Well well, we have moved from the sleepy and laid back west coast of Bali to Ubud. 

We so enjoyed our time here: the people and their community, the places we got to see, the food, the weather. I mean, it doesn’t take much to fall in love with Bali.

We were fortunate enough to first experience the real Bali, far away and removed from the commercial influx and penetration of western conveniences. To rest and relax in that manner was such a gift.

Coming to Ubud though felt like coming home for me personally. The vibe is just so different. If you are an empath or even remotely sensitive to energy, you’ll feel your way through Bali.

Of course I could talk about all the things you can do here for five blogposts and a half, but there are enough gorgeous blogs out there that just do that.

For us this journey was about letting go of the ego mind that wants to control everything’s and drive us from one tourist spot to another to finally cross them all off our bucketlist. For us this is about finding the sweet spot, the balance in between doing stuff, visiting places and just being in the energy and doing our inner work. 

The richness of the yoga community, spiritual tribe and all over motherly loving supportive energy is so evident here.

And then there is the food. I mean, for a vegan raw foodie, this is heaven. We are not quite there yet, but even as gluten sensitive vegetarians we have ample, amazing options.

From cool organic, modern Smoothie Bowl heaven, infused with a bit of spicy Chai coupled with rare and inspiring raw food combos are taste heaven for all senses.

Ubud lies in the heart of Bali and beats to a  throbbing, divinely feminine drum. The fact that Bali retained its unique identity and resisted for the most part the commercialization and homogenization  shows how strong the bond to their unique form of Balinese Hindu religion, called Agama Hindu Dharma really is.

The Balinese are deeply connected through their daily obligations to their families, community, ancestors and gods. 

I love riding the scooter through the little rice paddy alleyways early in the morning and being completely engulfed in the aroma of sweet inscense while listening to Gus Teja, Ubud’s very own world renowned flute maestro. His music truly represents Bali’s heartbeat. 

Finding a healthy balance of inner work, outer work, rest and spending time exploring and cherishing all the island has to offer has been an inspiring experience for all of us thus far.

Personally I enjoy a combo of sound healing like the Crystal bowl, Koshi and Devine 24k gold grail bowl healing with Swami Arun at Yoga Barn and the sound healing session at New and Full moon at Pyramids of Chi. Meditating in a pyramid while being bathed with ancient sounds of the gong, Tibetan bowls, Koshi etc. it really doesn’t get any better.

Having said that, it is just as important to integrate the inner work and healing that a session like that involves. Rest, plenty of water, journaling, meditation brings the new energies in slowly and mindfully.

I can’t wait what tomorrow brings, but for now it’s time for some z’s here. 

Namaste 🙏🏼 

Nicole