The Bali Blog

Hi everyone,

I’m so excited to be back teaching and to share what I got up to while I was in Bali!🏝️

Bali has always been on my bucket list of places I would love to visit, and luckily, my sister was travelling there on her backpacking trip, and my parents were going to be there at the same time too! Bali is a global hub for yoga, with so many teacher training schools, retreats, and classes.

The journey

First,  the travel there and back✈️ I’ve flown by myself a few times before, but only on short flights, so taking two flights with a layover was a big deal for me! Just two years ago, I was scared even to leave the house alone. My fibromyalgia, dissociation, and anxiety had gotten so bad that I felt like I wasn’t in control of myself and was constantly worried about what my future would look like.

So, to go from being worried about leaving the house to flying nearly 8,000 miles away was a massive achievement for me, and I’m so proud of myself. Eloise from two years ago wouldn’t believe it! ❤️

Ubud

We spent a week in the beautiful (and VERY busy) town of Ubud, filled with so much history and culture. I’ve never been anywhere like it - it was incredible.

On every street, there were temples and shrines. The main religion in Bali is Hinduism, and they have their own unique branch of the faith. Along the streets and outside every home, there were blessings and offerings, little leaf baskets filled with flowers, food, coins, and even coffee to give to the gods.

After adjusting to the 7-hour time difference, my family and I started exploring the town, visiting many temples, waterfalls, and rice terraces. Of course, this was the perfect opportunity to get all the Instagram pictures! Everywhere you looked was so green and luscious, full of life. We even went to a water purification temple to get blessed, where you walk into the holy water under fountains - such a special experience.

Yoga in Bali

I brought my travel yoga mat along and made sure to keep up my practice at the villas we stayed in. It was so lovely to have time to dedicate just to my own movement. I always find new ways to flow and sequence, and I love revisiting poses I don’t practice often.

When I knew I was coming to Ubud, I had to try some yoga classes for myself. A family friend recommended a studio called The Yoga Barn, and as soon as I arrived, I knew I had to buy a block of classes and soak in the beautiful space. It was quite literally a yoga village, with multiple studios connected by winding jungle paths and ponds filled with koi fish. They even had the most gorgeous café, where I definitely indulged in plenty of sweet treats.

Here are some pictures of The Yoga Barn - my version of heaven! 🤍

Here are the classes I attended:

🧘‍♀️ 90-minute Restorative Yoga with Healing Sounds – with Hayden Rain

This class used every yoga prop you could imagine. I’ve never done a yoga class where we each had two bolsters - it was so fun! We moved through a series of floor-based restorative poses while someone played live music using gongs, sound bowls, and rain instruments. I was so zenned out after this class.

🧘‍♀️ 90-minute Hatha Flow – with Donovan Manning

This was my favourite class of the trip! Donovan’s teaching style is so similar to mine - playful, alignment-focused, and full of light-hearted jokes. My sister joined me for this class and it was such fun working towards Dancer’s Pose (my FAVOURITE balance pose) and exploring different variations of Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose. Definitely ached for the next few days though!

🧘‍♀️ 60-minute Healing Yoga Nidra – with Leah Santa Cruz

Yoga Nidra is a deeply relaxing style of yoga. You get comfy in Savasana using props, then follow a guided meditation. Allegedly, one hour of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to three hours of REM sleep. Leah also played crystal sound bowls - it was so calming. My dad and sister joined me, and it was lovely to share this peaceful class with them. We all drifted in and out of sleep, and that post-Yoga-Nidra feeling is just the best: spacey and grounded.

🧘‍♀️ 90-minute Kundalini Yoga – with Rebecca Pflaum

This was my first-ever Kundalini yoga class! Kundalini yoga is a practice that uses breath, movement, and sound to awaken energy at the base of the spine and channel it through the body. Rebecca began with a 30-minute talk about this energy and how we all can tap into it. The class included repetitive movements, swaying, shaking, and chanting along with specific actions. It was a unique experience, and I’d love to explore this style more.

Honestly, I want to move to The Yoga Barn! I would love to go back in a few years, maybe for a retreat or to stay in their onsite accommodation and buy an unlimited membership so I can attend multiple classes a day for a few weeks and completely recharge.

Sanur

After Ubud, we headed to Sanur, which is by the beach - literal paradise. Take me back! During this part of the trip, I read by the pool for hours, rolled out my yoga mat for more solo practice, and soaked up every moment of relaxation. In the evenings, we went out as a family for dinner. We even saw a reggae band and a Beatles cover band - both were amazing!

One morning, we took part in a Balinese cooking course, where we learned to make 8 traditional dishes. My favourite? Definitely Nasi Goreng!

Reflection

This was such a beautiful trip, full of yoga inspiration, and I can’t wait to share everything I’ve learned with this amazing community. I’m so grateful to my family for making it such a special and memorable holiday - thank you, Mum, Dad, and Jasmine! I love you all!

I already miss my sister - she’s still off adventuring through more of Bali, then on to New Zealand, Australia, and Vegas! But the best part of the whole trip? Seeing how happy she is while travelling. I love her so much and can’t wait to hear all about her adventures!

Upcoming for Yoga by Eloise

🧺 Upcoming: Yoga by Eloise Community Picnic

📍Saturday 30th August at 1 pm, Buckhurst Hill (weather permitting) 😊

•  Roding Valley Nature Reserve (opposite the basketball court, at the bottom of the hill, IG9 6BP) 

• Look out for the big Yoga by Eloise banner!

• Everyone is welcome - bring along your family and friends! Don’t forget your favourite snacks and drinks to share

🧘‍♀️ New Monday Evening Classes In Buckhurst Hill – Starting Monday 1st September

• Mixed ability class - everyone is welcome!

• Every Monday, 7–8 pm

• Stag Room (upstairs), Woollard Centre, IG9 6AD

  
  

Please share with your friends and family so we can continue to grow our beautiful yoga community.

Thank you for reading! Would anyone be interested in a Yoga by Eloise retreat in 2026? Let me know in the comments 😊

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See you on the mat,

 Eloise x