First Impressions - Ubud Bali

1. Bali is one tripped out place! If it isn't the insane animalistic Hindu gods that you find at every corner it's crazy ass real bugs and lizards that make all sorts of new sounds. Plus the greenery smells so good, and the flowers are beautiful. Sometimes I think I see something out the corner of my eye but it's just a statute of some crazy half animal half human god or goddess.

#hanuman #bali #ubud #monkies

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 5:23pm PST

2. The people are kind. They are happy. They aren't poor or suffering. They love children and their families. The biggest question I get from the locals are "Are you travelling alone?" and when I answer "Yes", thats all I get. I dug a bit further on this a couple of times because its not common for a Balinese women to travel on her own, she would always go with someone, either her husband or friend. They are happy for the business so do not care if you are on your own. I have never felt unsafe, but have gotten cat calls from construction men. Maybe they just wanted to practice their English.

Royal cremation #ubud #bali #travel

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 11:34pm PST

3. The food. Amazing. Fresh, local, organic. I took a a local cooking class and I am so happy I did. It was vegetarian and we did a walk through of the market, went to the farm and picked fresh vegetables for the lunch, and made it.. with the help of 3 other women. I learned how to make coconut oil and milk, something I just take advantage from the cans and jars that get exported. Indonesian people eat a primarily vegetarian diet, and eat meat on special occasions and always thank the animals (different from say Indian Hindus who don't eat meat at all). The ingredients are all very simple and seem to be always complimented by coconut sugar. On the other side is the expat restaurateurs meeting the needs of the millions of tourists a year that come through Bali. A lot of them are Australian and if you know anything about the Aussies is that they are doing a pretty spectacular job at creating international dining options and design within this setting.  I don't have a favourite yet because they are all my favourites.

Pad Thai & fresh coconut water #bali #ubud #food #travel

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 10:44pm PST

4. Rituals / Religion.  The Balinese probably spend a third of their life shopping for and creating blessing for their Hindu/Buddhist ritualistic offerings, a big section of their local market is just for gifts to the gods. I think it must be working because if you can afford these offerings, life must be good! If you know anything about Hinduism you know that there are millions of gods. So everyday there is a blessing, today I made blessing for our lunch we picked from a fresh garden and made with some local women. There was blessing at the end of my driveway today, and I was told it was made in general to the staff and guests of the hotel. I'll take it! Even my bicycle had an offering with a burning incense, to protect me and everyone else. I find them to be good fly distractors but also a very beautiful part of their culture. A way of honoring, and taking great care in something that is really quite beautiful. I am able to understand a lot of the stories as well because of my Yogic studies over the decades.

I have now been in Ubud for a week which has included two massages, a pedicure, two banana rice flour pancakes, four yoga classes, one astrology reading, one tibetan bowl meditation, one river rafting experience, a local cooking class, a bike ride through rice fields and villages, a visit to the second biggest and active volcano in Indonesia. Off to the coast now..

Even your bicycle needs an offering and some incense. #bali #indonesia #travel

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 1:02am PST

Meditation, Yoga and discussions from Nepal

Tibetan settlement - Hijan - mala beads, originally uploaded by veggy.

i got to participate in a 3 day weekend retreat at the Ganden Yiga Chopen meditation centre in Pokhara. It is a sister monastery to the well known Kopan monastery in Kathmandu. Our schedule consisted of wake up, meditation, yoga, breakfast, teachings with the monk, lunch, break, questions for the monk or discussion, yoga, dinner, and meditation, followed by silence. This is a cake walk compared to Vipassana meditation retreats. In my group i was the only one who had completed a Vipassana sitting, and it was looked upon seriously by the monk Yeshe. Yeshe is an american who has been teaching Buddhist theory for over 30 years. He has been in Pokhara teaching for over 4 years. He was a great teacher asking us questions like: "What did you live for when you where 6, 17, and now? and what has changed?" Also, "Who are you?" which he warned would stress some of us out, and i was glad that i have had this question before in yoga because it is a tough one. How does one define themselves? A lot of us define ourselves by our careers, this is usually the last thing i bring up in a conversation. I find it uncreative. Who i am, it is not what i do to pay the bills. Some people think i have been humble in the past, amazed that i am not bragging about one career path i chose, but it truly wasn't who i am.
I am a being, on the path, seeking, learning, absorbing, and giving back as much as possible. I am constantly changing. You don't see it day to day because we are not aware of the changing, but skin cells are dying and regrowing, brain cells are doing the same thing. I can't quantify what i am either and because science changes constantly, so what i know could be totally false, but i am ok with that.
A fellow student on the course who has come to Nepal to learn how to take care of himself better asked me on the last day "Do you consider yourself a buddhist?"
It was a tough question because i have never liked to conform to titles that would define me. The more i learn about Buddhism, the more i would like to say yes to this question. Buddhism is not a religion but very basic principles which i have unknowingly gravitated to without that much thought.
Buddhism believes in the idea of Karma, something that was discussed heavily in the course, mainly because we misuse this term quite a bit. If someone steals my computer it doesn't mean it is a direct result of my karma in this life (even though at the time i thought it did). The fact that i even have a computer in the first place means i have been born with good karma, unlike most of the people in this world. If something really bad happens to me it can be because of something that has happened in a past life. Buddhism believes we are reborn many, many times, and thus believes in not harming any being intentionally. Of course we may kill bugs by accident, or someones pet, or even a human, that your soul is pure during this action is what matters. If you have the intention of harming someone, this is the where the karma comes into play. There was a bit of debate on the buying of meat for our consumption and how easy it is to get it, and technically you are asking for this animal to be slaughtered but because of mass consumption you don't need to ask anymore, the animal is already slaughtered and in the grocery stores waiting for you. In this sense Tibetan Buddhist have rationalized or maybe not that this is ok and you karma is pure in this because you don't have to ask for it to be slaughtered. I question this theory, mainly because it doesn't make sense to me.
This course is a great beginner course. The yoga teaching was very questionable, and not in a good way. I am not to sure where Nepalis get their training or if it is even considered training, but we did multiple poses i have never seen or heard of before, and many things that could result in both short or long term injury, or turn a beginner off of yoga for a long time.
I was warned about doing yoga in Nepal, but i didn't really understand why. Now i do. A lot of it feels made up and still costs around $7usd (which is expensive for Nepal), which is fine if you are stretching safely, but usually you are not. I have only had two different yoga experiences so far so don't get me wrong, their could be some good teachers out there. The course i am attending with Yogi Nomad is an organization that is part of the Yoga Alliance which from my experience seems to follow a very systematic and strong practice, and outputs amazing teachers.
I have read a few articles over the years where the Indian teachers give western teachers a hard time because they are not following the practice as it has been passed down, and from what i have read (mainly from Iyengar), what i have seen is that the western teachers are more in line with origins of yoga then that of the whishy washy east where anyone can be a teacher.
My experience is limited so i can only speak from that, but if you want to come to Asia and do yoga, make sure it is a reputable organization. If you want to come here to practice yoga, just ask around, but sadly you won't like what you hear. I am missing doing a good practice with my community, but in less than a week i start my 6 week intensive training. I am very excited for this new chapter in my learning, and meeting everyone.

last sunset in Pokhara

Nepal vs. Buddha

As my eyes begin to cross from barely sleeping over the 21 hour journey to get to Kathmandu, i am forcing myself to stay awake to get onto this 12 hour time change as soon as possible. It's hard to begin when you come to a place like Kathmandu. It's a city with it's typical Asian smells, touting selling and guides, and packs of street dogs but there is something so obviously different about Nepal. Buddhism prevails with it's imagery, monasteries, and followers. Buddha was born in a town named Lumbini in Nepal near the Indian border, he didn't stay here but the energy of mindfulness has been left behind. One thing i don't understand are the rituals though. Buddha never believed in blind faith per say, yet there are so many rituals here. Today i should have good luck forever and never have bad teeth (that's a hindu blessing actually). Lighting candles, giving food to monkeys will bring you "more". Buddha would say that is foolish but this is what 'religion' becomes unfortunately over time. Buddha never wanted to be idealized, turned into a religion, gurufied or cast in gold thousands of times and be bent down too. So Nepal and it's beliefs aren't perfect, but what country is?

Ever since i did Vippassanna (mediation) i am not attracted to big cities, i see things and people a little to clearly.. so i am leaving Kathmandu after one whole day and taking the 7 hour bus ride to Pokhara, a lake town, closer to nature, but also the starting point for a few stunning treks in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas. It also seems like a place where i can get to know some locals.