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Spiritual
Yoga Tour in Bali
Spiritual yoga tourism
is now becoming a world trend. Why? Some
say that by practising yoga one can relieve
stress. While, some also believe that yoga
is managed of delivering spiritual bliss.
And others believe if they come up with
essential values in this life happiness
will come having been deeply involved in
yoga.
Whatever their reason is, Ann Barros, a
US national, believes that yoga can heal
the physical illness she suffers from. “Prior
to learning yoga, I had an aspiration to
become a US professional ballerina,”
she said to Bali Travel News while adding
that such aspiration failed when she knew
that she suffered from scoliosis (abnormal
lateral curvature of the spine).
Then in 1976, she learned yoga under guidance
of BKS Iyengar. She first knew him from
her younger sister that has learned yoga
earlier than her from BKS Iyengar in India.
She told her about spinal straitening through
yoga. By the influence of yoga ‘asanas’
her scoliosis totally recovered. So did
joint disorder and other illnesses. “It
was a surprising finding,” she said.
Other than scoliosis and joint disorder,
in accordance with her research, yoga also
relieves stress. Stress is disturbance that
can result in various illnesses and yoga
is one of alternatives to resolve them.
“I will mention respectively the illnesses
often caused by stress, namely headache,
insomnia, asthma, depression, digestive
system and excretion disorder, apart from
other illnesses,” she pointed out.
During the menopause, stress can also causes
a condition named “pstosis” (disorders
on urethral vessel or uterus). By practising
yoga in reversed or semi-reversed style,
blood circulation will be reversed, hormonal
balance occurs and muscles of urethral vessel
will be tightly stretched. “For men
that undergo constriction on foot muscles
or prostatic disorders can also recover
by this position,” she said.
There are so many benefits of yoga, then
‘Aunt Ann’, her familiar name
in Bali, introduced Spiritual Yoga Tour
to Bali. Probably, she was the first (US)
expatriate that brought the Americans to
Bali for practising yoga. At least, she
offers three times tour program to Bali
in a year. All her tour programs are sold
on the Internet and it won extraordinary
appreciation from the citizen of Uncle Sam.
For 40 years of her spiritual yoga journey,
she has handled 15-20 guests every time
she comes to Bali. “I am very glad
to transfer our yoga knowledge to whomever,”
said the woman whose age now has been more
than half-century. “During my stay
in Bali, I am very delighted to be among
the Balinese people who are very friendly.”
Ann Baros is not the only one expatriate
who brings her colleagues to have yoga tour
to Bali. There are tens foreigners that
follow the footprint of Ann. One of them
is Janet (JJ) Gormley, a US national. “I
have such wonderful memories of my recent
trip to Bali. My reason for being there
was two-fold: to co-teach (with Barbara
Benagh) a two-week-long yoga workshop and
to absorb Balinese culture,” said Janet
(JJ) Gormley on her article at the Internet
about Yoga in Bali, recently.
As she came from USA, a halfway around the
globe, a 12-hour time-zone change to go
to Bali is no problem for her to teach Practicing
Yoga. Each day, she teaches twice every
morning and the other in the afternoon,
for approximately 4 hours. The usual routine
was yoga in the morning (7 to 9am before
it got too hot), followed by a leisurely
breakfast, and then a daytime excursion.
For afternoon yoga class was usually from
4 to 6pm followed by dinner and occasionally
punctuated by an evening cultural experience
- a Balinese dance or orchestra performance.
Excursions were optional and we had lots
of free time for shopping, swimming in a
beautiful pool with a disappearing edge,
reading or simply relaxing.
Learning and practising yoga in Bali is
not only in Ubud and its vicinity. Almost
all nooks and crannies of Bali Island are
centre for spiritual tourism, starting from
Sanur, Ubud, Kuta, Nusa Dua, Pacung, Karangasem
up to Munduk mountain ranges (Buleleng)
and other region are ideal for spiritual
tourism (Read also: Spiritual Tourism at
Nusa Dua Tourist Resort and Spiritual Tourism
in Buleleng).
In addition, some hotels like Melia Bali,
Nusa Dua—also provides space for its
guests to exercise yoga. It’s easy
for us to find out that prepares cool room
to practise yoga, either in Nusa Dua, Kuta,
Sanur, Pacung, Sidemen (Karangasem) and
so forth.
It is the superiority of Bali as world tourist
destination. Every inch of its territory
is good for spiritual yoga tours. Precisely,
things that should be given attention are
the upgrade of local teacher’s competence.
These days, it is more expatriates that
teach yoga here in Bali.
Many Balinese itself, as a matter of fact,
have capability of teaching yoga. However,
they commonly teach yoga just for the sake
of personal interest. “We are necessary
to give exercise to the Balinese,”
said Meghan, the operator of Bali Spirit
in Ubud that also provides spiritual yoga
tour.
According to Meghan, the Balinese has known
about yoga perfectly from time immemorial.
Predominantly, they know yoga from the book
that inherited through generations, especially
in the surroundings of geria (house to high
priests). They practised yoga just for their
self-interest. “Therefore, I am going
to open ‘Training the Trainer’
yoga course for the Balinese,” she
said.
The trend of spiritual yoga tour has indeed
been popular throughout the world. Westerners,
American and European make yoga their daily
part of sport and spiritual exercise. Those
belong to this group that will visit Bali,
considering this island retains unrivalled
spiritual ‘taksu’ (divine inspiration)
to other tourist destinations. Is Bali capable
of competing to other tourist destination?
Let’s wait the readiness of the Balinese
themselves to enhance their knowledge, moreover,
on the assistance of ‘foreigner’
that will open training for them. (BTN/para/015)
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