Day 237: Yoga for the inspired but achey

Ooooh it was an achey morning indeed! Was it my over-zealous approach to yesterday or does it only hurt if it's working? I don't know but hopefully the later...either way this mornings' class felt much harder than yesterdays. This time it was taken by a guy and instead of moving through postures in a flowing kind of way like yesterdays sun salutations, today there was much more of finding a relatively easy pose and then holding it for so long it became uncomfortable (see below - she's making it look good) There were again easier and harder variations given and I felt a little bit sad that I sometimes had to do the easy ones.

It just goes to show that Yoga is a wide and varied field and no two practices will be the same – in a way that's probably one of the best things about it, apart from when you can't feel your left ankle any more :)

Obviously 3 sessions was never going to be enough to 'get good' or even scrape the surface of Yoga but The Yoga Barn has given me a fantastic introduction to something I am (at least at the moment) keen to keep up. I haven't always looked after my body in the most diligent manner and this feels like a good way to try and reverse some of the damage already done and keep it functioning smoothly in the future. Maybe I'm just getting old?

Anyway, since I did only have 3 classes under my belt and what I was also seeking was some instant relief in the neck and shoulder region, I decided to invest in an Ayurvedic Crown massage. Ayurveda is – and I'm quoting from the pamphlet here – 'the sister science to Yoga', it's a 'traditional system of natural medicine practised by Indians for over 5,000 years.'

We had heard all about it during our time in India but never actually tried it and so, with the window of cheap Asian massages closing in front of me, I delved in. And it was incredible.

Oils were rubbed into my scalp, face and neck in soothing strokes and vigorous vibrations before water was added to the mix to create a paste that sounded like squelching through mud and smelled like heaven all over my hair. Warm towels were placed over my shoulders and my head was wrapped in some kind of stiffened material that no doubt looked ridiculous but felt great.

Then the real neck and shoulder massage kicked in – I can't even describe how good this felt. It even extended to my fingertips before a hot wet towel was introduced to rub the excess oil off my skin.

My hair was washed through and I emerged an hour later feeling all shiny and new and enjoyed the carefully selected tea on the balcony overlooking the paddy fields.

And all this before 10AM.

These two days, just me and the ancient arts, have been exactly what I needed. Though it may sound crazy to the average 9-to-5er; travelling can be tiring, both physically and mentally. 8 months of constant moving, battling with language barriers and the ever-present quest to not get ripped-off or robbed can wear you down. So a little bit of "me time" was perfect in the run-up to Christmas.

I mentioned in my previous post about Ubud that this would be an excellent place to holiday, to this I would now add that it would also be an excellent place to escape to and unwind.

Day 236: Yoga for the curious and uncoordinated

I'd been talking about this since Day 1, actually probably before Day 1, but after 8 months of hauling my body around Asia fuelled largely on noodles and cheap beer it was about time to show it that I still cared.

After some research and much deliberation, Rob packed his bag and departed to Lombok, and I committed to a 3-class package with The Yoga Barn. My first lesson was not called an Early Bird session for nothing, leaving my room at a sleepy 6am I made my way across town and down a small path to the beautiful grounds. The Yoga Barn is so-called because the room in which all the stretching happens was once a barn. Today the barn has 2 floors and only 2 walls, leaving a panoramic view of green rice paddies and allowing in all the sounds of nature. So far, so blissful.

Now as a total Yoga-virgin I had brought with me a series of concerns, these were;

1. What if everyone else in the class were proper yoga-pros, you know the type, tiny shorts, impossibly stretchy limbs and that infuriatingly calm look of someone whose found 'inner peace' and wants to convey this through dead-eyes and slow nods

2. I really hope the teacher doesn't speak in slooooow and reelaaaaaaxing huuuuussky tones about reeeeaaaallly feeeeling yoooouur iiiinner chiiiild aaaalllign with the myyyyyystical pooooowers of the moooooon

3. What the hell do I do if I fart?

I needn't have worried. The class had about 20 very normal people in, spaciously spread over the wooden floor facing a stone statue of Ganesh and Uma, a pettite and beautiful Indian woman who was taking the class and spoke with an endearing rolling Indian accent and often made jokes. I did – you'll be happy to read - maintain bowel-silence throughout.

The 90-minute session was great. We began with breathing exercises and moved onto sun salutations which, I think I'm right in saying, is a series of stretches and postures that should be repeated each morning to awaken the body and the soul. Then we attempted some more strenuous stretches that included moves called Warrior 1, 2 & 3 and a head-stand. I cannot do a head-stand, but I do a mean Warrior 2. (for reasons mostly centred around my own dignity, there are no photos of me doing Yoga but here's someone else doing the Warrior 2 properly)

There was some “release all your pain and anxiety to mother earth” talk in a move that involved stretching upwards and then dropping your hands and head towards the ground with an impassioned “heurgh” sound . But it came with the explanation that we all have pain, we're human, and if we have pain we shouldn't give it to someone else by moaning at them because they already have their own pain. If we take our pain and give it to the earth through Yoga we'll all feel less pain/anxiety/anger – which kind of makes sense when you think about it.

I wasn't here on a spiritual mission so when the session was over I checked the time table and, since all the sessions are drop-in, decided to go for Restorative Yoga which promised to “bring about gentle release focusing particularly on shoulders hips and spine.” After 8 months of lugging 13kg of my worldly possessions around on my back I thought this was not only necessary but could help in the months to come.

Feeling suitably invigorated and awake I made it back to the room in time for breakfast, I'll confess the Gurus probably didn't have a banana pancake in mind as the most complimentary meal to a Yoga sesh but I am a big believer in the golden hour that exists after exercise in which a moment on the lips does not mean a lifetime on the hips.

Safe in the knowledge that my newly-enlivened metabolism was working overtime and my soul was at least a little bit cleaner, I put on some relaxing music and lay down.

I awoke to a clap of thunder at almost half 2 in the afternoon. Had I mistake 'invigorated' for 'knackered'? Maybe. But it felt good.

**

Right! Here I am writing from the other side of the Restorative Yoga class. It's about half past 8 and I figured I'd better write this now before I grab some dinner because if it's anything like last time, I'll be asleep in 10 minutes.

Again I really enjoyed the class though it was very different from this morning. It was much more about stretching particular parts of the body and relaxing the whole body in general. The session was run by a different teacher this time (but still no sloooow yoga-voice thankfully), an English lady called Bex, who stressed the importance of listening to your own body. In that sense she asked if anyone was carrying any injuries at the beginning of the class and tailored the postures to these. She also demonstrated each posture with a slight adjustment that made it easier and a slight adjustment “for the more flexible” that made it more strenuous. I was pretty pleased that despite this being only session 2 of my Yoga career I was able to do the standard position each time (here's another pic of someone else doing a posture we did in class)

I wish I could remember all of the moves and techniques that I've done (I'd like to say 'learnt' here but that's not really true) today so that I can continue to practice them on this trip. I feel like I can really see the physical benefits to this kind of exercise. To be fair, I haven't done any sort of exercise at all in the last 8 months (does messing around in the sea count?) and it feels really good to feel physically tired from actually doing something not just from being lazy or being on a bus for a day.

My limbs do feel looser right now, though whether this will turn into aches in the morning we'll have to wait and see...

Part II now here

Day 233-235: Motorbikes and Monkeys (not at the same time)

Leaving Lovina wasn't easy – and not only because heavy rain fall had left main roads looking pretty water-logged and the small side road that we were staying on was completely flooded. Water lapped onto the high pavements where failing drains kept water-levels at about ankle height. In the morning the sun was shining and the roads, caked with rippling mud, were being diligently swept by shop owners and restaurateurs alike.

We had loved the relaxed feel and beautiful scenery of North Bali but now we were heading south – not quite to the afore mentioned white beaches – but to Ubud.

Ubud sits surrounded by rice paddy fields and filled, I mean filled to the brim with artists. It has a similar feel to Pai in northern Thailand, where musicians were out-numbered only by tourists and even a fair share of them could play something... Here the artists are equalled by tourists and touts, walking 10m of undulating pavement here is equal to, I would say, 2 offers of taxi services and, after dusk, the same number for dance shows.

So we decided to escape the hubbub and hired our favourite mode of transport to explore the magical and ancient hillside. After an early breakfast (pancakes, fruit salad and coffee are included in our room rate, hurrah!) we set off on what would turn out to be a 60km ride to a sacred site near Pasar Siring, which lies just 18km north of Ubud.

Our detour did afford us this spectacular view and when we did arrive at Tirta Empul the sun had emerged and was bathing the temple and the crystal -clear waters of the surrounding baths – said to contain magical and healing properties – in a warm and hazy glow.

Naked men and women wrapped in full-length sarongs prayed and washed in segregated baths that sat between a huge and beautifully ornate temple. School children rushed excitedly around the grounds, either soaking wet or grouped in formal dress ready for lunch.

Exiting Tirta Empul was the only less than magical experience; visitors are shepherded through what must be at least 2km of winding path lined with souvenir shops. There must be 100 shops all selling exactly the same 12 items that seems to go on and on forever until you emerge no thankyou-ed out into the car park. Surely this must dirty even the most cleansed beings...?

Our other port of call in Ubud was Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana, most commonly known as The Sacred Monkey Forest Temple. Unfortunately apart from the sign at the gate that asks visitors to respect those that worship there I couldn't really see any thriving trace of religious importance; it's just a really good place to go to see extremely cheeky monkeys up close.

The many primates that call this home are not the kind that will shy away from delving into someone's bag in search of bananas or, as Rob found out, making a leap for your bottle of water mid-sip. Sitting down here is not really an option, constant movement is really the only way to avoid coming under a fairly rigorous stop-and-search. It's an excellent hour-or-so entertainment.

Ubud is a very varied town. A (genuine, not fake) Dolce & Gabana shop sits on the same road as a sprawling market where every type of clothing or souvenir can be bought for next to nothing. Ancient temples sit along side swanky restaurants. You can by a meal for 15,000 Rupiah (just over 1GBP) 200m from a place where a mojito costs 10 times that much – during Happy Hour. No prizes for guessing which side of the divide we're on.

Ubud would be a great place to come on holiday; when you've got less time and more money. I'd recommend it to anyone.