Just back from Bali and a fabulous Yoga & Meditation retreat. We had 7 women from the USA and 1 from Austria. They participated in swimming, dolphin watching, scuba diving & snorkeling, daily yoga classes, sun-bathing, touring, a tango evening, dance classes, massage treatments, art classes and lots and lots of shopping.

The weather was wonderful, blue skies during the day and a little cooler in the evenings. The ocean breezes on the shore helped lower the humidity and increased our comfort.

We had the good fortune to be in Bali during the full moon, and some of us made offerings and attended a cleansing ceremony at an oceanside temple.

We also had some of the employees at Gaia perform a farewell dance for us. It was all very festive with some of the women joining in and doing the 'Balinese Dance'.

There were healing and therapeutic massages at Gaia, but when we returned to Ubud, everyone really went ballistic scheduling several treatment daily. There were facials, massages, cream shampoos, flower baths and Tibetean Sound Massages (something you really need to try!)

We attended another dance performance at the Arma Resort, luxuriated in the beauty of the hotel and it's staff and had a farewell dinner at Ketut's Place, a local Balinese personality and host.

People returned home relaxed & rested with dreams of Bali and lots of stories to tell.

www.back2bali.com

The Bali Buzzzz 3

A Short History of Bali and It's People

Bali is a relatively small Island, about 100 x 60 miles in size and 3 million people in population.

It is one of 17,000 islands in the Indonesian Archipelago.

Indonesia is the 4^th largest Muslim country in the world, and Bali is the only part of Indonesia that is Hindu.

Bali was settled sometime before the birth of Christ, and invaded in the 1200's by Javanese people from India that were fleeing warring factions. They brought the Hindu religion and the caste system to the island.

The Balinese who did not embrace these invaders, retreated to the hills, and their descendant today are known as the Bali Aga or original people.

Over the years, Hinduism and Buddhism became the predominant cultural influences and the island flourished in what is now known as the ?golden age'.

The religion evolved through isolation and morphed into a combination of Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan and Animism.

Bali then developed into a series of Kingdoms and each King to show his power and influence encouraged his followers to create art, carvings, music and dance.

Bali was left to its own devises, until sometime in the 16^th century when the Dutch decided that there were political and economic imperatives, notably slave trading to negotiate with the Balinese. They remained an active force in influencing Balinese life and culture until the middle of the 20^th century.

In 1949, Indonesia was officially recognized as an independent country.

Of course, the Balinese will tell you a different story about the origin of their island, believing that it was created by the Dragon God, arising from the sea and stretching out to form the island of Bali.

Both magical and mythical, this land of volcanic lakes, spectacular rice terraces, stunning tropical beaches, ancient temples and palaces is and exotic melting pot of cultures and peoples. Renowned of its unsurpassed architecture, traditional theatre, dance and elaborate religious festivals, the colorful Balinese culture is a dynamic force that is constantly synthesizing the old and the new, the traditional and the innovative.

The Bali Buzzzz II

Just wanted to update everyone on what we're going to be doing for our two half day tours. We have some really exciting places to visit and people to meet!

Day 1

On Sat, the 4^th days of our retreat, we'll be traveling

South/West

 of Tejakula. We plan to visit a cooperative weaving workshop, where they grow, dye and weave fabrics that they make into scarves, table runners, and clothing. There is also a small shop here, where you can purchase items at fair-trade prices.

Next, we have a drive of about 1 hour, away from the ocean and towards the mountains. Our first stop will be at the scenic road via Pupuan through the mountains to Bali's North coast. You'll enjoy beautiful views of picturesque rice terraces, and large plantations growing vanilla, chocolate, coffee, cloves, and even wine grapes.  

.A visit to a local market always provides a fascinating insight into the culture of the "real Bali." Located about 29 kilometers north of Denpasar in the cool hills of Bedugul, Pasar Candi Kuning is such a market. It sells fruit, vegetables and spices plus exotic flowering plants like delicate orchids and roses, thus creating a kaleidoscope of wonderful colors. Spices include nutmeg, pepper, paprika and turmeric. One can purchase inexpensive fresh fruit and vegetables of many varieties as well here. Try a Bali jeruk or pomelo, yellow passion fruit or for the very brave and adventurous, a durian

We'll stop for a boxed lunch at the Botanical Gardens and have a chance to wonder around, what I refer to as "houseplants on steroids". You'll see many of the plants that you have in your homes in small 4-6 inch containers. However, what you'll see in the gardens are the same versions of plants, but only 20 ft high, growing wild.

Elevated high above sea level in the cool forest plains of the Tabanan regency, the botanical gardens cover approximately 154 hectares of fertile landscape and were established during the 1950's as a branch of Indonesia's national gardens in Bogor, outside the capital of Jakarta.

Our next stop is Lake Bratan and the temple of Ulun Danu, dedicated to the Goddess of the supreme lake Bratan, as a manifestation of Brahman.

This temple is located on a lake that fills the crater of ancient mount Bratan in Tabanan area, in the northwestern part of Bali, in an elevation of 1239 meter above sea level.  The weather is usually cool and fresh, bringing the calmness of nature closer and closer to the mind of whomever witnessing it.

Day 2

Today we plan to travel the opposite way around the Island and will be driving South/East. The first area that we go through is Tulemben, where there's a lot of scuba diving and the wreck of the USS Liberty which sunk in 1942 in shallow waters after being torpedoed by the Japanese.

Next, we visit Amed, which is also a very popular scuba and snorkeling area, and which is know for it's grey Balinese salt. This salt is processed right on the beach and you can often see them drying it during the warm season.

The crystal structure, moderate content, nuanced color, and rich mineral diversity make this an exceptionally elegant multi-purpose finishing salt, excellent on anything from broiled fish to grilled poultry to roasted pork.

Tirtagangga, meaning holy water of the Ganges in Balinese, is one of the world's romantic gardens out of time. Gushing springs flowing from beneath an ancient Banyan tree and holy temple fill the myriad reflecting and swimming pools that grace the Water Palace.

Candi Dasa is our next stop, and we'll have lunch at the Lotus Seaview restaurant overlooking the ocean. They have Balinese and Indonesian dishes as well as many western items on their menu, for many of us that are starting to tire of exotic foods.

Tenganan is just a few miles up the road from Candi Dasa. This is one of several Bali Aga villages on the island, but the most authentic and unchanged. The Bali Aga are the original people of the Island, and were here prior to the arrival of the Hindus which arrived from India in 100 BC. The village is self-contained and consists of long houses around a central square. The people here specialize in weaving the Gerinsing Cotton that is supposed to have magical properties, and double Ikat which is fabric in which the warp and weft are 'tied' (Ikat). It may take many months to complete and often become a family heirloom. This is one of only 2 other places in the world where this type of Ikat is woven.The Bali Aga also design manuscripts made of Lontar (long grass leaves) and decorate them with charcoal text and pictures. We'll see people working on these manuscripts as well as other unique activities in this village.

From here, we'll continue on to the town of Ubud and our hotel. We'll have some time to rest and relax before we decide where to go for dinner.

The Bali Buzz

We've just returned from Bali, having done some research for our upcoming

Yoga and Meditation Retreat on June 3^rd to the 13^th. (www.back2bali.com)

The Island of the Gods was wonderful and welcoming, clothed in a warm mist, occasionally interrupted by torrential monsoon showers and rays of sunshine. This is the way of the rainy season which lasts from Oct through March.

Each visit, we explore and discover curiosities which I'm sure will both interest and delight you. Here are some of our latest discoveries.

Along the coast, just west of Tejakula, we came upon a weaving cooperative. It's made up of 11 women who use back looms to weave their cloth. They use only locally grown bark, and roots for the colors of their dyes. Bali has a rich tradition of weaving and this is a type called Bebali. It's used in life cycle rituals as sarongs, but also in a plain form (without stripes) for daily wear. This is a small workshop, just off the road that we've passed dozens of times, but finally had the time to stop and talk.

In the opposite direction from Tejakula, about an hour along the road is the small town of Amed, known for their wonderful coral reefs, snorkeling, scuba diving, and as a center for producing gourmet salt. Amed is the only place on the island that they collect this special grey salt, and you can see the process of collecting and refining it as you walk along the beach.

Another 15 minutes inland is Tirta Gangga (Holy Waters). Gushing springs flowing from beneath and ancient Banyan tree and holy temple fill the myriad reflecting and swimming pools that grace the Water Palace. In 1948 following a tour of Versailles, the Raja was inspired to create this Water Palace in the mountains overlooking his kingdom.

Tenganan is another village known for weaving. They specialize in Endek Ikat or Geringsing (which is believed to have mystical powers). Ikat is only woven in 2 other places in the world, that being Japan and India. The village of Tenganan is a Bali Aga village, and they are the original people of Bali. As such, many of their customs differ from that of the other Balinese. Visiting Tenganan is like entering a time warp, since things are done as they have been for hundreds of years.

In the village of Ubud, we experienced a Tibetan sound massage. This is a form of healing which has been used for over 5000 years. Singing bowls are placed on and around your body and the vibrations produce a massage-like sensation. The tones induce a feeling of well-being and are very effective for deep relaxation. A 90 minute Sound Bath is only about $18.

We also experience some more traditional Balinese massages, and had an afternoon of a Javanese Lulur (which is a traditional body massage followed by a body scrub of turmeric, sandalwood, and rice powder, and exfoliation of yoghurt to eliminate toxins, and a fragrant blossom bath). We were feeling very decadent, and followed this with a cucumber and honey facial, and an avocado cream hair bath, to help replace some of the moisture that gets washed away by the Santa Fe weather.

Next was a visit to Wayan, the healer written about in Eat, Pray, Love by Lis Gilbert. Her services include; a 4 handed massage, a fresh turmeric chaser followed by a healthy therapeutic lunch (good for all that ails you), a reading of your body's strengths and weaknesses, and an herbal consultation for any medical problems that may have.

For those of you who prefer more of a physical challenge, there is rafting on a level 4-5 river and a mountain bike ride downhill from the top of a volcano, through small villages and rice terraces.

We ended our trip with another massage, a great meal at Batan Waru, and a few hours shopping for gift items for friends. In spite of all our activities, we still found time to read several books, lounge around the pool, work on our tans and stare out into the ocean and dream..