Yoga in Bali

[Guest guest]

Yoga in Bali<br><br>I got a bunch of requests a

few weeks ago for information about yoga classes in

Bali. I’m afraid that there isn’t a whole lot these

days – particularily of the Ashtanga variety. Danny

Paradise and Rolf Naujokat & Kirsten

Berg<br>(kersjeb and ronakat)<br>are not going to be

in Bali this year, and instead are teaching in

southern Thailand.<br><br>That being said, the options

available are a young lady named jessie chapman

<jessie_2481>, who teaches at least five days a week at the

Indus Restaurant in Ubud. She alternates Iyengar and

Ashtanga flow, and while some may eschew mixing styles I

can tell you she had a fine 1st series a year ago and

I suspect a goodly portion of the 2nd mastered as

well. She’s written two books on the subject of yoga,

BTW. Quite knowledgeable. <br><br>Karen,

<arsareka> who runs the Terrazzo and Batan Waru restaurants

in Ubud also teaches Ashtanga 1st series

occasionally in Sanur. <br><br>Katya at the The Bodaya Studio

in Sanur also has a modified Astanga class, along

with her usual Pilates. She’s a knowledgeable person

on therapeutic issues, and also is a practitioner of

silat, an Indonesian martial art.

www.bodayastudio.com<br><br>Penny <pennypeninsulabali>. might

also be able to help people in search of classes or

groups to study with. Penny works at the international

school with a woman named EVA who is a certified Iyengar

teacher. Unfortunately I don’t have any more info on

Eva.<br><br>Balinese teachers include a fellow named Olop who teaches

in Legian, I know nothing else about him. Ask around

when you get here. Ibu Gedong in Candidasa is a

spiritual leader of some sort and apparently yoga classes

are available at her ashram. There may still be a

Balinese Astanga teacher at the Ubud Sari spa in Ubud, but

that place is a horrendous rip-off flogging New Age

claptrap and Tantric sex courses. The Bodywork Center on

Jl. Hanoman is a great place for a massage and there

is an energetic Balinese guy there teaching some

kind of Sivananda/Iyengar hybrid.<br><br>Made

Kerentono on the Andong road to Tegalallang teaches some

kind of pranayama/meditation/martial art course. He’s

been doing it forever so he must have students. I knew

him when he was a theater director in ’84 and he was

good at that.<br><br>Forget all the Lonely

Planet/Fodors guidebook drivel, and avoid at all costs the

tourist propaganda publications you will find in Bali.

You want to read up about Bali before your trip visit

www.latitudesmagazine.com and buy an on-line subscription to read their

back issues, and get the new issue when you get here.

And a wonderful novel by Bali writer Diana Darling

has recently been reprinted “The Painted Alphabet”.

Get it. Avoid Kuta, learn to scuba dive at a Padi

Certified Dive shop, and always take a left when the

guidebook tells you to take a right.<br><br>Cheers,<br>DMCG