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These Things Happened!
Swaying palm tree gateway, sweet motorbike parking attendants with a warm welcome, a stunning, grassy, rambling location, chain smoking ticket takers (hehehe), an official heart hugger, more volunteers than seemed reasonable, Zebra Yoga Pants For Men (best paired with a Captain America headscarf), Leather Arm Bands For Women, sternum tattoos, white people with dreadlocks, Balinese people with dreadlocks, visible nipples, the dreaded food ticket conundrum, two dudes who vaguely resembled Fabio, two others who could pass for Anderson Cooper, Whitwell Wisdom, Paradise Energy, Prem, Global Healing Chants, playtime in the pool area, West African Dance Bliss.
And a little bit of healing too – Shakti flying through Shiva’s hands…
How open to receiving are you and what happens when you let go? Harriet Gaffney shares her experience of flying and the coalescence that can occur when the mind lets go…
Opening Our Hearts to Gratitude
How do you thank the person who really opened your heart to gratitude as a way of life? How do you thank the person who helped you to see that life was filled with blessings, from the sun peeking through the curtains beginning the day through to the first smiles you receive as you enter [...]
So What Is Community Anyway?
So has all the yoga truly expanded our hearts? Try some post-festival homework: how do you relate to people on the outside of this yoga, dance and music inspired love-in? What does community truly mean to you and does in encompass all?
Inspiration ~ A Daily Practise
Late for the festival! But I am inspired!!
In fact I am so inspired that I’ve stopped en route to the festival and am scribbling this blog down into my diary parked at the road side on a scruff of gravel-grass
Is Yoga a Service? Presenter JOHN OGILVIE Thinks So…
On Wednesday, March 23, I was blessed to have an in depth talk with the supremely gentle and knowledgeable John Ogilvie. He is the director and chief yoga instructor at Australia’s Byron Bay yoga center.
Rajastani Sufis Brought Hundreds to Their Feet in Celebration
Next comes Samandar Khanand from Rajastan, in full attire of reds and blacks. The crowd is well warmed up, and readies itself for the oncoming show as the group settles on the stage, cross-legged.
The Tribal Dance Raises Tempo at ARMA
This might have looked sedate to some: chairs folded and put aside, the crowd in lotus on the floor, waiting for instruction, but you just wait for what comes next…
Colorful and Gentle: Shanti Mission Sings Kirtan
Walking through the subdued and low-lit atmosphere of the Arma Gardens, it’s hard to imagine this impressive space soon to be filled with Bali Spirit.
Surviving Motherhood and Yoga
For many women, motherhood is the greatest test of their lives, particularly in the early years. How yoga can help take one from a feeling o survival to a feeling of abundance and acceptance of the lessons of parenthood, on and off the mat.
Death, Yantra and Ecstatic Rejuvenation
The creation of community and healing powers of yantra, asana and kirtan.
Danny Paradise, Shamanism, Yoga and Nuclear meltdown
Danny Paradise workshop on Yoga and Shamanism
The Anti-Yogi’s Guide To Ubud
A few relevant facts about Ubud, our beloved home away from whatever: Ubud has changed quite radically in the past 5 years. Tourism has skyrocketed, rice fields are getting paved over at alarming rates, easy credit access has led to more cars and motorbikes on the road, and the expat demographic has gone through its own shift.
Once there were two cliques. The Yogis and The Drunks – with a few of us migrating between the two clans like buzzed or blissed-out diplomats. In 2004, there were far more Drunks than Yogis (I’d say something like 70-30 in favor of the marinati), but thanks to a massive Drunk die-off, in 2011 there are nearly 80% Yogis. Within this Yogi group are the Raw People (note the clear eyes and grayish teeth), the Yuppie Om-ers (to which I’m guessing a fair number of the festival attendees belong), the Hipster Yogis (see: young attractive women with svelte, firm figures, loud voices and a penchant for wearing yoga pants at all times, and 30-ish men who wear vests sans shirt and smell like Jesus), and the Leather-Feathers – a spectacularly cringe-worthy sub clan who dance to horrific House music and wear absurdist Jack Sparrow gear, lesbian haircuts (I’m talking about the men), and only mingle with one another.
In 2004, if you’d told me that we would be at 80% Yogis, 20% Drunks, I’d probably suggest that this was a good thing. Now, I’m not so sure. Does this mean I’ve metamorphisized from self-hating Jew to self-loathing yogi? Perhaps. Or does it simply mean that I believe in a few simple truths that I wish we all shared?
The daytime site looks amazing!
Hi,
I’m volunteering with the Media team, and last night Shervin took me and Amani over to see the site. Wow, what a site! I can’t wait to see it full of hundreds of good-Bali-spirited people tomorrow. The place is huge, and magical, surrounded by lots of nature. What a wonderful, peaceful setting! From Jann!
Hotels in Ubud fill up quickly
Buy your accommodation packages now!
BaliSpirit Festival has pre-booked rooms in the Ubud area for those who want to be on the shuttle bus route for the Festival. Our Packages are for those who want to buy a Gold Pass only. If you are buying a night pass or single day pass, we [...]
