Bali: Lessons in paradise.
For my planned 6 month solo trip, I had two desires; one to travel and the second was to learn new things - one of them being massage. I don't remember what came first, the location or the course but before I knew it I was booked for a massage & spa therapies certificate course in Bali.
I arrived in May, during the dry season. On the journey from the airport, I remember heat and what felt like 100 degrees in the shade. I planned to be there for two months and ended up staying for three.
The schoolhouse was a villa with, indoor and outdoor, classrooms surrounded by lush flora. The environment fed the learning. The Balinese methods we learned included the use of fragrant and medicinal ingredients made from fruits, plants and flowers. The massage/spa therapies always began with a grounding moment and carried on with traditional ways of showing care.
Life was simple for the first two months. We were mainly busy taking classes, practicing and studying during the week. Each morning began with yoga and meditation led by our Balinese instructors or a fellow student. It became so natural to begin study this way.
My studio apartment was a 5-minute walk across the road from the school house. My neighbors, two lovely Brasilians hailing from different home bases - Dubai and Saudi Arabia. They showed me where to shop for groceries and where to rent a bicycle - a much needed item as we had to cycle about 20 minutes to the nearest shopping area along Sanur Beach.
We were like children riding our bicycles in the neighborhood. Stopping to fill our baskets with treasures for the day - mainly groceries!
On the weekend, fellow classmates and, I would share a cab to go exploring or to the beach in nearby towns or for dinner in the touristy city of Kuta. On the map, Bali is a small island but within it is an expansive network of roads and highways. When there you are havily reliant on taxis, bicycles or a rented vehicle or motorbike.
I was especially impressed upon by the Balinese way of life . The family compounds, the kindness and spirituality of the people, the ritual offerings of food and incense, the use of flowers, the tantalizing foods and the ornate beauty of the architecture of buildings and flora. The experience of Bali is a delighted exercise of the senses including your sixth sense because it is impossible to ignore that spiritual wellness is an important matter to the Balinese.
Learning anatomy, massage and preparation of Balinese medicinal salves the lessons became more than just learning a massage technique but about how to make others feel well. And that means one leaves your hands feeling refreshed, recharged and hopefully more in align with themselves.
After spending 2 months on an intense study schedule, I wanted to absorb the Balinese culture at a relaxed and unscheduled pace. To stay a 3rd month, I flew to Singapore for a few hours and re-entered Bali for a reset on the 30-day Visa.
For my last month, I went North to take a scuba course, over to Ubud for a copious amount of yoga exploration, rented villas with outdoor showers and a motorcycle to take me around. Tried a healing session with a local shaman, took an Aikido course, managed to keep all my belongings in the monkey forest, ate delicious traditional foods and enjoyed a visit from family. In the end, Bali was one of the best "schools" I ever attended.
