The power of yoga pants – how I unintentionally created my own solo retreat in Ubud, Bali!

The driver who picked me up from Denpasar airport, in the early hours of the morning, barely spoke to me on the journey to Ubud, spiritual heartland of Bali, but when he did it was to ask ‘have you come to do yoga?’ in a resigned tone of thinking he already knew the answer. Therefore, he was surprised when I sincerely declared ‘no, just to relax’.

My visit to Bali, was not sparked by a desire to do yoga but more a curiosity. Several years previous, I like many others had read Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ and being on the brink of life changing decisions myself and being obsessed with travel, the book became somewhat bible like. Blend that with the box office hit film – the gentle swaying hypnotic sounds of Samba de Bencao, Julia Roberts cycling through luscious emerald green rice paddies and the delights of Javier Bardem, who wouldn’t want to go to Bali?

However, fast forward a few years and it seemed like everyone was going to Bali. Social media was awash with photographs of lithe bikini clad young ladies sitting on swings, casually swaying through the branches of coconut palms unaware that their photograph was being taken. Or alternatively ‘finding themselves’ during downward facing dog in a yoga class.

So, on the surface I was hesitant because at that time I wasn’t doing any yoga and Bali seemed swamped. I didn’t want to go where everyone else was going. And yet, there was a little nagging voice inside my head, that refused to let go, it was softly cajoling ‘Jenny, Jenny, you know you want to…’

Sign in a field stating Beware Downward facing dog!

Well, you know how it is… Whilst nonchalantly looking at flights on Skyscanner I detected a ‘remarkable bargain’ over the Christmas period and…sneakily booked it. Sneakily because it was one of those late-night moments of madness when my sensible self knew that having just come back from Sri Lanka my finances were not exactly pretty; but oops quicker that you could say ‘jingle bells’ the flight was booked and I was off to Bali for a month. Ubud to be precise.

But, here’s the thing about places that are really popular, they’re popular for a reason. It didn’t take me too long to fall for Bali’s charms, and casually drop neatly into a life of yoga, regular massage and food that even Gwyneth Paltrow would be proud of!

I inadvertently lived my own little solo chilled out retreat for a month…

So how did that happen? The power of yoga pants

Brightly coloured offerings on the sidewalk — Offerings on the sidewalk

On my first day in Ubud, I popped on my flip flops and dutifully went exploring. Against a backdrop of ornate Balinese houses, the sweet woody smell of burning incense and colourful offerings that imbue a sense of mysticism wherever you roam, was the ubiquitous presence of yoga. From shops selling a multitude of vibrant yoga pants to the very healthy (almost too healthy) handsome men and women, with rolled up yoga mats jutting out from under their arms, walking purposefully with an air of authoritative zen to their next class.

I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about all this yoginess. It had been about 20 years since I attended any classes, but like a bee to nectar I was pulled. Probably more by the desire to have some funky new yoga pants more than anything, but by jove I was pulled! I popped into the cool interior of a yoga shop and left with some black and white palm tree patterned yoga pants.

My next question: where am I going to wear my new yoga pants?

Intuitive Flow Yoga studio — Gorgeous Intuitive Flow Yoga

Lucky for me, or perhaps serendipitously, just across the road from my Airbnb in the village of Penestanan (on the outskirts of Ubud), was a small hand printed sign pointing up a narrow path in the direction of some rice paddies. The sign read ‘Intuitive Flow Yoga’ and this was where I spent the next month happily rediscovering my yoga practice.

To be honest, how could I not? Intuitive Flow yoga is situated in the most gorgeous yoga studio with breath-taking views from all angles. It was an absolute calm inducing, pleasure overload just to sit in the studio and look out of the windows, never mind practise yoga. But practise I did, and every few days I plodded up the narrow walkways adorned with fragrant tropical flowers and crossed trickling streams to embrace my cobra, warrior and tree postures.

When I commit to something, I do it with gusto and at that time in Ubud I wasn’t quite sure why, but I knew it felt damn good. Now, writing this retrospectively and after finding an amazing teacher back home, I know that regular yoga enables me to find that quiet internal space, where emotional balance and strength unfold, permeating everyday life. As I open my muscles, deep fascia and breathe into those spaces, I keep in touch with my centre, my dancing soul, my spirit – that first woke me up in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and it feels great!

Spa Treatments

Besides yoga, I also discovered the blissful delights of having regular massage – all made possible because they are such good value for money in Ubud. I treated myself to a massage of some kind 2-3 times a week! I was blessed with the good fortune of having Cantika and Siddhi Ayu massage just a stone’s throw from my Airbnb.

Cantika (Jasmine, Zest & Alami) offer a treasure trove of spa treatments using home made products created from plants grown in their own gardens. I enjoyed regular heavenly body massages in Cantika Jasmine’s idyllic surroundings, with exquisite floral smells wafting gently in on the breeze. The creator of Cantika, Jasi, also runs workshops on how to make natural products with ingredients native to your own country.

Siddhi Ayu Massage – situated less than a 1 minute from Intuitive Flow, is an insanely good masseuse. This guy was booked up a week in advance when I was there so be sure to book in early. All I can say is that I left his tiny spa literally floating, I don’t think I have ever been so relaxed in my life!

Super healthy food

Take out salad in a banana leaf container – Alchemy

So, here’s another thing about Ubud, you are surrounded by squeaky clean super healthy food restaurants which makes it conveniently easy to earn your gold star in healthy eating! Here’s a few to devour in Penestanan:

Alchemy – advertised as ‘food as medicine’, and situated next door to my Airbnb, this 100% organic raw food vegan café and restaurant, was my early morning stop for a delicious coconut macchiato and my lunchtime stop for a take-out salad in a banana leaf container – how cool is that?

Yellow Flower Café – situated near Intuitive Flow Yoga, the cafe overlooks lush green fields and distant mountains. Dangling with creepers, you can chill out on cushions and enjoy delicious home style Balinese yumminess and life affirming nutritious drinks.

Made’s Warung – satisfying delicious food in very pretty surroundings at a great price! Made’s offers both a vegetarian and meat menu and having picked from both I can confirm it’s all delicious! I particularly loved the use of tempeh, which is not something I normally like!

Walks

There are many lovely walks you can take through picturesque terraced rice fields fringed by coconut palms and teaming with dragonflies, butterflies and colourful birds. I tended to wander, explore and discover, though there are plenty of circular walks you can do – just google!

Campuhan Ridge Walk was a particular favourite for me. It starts near the Campuhan Bridge and after you pass by the Pura Gunung Lebah, you ascend up to the ridge which lies between two great valleys with breath taking views. It only takes about 30 minutes to reach the end of the ridge, so it’s great for families.

As you leave the ridge you can continue along the road for a few minutes until you meet the delightful Karsa Kafe and stop for a much-deserved glass of freshly squeezed juice.

I’d also recommend peeking in some of the art galleries located in the same area. I love collecting bits of art when I travel. One morning I was particularly taken, when I spotted a large canvas laying on the ground still glistening with wet paint. It depicted a woman’s bust, adorned in flowers, with peacock eyes and gloriously spiky hair. I could not resist the allure in her eyes, and I knew she needed to be mine. I paid immediately, and she was delivered rolled up on the back of a moped to my accommodation. I adore her, for me she is the spirit of Ubud.

Painting - a woman’s bust, adorned in flowers, with peacock eyes and gloriously spiky hair — The spirit of *Ubud*

Tip: The walk can get quite busy, it’s also very exposed with little shade so I’d recommend going early in the morning or in the evening.

Is it all about yoga? What else can you do in Ubud?

man on moped with a box of orchids — Orchids on a moped? Where else but Bali?

It’s not all yoga! There’s plenty to do in Ubud town, although it has to be said that the once sleepy village characterised in Eat Pray Love is now more of a consumer and tourist paradise, with roads choked with mopeds and tour buses. However, this does mean that it’s also a shoppers’ paradise especially for all things esoteric and arty. There’s also some great boutique clothing shops and if you’re hunting for bargains and souvenirs Ubud’s central market is perfect, just but be sure to haggle down the prices…and then haggle some more!

There’s also an abundance of cool hipster cafes serving great coffee to hang out in, serenely decorated restaurants where you laze on cushions and munch your way through deliciously prepared healthy morsels, and cheap and cheerful warungs selling traditional dishes such as nasi goreng and satay.

Though, let’s not forget that Ubud is still Bali’s beating cultural and spiritual heart. There’s a profusion of museums and art galleries showcasing the best of Balinese art such as the Blanco Renaissance Musuem.

Then, when you are ready for some ‘time out’ the Hindu temples, known as Pura provide a tranquil contemplative space. The puras’ intricate designs are fascinating sculptural masterpieces. In the centre of Ubud, the beautiful Pura Taman Saraswati designed in honour of the Hindu Goddess of knowledge is located behind by two big ponds of pink lotus flowers. It’s definitely worth stopping by and taking a reflective break.

Laundry – I have to mention this! Getting your laundry done is great value for money! As I travelled very light and due to my unexpected uptake of yoga, getting my laundry done became pretty important.

What’s it like for women travelling solo in Ubud?

In one word, perfect.

Since Eat Pray Love catapulted Ubud into solo female travel stardom, Ubud is an easy place to spend some time on your own.

I remember once popping into Alchemy, for a quick juice, and as I searched for a table, I couldn’t find one. They were nearly all occupied by women on their own, either reading, tapping away on laptops, scanning their mobile phones or simply admiring the vista.

Ubud is a mecca for solo women and it’s not hard to start up conversations and meet new friends.

What did I take away from Bali?

I believe that the places we visit, leave an imprint on our souls; some just a shimmy and a trace, but others flash into our consciousness and give us something much more. Perhaps they help us grow, change, inspire or teach us a valuable life lesson.

Bali gave me the enduring gift of yoga for which I am immensely grateful, and I know that when I’m doing my daily practice in many years time, the spark of Bali will be there.

Accommodation

There’s so much choice when it comes to accommodation and it’s great value for money – I stayed at Rusmini’s Airbnb in the village of Penestanan.

The village of Penestanan, just a couple of km west outside the busy centre of Ubud is a great place to base yourself. It’s easily walkable into the centre of Ubud but offers a calm and peaceful haven to totally unwind in the midst of beautiful tropical countryside.

In recent years, it has become a lot more popular with visitors, expats, and digital nomads, but it still has that easy-going village vibe with an arty sensibility, which dates back to the 60’s when an expressionistic style of painting known as the ‘young artists’ took root. Today, Penestanan is known for its bead-work which is sold in many of the local shops.

When to go? I went to Bali in December and oh my goodness did it rain! Not all the time, it was interspersed by glorious sunshine, but when it rained, it seriously rained! So much so that one evening as I was walking back along the road from a yoga session, the rainwater was up to my shins! The wettest months in Bali are November to March, with December to February being particularly rainy! So, if you don’t want rain, I’d suggest you go April through to October. However, the rain in no way spoiled my visit and I enjoyed the sunshine even more so.

What made me grumble?

A big negative for me was the lack of public transport, unlike many South Asian countries Bali’s public transport is not well developed. There is no train service and only shuttle buses (Bemos and Perama) with limited timings between some towns. I found this to be a real hassle because I don’t drive, I wasn’t interested in hiring a scooter and I didn’t have the budget for taking taxis, so exploring outside Ubud was challenging. When I decided I wanted to make a trip to Amed on the coast it required very careful planning.