sakti Resort, where all retreats take place, is not a luxury hotel in that sense. Its true luxury lies in the truly beautiful nature that surrounds it and makes it easy to come down and relax. The pretty pool, for example, is located at the very bottom of the complex by a small river and is surrounded by lush and luxuriant greenery. Here, too, numerous chipmunks play their tricks and huge butterflies flutter around.
The fantastic view from my terrace of the palm trees and rice fields opposite was a kind of meditation for me. In general, I have noticed lately that I can easily switch off and become quite relaxed in the midst of beautiful nature. Often you don't need soft mats, beautifully decorated rooms and CDs with guided relaxation techniques. A beautiful sunset, for example, can sometimes be enough to find your inner centre again.
Yoga Retreat Bali: Walks through the rice fields
On the second day of the Oneworld Yoga Retreat in Bali, we all went for a short walk together through the surrounding rice fields. Of course, this also served to get to know each other a bit. After all, every single person here had his or her own personal reasons why he or she had come to a healing retreat and not just to a normal yoga class or a wellness hotel. By the way, the beautiful rice fields and the lush nature are one of the main reasons why I love Bali and Nusa Lembongan so much. I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.
I will also never forget the magical sunrise at the Batur volcano. We sat on a large viewing terrace at six o'clock in the morning, watched the sun slowly creep out from behind the mountain in soft pink, and then meditated all together. What a magical experience!
Yoga Retreat Bali: Integrating spirituality into everyday life
The Balinese are truly masters at this: for everything and everyone there is a ceremony with a holy priest. Everywhere you smell the scent of incense sticks and have to be careful with every step not to step on one of the countless offering baskets. I think for few of us Europeans it is possible, or would be natural, to live so much spirituality even in normal everyday life. But a small part of it, whatever that may be for each one of us, we really should cultivate, shouldn't we?
Through Linda, each of us had the opportunity to visit a genuine Balinese healer as well as to participate in a very traditional Balinese ceremony. Both served to release old and no longer useful energies, to take in new ones and to restore the flow of these in the body. For me, this ceremony was an absolutely incredible and beautiful experience. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity!
