I arrived into Ubud on Dec 30th. A normal day for many, but not I, for I was a woman on a mission. “Operation Make-friends-STAT-so-I-don’t-spend-New-Year’s-Eve-alone” was a simple mission, with a clear end-goal in sight, and was largely driven by a fear that the involuntary silent retreat I had found myself on in Jimbaran could very well continue on into 2016.
So once again, as soon as I set my bags down in my room I headed in search of some food & friend-making, hoping that this time would fare better than the last…
So once again, as soon as I set my bags down in my room I headed in search of some food & friend-making, hoping that this time would fare better than the last…
You no zen?? Then you no park here.
Now is probably the time I should introduce you to The Yoga Barn; the place I ended up on that fair day, and where I subsequently spent most of my time in Ubud. But before I go into descriptions, I want to give you a feel for the kind of thing you’re likely to hear at Yoga Barn:
Now is probably the time I should introduce you to The Yoga Barn; the place I ended up on that fair day, and where I subsequently spent most of my time in Ubud. But before I go into descriptions, I want to give you a feel for the kind of thing you’re likely to hear at Yoga Barn:
- I can sense that this is a safe place for me to explore myself
- I live in Bali, working mostly online as a **insert occupation such as e-doctor, telepathic spiritual guider, biology app creator**
- You’ve got such a beautiful energy.
- I just felt that my digestive system needed some self-healing, so I began this 10 day water diet whereby all I consume is water. I'm on day 9 and it's amazing, I actually have more energy than I ever did before!!!!
- He's got such a beautiful energy.
- Isn’t her chakra just so visibly vibrant?!
- This reminds me of a time I was healing my friend's thrush through spiritual activation practice!
- That couple have such a beautiful energy.
- Can I just say? I know we only just met, but I could feel your spirit through that handshake and I'm going to bring that memory around with me for the rest of my life.
- Can I say something? Your aura just gave me goosebumps.
- This latte has such a beautiful energy.
"Hey take a picture of me being all zen!"
So whilst this might just seem like your average yoga centre full of backpackers on a "journey of self discovery", really it’s so much more than that. This place brought me some unforgettable experiences, introduced me to too many weirdos to count, and is where my luck officially picked-up, because it was here that I made my first friend! As all good friendship stories begin, we met by the water station after a particularly sweaty yoga class, and in true Anne Of Green Gables style Andjelka and I instantly became "bosom friends". (She also subsequently became my personal tour guide/ menu advisor-supreme for the rest of my stay in Ubud, no tip required!!)
Andjelka was actually the first person to pick-up on the potent stench of desperation that oozed out of my every pore as I endeavoured to complete my mission that day and she kindly invited me to a NYE house party that night. You can imagine my delight when she uttered those 3 sweet words: “Wanna come along?”
So whilst this might just seem like your average yoga centre full of backpackers on a "journey of self discovery", really it’s so much more than that. This place brought me some unforgettable experiences, introduced me to too many weirdos to count, and is where my luck officially picked-up, because it was here that I made my first friend! As all good friendship stories begin, we met by the water station after a particularly sweaty yoga class, and in true Anne Of Green Gables style Andjelka and I instantly became "bosom friends". (She also subsequently became my personal tour guide/ menu advisor-supreme for the rest of my stay in Ubud, no tip required!!)
Andjelka was actually the first person to pick-up on the potent stench of desperation that oozed out of my every pore as I endeavoured to complete my mission that day and she kindly invited me to a NYE house party that night. You can imagine my delight when she uttered those 3 sweet words: “Wanna come along?”
Andjelka & Ger - *Blossoming* bosom friends
The party was good fun, complete with coconuts, skinny dippers, tarot card readings, and lots of people who were all too enthusiastic to share their life lessons and travel experiences (whether you actually wanted the info was irrelevant, they were adamant on imparting their knowledge). But it was the next day that I really want to tell you about!...
The party was good fun, complete with coconuts, skinny dippers, tarot card readings, and lots of people who were all too enthusiastic to share their life lessons and travel experiences (whether you actually wanted the info was irrelevant, they were adamant on imparting their knowledge). But it was the next day that I really want to tell you about!...
I think I can safely say that New Years Day 2K16 was unlike any other I've experience, and it all started at 11am with an "Ecstatic Dance” class. This is basically Bali's equivalent to “Morning Glory” in Dublin, just with more emphasis placed on letting the music "guide your soul". The whole thing was gas craic and, as anyone who knows me will know, I’m not one to shy away from some free/ expressive dance, so I was totally in my element.
That was, at least, until something caught my eye which I very much wish didn’t. I still don’t know what it’s called, but essentially what I saw was two people just worming all over each other on the dance floor. Apparently it’s a type of touch/tantric dance that can involve groups of any size, and whether it be standing, sitting, lying - anything and everything goes, as long as constant contact is maintained. And if you were wondering, that includes rubbing tummies with one’s face, and stroking faces with feet… So after a few songs spent in a state of “obvious gawker”, I picked my jaw up from the floor and danced, pranced, twirled, twerked and sashayed myself as far away from their general area as I could physically manage. Thankfully I was then able to enjoy the rest of my hour of dancing power, allowing the ethnic beats to mooove ma bowdayyy.
Last point of information on Ecstatic Dance: there was actually one more thing I had to avoid on that dance floor, and that was the occasional puddle of sweat left from my over-heated dancing counterparts. Watch out future dancers - the unwelcome sensation is similar stepping on something wet when you’re wearing socks, only it’s so much more horrifying.
That was, at least, until something caught my eye which I very much wish didn’t. I still don’t know what it’s called, but essentially what I saw was two people just worming all over each other on the dance floor. Apparently it’s a type of touch/tantric dance that can involve groups of any size, and whether it be standing, sitting, lying - anything and everything goes, as long as constant contact is maintained. And if you were wondering, that includes rubbing tummies with one’s face, and stroking faces with feet… So after a few songs spent in a state of “obvious gawker”, I picked my jaw up from the floor and danced, pranced, twirled, twerked and sashayed myself as far away from their general area as I could physically manage. Thankfully I was then able to enjoy the rest of my hour of dancing power, allowing the ethnic beats to mooove ma bowdayyy.
Last point of information on Ecstatic Dance: there was actually one more thing I had to avoid on that dance floor, and that was the occasional puddle of sweat left from my over-heated dancing counterparts. Watch out future dancers - the unwelcome sensation is similar stepping on something wet when you’re wearing socks, only it’s so much more horrifying.
So that was Ecstatic Dance, and that was followed by an outdoor yoga marathon fundraiser with a group of about 200 skantily-clad yoga enthusiasts in the 35°C heat. I wasn’t too keen on the idea at first, but everyone around me wouldn’t bloody stop going on about how excited they were for it, so yoga-fomo got the better of me in the end! However, before the yoga-thon began we were presented with an unexpected curveball: a simple instruction to stand up and follow the command of one piece music…
*Cue music*
-EVERYBODY DANCE NOW-
And the scene that subsequently took place was one of the most bizarre I’ve experienced in a long time, as every single bony-angled, bare-navled, coconut-oiled yogi suddenly started popping and locking like it was Black Friday at a tupperware convention. You really had to see it to believe it, but here’s a video of the encore to give you an idea, it features the original Yoga pop icon herself - Blu Cantrell.
*Cue music*
-EVERYBODY DANCE NOW-
And the scene that subsequently took place was one of the most bizarre I’ve experienced in a long time, as every single bony-angled, bare-navled, coconut-oiled yogi suddenly started popping and locking like it was Black Friday at a tupperware convention. You really had to see it to believe it, but here’s a video of the encore to give you an idea, it features the original Yoga pop icon herself - Blu Cantrell.
To finish up the new year celebrations, The Yoga Barn organised a concert which went on for the rest of the day/ evening. Starting off with some chilled acoustic performances alongside a pinking sky, the combined music and setting could not have been nicer. But after all the acoustic performances were done, the sky got a bit darker and out of nowhere this crazy intense techno dance concert formalised! Zero alcohol was being consumed so I genuinely have no idea how things got so cray, maybe the electrolytes from all the coconuts being drunk suddenly kicked into force, but whatever it was, what had originally been a scene of acoustic calm & tranquility now turned into an intense mosh pit of thumping energy... Who knew yogis had it in them?!
.....Aaaand that was my new year’s experience in Bali! It was by no means the wildest, but it definitely gets the prize for the weirdest.
My next blog post will report more on Ubud in general, and the adventures I had there with Andjelka (FYI the majority of our adventures revolve around searching for the best food that Ubud has to offer....)
My next blog post will report more on Ubud in general, and the adventures I had there with Andjelka (FYI the majority of our adventures revolve around searching for the best food that Ubud has to offer....)