Bali

I'm sure everyone has heard of Bali, right? Oh it's the most luxurious, peaceful, beautiful, most zen place on the planet, right? Well, depends on who you ask....

My three weeks in Bali were cool. We rented a house, or "villa" as some like to say, in the Seminyak area of southwestern Bali. We had a private pool, a maid every other day, and a kitchen where we could cook our own food whenever we felt like it. Not too shabby!

We could walk to the grocery store and convenience store, and could run or walk a mile into town for shopping, restaurants, etc. But that mile walk, frequently, and once it turned dark, was just not going to work all the time. So taking cabs everywhere was the norm, and they were on our speed dial. Here's the view of our walk into town.

So, what did we do?! Some days we relaxed by our private pool. Oh the perks oh having a private pool. Correcting my tan lines was first on the priority list! :)

We actually had a few friends come and visit us often at the pool!!! Aren't they so cute!!!!

Other days we went out shopping in local Seminyak. It was such a cute little town with plenty of bars and restaurants to explore! There were actually a couple of large impressive venues, Potato Head and Ku De Ta. They reminded me of Vegas! They were modern, huge, busy and expensive! LOL. It was a great place to mingle and chill, and that is exactly what we did!

Other days we checked out different beaches. Honestly I don't remember which all ones we went to. I know one was Dreamland Beach. LOL.

The beaches were great, don't get me wrong. But I think my expectations were VERY high for Bali. Your whole life you hear about Bali, almost imagining it looking something like heaven. And to me, it looked like a normal exotic beach. We had a great time though! The one main difference I noticed in Bali were the waves. Never have I seen such large, strong and violent crashing waves!  Here are pictures from some other beaches we visited.

I did get to see my first black sand beach!

Being a yogi of course I HAD to get some yoga pictures on the beach! 

A couple of days we went to check out the town of Ubud. This town is known for its energy, cool shops, restaurants, etc.

We actually set up appointments to meet with a couple of energy healers there. Check out one of my interesting encounters here. It's so cool to meet other like minded folks who recognize the depth and energy of the nature that's all around us. Those experiences I will never forget.

Of course a night or two out on the town was a must!!!

One blissful moment I will NEVER forget dancing in the rain at a nigthclub.  Read about it here.

I actually ended up leaving Bali a week early, yes, for real. I am in no way "bashing" Bali, because it is a special place. Three weeks was just enough for me. :) I think staying at a resort on the beach will give you a different experience than I had. Don't get me wrong, I did not have a bad time, just was nothing like I had pictured it in my head. I was able to relax, lay out, beach it, shop, eat at cool restaurants, etc. It was fine! I'm glad that I can check Bali off my list. But I'm also glad that I realized I don't have to travel halfway across the world to find "paradise." It can be a lot closer than you think. ;)

Updated Quotes!

I've added quite a few new quotes to my "Quotes" page above - check them out!  Enjoy!  :)

"Hot Yoga" vs. "Bikram Yoga"

For the past three years I've been practicing "hot yoga." Check out my "Yoga" tab above for more details. Essentially I'd heard about hot yoga for a while but never entertained it. As an athlete growing up cheering, playing softball and swimming, my main resource for working out was the gym, or the sports and practices themselves.

I stumbled upon hot yoga through a groupon that was close to my hood, so I thought what the heck!! I'll never forget my first experience. Luckily I made it through the class, and I'll just say I'm glad I made it home alive. I was completely depleted, dehydrated, dizzy, slightly confused and was barely able to drive home! I quickly realized the importance of hydration if you are to engage in this type of exercise.

This however quickly became an addiction for me. My unfulfilled desire to become a dancer was somewhat fulfilled through the elegant body movements of yoga. I also realized how much of a stress reliever this was, too. Duh "working out" should be a stress reliever, right? But this was different, it calmed me. It centered me. It was a way to not only connect with myself, but with the universe as well. It's hard to really put words to it, but I was hooked. "Hot Yoga" got me in the best shape of my life. It grounded and connected me like no other, and I needed for nothing else!!!

SO, throughout these years I would always hear about "Bikram Yoga." My first thoughts were "I'm doing hot yoga, what's the difference?!" Well recently in Bali I took my first official "Bikram" class so I could see what all the "talk" was about.

Bikram yoga classes normally run for 90 minutes in a heated room and includes a couple of breathing exercises with a series of 26 postures that you repeat once or twice on each side. Here is the typical sequence:



Bikram yogis swear by the order of the sequence, that is touches and squeezes every organ and vein in your body, helping clean out arteries, balancing blood pressure, improving posture, etc.  The class was great. The teacher talks you through each pose, on each side, and alerts you when to change.

So now my comparative to the "hot yoga" I've been doing. I must say I'm one lucky girl because my current hot yoga studio back home set me up for success! We practice ALL of those Bikram poses! I thought I would be walking into a Bikram class like a deer in headlights as if I was about to learn a new language. Turns out little did I know I already knew this language, and I rocked out at it! My studio back home offers over 5 different "hot yoga" classes - meaning the flow of each class is different. Some are more flow based, some are based on standing postures, and some are a mix. I LOVE IT! I love that I can experience "hot yoga" in many forms and sequences. I love the variation and honestly think I would get bored doing the same 26 poses in a row over and over again each time I worked out.

So here's my conclusion - who cares what type of yoga you do! Whether it's Bikram, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Kundalini, Backyard yoga, LOL. WHO CARES! Yoga is YOUR practice. It's what YOU make of it, and what feels good to YOU. It is absolutely OK if someone raves about their studio, or their style of yoga. That's great! But never feel like you are missing out on something if you love the current style of yoga you're doing. Try it out! It's OK to try them all out! Just remember yoga is about YOU and what feels good to YOU.

I'm very happy that I experienced an official Bikram class, but now I can mark that off my list because I am very happy where I am, and excited to see what other types of yoga I can explore in the future. Who knows, I may fall in love with something else, I may not!

Life is about the journey, not the destination. ;)

Namaste!

Intuitive Palm Reading

"Those that don't believe in magic will never find it."

I believe in magic. I believe in many things, as I believe we are not aware of the unlimited possibilities that lie within us, on this planet, and beyond.

This week in Bali I went to visit an intuitive palm reader named Angus Sihman.



When I first walked in I was blown away by the serenity, sweet smells and sound of running water. Describing this place as beautiful is an understatement.



We signed in and waited patiently in his small waiting area. His daughter was running around with her stuffed animals throwing them behind our couches, enticing us to play with her, which worked. She was full of light. Unsure when the session would start I quickly ran to the restroom. Have you ever seen a restroom so cool?? It was basically outside! :)



After returning soon enough here comes Angus with his blue Aladdin like headband and SUPER long fingernails! I'd never seen fingernails like this in person, only on TV. His presence was strong.

There were actually four of us who set up appointments to meet with him. When he came over he asked us who wanted to go first. I looked at my friend who initially found Angus to set up the appointments and asked if she wanted to, and she casually said no it doesn't matter. The other girls looked around and hesitated so I said SURE, I WILL!

He led me down the side of his beautiful entrance terrace to an open room with two day-bed type beds on either side of the room. The floor in between the beds was with outlined with flowers in a rectangular shape with incense burning on the right side of the room. He told me to put my stuff on that bed and to "turn off my mobile phone." He invited me over to sit with him on his bed. He first asked me if I wanted this to be a palm reading or energy session. I said, "umm a little both?"

As I sat on his right side, he asked for my left hand and he pressed one of his hands into mine for a good 20 seconds with his eyes closed. I closed mine too in an attempt to feel the energy he was channeling. Then of course I stopped to look at him to watch what he was doing. The way he worked was so cute. He asked if I had any questions, which I did. He would look at my palm with a magnifying glass, then put it down and grab my hand and hold it while we talked. We interacted, chatted and held hands, and the messages he gave me were very interesting and special. I will keep them to myself in attempt not to jinx anything, as I was pretty happy with my reading.  :)

I know some may not "believe" in this, but I do. I do not take everything they say to heart, or as the absolute truth, more so a check and balance on things. Also, every choice you make can also redirect your future, so depending on the next choices you make you could be redirecting your future and what you just heard could essentially be void. Makes sense right?

Anyway, I highly encourage you to Google "Energy Healing" or "Intuitives" in your home town. Go see one. See what they have to say. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the positive energy you'll experience with them and the information you could discover, and be surprised that they knew. :)

A Blissful Moment That Will Last Forever

Last night in Bali was our first "full on" club experience since arriving here a week ago. The first week here has been relaxing. We've laid out, a lot, at our private pool and at the beach. We've managed to go shopping, way too much in way too many places, yet we've actually enjoyed buying our own groceries and cooking at home some, too.

Last night however, was ON. We had a nice dinner out accompanied by cocktails. Well for me it was double Jack and Coke's. :) Soon enough we were off to the club, Skygarden. We'd heard it was a multi level club that offered different music on every level. As much as it excited us, we were also apprehensive thinking of being knocked around by hundreds of drunken 21 year-olds. Nonetheless, we persevered. I think doubling up on the Jack washed away all of my worries. ;) So we arrived to the floor of our choice, the open rooftop blasting out the latest hits.

DANCING IT IS! It was ON. If you know me, I don't need anyone to dance with. I enjoy the beat of my own drum, making my own bodily art and expression as I feel the music and vibes soak through my soul.

This night though I happened to find a cool dance partner. It's so nice to find another dancer with "good happy fun energy." Not a sleazy guy who is trying to push the moves on you, or a guy who is too drunk that steps all over you. This guy had moves, and they were awesome.

Now let me get to the BEST part. Suddenly, it started POURING raining. It was the strangest thing. It had not rained one time this whole week in Bali. But around midnight it started pouring. Of course your natural reaction is to duck for cover. However this time, I did not care. I kept dancing. We kept dancing. Rain and all. My hair was soaked. I could feel it stick to my back as I nonchalantly whipped it around with my oh so innocent dance moves. ;)

That moment of dancing in the rain (and continuing to dance being completely drenched) I will NEVER forget. Inhibitions - gone. Soul - glowing. Heart - happy. Feet - moving. Body - wet. It was the best thing ever. I was being blessed from the heavens and from the roots of my feet and soul at the same time.

What an amazing night!!!!  

Siem Reap, Cambodia!

When I first touched down in Cambodia I knew I was in a special place. This calm feeling oozed over me and an uncontrollable smile would not leave my face. Immigration was quick and easy, and the tour guide that met us was friendly. Ahhhh those positive situations were so refreshing. We were quickly set in our tuk tuk and off on our way. How lucky were we to land at sunset. Glaring back at our path was so beautiful, again reinforcing that positivity I was feeling. :)

We only booked two nights in Siem Reap, mainly to visit Angkor Wat, the oldest religious monument in the world. Our plan was to do the sunrise tour the following morning, tour as much as we can, and relax our second and last day in Siem Reap before we flew out to Bali.

Well, our first night we had to try to pizza place that came HIGHLY recommended. I must say, it was just as amazing as we thought it would be!

After dinner we wandered around town. We were surprised, Siem Reap is pretty "happening" and had more western conveniences that we had seen in weeks in Vietnam!!! We were SO happy to find name brand deodorant and bath soap!!!!

Well, you guessed it, we did not make our 4:30am alarm to make the sunrise tour of Angkor Wat. Darn it. When we finally awoke we got our morning coffee and breakfast and were on our way to view the oldest religious monument in the world!!!!!

The tuk tuk drive to the site was impressive....

Angkor Wat itself is over 500 acres! Utterly impressive. Here is a larger map to give you an idea of the vastness of this great beauty and her friends....

SO MUCH history has gone down on this land. I cannot begin to give you a history lesson on this site. It has changed hands multiple times, been through natural disasters, has been left untouched for ages, overgrown and then rediscovered, and of course retouched for preservation.

They say pictures are worth a thousand words. :)

Again, I cannot even describe the majestic vibe of this place.  I am enthralled with the mystery and will always ponder what important and trivial events happened on this land. 

Normally when I visit museums or historic sites I have zero desire to go back and visit again.  Angkor Wat however, is still such a mystery to me.  So much of yet I still haven't seen.  I cannot wait to go back, and it may be sooner rather than later.

We were pretty tired from exploring most of the day, so back to town we go.  Of course it was time to eat....

I think I am over pizza now after eating it for three days straight, but those three days were awesome!!

We walked around more checking out the town.  Unfortunately we didn't get the chance to party hard, knowing we had to check out and travel the next day.  But that was totally OK.  :)

I can honestly say that Siem Reap Cambodia is one of my favorite places I have EVER visited.  As this site is visited by millions of tourists each year, with minimal controls available to preserve this site, I highly recommend bumping this up a notch or 7 on your bucket list.