Balispirit yoga retreat in Ubud, Bali

Sigh... Ubud, what a great place! I flew out of Jogja on Wednesday afternoon and was picked up from Denpasar by the retreats driver and headed off into paradise. Ubud is about an hour further north of Denpasar and is very green and chilled and laid-back... perfect to escape and relax for a few days! Everything was organised ahead, the airport pickup, hotels, yoga classes, and meal vouchers so it was all very cruisy. It was really interesting- Ive been doing yoga classes in Jogja and what a difference it makes to have them taught in english for a change! I did several different classes, tried some different styles of yoga and meditation and it was lovely and relaxing. Strange to be travelling completely by myself tho! The Balispirit yoga studio is located above a cafe on one of the main roads of Ubud, and I ate there a few times. Wonderful organic and fresh food :) On the first day I did a morning yoga class which was a real workout but fun, then wandered around the town for a while. The call from locals in Ubud is "Transport, yes? Yes, transport?" which is better than all the "Hello, miss"s I guess. The town is a real hippy place, very arty and slow. There were so many shops selling jewellery,wood and stone carvings, fabric and paintings, some really beautiful things! Lots of good cafes too and interesting book shops. My class on Thursday night was tricky, although it was an open level class, the teacher wanted us to do head stands and shoulder stands and things... bit scary! (Tho I wasnt the only one who couldnt do it, only one person could!) A bit out of our depth. On Friday morning I did a walking tour of the surrounds of Ubud, through some temples, rice fields, villages, and by a stream. It was really pretty but so so hot! After a quick dip in the pool, I had a private yoga session in their new yoga barn- this beautiful big place with open walls and a gorgeous view, almost hard to concentrate on the positions! On Friday morning after my class, I was picked up and taken to Spa Hati, a day spa where they kept me hostage for 5 hours! Terrible... I didnt really know what to expect but was v pleasantly surprised by a 90-min massage, body scrub, flower bath, sauna, spa, facial and pedicure! I didnt want to leave! The yoga classes on the weekend were a different style, a bit slower and more meditative, so it set the mood for a lazy laid-back couple of days. I did some shopping, explored the town and just hung out in cafes and relaxed... It was sad to leave such a nice hotel and Balispirit... Sigh... :) Have to go back...