Bali has taught me a lot of things, my time here has been an amazing string of lessons. You don't have to look very hard for them either, they are everywhere...if you are only willing to open you eyes and your heart.

I will never look at a grain of rice the same way again. The love and care that Balinese people give to their rice paddy's is unbelievable. They sit in tiny palm covered shacks watching for birds, clacking noise makers to protect their precious grains. All of the water used in the rice paddy's is communal. It's source begins high in the mountains with a generous rain and the farmers up there will dam off what they need in their terraced fields. Gravity is allowed to run its course as all extra water is released to flow down to neighboring fields until the much needed water reaches the busy and bustling city that tries to grow around the rice. Rice is still harvested by hand, each and every single grain. Think of that love and care next time your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Give thanks.

Bali taught me how to smile. The people here are always smiling. And not fake smiles, you know the kind that don't reach a persons eyes? We are talking face splitting, ear to ear, huge, wide, toothy grins. Truly genuine smiles that make you feel special just seeing them. Before you know it you are smiling all day long, you go to bed at night and your cheek muscles hurt you have smiled so much.

My yoga practice here has taught me that I am stronger than I think I am. That just when I think I cant do anymore, I only have to try a little bit harder. Yoga has also taught me to release any emotions as I feel them, to not store them in my muscles only for them to sneak out later...

Snorkeling taught me to breath, just float and breathe and not be affraid to let the world pass me by. I simply floated, letting the warm currents of the Indian Ocean carry me along. I was privileged to be witness to a whole new world full of tropical fish in every imaginable color, coral of all sizes and shaped, and silence...blessed, golden silence.

A very belated and very merry Christmas to you all! Blessings and love for 2010! Here are a few pictures of how we spent the holidays, Bali styles. Please click on an image to see it larger and to read its description. Enjoy!