Australian Yoga Journey Part 3 - The Art of Self Love and Yin Yoga in Bali

The art of self love in Bali

So welcome to part 3 of my Australian Yoga Journey. After such an incredible outback experience I fancied some R&R in Indonesia; and seeing as Bali is so close and coined the yoga/spa capital of Asia, it seemed very rude not to. I booked for a week and ended up staying for a month - you just never know what's round the corner! #movinwithmygrooves

After being there for a few days it really struck me that the Balinese really know how to relax and look after themselves. They are polite and pleasant people with a real passion for the good things in life such as beauty, relaxation, self care and adornment. And they always seem to be smiling too!

So I extended my stay from a week to a month and got down to some serious retreat, rest and relaxation (for research purposes of course!). I spent a lot of my time doing yoga here and here and being so inspired by the teachers I met. I learnt a lot about the joys of deep yin yoga, about the art of being playful and having fun in Ashtanga style yoga class (they can seem so serious, competitive and even gruelling sometimes). I experienced so many different yoga classes, each teacher offering something so utterly unique; it really touched me and gave me an opportunity for growth and insight. I am so blessed.

I also spent a lot of my time having massages overlooking rice fields watching the tropical rains, sitting with the village locals and watching the sunsets over the Indian Ocean, eating some great local seasonal food, watching locals climb coconut trees (it's much more entertaining than you could ever imagine), swimming with tropical fish in the sea, drinking avocado juice (don't judge until you have tried it! It's delectable) and daydreaming. My own perfect self-made retreat in the name of self care and love.

 It sounds a bit self indulgent perhaps, or maybe not, but having really experienced the process of de-stressing and taking some time out to perform acts of self love for healing, I can now see that it is a necessary part of life and everyone should make more time for it. Self love is something we need to consciously practice - and you don't need to travel to the ends of the earth or spend lots of money to do it. It can be done in small ways at home and all that's required is commitment. It could mean saying 'no' to yet another social arrangement so that you can have a quiet evening to yourself to connect inside, taking the time to research and buy healing nutritious food or creating some social time with a good friend. Self love is about being in the moment, about being in love with you and about connecting to and honouring your higher self and it's needs - whatever they may be.

Yin Yoga in Bali - What is yin yoga?

I am mad about yin yoga at the moment. I can't get enough of it... and I did loads of yin yoga classes in Bali, so I just had to share this with you. For those of you that don't know what yin yoga is then here's a short intro.Yin yoga involves passive and static yoga postures that take place mainly on the floor, and are held for 3-10 minutes. Yin energy is a passive, feminine cool energy associated with the moon, so a yin yoga class will naturally reflect those qualities. Yin postures  aim to soften the muscle, connective tissue and facia mainly around the joints to increase flexibility and 'space', which results in increased movement in the joint.  In a yin class the focus will be on meditation, breathing, tuning into the body and listening; being with your feelings and the sensations in your body.

I loved the fact that yin yoga took me to a quiet deep place within; this had so many beneficial effects for me both on and off the mat. It's helped me to listen to, name and accept how I feel right now in each moment, to really use the breath to overcome and transcend an uncomfortable physical or emotional sensation, to create space both mentally and physically and to sit still. And the ecstatic euphoria  on release of a posture is absolutely unreal. I'll be running a deep yin yoga workshop this spring so look out for information.

My Australian yoga journey comes to an end

My epic antipodean trip has come to an end and what a journey it has been; from Melbourne studio reviews to jet lag yoga, a huge life changing yogic journey across the outback, to Bali for yin yoga and acts of self love! So many adventures and insights. I hope you've enjoyed sharing it with me. I'm looking forward to applying all that I've learnt in my new timetable of yoga classes coming soon so look out!

Mounira x

Coming soon.......

• April - Brand new spring timetable of yoga classes in Kent, UK
• Spring 2016 - Yin yoga workshop Kent, UK
• Sat June 18th 2016- International Yoga Day celebration for everyone! Kent, UK

Links

Take care of yourself at this amazing retreat run by friends of mine coming up in May 2016. 

Read about the art of self love here and here

Read about yin yoga here and here