BALI

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” ~David Mitchell

BALI

In Spring 2023 I took 13 spiritual women to BALI on the soul-venture of a lifetime! It was the coming together of my younger years as a magazine travel columnist and my now years as an Interspiritual Minister, Intuitive Healer, and Spiritual Counselor. And it was the fulfillment of a dream that birthed itself through me 23 years ago while watching Eat, Pray, Love at The Terrace Theatre in Charleston, SC with my best friend, after the end of my 1st marriage and in the midst of subsequent life upheaval. (Never say never – some dreams take time to unfold!)

So, in April, at the sunny, tale end of the rainy season, some fellow soulful sojourners and I took a 10-day spiritual-wellness tour around this beloved (primarily) Hindu province of Indonesia, traveling from the east in Ubud to the western, mountainous coast of Pemuteran and finally to the southern, sunshine coast of Sanur.

We were on a heroine’s journey (read more below) and on that journey we uncovered a level of generosity, spirituality, beauty, and wellbeing that was impossible to imagine before experiencing it firsthand! You can’t walk 5 ft in Bali without encountering the spiritual world in Balinese art, religious statuary, prayer offerings, ancient temples, intricately carved stone and wood, colorful textiles, ceremonial dance and theatre, traditional and world cuisine, island landscape and nature, symbolic incense, and the radiant spirit of the Balinese people.

In Bali the spiritual realms aren’t separate from everyday life; they are incorporated into the mundane, and the culture at large lives according to spiritual laws anchored primarily in “Agama Hindu Dharma” Hinduism, but also Sunni Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. These unique intersections of Eastern, Western, and Indo-Asian traditions with Austronesian Balinese culture make for an immersive experience that wakes the mind, body, heart, and soul. It is truly The Island of the Gods, and it most definitely never leaves you!

WHAT DID WE DO ON OUR SOUL-VENTURE TO BALI?

  • Practiced yoga daily with local Balinese teachers
  • Participated in ancient spiritual/healing ceremonies
  • Wandered through the most incomprehensibly green rice terraces in the world
  • Cleansed and prayed in holy baths and learned about Tirtha, the holy water of Bali
  • Got hands on in a fragrant, organic cooking class
  • Hiked to a majestic waterfall
  • Trekked to an ancient, funeral monument (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in the jungle where we looked upon the magnificent tombs and village ruins of Balinese Kings and Queens
  • Snorkeled the paradisiacal coral reefs of Menjangan Island with volcanos in the background
  • Shopped vibrant marketplaces
  • Received healing from a Balinese priest in a Hindu-Buddhist garden in the jungle
  • Explored a traditional Balinese house compound where we enjoyed lunch prepared by the family, and learned how to write in Balinese, open a coconut, and make Balinese flower prayer offerings

  • Enjoyed a heart-opening, community lunch and played music together at a foundation that provides a home, purpose, skills, and quality of life for those outcast from society due to the old, Hindu stigma towards leprosy

  • Visited a local coffee plantation where Coffee Luwak, Robusta, and Arabica are cultivated with love
  • Wandered through lotus gardens, Asian gardens, and monkey-lined streets
  • Watched the sun rise with friendly, stray Kintamani-Bali dogs
  • Sang live karaoke at the local Warung
  • Pampered ourselves with Balinese spa treatments as much as humanly possible
  • Shared our experiences in integration circles overlooking the tropical forest and ocean
  • Enjoyed local cuisine, fresh welcome drinks made of coconut and lime, the most flavorful local ice-cream, and the freshest fruits throughout
  • Passed by countless villages, jaw-dropping roadside religious monuments, marigold, frangipani and hydrangea gardens; large, wide lakes; surreal monkey forests, and brave scooters interweaving with csr traffic
  • Swam in luxurious pools, basked in the breeze under seaside cabanas (and ones in the middle of the ocean), and took pictures on Balinese rope swings & in swinging nests

  • Danced and laughed the night away under the stars above Indonesia

…Every trip will be a little different and provide exactly what is needed for that time and group! This, I trust.

After just a few days in Bali I understood that I had found another HOME in the world and would be returning regularly to help people touch into the deeper offerings of this ancient mecca for self-discovery, healing, and purification.

Yes, Bali is a major yoga and healing destination, but first and foremost it is one of the chambers of the spiritual heart of the world! The long, but tolerable journey to Bali (almost 24 hours flight time from the United States) begins months before you land there and continues months after. As Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And that journey has a lot to do with letting go, living larger, and letting life bless you with its sacred mysteries. It’s my honor to be your guide on your unique hero’s journey to Bali!

Join me in Spring 2025 for our next soul-venture to BALI!

We’ll be taking applications this Fall, approving applications this Winter, and booking travelers in the New Year 2024.

If you’d like to be on the contact list for this tour, please fill out the contact form below.