#174 When the Island Becomes a Teacher
Galungan, the Gita & the Yoga Sutras
One of the most extraordinary things about living in Bali is the spirit of this island.
It feels like Bali is always praying. It’s always remembering something sacred. Every day is full of ritual, offering, ceremony, devotion. You can literally feel it in the air. It’s as if the entire island is practicing abhyasa and vairāgya ( practice and letting go) right beside you.
And tomorrow, we enter one of the most sacred cycles of the Balinese year: Galungan and Kuningan.
Galungan is the celebration of the victory of dharma over adharma. It’s goodness, truth, clarity, inner-order triumphing over chaos. When I first learned this, it struck me how closely it mirrors the heart of the Bhagavad Gita: the moment Krishna reminds Arjuna that our job is not to control outcomes but to act from our highest self, aligned with dharma.
Galungan feels exactly like that. It’s an island-wide realignment with what matters.
Balinese tradition says that during this time, the ancestral spirits return home to bless their families. The whole island softens. Penjors rise in front of every home. It’s devotion made visible. A reminder of Yoga Sutra 1.3. tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe avasthānam. When the mind settles, we abide in our true nature. Bali feels like it collectively abides there during this time.
And then Kuningan closes the ten-day portal with prayers for protection, clarity, and balance. It’s a beautiful invitation to recommit to peace, kindness, and presence in the messy middle of daily life.
As I was reading about Galungan this week, I randomly googled,
“When is Galungan in 2026?”
and I discovered something wild:
Galungan 2026 falls during one of my Yoga Teacher Trainings (This was not on purpose!)
It is June 17–June 27, 2026 — right in the middle of our June 14–July 5 200-Hour YTT at Mindful Bali.
It feels auspicious. Like the island aligned the training with a spiritual reset.
Our June YTT is already half full, and it would be magical to share that energy with you.
Details here: https://www.mindfulbali.com/200-hour-ytt
For my YTT alumni, senior student YTT extension information is available here: https://www.mindfulbali.com/ytt-extensions
Nyepi & Ogoh-Ogoh: Silent Day
Another extraordinary Balinese holiday is Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, which happens the day after the Ogoh-Ogoh parades. The night before Nyepi, giant demons, representing our inner obstacles, fears, and attachments, are carried through the streets in music and chaos. Then comes Nyepi, where the entire island goes utterly still: no lights, no music, no travel, no work. It’s the most profound collective meditation I’ve ever experienced. It’s the embodiment of nirodha, the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind (Yoga Sutra 1.2).
I actually planned my March 2026 YTT around Nyepi intentionally, because I wanted my students to witness this powerful transition from chaos to stillness. That training now has one spot left, plus one space for a senior student. It’s going to be unforgettable.
Details here: https://www.mindfulbali.com/200-hour-ytt
For my YTT alumni, senior student YTT extension information is available here: https://www.mindfulbali.com/ytt-extensions
Zoom Yoga Bhakti Sundays/Mondays: Saraswati Next Week
And on the theme of devotion, next Monday we’re continuing the Bali Bhakti Series, and I’ll be teaching on Saraswati. Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom, creativity, mantra, and flow, has always felt like a guide during Yoga Teacher Trainings - to help us invoke the energies that support us to teach and live from the heart. To sit with Saraswati is to sit with clarity. When we chant her name, we soften into intuition.
It’s not too late to join us. When you sign up, you get access to last week’s Ganesha class on demand, and you’ll be with us live on Monday for Saraswati.
You can join us here: https://alexandramcrobert.thrivecart.com/bali-bhakti-flow-1-goddess-awakening/
Upcoming Online Offerings — Deepen Your Practice in 2026
As we step into this season of dharma, devotion, and inner clarity, I’m opening two online programs in January. They are both designed to help you ground into practice, reconnect with your inner teacher, and live these teachings in real time.
If you feel called to deepen your meditation, study, or spiritual alignment, here’s what’s coming:
January 1–3: 3-Day Mantra Meditation Training
A powerful immersion to begin the year anchored, steady, and clear.
In this three-day training, you will learn the foundational practices of mantra meditation . This is the same practice that transformed my own life and recovery journey.
This is perfect if you’re craving:
A reset
A deeper connection to stillness
A daily practice you can maintain throughout 2026
We start the new year together, in silence, mantra, and devotion.
You can sign up for this course here.
https://alexandramcrobert.thrivecart.com/how-to-meditate-3-day-training/
January 6: Bhagavad Gita Training (10 Weeks)
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most profound spiritual texts on the planet — a conversation between the soul (Arjuna) and the inner guide (Krishna).
Over 10 weeks, we’ll explore the philosophy of the Gita in a grounded, modern, embodied way:
Weekly teachings
Meditation practices
Reflections that help you apply dharma, devotion, and clarity in your daily life
This program includes the mantra meditation training, so you’ll be supported with a full practice as we study.
If you’ve been wanting to understand the Gita in a way that feels alive and relevant — this is for you.
Sign up here: https://alexandramcrobert.thrivecart.com/bhagavad-gita-studies/
I can’t wait to see you soon either on Zoom, or in Bali.