This post is by guest columnist and international yoga instructor Cat Kabira
When I first came to Bali, I knew nothing about it beyond a picture of a monster I saw dancing on a postcard when I was in college. And that it was a place that my advisor in college told me to go visit because he always wanted to go there. I just knew it was a place that was hot and exotic and far away from home. So when I was teaching a teacher training in Japan in 2006, I decided I had to check someplace else out in Asia while I was here…and ended up in Bali.
This unique and impressive Rangda sculpture protects the devout Balinese Hindus.
The second day of my vacation I was offered a job. That was almost 9 years ago.
No one told me how powerful Bali was. I tend to not read up on any place when I go there and prefer to see what happens first-hand. I wasn’t looking for anything profound; I didn’t know about the world of magic here or what the commitment to ceremony actually means. All I can say is that now, I am deeply changed by living on this island. There’s a real magic here. I’m a bit of a skeptic – I have to be in the line of work I’m in – especially with the energetic and healing modalities I’m immersed in. I want to know that what I’m experiencing is real –and the work that I’m offering is truly helpful. Some say that the veil is thinner here on the island, that our connection to spirit is stronger. There’s not just an appreciation here – but it’s important to honor the invisible.
A Balinese Hindu High Priest blesses the Kris, or sacred daggers
Maybe when I first got here I thought all the offerings the women placed in front of their homes was just custom – but it goes much deeper than that. Living in Bali has taught me the importance of ceremony – and the power of it. This is one of the reasons why I stay. I don’t know many other places on earth that will bless my motorbike or do a ceremony after a house is built to ensure harmony between the insects, plants, animals and humans. It’s a place where we still honor our ancestors and understand the importance of nature.
The Bali yoga retreat participants celebrate their personal growth, newfound friendships and more in front of the massive Kumbakarna Laga Sculpture at Bali’s Botanical Gardens
From having been gifted by Bali, I want others to experience this too. And to share in this experience in a more sustainable way. That’s the calling for all of us. That’s why I chose Bali Floating Leaf Eco Retreat Center to run my next retreat: “Sacred Transformations.” Both to their commitment to sustainability and to the community. Bali itself is one big community, a reminder that we’re in this together. Come experience the magic here with me yourself.
Cat welcomes you to join her in Bali for her Sacred transformations Yoga Retreat.
About Cat Kabira
A deeply respected international yoga instructor, Cat is based in Bali and considered one of the top teachers on the island. Known for her deep knowledge and detailed explanation of asana, she takes her students into deeply profound wellness journeys for the body, mind and spirit. On her Bali retreats, such as the upcoming Sacred Transformations: A Yoga Retreat Experience March 1-7th, 2015, Cat offers both energizing and powerful morning “Core Flow” classes that are beautiful to play with strength, advance your practice and bring your body into healthy structural alignment as well as healing and restorative Yin Yoga practices that integrate the natural healing power of the body as it goes into a deeper resting state.
For Cat, this practice has been deeply transformative and is a love affair that has evolved through nearly 20 years of study and teaching over the past 13 years.
Sacred Transformations: A Yoga Retreat Experience March 1-7th, 2015
This retreat with Cat Kabira at Bali Floating Leaf Eco Retreat is both an opportunity for you to return back to yourself, nourish, recharge, refresh and have fun. Any old tensions, emotions or pains ready to be cleared, will. And from that grounded, centered, contented, full place, you will feel ready to share your extraordinary light with others. Your perspective about your life will be forever changed!
For more on this retreat, please visit the Sacred Transformations page.
Floating Leaf Eco-Retreat is proud to be a true sustainable wellness center that gives back to the community and respects and preserves the land and culture of Bali.
