Ayu Sekar
Essentially Oil
According to Wikipedia, “An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants.” And that rather dry explanation is only the beginning of it. Oils are a way of life for many and they can enhance your life in so many ways. Easterners have known about the value of essential oils
Mapeed : A Balinese Ritual Procession
One of Bali’s most iconic ceremonies is the Mapeed – or sometimes mepeed – where lines of Balinese women walk together as ritual. Our contributor Ayu Sekar shares more: Out of the squalor and chaos of the market, a stream of waving long bamboo flagpoles or penjors start to appear. Accompanied by the sound of
Natural Healing: A Magnificent Magnesium Massage
We all like to stay healthy and we are lucky to live at a time when new discoveries are being made almost daily. And we are all looking for miracles. One of the top trending new health miracles is magnesium or to be precise, magnesium oil. Most of us are magnesium deficient without even realising
The Old, The Bold and The Beautiful
Even while the Holy mountain rumbles, life in Bali goes on. The Balinese tend to take life as it comes, living in the moment, rather than fretting about what may or may not happen sometime in the future. Here, people from all different walks of life – farmers, tourist people and old folk working in
Cooking with a Bicycle, with Will Meyrick
“Be ready for pick up at 6.15 am said the briefing”. Hmm, this seemed a little early for anything but a very enthusiastic market tour but ok. I was happy to play along. Being a great believer of the “see what happens next” school I prepared myself for this ridiculously early pick up. Perhaps I
Stalwarts of the Sawah: The Life of the Balinese Rice Farmer
Bali’s beautiful glistening green rice fields are no accident. They are the result of a rice culture that has been handed down for centuries. A carefully integrated system of planting and irrigation through the UNESCO World Heritage recognised Subak system means that for centuries, rice farmers all over the island have received water to irrigate
Ubud and the Rise of the Yoga Warriors
One day I was having breakfast in a Yoga friendly centre, when the yoga class broke out and streams of scantily clad yoga warriors poured out towards the breakfast buffet. There was no OM and Namaste in this group – the only thing on their mind was to get to that buffet before the rest
Under the Rumbling Holy Mountain
While Bali’s holy mountain Gunung Agung rumbles threateningly, keeping everyone on their toes, life in the villages continues unabated. Here in a tiny hamlet, within shouting distance of Gunung Agung, the villagers celebrate their temple celebration or Odalan without turning a hair. Even though this little village of Yeh Poh – water of the heavenly
A Shot in the Arm: Trying the ND Yag Laser Treatment at Cocoon Medical Spa
Sometimes we just want to freshen up, to feel a little rejuvenated, with a little lift both inside and out. Feeling in need of a little freshening, I decided to head to Cocoon, on Sunset Road and try their ND Yag Laser treatment, which is reputed to do a great job of refining our facial
Dance, Trance and the Bali Spirit
Balinese ceremonies will always provide a little something. Something visual, something surprising, something out of the ordinary. People come together at their village temple, primarily to pray to their gods, yet at the same time it keeps each community strong and connected. It is this regular procession of temple festivals or Odalan, which happen in
Palm Reading, Cave Rooms and Healers at Visesa Spa
Drive up the road by Ubud’s beautiful palace and very soon, after passing rice fields and other signs of Bali, you will come to Desa Visesa – a resort of a different kind. Commanding a position over looking pristine rice fields, this is a resort with a difference, where people and especially children are encouraged
Kastala Kapers: Journey to Another World
Anyone who thinks that Bali’s culture is dying just needs out head out of town. I am guessing that many of the southerners busy with business and the pursuits of pleasure care less but that doesn’t stop Bali’s vibrant culture being nurtured by their profits. It is surely a win win situation for everyone! Kastala,
The Darling Daahas of Dauh Tukad
Every year the Bali Aga (original Balinese) villages around Karangasem celebrate the coming of age of their young folk with a procession of rites and rituals. Part of the celebration is the famed Parang Pandan – fights with spiny pandanus leaves designed to draw blood from their opponents to spill on the ground and thus
