10 Lessons from BaliSpirit Festival

Bali Spirit Festival is literal fun park of self-development for grown-ups. From 7am until sunset my day was filled with myriad forms of yoga, expressive dance, sound healing and singing, breath-work, tai-chi, parkour, hooping, massage, astrology, gorgeous meditations and inspired lectures. After only 5 days, Bali Spirit has left a legacy in my life which continues to unfold. Here is a short list glimpse into what one woman discovered:

1) Bali Spirit Festival is the ULTIMATE yoga festival

It was here that I learned that yoga is for everyone because there is a yoga for everyone! Sure you have tried Hatha, Vinyassa, and Ashtanga. Or maybe good ole’ Acro, Gita and Nidra! But now wrap your lips around Tsatsangasin, Anukalana, Jivamukti, Kundalini, or the improvisational practice of Laughing Lotus! I found that Bali Spirit truly embodies the Spirit of Practice in an atmosphere of open exploration for both beginners and experts alike.

2) Bali is the best festival venue in the world

because it is more like an uber-luscious retreat center! Lush lawns, lodge-style dining hall, lofty workshop spaces, this place is anything but rustic … Hmmmm did anyone else have a dip in the swimming pool and two ice-creams for lunch??

3) Delicious festival food can actually be affordable

Seriously, I just said that! After spending a day sampling Balinese buffets, healthy vegetarian cuisine, raw treats, juices, smoothies and gelato, my happy belly was humming with satisfaction, but happily without emptying my pocket book. When I can nourish my body with ease my happiness abounds aplenty!

4) Bali has an incredible spiritual atmosphere

In a lecture by musical priestess Deya Dova, where she spoke about the planetary UVG Energy Grid, I learned that Bali falls on the ley line arteries of the world, effectively the Purification Chakra of the planet! With the magical Tirta Empul springs in the center vortex and six purification regions spiraling out across the island, Bali literally circulates and cleanses the energetic blood of the world.

5) Breathwork is amazing

But then it went even deeper for me. During two BreathWork workshops (“Breath of Bliss” and “Quantum Light Breath”) I took a journey into my own DNA to repair ancestral trauma and also connected with the Christ-Consciousness of my soul’s purpose here on earth. (Yep, it was THAT huge). My Being was first cleansed and made available to receive from a direct connection with Source. But what I also realized is that air literally contains knowledge! When we flood our bodies with air we are being filled with consciousness. Practically everyone reports experiencing a connection to Love, Peace, and their inner Truth when they “breathe” in this way.

6) Sound healing is a must

Something else which awakens the Truth inside us is music. Floating in the sea of sound healing workshops at Bali Spirit I felt peace settle into every cell of my body. As the vibrations of these sacred resonances pass through our bodies and our minds we ourselves are being tuned to the same resonance. When invited to raise my voice in shared song I experienced ego-less-ness in the sharing.

7) It’s all about Love and Connection

If you are noticing a theme about Love and Connection developing here it is not a coincidence. There are many ways in which people relate to and define love, but sometimes that makes the word smaller than it actually is. In Hindu tradition Bhakti is the practice of love with a devotion to beauty and the altruistic desire to share nothing less than the pure delight of Being. I realized that Bali Spirit itself was created in the act of Bhakti. Thanks, Jeffrey Armstrong, for so delightfully sharing your lecture!

8) African Dance is GOOD for your body

Speaking of the delight in Being, I cannot think of anything which has ever brought my body so alive as an hour and a half of African dancing! I learned that not only is mo’ booty mo’ better, but also that somersaults are a valid and necessary dance move. You know, I took a semester of African Dance in grade school, and I haven’t moved my body so good since I was 12 years old … This is the BEST way to shake it people!!!

9) You are never too old to try parkour

Somersaults were not the only throwback for me at Bali Spirit. As a child I spent years in gymnastics class practicing tumbling, and in the “Super-Hero Factory” workshop I learned that a 32 year old woman with a positive attitude and only an hour of instruction can still do a front flip! In fact, EVERYONE who tried was doing them! This could have been the most empowering accomplishment of my entire adult life. Seriously, it was amazing. I guess I STILL GOT IT folks!Photo by Jessica Devnani

10) We have EVERYTHING inside ourselves

We all still have it. In fact, we all still have everything inside of us and available to us anytime we can find ways to expand our awareness. At Bali Spirit, the biggest lesson I came away with was a renewed belief in the power of sharing with devotion and love to create peaceful empowerment in this world. No one workshop or observation can sum up the whole of my experience, but the whole of this festival was supremely profound for this one woman.

Written by : Amber Maywald