Yoga in Bali

The morning starts off with yoga in an enchanted space. A tree house like room with mats and cushions as the only furnishings. Hard to describe the beauty of the vegetation that surrounds me, the wood, bamboo, textiles, incense everywhere and the sweetness and kindness of all around me. Window frames with no glass and beautiful carved wood everywhere. How could a yoga space be any different in Ubud. 

The heat of Bikram, the tiger breath of Kundalini and an instructor who believes our bodies are just meant to do what he tells us to do. Hatha and Iyengar be gone! The small young man with a chiseled brown body using his own perfectly toned muscles to show us what each pose should look like. Really? Fat chance.  

He demands that we move…move…move our hips “don’t stop…don’t ever stop” he commands. We gyrate them back and forth…up and down…”move move move” he reminds us at every breath and little by little I feel the sweat pouring out of me and my muscles relax and do things that I never thought they could. Up with the leg, down with the pelvis, up with the head…breathe breathe breathe, move move move. We repeat and hold poses for what seems an eternity and then he says “one more” and then finally “last one” and we collapse in a heated pile of bones and muscles and sweat. Not for long though as he demonstrates another position. The two men in the class take their shirts off and they are drenched. I wish I could take mine off as well.  

After an eternity of effort and concentration we get to the best part. We lie on the floor, breathing, letting our bodies relax.No more move, move, move! Recharging chacras with energy and light. My chest expanded, my heart open, my mind filled with gratitude. The instructor sings a song for us with his guitar. In the distance I hear his voice invoking Krishna. My beautiful daughter next to me. What more could I possibly want! Seven ohms for seven chakras. Ohm Shanti Bali. Namaste.