Why Bali is Authentic – the Real Deal

Balinese Hinduism permeates the life of the Balinese. Around practically every doorway you’ll find small palm leaf baskets filled with flower petals, foliage and incense (“canang sari”).

Every day at 6am, 12pm and 6pm you will hear the chants of the Hindu Gayatri mantra – a devotional chant to protect loved ones from evil.

Most significantly these Hindu practices go back to the first century AD, when Indian seafaring traders first brought Hinduism to the island (source).

Bali is authentic precisely because the spirituality which one can sense immediately in the air is part of a centuries old tradition. One which continues to permeate the every day life of the local population. 

Indigenous Agricultural Economy

As far as the eyes can see are rice fields. This is because rice is one of the main staples of this primarily agricultural economy.

While tourism produces the most income for this island, it’s agriculture which employs the most locals (source). The main commodities being rice, Arabica coffee and fishing.

Rice planting has been going on for generations. As part of the innovations which the locals deploy, in the cultivation of rice, you will see terraces (like steps) on most rice farms. This is to manage the irrigation and turn the sharp slope of hills into productive farm land.

Many coffee farmers in Bali follow the Hindu philosophy of "Tri Hita Karana". Thereby they believe that the three causes of happiness are good relations with God, the environment and other people (source).

The rice paddies are not put on as show for tourists. They are the real deal. They are one of the reasons why Bali is authentic.

Distinct Local Culture

Bali is distinct in its local culture.

It is a Hindu island (80% of the inhabitants of Bali are Hindu) in a predominantly Muslim country (Indonesia).

Yet even that Hinduism is unique. Over the centuries Balinese Hinduism has taken on a distinct form different from the Hinduism practiced in India.

For the Balinese, Hindu worship mixes local animism, ancestor worship and reverence for Buddhist practices.

The Balinese put their own twist on traditional dance, which often depicts the great Hindu epic the Ramayana.

The architecture is heavily influenced by Hinduism yet retains its own indigenous lines, curves and perspective.

Bali is authentic in its unique culture.

Home of the Nalu Bowl

You see them everywhere there are hipsters.

From New York’s Soho to Sydney, the Nalu Bowl is the defacto eco-friendly, health conscious, food for the millennial.

Less known is that it started in Bali. The modern twist of the Nalu Bowl was started at the Shelter Café Bali. However, the heritage goes back to the fresh ingredients used by locals for millennia. 

Learning Yoga from a Yogi

Seeking a great bod with that bliss ? You’ve come to the right place.

The authentic spirituality of Bali is ripe for learning yoga and meditation from a real Hindu Yogi.

Enter Yogi Karan. He’s not kidding around. Get your sweat going with his 10 Day Yoga Teacher Training retreat. 

A veritable Vendantic renaissance man, his expansive knowledge includes Hatha, Kundalini, Kriya & Tantra.

As if that was not enough he also serves 100% vegetarian and vegan food during his retreat.

Yogi Karan’s school is only one of several locations for learning the art and science of yoga and meditation. In fact it’s a long tradition going back centuries to the Hindu ancestors of the Balinese people.

Bali is a unique place to pursue your inner bliss amongst the mystical rice paddies of Ubud and the 1100 year old Hindu temples nearby.