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That time I went to Bali on a whim…
About two years ago I went to Bali. It was completely unplanned. I was planning to spend a month there, I ended up spending 4 months. And I have been going and coming there ever since (more on that in later posts).
Here’s what happened…
In early 2022 I was having major work issues and some major personal issues too. I left Halo Hydration that year. After putting in so many years of work as the brand formulator and co-founder, the whole experience was frustrating. But hey, I got a Forbes article about me. So that was cool.
After that departure, I decided to put all my efforts into my construction projects upstate and helping out with Woodstock Brewing (if you have been Charlotte’s Book reader since inception, then you already know that story).
My biggest project at the time was The Ranch. One day I got a call from my construction team that they had uncovered a serious structural problem. Everybody had to be called off the work site as it was deemed unsafe. A team of engineers had to be brought in. Sh!t.
Every engineer I needed to hire was booked on other projects and was at least 6 months away from being able to start on mine. I was in a holding pattern. If I could have grabbed a hammer and started fixing the house myself I would have. But, I was beholden to engineers and laborers that I couldn’t make work any faster. Meanwhile, the other project I was working on had just completed but was not yet sold (you might have read about it in the DailyMail).
Having so much money tied up in two construction projects at the same time, I was hamstrung. I had to sit tight and wait. For the first time in my life I had literally nothing to do.
With nothing holding me to New York City except my beloved dogs, I left my furry babies with my ex-husband and purchased a one way ticket to Bali. I had always wanted to go there. Why not now?
I packed up my New York City apartment, bought a new backpack (the North Face Base Camp Duffel is the best), and off I went. I ended up spending about four months traveling through Bali. And it was magical. I have traveled all over the world, but nothing compares to Bali ( more on that in a later posts).
I traveled through Uluwatu, Bingin, Canggu, Seminyak, and finally ended up in Ubud. And here’s how it all went down.
All about Ubud
Most of the Bali locations for ‘Eat, Pray Love’, were filmed in and around Ubud. I have actually never seen that film or read the book, but I learned this later. Ubud is in the northern part of Bali in the mountains and it’s in this part of the island where you will find a more jungle like terrain, a cooler climate, the more serious yoga centers, and many monkeys (who will definitely eat your breakfast and steal your things when you aren’t watching). It’s also considered the cultural heart of Bali.
When I finally settled into Ubud, I began to visit each yoga center. During this time I fell more and more in love with yoga. I had always practiced yoga while living in New York city. But not this kind of yoga. I eventually settled into a studio called Radiantly Alive where I found myself practicing the most.
Fitness yoga vs ‘yogi yoga’
After practicing yoga for months in Ubud, it’s here that I learned the difference between fitness based yoga and what I like to call ‘yogi yoga.’ ‘Fitness yoga’ is what you might call the yoga that most of the Western world practices. It’s a workout for sure, but it does not embrace the true meaning or intention of yoga. Let me explain. And also tell you the benefits.
I started practicing yoga in my late 20s. I would follow up my sessions at Equinox (I used to go 5 days a week) with yoga sessions 1-2x a week to add in flexibility. But showing up to a yoga class and moving through the poses is very different than really showing up to the mat and committing to the lifelong practice of yoga both mentally and physically.
Despite having practiced yoga for the last 20 years, it’s only in these past few years (in my late 40s) that my physical practice, strength and flexibility have massively increased.
Real yogis that I have come across in my life have an inner strength and an inner peace that I admire. They can uplift themselves into a pose with pure ease. The immense amount of core strength often needed comes with such ease that you never see a wince or trace of difficulty in their facial expression.
They can meditate with stillness and intention. They are calm and kind. They want to teach and pass on what they have learned both physically and mentally. It’s not just about a workout. Although, let’s be real, that part is great also.
These real yogis will tell you it has taken years and years of study and practice to achieve this, but it looks like they were just born with this level of strength and serenity. I didn’t think this was anything I could ever achieve. I had done countless yoga classes in New York City and never got there.
My teacher Laura will tell me there was a time she couldn’t even get into a handstand. But as I watch her effortlessly lift her legs above her head with such control and strength, I cannot believe that to be true.
As I moved my own yoga practice from fitness yoga to ‘yogi yoga,’ the progress I have made at age 46 exceeds the decade of regular fitness practice throughout my 30s.
I can now float my legs up to a headstand effortlessly or hold a crow with ease, or even hold a one-armed crow. And this is only because this journey made me realize the difference a mindset, true self discipline, and a great teacher can make. The difference of going through the motions versus connecting the physical and the mental.
It’s all in your head…
Yoga is a generic term for physical, mental and spiritual disciplines, originated from ancient India. It is a spiritual and ascetic discipline including breath control, meditation and adoption of specific body postures, practiced for health and relaxation.
In it’s Western adaptation, most of us just think of it as a form of exercise, but in its original form it’s also a guiding set of principles that involves how you should treat yourself and treat others. Within this set of guidelines there is also breathing techniques and meditations which really help push forward your physical practice. After all, it’s the mind that controls the body and all of its responses.
The practice emphasizes life long discipline both on the mat and off the mat. Discipline in all parts of your life.
No phones or shoes are allowed in the yoga shala. There are no mirrors anywhere. Real yogis aren’t showy and competitive. They are inward focused on their own practice. They don’t care what brand of yoga clothes you have, what purse you have or what shoes you are wearing. It’s you and the mat. And that’s all that matters.
Each practice is about pushing yourself farther and farther into every pose and an extreme mental connection with your body. This is the part that is often missed.
It’s a practice that’s been around for decades and in its purest form it’s about training your mind to be at one with your body. It’s about being hyper disciplined about showing up everyday for yourself. And shedding everything else.
A typical day of intense yoga teacher training in Ubud
A 200 hour yoga teacher training is basically the first level required to become a yoga teacher. Despite following the global Yoga Alliance rules, a yoga teacher training course can be quite different everywhere. It is highly influenced by the studio and teachers that host the training.
This program at Radiantly Alive is intensive. This is not a yoga retreat with spa treatments. Nope. It starts each day at 7:15 am and often does not not end until 7:00 pm. You have limited free time and the days are packed with classes and modules. It lasts for 25 days. You will be given one day off.
Yes…as you are reading this I know you are thinking,” how can I find 25 days to go to Bali? You are crazy!” And I get it. I never thought I would either. It’s quite hard for most people to carve out this amount of uninterrupted time out of your life. But if you can find a way, it’s well worth it.
When I first showed up for training I was worried it would be me and a bunch of twenty something girls in their best yoga clothes. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The class was filled with women of all ages (and two men) from all over the world and across many ages (from 19 to 60+) and many backfrounds. The majority had come from various countries across Europe. One woman from Japan, one from Canada, one from Hawaii., many from Germany and Austria. Not everyone spoke English. Both men were over 50.
Some of the women were in their 50s and had finally found the time to devote a month to themselves after their kids had left home. And of the 24 people in the training class, about 7 of them were there purely to learn more deeply about yoga, not to become a yoga teacher. I was in that camp.
To be honest, I have done a yoga retreat before and I didn’t love it. It was too much pampering, too much food, and too lax. I enjoyed the strictness of this program and the intense adherence to learning and growing.
Everyday begins with a personal two hour daily yoga practice, from 7:30 am to 9:30 am. Each morning has a different teacher and a different focus. But you can bet on it being difficult. This is then followed by a day of coursework that includes modules of anatomy, sequencing, asana labs, teaching basics, and philosophy. Silence must be observed all morning until 10:30 am when actual classes begin.
With so many online courses these days, it was so nice to learn how to be a proper class teacher. Filming yourself doing yoga so others can watch is completely different than being a class teacher or trainer who is really helping and pushing their students go further.
We would watch others do poses and learn how to correct them both with the proper verbal cues and physical adjustments. I really appreciated this very strong focus on learning proper form. As small incorrect placements in your body can easily lead to repetitive stress injuries over time. And the smallest adjustments in your body can make you feel a pose in a completely different way.
My specific training was centered on vinyasa yoga. However, you can sign up for other types of yoga as well.
Our final exam involved teaching a 90 minute yoga class. And leading up to this final exam we taught a 20 minute class and a 30 minute class. The course also ends with a two hour written exam covering all of the topics from philosophy, history, anatomy, sequencing, breathing and poses.
The yoga teacher training at Radiantly Alive was beautifully taught by head teacher Kimberly Utama and and assisted by teaching partners Amira Attar and Sanna Kokkonen-White. Several other teachers at Radiantly Alive mixed into the class, including Caspian Burrell who taught all of the anatomy modules and Laura Llona who taught inversions with Caspian (Laura is also my private yoga teacher), Anna Midori, Ernesto Gio, and Dy
I found the collection of women to be inspiring. Kimberly, Amira, and Sanna have been practicing yoga for decades. With their ages ranging from 30s to 50s, I enjoyed having different perspectives and techniques brought into the class. And as many of my readers at Charlotte’s Book are well over 40, I know you might be reading this and thinking this isn’t for you. But let me tell you…. it is. It was so refreshing to have such a broad range of ages and nationalities.
All of the teachers who taught us during these 25 days were teachers in every sense of the word. They are truly dedicated to teaching yoga to others. They continue to check in with all of the students regularly and were so genuine and supportive.
One of the most important lessons in yoga teacher training was not only about how to properly teach yoga, but about the importance of holding space for others. Being in tune with your students. Be present. Be in the moment.
We have all been in a class where we felt the instructor going through the motions. Whether it was spin class, pilates, yoga, or weight training session. Don’t be that kind of teacher. And don’t be that kind of person. Be engaged for the people around you.
True yoga practice and true yoga teaching is not just about exercise, it’s a series of spiritual laws on how to lead your life: how to connect internally with yourself and with those around you. And it builds both mental and physical strength over time. They are: Pure Potentiality, Giving, Karma, Least Effort, Intention and Desire, Detachment, and Dharma
And let’s not forget all about the fun stuff in Bali…
Bali is home to so many amazing things from mouth watering healthy food, insane spas, gorgeous shopping….I can’t cover it all in this article.
When I first landed in Bali in 2022 I moved from Airbnb to Airbnb and yes, sometimes I popped in a few nights at hotels (Alila Villas Uluwatu, Uluwatu Surf Villas, and Ritz Carlton Mandapa are my favorites). But I tried to mainly stay in houses or tiny homestays in each enclave of the island so I could truly get a feel for what it was like to live in Bali. I wanted to learn which expat communities I liked best.
I have had a few people tell me they visited the Four Seasons Jimbaran and didn’t like Bali. I understand why…it’s in a part of the island I definitely don’t recommend. And very far from what I would like to call the real Bali.
While the larger resorts are gorgeous, they are often very far from the towns, quite expensive, and don’t give you a flavor for the amazing communities of people that have been built in Bali.
There is an amazing expat community with people from Singapore, Japan, Europe and Australia. I actually have two friends from New York City who have permanently moved there.
In Bali, you can get amazing massages for as low as $10. Eat a delicious dinner for easily less than $10. The local food is amazing, delicious and healthy. The mountains in Ubud are gorgeous and lush with plentiful hiking and spa treatments everywhere. It’s also incredibly safe for solo women travelers. There is so much to do. And the people are simply wonderful.
You might be sitting in restaurant Mason in Canggu and think you are in the East Village. Or Yuki down in Uluwatu and swear you were at a nightlife scene in Miami. The Michelin starred Locavore in Ubud measures up to any fine dining I have had in New York.
After a lot of exploration throughout the island, I stumbled upon 11 on Kajeng. A small boutique hotel in the town center of Ubud. I ended up staying there for the entire length of my yoga teacher training which was for nearly a month. The staff there is absolutely amazing and looked after me so well. The bathrooms are gorgeous and beds comfortable. And it was great to be able to walk into town.
If you are a looking for something more luxurious, the Ritz Mandapa is amazing. However, if you are going to yoga teacher training, you will want to be in walking distance to the town center.
If you are planning a trip to Bali for yoga or otherwise, or just want me to write more information on this gorgeous island…drop me a note in the comments or send me an email.
One last note before I leave you…
I once spent a week at the famous Golden Door Spa in California. At Golden Door you cannot wear your own clothes. You take them off at check in and you don’t see them until you leave. They ask that you don’t wear jewelry or watches. They give you a loose fitting uniform to wear the entire time and ask that you do not use your phone. This must stay locked up in your room.
While at first this can seem weird and off-putting to walk around in a uniform, this experience is quite beautiful and revealing. You don’t have the stress of choosing your outfit each day. You meet people and interact with them in the purest and most honest way, naked from any labels.
That said, at around $10,000 for a week’s stay, the Golden Door is not for everyone. But it’s intentions of wellness and connections are really pure. You can feel the difference of this intention versus just visiting any regular spa retreat.
I found this similar feeling at yoga teacher training at Radiantly Alive. It was a pure connection with myself and all of those in my teaching group. I don’t think this would have been the same had I done the yoga teacher training in a more ‘typical’ location. For this reason alone I felt the journey was well worth it. This experience was definitely like no other training.
Will I teach? Maybe one day. I’d love to develop an anti-aging yoga routine!
Since receiving my official certificate, I have taught some of my friends one-on-one and I know I have already helped them. When I am practicing online classes, I now know what I am doing wrong and what I am doing right. This in itself is so valuable.
Since my training ended I have tried to keep a daily yoga practice, even if its for 20 minutes a day. A two-minute tip: never roll up your yoga mat. Keep it unrolled and out at all times. This will encourage practice.
I recently went on a trip with my girlfriend and every morning I helped her with a few poses and we practiced together. So at a minimum I can lead by example and assist those around me. Which is a good enough outcome for me.
Interested in yoga, Bali, or anything above? Please email me or comment.