Living Closer to Nature in Bali

Hello from Bali, where we're on our 11th day of a 2.5 week stay! Bali marks the second chapter of our sabbatical. This leg of the journey is all about slowing down, deepening our yoga practice, and exploring Eastern spirituality. 

The island has been an incredible home so far; the jungle a major juxtaposition to the mountains in New Zealand. We've been averaging 2.5-3 hours of intensive yoga and meditation daily under some of the most skilled practitioners in the world. We've done everything from vinyasa to hatha, krama, nidra, yin and various forms of sound healing. The learnings through yoga have been immense, but some of the richest lessons have extended well beyond the mat and into the daily life.

Life here happens outside.

From our AirBnB to the yoga studios, from cafes/restaurants to temples, everything is outdoors and open-air. Roofs are a luxury, walls are optional, and nature is all around you, all the time. The indoors and outdoors are not clearly delineated like back home. I’ve shared space with geckos on the kitchen counter, millipedes on the couch, frogs in the bathroom, a rat in the courtyard. I’ve been woken up by roosters, soaked by sudden downpours, and surrounded by sounds I still can’t name. There’s a rawness to life here.

And it's been difficult and humbling at times. I’ve always been a nature lover, but I haven’t realized how carefully that love has been contained at home—through screens and windows, hikes and retreats, always with a way to come back to a safe space indoors at the end. Here, that doesn't exist.

The most amazing part is how the Balinese have seamlessly adapted to live alongside nature rather than push against it or try to reduce it, as we often do in the West. There is a deep reverence for the elements and an acceptance woven into daily life. Animals, land and humans co-exist in the same space, and the culture here honors and respects that. This shows up in many small ways through daily life:

• Making daily offerings as an expression of gratitude and harmony with nature and the spirits. Offerings are prepared from natural, symbolic materials like coconut leaves, flower petals and rice leaves.

• Houses and temples are built in harmony with nature and spiritual geography, with the most sacred parts oriented toward the mountains and away from the sea to reflect a balance between the physical and the divine.

• Water isn't just a resource but a divine and sacred element for bathing, purifying, and blessing life.

• Life events often follow the lunar cycle, with auspicious days guiding everything from personal milestones to work and travel plans.

As we've settled in here, I’m struck by how different this mentality is from mine back home. Even as a nature lover, I often see the outdoors as something I visit and have to "manage." It’s a subtle but significant shift from truly living alongside nature and honoring its rhythms—even the uncomfortable ones. Bali is gently teaching me the real meaning of living with nature, not just near it or within it for short moments of the day. To do this, there's a necessity to loosen the grip of control and sink into all the parts of nature, even the less beautiful and more raw ones.

As we wrap up our final week here, I already know I’ll leave with a deeper respect for living with nature, and a subtle reminder of our ability to work alongside the elements rather than fix or fight them.

Thank you, Bali.