I recently had the pleasure of spending 5 days back in Ubud, Bali (which is where I previously lived for 7 months. )

It was so refreshing to be back in this epicentre for healing and wellness and it reminded me to take notice of some of the areas I have neglected recently. As a Mum, sometimes I can fool myself into believing I’m a hero if I’m constantly busy and putting myself last, but nothing could be further from the truth. My time in Bali helped me get some energy back, reconnect and refocus on what’s really important in life.

Here is what I learned whilst sipping coconuts in amongst the rice fields…

• Practice gratitude every damn day. The Balinese have a beautiful tradition where they make an ‘offering’ to the Gods thanking them for all they have been blessed with. In this offering they give back the elements of life that sustain them. There is a bit of food (perhaps a biscuit or some rice), something from nature like a flower, incense for fire and then they sprinkle water over the top. The Balinese make an offering at least 5 times a day and during this time they close their eyes, meditate and give thanks. You see this everywhere you go in Bali, even in front of the most dingy shack like shop front, the people are still so grateful for what they have in life. Compare this, to the collective mentality in Melbourne of ‘more, more more’ it was very humbling to be a part of this ‘attitude of gratitude.’

• Simple is best. The Balinese don’t complicate life. Especially in Ubud, they eat the food they’ve grown themselves, use natural herbs for their medicine, prioritise family, respect their work and work hard at it and spending time in nature is part of their daily routine. In the Western world we’re always looking for the magic answer for weight loss, happiness and health and we’ve been tricked to believe it can be bought with a credit card. But just 5 days of eating clean, spending time in nature and stressing less suddenly all the answers seemed much complicated.

• Let the sun be your clock. Everything is so open in Bali so you are constantly aware of the sun and natural light. For this reason we found ourselves naturally waking earlier (the crowing roosters certainly helped) and getting tired much earlier, by 9pm we were conked out! At home we often stay up watching TV with the lights on or looking at our devices and the body gets tricked by the artificial light. So we end up going to bed way later than we should and then oversleep because we feel so exhausted. This creates a cycle of grogginess and caffeine! The sun is energy giving, think of a plant and how much it grows by being exposed to light. Us humans are just the same and by spending maximum time awake under it and maximum time asleep when it’s down we were so much more productive and positive and energised.

Now I’m back home I’m trying to stay connected to these important lessons from my time in Bali. I have started burning incense at home and taking little moments even if in traffic or whilst eating a meal to be more thankful for all I have. I am eating cleaner, getting outdoors and trying to move my whole sleep routine forward to match the sun. Its’ certainly not perfect yet but overall I am already feel more energised and content.

We definitely don’t need to travel in order to make a change in our lives. But a change in perspective can be very powerful if we are open to accepting new ideas and changing the habits that don’t serve us. I’ve also learned that there is no hero badge for being a ‘Martyr Mum’ and I am much better off looking after myself than putting everyone else first. Even if this means (shock horror) getting a babysitter and doing a Yoga class or something that gives me energy. You can’t pour from an empty coconut!

I hope that this info helps you guys also and for anyone wanting a relaxed, healing holiday be sure to ask me about Ubud, after spending 7 months there I can definitely point you in the right direction for healthy food, great Yoga and awesome massages!