Bali: A Traveler's Folktale

Vacations and other travel opportunities can be the basis for some pretty interesting folktales. The traveler gets to share his or her feelings and thoughts about a special place that touched them in some memorable way.

For Bonnie Clark, owner of Lotus Healing Massage & Yoga the folklore motif of travel to an exotic place is a perfect fit. In this case the place is Bali.

Bonnie travels as a yoga teacher with Spirit Tours. The small group arrangement allows for personalized attention and that’s something Bonnie believes is important when it comes to visiting places that emanate spirituality.

Here is Bonnie’s folktale –story- about Bali:

I have always loved to travel. It's my kind of adventure to explore different types of people, customs, wildlife, botanical treasures, art and so forth. I have done quite a bit of travel and I found that Bali holds an additional
strong attraction. Its very structure seems to have been woven from an intertwining of art and spirituality. That makes a place like Bali perfect for learning more about the world and for our travelers to learn more about themselves.

When I did this trip in 2009, I felt like I was coming home to "Heaven on Earth". Bali exudes a fragrance of hospitality, beauty and grace and most of all......love. Jim Cramer, the Spirit Tour guide, having lived in Bali for ten years immersed in the culture (actually accepted into the temple dancing) and knowing the Balinese, allowed us access to the "real" Bali, including a visit to a family compound. This year’s trip includes a cooking class and a five day stay at the main art center.
There is beauty everywhere in Bali … in the lotus flowers, the rice
fields, the buildings, the clothing and especially in the genuine smiles given freely by the Balinese!

The word for artist doesn’t exist in Bali because everyone is an artist. Art and tourism are their two main sources of income. We saw wood carvings, mask making, batiks, weaving, painting, jewelry making, dancing, music and
more. Overall, there is an artistry in the way the Balinese live.

This artistry is represented in the Balinese spirituality and the way they express it. Each day starts with a beautiful ritual including fresh delicate flowers offered up to God. They do have some exquisite arrangements but the sweetness of the people surpasses even that.

Our luxurious accommodations, delicious food, great places to walk, swim and shop and the spa treatments were unbelievably inexpensive and very nice...like a bath after your massage with flower petals.

The morning Yoga that I led is very accessible for all levels and this year, just like before, we will walk to the yoga room through a garden filled with lotus flowers.

To learn more about the upcoming trip, Bonnie invites you to visit the travel page of her website.

Photos copyright Bonnie Clark, 2009.