Bali – and especially Ubud – is known for being a place of spiritual enlightenment. People come from all over the world to Bali to re-connect with themselves, strengthen their mind-body connection, and align their actions and words with their goals and desires. If you spend even just one day in Ubud, you’ll notice that the island’s small (but popular) mountain town emanates a very tangible energy of self-improvement and a desire to be better.
It’s one of the reason I fell so in love with Ubud, and with Bali in general. People who come here and stay generally want to work toward becoming the absolute best version of themselves – emotionally and spiritually in Ubud, and financially and career-wise in Canggu (I’ll be doing a blog post on Canggu’s version of personal development soon, so stay tuned).
And if that’s what you’re looking to get out of your trip to (or time spent living in) Bali, then you’re definitely going to want to start by joining in on one of these activities:
1. Meditation
This one is kind of a no-brainer, but to be honest my first experience with meditation was in Bali. And what’s best about trying meditation in Bali is that there is literally no judgement. You can do it on your own, try guided meditation, take a class, do a group session, or go on a whole retreat. It’s not too much of a stretch to say that almost everyone in Bali is meditating, so you have the support of literally an entire island.
2. Yoga
The same goes for yoga. You literally can’t go anywhere on this island without being able to find either a professional yoga studio or an impromptu yoga group session. Yoga is amazing for the body and the mind, and it’s definitely a daily practice for almost everyone in Bali.
3. Breathwork
I don’t know if this one is new or if I’m just new to it, but last year I heard nothing about breath work during my 2 months’ stay in Bali, and this time I can’t seem to go a single day without someone mentioning their breath work. This practice is a truly amazing way to fully become present in the moment and gain an intimate awareness of your body (since you’re completely focused on your breath for over an hour). If you find meditation difficult, I would definitely suggest trying this!
4. Sound Healing
Sound healing in the Pyramids of Chi in Ubud is truly an unforgettable experience. The acoustics in the buildings are unreal, and the music is done so beautifully that even if you don’t actually believe in all this stuff (which, I’m truly sorry for you because these practices are truly transformational) it’s definitely worth the visit. You can do sound healing elsewhere – and in fact it’s offered throughout the island. If you still aren’t sold on something called “sound healing” just think of how much a movie score affects how you feel in any given moment, then try to argue that there’s no way music could have a significant effect on your emotional state and wellbeing 🙂 Point proven, ok now go try it!
5. Ecstatic Dance
Ecstatic dance is the activity you never knew you always wanted and have been missing out on all these years. Especially if you grew up in the states where, even from the age of 12, dancing meant a girl rubbing her ass up side to side and up and down on some guy. We’re never going back to the days of waltzes and curtsies – and god, who would even want to? yuck! – but if you’ve always wanted to ACTUALLY dance, and just feel free to move your body to the beat of a good rhythm, then you MUST try ecstatic dance in Bali.
*Personally, I only ever participate in ecstatic dance after a cacao ceremony to get me in the right mindset and let go of any inhibitions.
6. Cacao Ceremony
This is exactly like what it sounds and also nothing like what it sounds. Yes, it is an entire ceremony based around one substance – chocolate! – but it’s so much more than that. First of all, you won’t be drinking SwissMiss hot chocolate. This stuff is the real deal, raw, dark, bitter, all-natural cacao. And while the ceremony is VERY MUCH reliant on the inclusion of cacao, it’s really all about recognizing your one-ness with the universe and your connection to every other living thing in it. It’s much more beautiful than I could ever actually describe, and I completely recommend it.
7. Local Healer
Forget what you think about Eastern medicine, especially if you think it’s all just a load of crap, after going to a traditional healer in Bali I can honestly say they REALLY know their stuff. In fact, I would argue that they have a better understanding of the NATURAL PROCESSES that make-up the human body than 90% of Western doctors, specifically because they look at the body holistically. Western doctors say “There’s something wrong with your foot so we’re only going to look at your foot and focus on fixing your foot.” Traditional healers say “There’s something wrong with your foot, let me see how you walk so I can examine your hips and your leg muscles and your ligaments that connect your back muscles to your legs and the nerves that travel from your spine to your toes.” In other words, traditional healers actually care about and want to get to the root of your problem. DEFINITELY visit one when you go to Bali!
8. Cleanses
Juice cleanses are AMAZING! Take my word, or don’t. All I have to say is that I’ve been suffering from PCOS for YEARS and I literally DO NOT GET A PERIOD when I’m not taking birth control… that is, EXCEPT for when I’m juice cleansing. Seriously… inundating your body with that much organic fruits and veggies is SO powerful, it literally kickstarts my fucked up ovaries into doing what they’re supposed to once a month. #magic (not really, it’s science… but it FEELS like magic). I 5000% recommend trying a juice cleanse – and especially in Bali where they’re dirt cheap. Seriously, you can do 6 days for $114 (that’s only $19 A DAY!)
9. Fasting
I do NOT recommend this one unless you are hardcore into these kinds of activities and mentally prepared for the difficulty that is prolonged fasting (i.e. consuming nothing but water… or, for even more intense people, consuming nothing AT ALL). I did a 2-week water fast and it completely changed my digestion for the better. Before the fast if I came within even whiffing-distance of gluten or dairy I’d be constipated/have diarrhea for days. After the fast, I ate whatever I wanted without ANY stomach issues (although I don’t actually recommend doing this because I slowly undid all the good of the fast, but more on that later in another blog post). Needless to say, if you’re looking for a digestive reset and think you can handle the struggle, this might be something worth trying.
10. Emotional Healing Retreats
There are literally thousands of retreats happening in Bali at any given time – from surfing to yoga and even silent retreats – but one of the best things you can do to re-connect with yourself and improve your mental and emotional state is go on a vulnerability retreat. Bali is the flagship destination for the #1 self-care retreat, Vulnerable on Purpose. This retreat will change the way you relate to your emotions and your emotional state, and help you connect with yourself on a deeper level than you ever have before. In the 21st century we’re so often taught that are emotions are the enemy and that many of them (the most vulnerable ones) need to be squashed, buried or ignored. The retreat leader Bria, however, believes differently; With her Vulnerable on Purpose retreats, she’s changing the lives of people who have been disconnected from whole parts of themselves for far too long, one vulnerable moment at a time.
11. Women’s (& Men’s) Circles
Women’s and men’s circles are everywhere, but I haven’t yet been to one (women’s circle… sorry guys, I have literally no idea what happens at a men’s circle) that is as real and as supportive as the ones in Bali. Community is such an integral part of life in Bali (obviously outside the main tourist areas) that the women’s circles tend to be only hosted and attended by girls who genuinely want to connect on a deeper level with other women, support them, encourage them, celebrate their successes, and help them with their struggles. I know I’m making it sound like it’s too good to be true. But every women’s circle (and even every women’s group) I’ve attended in Bali has been so genuine that I NEVER left one without being 100% happy that I came. If you’re looking for some serious sisterhood, I would definitely check out a women’s circle while you’re in Bali (and I assume – hopefully – the men’s circles are the same??? if a guy who reads my blog attends one please reach out and tell me what they’re like haha or better yet, write a guest post and I’ll feature it!).
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