Bali, Indonesia: Ubud Zen (October 2013)

In spite of the masses of tourists and motorbikes, Bali is a very “zen” place. The people are calm, all smiles and friendly, the sunsets are picture perfect and the turquoise water is hypnotizing. Ubud is a quiet town in the northern part of the islands. It is known for it’s peaceful vibes, healthy food and Yoga Barn. This massive open-air yoga studio is a retreat in itself.

We ate at their raw/vegan cafe before our sound healing class. I’ve never experienced sound healing before, but I’ve been into trying different types of yoga so figured it was worth checking out. It as definitely different… We started the class with a warm up which consisted of us holding hands in a circle while chanting and quickly shuffling to the right. I’m not sure I really got much out of it because I wasn’t really sure what we were chanting and how to stay focused during such an unusual ritual, but I got through it and next we lied down for the healing portion.

The next hour was spent comfortably on the floor tampering with the line between awake and asleep. Our teacher played a large variety of percussion, wind and string instruments creating an environment that allows you to enter a zen state. After the healing, I felt… weird. Normally I feel refreshed and calm after a mediation/yoga session, but I was simply exhausted after the sound healing. I need to do more research and see if this is normal, but honestly it wasn’t my favorite feeling. I’m really glad that I gave the healing class a try, but I don’t think I’m going to be rushing back for another session.

We spent the rest of our time in Ubud walking around the town, shopping, having tea and more shopping. I really enjoyed the slightly cooler air and calm atmosphere Ubud has going on. If (when) I’m back in Bali, I’d love to spend a few more days there and take different classes at Yoga Barn.

Before we made our way back to Sanur, we had dinner at Sari Organik, which is situated about a 15 minute walk through rice paddies. The food was tasty, but the setting sun over the swampy green fields was an absolutely perfect way to complete the day in the Ubud oasis.