Retreat at Soulshine (7 days)

This retreat has been so amazing, such a feeling of being held and cared for… The retreat started on Saturday evening with  cacao ceremony/opening circle and then dinner. It ended on Saturday late morning after breakfast (and Nicole's massage). We averaged one every other day - bliss!  The whole retreat was bliss. Tuesday was my day of "settling in" - a constant feeling of giddy and being overwhelmed with gratitude at the beauty and magic here. 

Here are some stories and pics about what we did during the retreat. I'm not posting much here during the week...I was focused a lot on connecting with myself, Nicole, Sara, and the beautiful women (and 2 men) on this experience. These will be great memory triggers for me later on...

Daily: Sunrises over the rice terrace from sky shala. Then sitting with coffee (nespresso and the cappuchino packets) on the veranda watching the forest come alive...following the bird stories and the ongoing construction of a giant orb weaver. 

Every morning, we have time for meditation and journaling up in "our" panoramic shala, followed by yoga with Jane. We’re moving through the chakras (means "break through"). Jane leads yoga for us every morning along with Jeremy-Nancy-Parker-Kimberley's ensemble of hand pan, bowls, gongs, didgeridoo, djembe drum, Kim's voice, flute... and really, just THAT would be a great day! But then, afterward, there a breakfast buffet. I've become a fan of breakfast salads! And THEN, an adventure. AND THEN a dinner together. AND THEN, usually an evening sound journey or celebration. 

Wisdom from Jane: I tried to record some of the plentiful wisdom from Jane. Love her.

• Focus on ourselves as human BEings (vs. human 'doings')
• Focus on the energy of the now. 
• The universe is the center (Or something like that?)
• There's nowhere you need to be other than where you are at right now
• We need both/and, light and dark, positive and negative - like energy-electricity needs positive and negative to make the light
• Lotus comes from the muddy water
• Between stimulus and response, there is space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth, freedom and our happiness. (Viktor Frankl)
• From Parker: Don't worry if you don't know the way. The way knows the way.

In the evenings, we have a heathy delicious dinner and time with each other. Every evening, there's an optional activity after dinner, like nidra yoga or a sound bath or a fire circle before heading off to bed. 

Daytimes - between 10:30 and 5 mostly - are reserved for adventures or massages. :)  

Have I mentioned Soulshine's pools, water slide, pool swing, and cannonball platform? :)

All of Soulshine is beautiful. These magnificent things have been a regular part of this retreat - and what I hope becomes a regular part of life when I start my chapter in Santa Fe. 

Sunrise over the rice fields behind Soulshine. View from sky shala. 

Sunrise, forest view & coffee from the veranda. I'm in my new Bali dress!

The famous Giant Golden Orbweaver (Nephila pilipes) - view from veranda

Tokay (toke) gecko

Our Space. Our yoga-sound journey-meditation-journaling space. Second home all week.

The band joined the making of the Lotus. (Do you have the patience to let the mud settle?)

Breakfast buffet: Salad (new fav), eggs, fruit, pastries, pancakes, 

juice, yogurt, homemade granola. 

Here are some highlights of the activities each day... 

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Sunday, we had a vocal healing (finding your voice) workshop with Kimberly. Totally awesome. In the evening, a highlight: A Balinese dance, singing and cultural performance with outside buffet dinner.  

Sara! (she loves coconuts!)

Bali "Kecak" dance

Kecak dance

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Monday, after yoga, we were off to visit two temples. The water temple was spectacular. Parker also led a drumming workshop. 

Pura Gunung Kawi Temple

Pura Gunung Kawi Temple

Sebatu water temple

Sebatu water temple

Gunung Kawi Sebatu water temple. My wishes (just came to me in the fountain): Health, happiness, strength, endurance, home, love

Meditating after water temple. So much to download

The sisters and the brothers

Soulshine

Drumming workshop!

Didge and drums - Parker and Jeremy jam

Pool time back at Soulshine. (Jane bloom took this of me floating) 

Jenn on the pool swing

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Tuesday, Yoga was epic. Also, we'd booked 4-hour (yes, 4-hr) spa session in Ubud (massage, reflexology, pedicure, facial for $47). The group went to a couple waterfalls. We hung out a bit in Ubud (cool town!), shopped a bit near the Monkey Forest…monkeys walking on roofs and sidewalks! (Word to the wise, do not eat snacks around monkeys).

Such an epic sound and song this morning during savasana. Every session, they put a cold towel on your eyes and with the music and how yoga feels - all of it. Made me cry with gratitude.

Shambala Massage Center (aka heaven on Earth). Twice we booked massages here.

This is "Win". She is THE best massage therapist in the world. 

Sara said that I look "properly plowed" in this photo. (Ted Lasso reference)... 

but you should see her post-massage photo too, lol)

Soulshine

We got to play with silks for evening sound bath...

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Wednesday was a national holiday, Galungan. After yoga, we made offerings (plant-flower bundles) and were blessed by an elder. In town, there were parades and festivities and families visiting temples. This day, we spent a while having some pool time!

On their holiday, they taught us how to make their offerings. Also, we were blessed by an elder.

Photo by Jeremy of me being blessed. :)

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Thursday. During yoga, we had a flutist join the ensemble. Already epic, the sound generated from this stage was other-worldly. 

Look at how much care they had... for us. For our benefit. It was like we were being 

held and loved every morning. You can't put a price on that.

The planned activity for the day was to walk along a big rice terrace nearby but it got way too hot. Instead, we spent more time at the batik shop. And then our driver friend invited us to meet his family and see his family temple. Beautiful! Sara, Nicole and I then went to Monkey Forest and spent more time in Ubud. Back at Soulshine in time to get dressed for a super nice dinner out at Swept Away restaurant. 

The days have been packed... you have decide to skip an activity to rest by the poo or get a massage. "Bali problems"!

Batik factory/shop. Right to the source.

Our driver and his family (his mother watches the kids during the day).

Monkey Forest

Monkey Forest - with Nicole and Sara

Swept Away restaurant

The view from the top of Swept Away. (Restaurant is down down down next to river)

Left to right: Sarah, me, Mike, Nicole, Jeremy, Nancy, Kristi B, Parker, Alia, Jenn, Kimmy, Kristin, Kathy?, Sean, Sara, Halle, Betsy, William, Jane, Ellen, Kimberly, Ginny

Dinner at "Swept Away". Clockwise left: Alia, Jenn, Nicole, me, Sara...

across Sean, William, Mike and Kristi (from Colo)

Clockwise: Sara, Sarah, Ellen (then across) Kimmy, Halle and Jane

Sean (right)

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Friday, we went back to the massage place for 90-minute massages (awesome!) and then a cooking class! Then a closing fire circle.

Cooking class

Family temple at the cooking class

Counterclockwise, starting with the pink shirt: William, Besty Ginny (out of frame, dangit), Rosa, Nancy, Jeremy, Sara (holding plate), Sean, Sarah, Nicole, Kimmy, Parker, and Kimberly

My plate of food we made. :)

The closing fire circle

This retreat has been epic. There's enough planned/routine as well as exploration time for fun. Highly recommend! https://www.settleintostillness.com/