Bali is a magical place I will never forget. Like many of us with a heart filled with wanderlust, when our visions finally come to fruition, we are recharged, energized from within. This is the power and the healing magic of following our hearts and listening to our inner voice.
I remember it just like yesterday: temples, homes and businesses, all adorned with beauty, simplicity and the lush vibrancy of life. Every doorway, even in the poorest of households, held a banana-leaf offering of rice, fruit and burning incense. To please the gods. To placate the spirits.
Everybody I encountered felt connected to their daily tasks in a way that we don’t encounter in the United States. Sweeping a doorway, washing dishes, riding a moto — all of these became meditative acts filled with focus, in the spirit of the Divine.
I stayed in the mountains of Bali and in the jungles of Ubud. Every morning, I would wake up to the sound of birdsong and gentle breezes rustling through the trees. As I began my daily yoga practice on the terrace, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Surrounded by nature, I could fully embrace the present moment and connect with my inner self.
During my stay, I had the opportunity to participate in traditional Balinese healing practices like meditation and energy work. These experiences allowed me to release any lingering stress and negativity, further enhancing my sense of balance and wellbeing.
One unforgettable experience was Nyepi, the Balinese New Year celebration. I wrote about my experience for LA Yoga Magazine (under my former married name of Aria Mayland.)
Incense, Demons, Fire & Silence: The Balinese New Year
The Balinese New Year is unlike any other. For a week straight, it’s a party. Families return to their hometown village for a massive reunion and celebration. At the end of the week, it’s 24hours of silence – Nyepi.. No talking, no cooking, no police presence. No airport. Everything shuts down. Nothing. Nada. It is the day to be silent and pray so that the evil spirits pass by your village…until the next year, when it begins all over again.
Aria Morgan is a writer, yoga educator, and founder of Daily Downdog. With over two decades of teaching experience and more than 27 years of personal practice in yoga, Qi Gong, meditation, and mindfulness, she helps people reconnect with the wisdom of their bodies. A former birth doula and a lifelong student of the human body and healing, Aria empowers people to slow down, listen more deeply, and cultivate greater ease, resilience, and well-being in everyday life.
