Beginning in Berlin

Wilkommen! We have arrived at our first stop in Germany – Berlin. 

 This is a new kind of trip for us, and not just because we finally made it to Europe. We are here with no agenda, no work, no auditions… just exploring and experiencing. (This is our honeymoon after all!)  

Some of our favourite things we did:

  • Schloss Charlottenburg – with the softest lawn and spring flowers (and then the seriously full-on decorated interior)
  • City Centre walking tour – the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust memorial etc. Such a humbling feeling to physically stand in locations with so much history. 
  • Local food – Currywurst, lots of bakeries and Cakes, Ka De We food hall (so much chocolate!) Also local strawberry and asparagus shopping at market stalls.
  • Walking/taking a boat along the river Spree – so nice to take a break along the water and watch the locals enjoying their ‘beach’.
  • Museum Island to stare at a lot of mind-blowingly old stuff (including Egyptian artefacts) at the Neues Museum
  • The architecture and sheer age of some of the buildings (and also what it has taken to rebuild what was lost)… Particularly amazing to us Australians. 

       

The biggest thing we came away with was a huge admiration for how far Berlin has come since the wars … Some of the ‘before and after’ pictures over the past century are truly incredible.    

  Traveling helps to open your mind; seeing how people live and understanding their history makes us more open, compassionate, and tolerant. 


We are so grateful to be on this adventure! Bis später! 

Yoga in Ubud – Week 1

Our first week of training in Bali is over – and it has surprised us.  

 

First of all – our yoga course. It sounds crazy, but we think it has already changed us. Courses like this are often said to be ‘transformative’ – but it is still hard to believe until it happens! We didn’t expect to get information that is so motivating. It is truly widening our perspective on yoga and on life.

 

 

Just a few things we focused on:

  • How every moment, thought and action has an affect on your life force. Working on self awareness.
  • Learning what it takes to ‘strengthen your internal world’, so that you can manage the challenges of life.
  • Yoga helps you achieve a balanced state – not worn out or tired, not stressed or anxious. Your natural balanced state!
  • Amazing insights into meditation and breathing… and actually trying it.
  • There is a lot more to the art of Yoga than poses. A lot
  • And yes – we meditated at dawn, did headstands during ‘reggae yoga’ and sat around a fire chanting sanskrit mantras. We even got a string of mala beads. Total yogis!

…there is so much more. We could write pages! 

  Our yoga teacher training course is with The School of Sacred Arts at The Yoga Barn. We are having an amazing time. Even if it finished now, we would be satisfied – and there is still 3 weeks left!

 Oh, and secondly – Ubud is a wonderful place to visit. You should go.

Great things about taking a rejuvenating trip to Ubud! :

  • Amazing food – local, organic, raw, vegan or pretty much anything else… All at very low prices.
  • Yoga classes – the Yoga Barn alone has an amazing selection of classes, not to mention awesome stuff like ecstatic dance and healing music concerts. 
  • All kinds of talks/lectures/healing therapies available… It is easy to do something for yourself and try new things.
  • Lots of cheap massage/spa treatments /reflexology etc to calm down your day.
  • Live traditional Balinese music and dance – presented in the evening at many temples around town throughout the week. You can really feel the spirit of Bali!
  • The scenic rice paddies – escape the motorcycles and go for a walk or hike into the green. It is so peaceful and beautiful out there!
  • Lots more! …local shopping on the narrow and busy streets – locally made yoga related clothes and jewellery – Balinese sculpture and art… The list goes on!

What an interesting and different holiday this  could make for so many people! Open your mind. Do it for yourself. Find your balanced state! (Plus the rest of Bali is right there, waiting to be explored…)

 

  

 

We have a lot more to say, but thought we would start with this overview of our experience.

See you again soon – Namaste.