Only just now choosing words to accompany the overwhelming gratitude and dream-like feelings upon return from my 14th voyage to Bali - (the first was back in 1990)-
and each time I uncover yet another layer inside myself.
The “Morning of the World”, as the island has famously been called, dawns again and again like the miracle of the first day. What meets the eye is only half the story!
I feel renewed, strengthened, steadied - peacefully invigorated, and am so grateful to have once more lead a special, small group on retreat to share the discoveries.
Half were traveling on their third retreat here with me, and half were brand-new, but all of us were offered that same surprising and intense magnetizing of interior forces that lures the soul out of hiding!
Sekala and Niskala, the Balinese words meaning the Seen and the Unseen, hold equal sway here and an invitation to Bali is an invitation to experience more levels of reality than commonly appear.
Another window opens onto how much more there is yet to absorb from this exquisite culture, and the new possibilities it always offers for my own experience of life.
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In Bali we are on jam karet,“rubber time”, which is more the product of the passage of sun and moon, of fragrant breezes, and lengthening shadows, than the ticking of any clock. It’s one
of the reasons why Bali restores the soul, penetrates the psyche until the main emotions
felt are tranquility and contentment.
“But isn’t Bali ruined?” Even in the 1950’s the returning traveler has typically met with this question- whose answer depends (as it always has) partly on you.
The entire island- from the day when it first emerged from the sea, it may be confidently affirmed- is dedicated to MAGIC. Humans have their work cut-out to create just equilibrium between all these boundless presences, just as Bali so generously and graciously helps us re-establish our own spiritual equilibrium.
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#balimirrorofsoulretreat #baliyogaretreat #balislowt
This is a recipe my nomadic soul loves.
But words fall ridiculously short to describe the euphoria of a day like this spent adventuring in the radiant, semi-forgotten, ancient Salento:
This southernmost tip of Puglia where Italy and Greece meld to make one of my favorite places
I keep coming back to over and over, for stellar retreats each time.
Returning to the same special places, places so ancient and rich that it’s always a fresh experience as local connections deepen and we’re welcomed with open-arms.
I’m over flowing with gratitude for being able to live and to share this incredible week of experiences with my travelers- between yoga sessions in olive groves, staying in beautiful Masserias from the 16th C, biking the coastal roads, swimming in turquoise seas, and eating outrageous food in vintage villages along the way.
Thank you to all the local people who make us feel so cared for and spoiled.
Thank you to my matchless team, and especially thank you to all who came and knew how to create community with each other, how to deepen the conversation, how to share joy and discovery, how to adventure and explore and still make it to the mat, how to feast and dance late night and then joyfully do it all again the next day.
I have to say, it was epic!
@polomama1 @krisrink @csrink @charlieweav @masseria_muntibianchi @amdf_7 @mename_tricaseporto @vito_naturebike @giancarloconserva
Report from Salento- deep down south in Puglia, Italy, where summer is having a secret party!
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Today we rode from Otranto to the tip of the sexy heel of the boot, -Finnibus Terrae “Land’s End”, where the Adriatic and Ionian seas swirl together in a dazzle of sapphire blues.
Stops for swimming in the turquoise sea and espressos in vintage village cafes all along the way to our next home- in luxurious ancient castle-tower from 1577, lost among olive groves and forgotten villages.
Words fall ridiculously short to describe the euphoria of a day like this spent adventuring in great company! @krisrink @csrink @polomama1 @chuck.weaver.585 @vito_naturebike @bar_mena_me @
Sumptuous late-summer days dripping through my fingers like the blackberries I pick each afternoon :
Sun-warmed, ripe and so bountiful yet rare- as they will soon be but a memory, And especially precious to spend them with my 84-year-old momma, swimming in one of our favorite lakes, or river-pools - she’s still demonstrating to me how to love this life fully and that it’s an elixir!
There’s nothing like August in Mount Shasta with eagles circling the crystalline sky and a different lake to ride to and rinse the sweat of satisfying work in our garden, or to clear the mind from the massive screentime spent preparing for my upcoming retreats in Italy.
I savor the days of simplicity, and in a blink, I will be in the Italian countryside near Rome, leading my Bliss Station Yoga Weekend at magnificent @tenutadi paternostro. Following is my sold-out new Etruscan Italy bike-yoga-food-culture Retreat there, and then we head south to the sexy heel of the boot for my Puglia &Salento Retreat, a sold-out favorite.
Crowning my offerings for this year is my much-beloved Bali: Mirror of Soul Retreat, October 23 -Nov. 2, an authentic and luxurious foray into luscious Bali behind the tourist veil with a sweet, small company of explorers. There are still a couple of spots. Please send me a DM if you would like to join us, for full assistance getting you there and away. It’s an experience like none other!
BLISS STATION: A Weekend Retreat of Harmony and Rejuvenation in Secret Tuscia, the Etruscan Italian countryside
Join us September 6 - 8 for a weekend retreat dedicated to harmony and rejuvenation, immersed in the luxurious natural beauty of the Etruscan countryside- just an hour from Rome.
Julia Ingersoll, an international, alignment-based yoga teacher with 20 years experience leading retreats, will teach this gorgeous weekend which comes with the promise of balance through dynamic yoga practices each day; deep relaxation through meditation, Sound Healing and expanding in nature; and the unique Italian focus on the importance of Beauty and the joy of exquisite food.
Rejuvenate from the busy pace of life, and regenerate your being on all levels: body, mind, spirit and soul.
Expect meaningful traditional yoga for strengthening and grounding, infused with elements from functional movement, and the latest self-care fitness modalities. Learn to integrate practical yogic wisdom and techniques into everyday life. The classes are suitable for every body and level of experience.
The sound bath will be led by Giuseppe Carlini, using a variety of instruments, including didgeridoo handmade of local woods, to further harmonize us with the healing vibration of this ancient land.
A feast for all the senses, the weekend features sumptuous garden-to-table dining at every meal, prepared by our chef and shared in great company at the Tenuta’s artful table.
We’ll gather for a sunset aperitivo each evening as the sky turns colors reminiscent of the African savannah.
Give yourself this precious space to refresh from the busy pace of life, gain strategies to connect with yourself, align with your deeper aspirations for your life and set the tone for the season ahead as the empowered author of your days.
See you in Tuscia- Italy’s great secret enclave!
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#healinghotelsoftheworld #italyluxurytravel #boutiquehotelstyle #yogaretreatitaly #slowtravel #foodietravel
Beautiful ephemeral glimpses of a few moments shared as our Greece Odyssey Retreat began to unfurl into timelessness on the mystical island of Amorgos.
A type of beautiful sorcery always enfolds the traveler who reaches her shores with the slow rhythm required by the heart in order to truly see…
Treading softly, slowly with glance half-inward to keep from being blown-away by her magnificent beauty, the island awaits to provide our hearts with what they need to expand.
May we honor the island and show her in return the beauty of our souls.
#greeceodysseyretreat’24
And just like that Greece Magic is in full swing! A perfect day in Athens so glorious it seemed every Grecian goddess you can imagine must be rolling out the red-carpet for us.
This morning we set sail, skimming over the smoothest sea lake mirror to the island of dreams, and here we are already immersed in our first silken night, to the gentle lullaby of the whispering sea waves.
Tomorrow we will wake to walk barefoot beside the dawn sea, letting the purity of this wild place return us to the memory of freedom that was never lost, …and we’ll step on to our yoga mats to love feel the sweet power of life flowing through us in the blue air.
And incredible homemade breakfast feast will surely follow- made by our two Greek mamas.
Stay tuned for the menu!
! #greeceodysseyretreat #aegean #greeceyogaretreat @triciatuscon @elli_boboli @cedergrenlaura @margobrody @plrc4 @herodionhotelathens @petradi_amorgos
One beautiful room remains! Welcome to the Greek Summer Edition of this favorite retreat. The early session sold-out immediately, so this year, by popular request we've opened this high-summer edition to savor the BEST of Greek summer:
This journey is created for the traveler in you.
For explorers who want to slowly immerse in the lesser-known hidden gems and connect with the local rhythm and wild nature that it may enter your heart and enrich your soul.
Exquisite beaches, daily yoga and meditation, genuine local food, culture and connection, marvelous views, hikes, swims and local-style living,
will bathe your being in joy: the essence of Mediterranean summer is nowhere more incredible than off the beaten track in Greece!
- join us June 24-July 1 There is one beautiful room left! All info on website, or message me.
