Yoga Barn in Bali, Indonesia

It’s no secret that Eat, Pray, Love is one of my favourite books, and one of those rare times where the movie was just as good. One of the many dreams that came out of this was a dream of doing Yoga in Bali. While I spent my first 7 days days touring around, when we finally landed in Ubud I didn’t waste too much time in getting myself over to the Yoga Barn. This famous Yoga studio did not disappoint either.

It’s located just outside of the main streets of Ubud but walking distance from wherever you’re staying, a bit down the road on Jl. Honoman. One word of caution though, there aren’t stop lights anywhere so if you’re planning on crossing the road take extra caution. I found (or learned from observation) that raising your hand in a stop motion helps to slow traffic and signal that you’ll be cross the road. If you get to the Dirty Duck (Bebek Bengli) restaurant, keep going a little farther. Keep your eyes peeled because Yoga Barn is located down a driveway with just a little sign outside.

As you walk down the driveway you’ll notice lots of scooters parked by yogi’s either partaking in or waiting for their next class. Yoga Barn does have accommodation on site. I never stayed there and didn’t see what they looked like but they book up quickly if that speaks to anything.

Yoga Barn is deceiving from the street level. Their grounds are much larger than you would expect and beautifully laid out. It’s everything you would imagine in a yoga studio in Bali. There are a total of 5 studios on site and each one has unbelievable views.

Walking through you’ll pass The Garden Kafe. The eating area is set up in community style. People are encouraged to sit with people they don’t know. On my last day in Bali I ate at the Kafe and had an amazing cappuccino with someone from Ireland who had just landed in Bali. The atmosphere is relaxed and warm (literally and figuratively). The service is quick and pleasant and the food is unbelievable. If there’s one thing about Bali, the food is fresh, organic and super healthy. The Garden Kafe has some of the best smoothies I’ve ever tasted. I actually visited the Yoga Barn just to eat meals at this place. If you’re looking for fresh, healthy and delicious food while staying in Ubud, visit the Garden Kafe, even if you don’t like to do yoga.

After, or before enjoying some food, there are several classes of yoga a day that you can choose from and enjoy. There are classes for all ranges and levels. In fact, Yoga Barn is known as one of the best teaching studios for those looking to become professional, so you know the teachers that are staffed at the studio are some of the best in the world.

My most memorable yoga class to date was in the Studio 3 – Nyoman room. The studio is located near the backend of the property in what they call the “treehouse”. You have to walk up a winding staircase and immediately enter the giant room. With equipment on your left, you’re free to take any of the spots on the floor. One of the classes I took there had to have over 60 people. It was such a surreal experience, moving through yoga poses with 60+ other people with absolute silence except the wind moving through the trees and the faint sound of the monkeys from Monkey Forest.

To this day, that was not only one of my favourite things I did in Bali, but one of my favourite things I’ve done traveling. If you’re going to be in Bali even if you’ve never practiced yoga before please do yourself a favour and take at least one class.