You Just Keep Stealing Our Hearts Ubud

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Its been a while since the last travel post, because we have been literally posted in this one very special place - Ubud, Bali - for the past seven weeks. Ubud has become our home base in Asia for the past three years. My Indonesian language teacher once said to me "You go to Kuta (the beach) to play. You come to Ubud to learn." "Ubud", I am told, translates to mean "healing place". Balinese healing and devotedly active spirituality are fundamental to the Balinese, evidenced by numerous ceremonies, daily offerings, and daily spiritual practices that seem untainted by the arrival of western culture. Healers and seekers gravitate here from everywhere, and Ubud is a yoga capital currently hosting the ninth (?) annual Bali Spirit Festival that attracts a broad range of yoga, dance, and spiritual music teachers from around the globe. Language classes, cooking classes, dance classes, are just a few of a long list of learning adventures available. Its no wonder the expat community here is significant. But it is the very special, deeply spiritual, welcoming and kind Balinese people who give Ubud its the unique character. Whatever the reason, coming to Ubud to learn has been our reality for the past three years, and the draw only seems to be getting stronger.

Every day, six days a week, we are up at 5:30 a.m., getting ready to drive the half hour it takes us to get to the Ashtanga Yoga Bali Research Centre, our shala/yoga school located in a village 20 km outside of Ubud. There we get individualized Mysore instruction from two prominent teachers in the Ashtanga Yoga Community - Prem and Radha Carlisi. The shala itself is a spiritual breath of fresh jungle air, reached only after an exhilarating motorbike ride first through Ubud's vibrant early morning traffic, then through winding roads, hills, valleys, and glorious rice patties ser against a background of distant volcanoes. We get to indulge in this breathtakingly blissful journey for six weeks.

The learning does not stop there for me, as I am doggedly progressing along in my third year study of the Indonesian language, thanks to private individual lessons with my delightful Bahasa Indonesian teacher twice weekly, accompanied by non stop practice with everyone I meet every day. This is the third foreign language study I am indulging myself in, and I can say without a doubt that learning another language has never been so much fun. The trick of course is to be immersed in the culture. Better yet to be immersed in a culture of people whose basic nature is one of kindness, generosity, and never ending patience. As a former French language teacher I recall often telling my students that we study other languages in order to learn about other cultures, and in so doing to develop broader perspectives of the world and of ourselves. How insightful to be learning a language that does not, for example, even have a word for "expectation" - especially when I am - particularly at this time in my life - trying hard to curtail the practice of having expectations.

In addition to yoga and language study, biking, exploring the infinite restaurants, music venues, and beautiful country villages in the rice paddies, there has also been the continued sharing of music with new friends along the way. The Bev Zizzy World Tour continues, most recently with an audience of friends and acquaintances who filled the intimate candle lit restaurant venue. These are special moments in time that will not fade easily, as they define exactly why I do what I do musically. It is always about sharing stories and making connections, and the more diverse the audience, the better. This latest collection had a fifty year age range variation, and spanned over a dozen countries. Does it get better than this?

But now it is time to move on. The yoga classes are over for another year, but the practice is stronger and will continue at home, where it is really meant to be. The music, of course, comes everywhere. And, although the formal language classes will soon be over for a while, I did pick up a few children's illustrated books today to practice reading at home. It will be fun to be a child again! And the oral language practice will continue at least for our remaining weeks exploring other parts of Indonesia, where we soon will return to our underwater adventures in some of Indonesia's most incredible marine sites. We travel soon to explore the marine life in Northern Bali's Pemuteran, then fly to Flores Indonesia, home of the Komodo dragons we first visited two years ago, to swim with the giant manta rays we have yet to experience, and go back in time exploring the volcanic island of Flores as well. And so, the Dreamchasers Adventures continue.

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Photos

Happy Nyepe Balinese New Year Day of Silence
Selamat Hari Raya Nyepe. No other place on the planet shuts down entirely for a day every year - airport included - so its citizens and guests can honor a tradition of total silence in which to reflect upon life's meaning with gratitude and forgiveness, and to honor the earth by abstaining from use of light and power - all of which is inspired by the advent of the Balinese New Year. Talk about a supportive spiritual community. Happy Nyepe Day, Bali. No wonder you stole my heart when we first met. You are amazing. So fortunate to be a part of this. Thank you. Terima kasih.

And Yoga Practice Begins . . .
What can I say? This is an incredible way to start the day. Beauty.

Yogi Stan - Ready for Practice
Note the mat. Let the boy in. He wants to get to work. Very proud of him.

The Yoga Shala
Such a beautiful space in which to practice.

My Buddha Buddy
I looked forward to hanging out with this giant Buddha every morning, as I always practiced at the front of the shala, right in front of him.

Yoga Shala Journey
It was a tough job, having to hop on our motor bikes every morning and drive through this. Not. Love love love biking here, where the speed limits are low and the majority of vehicle traffic is other bikes. And road rage is definitely not part of the culture.

Ogo Ogo Dragon
This dragon stole the show at the annual traditional ogo ogo festivities cajoling and honoring the demons and evil spirits on the eve of Nyepe Day.

The Joy of Music
Sharing music with invited friends and acquaintances March 16, 2016.

Totally in the Moment
No other way to summarize the feeling of contented bliss after a beautiful evening of sharing music with friends. Gratitude.

Beautiful Concert Venue
This beautiful moat surrounded candlelit garden restaurant was the setting for another Bev Zizzy World Tour Concert :), attended by over thirty friends from our yoga and hotel community, spanning at least a thirty year age range and including international audience from a dozen countries. Very sweet.

Ogo Ogo Monsters Gathering on the eve of Nyepe.
After an impressive parade of perhaps fifty or more artistically handcrafted, often massive demons built and literally cartied on the shoulders of the young men from the villagers who designed and built them, the demons congregate in the centally located soccer field to strut their stuff for a vast audience of Balinese and tourist onlookers, who are warmly welcomed to observe this important tradition.

Find Stan Under the Temple
Returning from a warm hike in the sun along a stellar valley trail, we came upon this beautiful temple. One of many in Ubud.

Volcano Trip
Five hours of motorbike trekking but we made it to the volcano this year. Beautiful drive. Lovely scenery, and love biking. Balines highways are in great condition - albeit narrow. For the trip home, we found backroads where we were almost alone, through lovely landscapes. Riding into the wind all the way. Loved it.

Sunset from our Treehouse
During our time in Ubud, we believe we live in a glass treehouse. Our accomodation is not large, only one bedroom, a bath, and an outdoor kitchen. But our room has two walls that are entirely windows, and all around us we are surrounded by jungle greenery and massive coconut trees, the tops of which we are at eye level with, because our room is on the top level of a Balinese compound. Yep, its a jungle treehouse overlooking the rice paddies. And this is our view at sunset. Crazy awesome.