I had about two weeks to spare and I wanted to go on holiday. I wanted to go far away, to go somewhere hot, somewhere I would feel safe and comfortable, where I could relax but be productive as well. I wanted to go somewhere where my soul would grow.
So I decided to go to Bali. I always wanted to go to Bali and heard so many good things about it. Everyone always had something nice to say about Bali! It would definitely be hot there and I knew it was a very spiritual and holistic country. Bali seemed to tick all the boxes.
So when I saw the trip to volunteer in a school in Bali I thought that’s it! That’s what I want to do.
Its been an amazing journey. I went with my younger sister Neelam, which gave us some quality time together. We had such a lovely experience teaching in the Bedulu village and we adored the children. We were also very close to the main town of Ubud which kept us busy in the evenings.
Our general day involved assisting the teachers with the disabled children in the morning and then teaching English to the other kids in the afternoons. I also taught all the children yoga which was such a special honour and they loved it!
We stayed with a Balinese family who were lovely and our room was unexpectedly very comfortable (I thought I would be roughing it) although we had to get used to cold showers! Staying with and working for the Balinese meant we got to see some of the traditional Balinese ways of life. We also saw one of their big ceremonies which was very memorable.
It was a shame we were only there for two weeks as I felt as though I didn’t give or nourish the students as much as I could. However the trip has helped me think about what I would like to do in the future. I have given much thought as to how my soul needs to grow and to serve.
I believe if you nurture yourself and your soul it’s the greatest work you can do for humanity. Therefore in this new year I have some ‘soul work’ I need to do which I hope will result in benefits for myself and society as a whole.
A working holiday in Bali has been a really good experience. Towards the end of our trip we stayed in a hotel to make the most of Bali beaches and to enjoy the luxury of a hot shower again!
While I was in Bali I couldn’t help but compare it to India. They are both very similar countries but also massively different. If I’m truly honest I feel as though my soul grows more and feels more at home in India. This may be because of my ancestral routes.
However many people gain a lot from Bali and nowadays many westerners live in the country. I saw the foreigners adapting to the Bali way of life and embracing its culture. It seems to be a country which allows people to connect to themselves at a deeper level and takes people back to that feeling of being safe and at home.
If you are thinking about going to Bali then go for it. It is certainly one very special place!
