For those of you who didn’t know, I am currently in Bali, Indonesia taking my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training course at Blooming Lotus Yoga. Coming into it, I did not know what to expect.  I did not do any research on what Blooming Lotus looked like or what a daily schedule would consist of. That was part of the appeal. All I knew was that I have been wanting to travel to Bali for a while, and was inspired early on to get my 200-hour YTT. A year ago, I was constantly looking at Yoga Teacher Training courses across the world, but none of them felt right. I would get a strong gut feeling or intuition that it wasn’t the right time. In January I was in school to become a Holistic Nutrition Practitioner and felt the urge to go look at Yoga Teacher Training in Bali. Blooming Lotus was the first one to pop up and I was immediately drawn to their program. I applied and was quickly accepted into the program. It worked out perfectly because the YTT started a week after I completed my final exam for Holistic Nutrition. It really felt like it was meant to be. Since being here I have learned that being accepted into the program is a great honor because they can only accept 26 applicants, and they receive thousands of applicants per training session. I truly believe everything happens for a reason; if something is meant to happen it should be easy and life should flow effortlessly. Whenever I am trying to make something happen and I keep experiencing roadblocks or difficulties, it is a sign that I need to stop, slow down, and let life guide me where I am supposed to go.

Once I arrived at Blooming Lotus, I was taken back by the beauty of this place. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I got to meet my roommate Heather, who is from California and we immediately clicked. I have always enjoyed traveling because of the many amazing people you meet along the way. It provides you the opportunity to leave your life back at home and be who you truly are with no expectations or rules.

Our days are very busy and do not have a lot of down time. To give you an idea of what a typical day looks like, I have outlined our schedule below.

• Tea/coffee: 6:30-7:00 AM
• Meditation & Pranayama (breath work): 7:00-8:00 AM
• Breakfast: 8:00-8:30 AM

The morning is done in complete silence or if we need to speak, we are expected to whisper.

• Philosophy, Theory, Special Topics, Asana Lab and Asana Class: 8:30 AM-12:30 PM
• Lunch: 12:30-1:30 PM
• Homework Assignment/ Free time: 1:30-3:00 PM
• Tea/coffee/snacks: 3:00-4:00 PM
• Asana Lab, Theory, Technique, Special Topics: 4:00-6:00 PM
• Dinner: 6:00-7:00 PM
• Philosophy, Special Topics, Pranayama & Meditation: 7:00-9:30 PM
• Rest/Bedtime

As you can see the day is arranged from the moment we wake up till we go to bed. The schedule will sometimes change depending on the day, and after 4 complete days of classes we get a free day to explore Bali or relax.

I have been practicing yoga for over two years now, with some meditation here or there if I am feeling stressed or overwhelmed, but I have never meditated to the extent that I have in the past ten days. On the first day, we meditated so much I began to experience a ton of emotions, both positive and negative, and I felt very off-balanced. This resulted in me becoming very distant from people, quiet and found myself crying at random times of the day. I do not know where these suppressed emotions are coming from, just that they began to consume me. This is very different from what I am typically like, as I have always been an extrovert and feed off the positive energy in a room.  However, I can be emotional because I do tend to display my heart on my sleeve.

In the beginning, I began to think something was wrong with me. I did not know if other people were experiencing the same feelings and it left me struggling with the process I was going through. However, I soon found out that many people were experiencing the same feelings. Meditation brings such stillness and allows the body to process tough emotions and feelings that tend to be suppressed over the years. Emotion is energy that moves throughout the body. If emotion becomes suppressed, it can show up as pain and discomfort or heaviness. Through stillness of the mind, this allows shifts of energy to take place and the removal of blocked emotions. This will create momentary discomfort. (For more information on this reference my previous post “E-Motion”). One moment I will feel completely normal and myself, and the next moment I am crying and craving alone time to process how I’m feeling. Although I am constantly on this roller coaster of emotions, I find myself craving the meditation and silence in the morning. Even though this could be one of the hardest things I have put myself through mentally and emotionally, I know that I am reaching a deeper part of myself and will find clarity in the end. Clarity on who I am and what my true purpose is in this lifetime. Emotions are wrapped around fear because fear is what suppresses the emotions in the first place. Fear of feeling. Fear of dealing with tough situations. Fear of being. By releasing these emotions through stillness and going inwards, it releases this fear and allows you to just be. It is an amazing feeling that brings so much calmness, so much stillness, and so much understanding. Understanding that can only be learnt once you take the time to still the mind and become passive with whatever comes to the surface. In society, it is so easy to turn to external things to find clarity and happiness, when true happiness comes from within.

Everything is either Love or a search for Love. I promise to always live life with Love and Compassion and trust the Universe always has everyone’s best interest at heart. As we are all One.

xoxo,

Mindful Harts