What makes us leave home and come together in person to share Yoga?

In this episode, Mark and Rosalind reflect on hosting Yoga gatherings in Bali. They speak about the deeper meaning of these meetings, the beauty of Balinese blessing culture, and what it really means to offer something useful in a spiritual tourist economy.

Can travel be justified as Bali groans under the weight of tourism and the expansion of the concrete jungle? What are we doing here, and what are the potential

They discuss how seeking makes us vulnerable to exploitation, the nature of real practice, and the kind of intimacy that arises when people meet without pretense.

Themes

Bali as a spiritual gathering place and why people come here

Blessing culture: what is it and how does it work

How do we justify going to a Yoga gathering? Is it selfish?

The difference between information-gathering and experiential learning

Personal practice as the foundation of everything

The healing power of dear friendship grounded in Yoga

How do we welcome a genuinely wide range of people?

Key Quotes

"Yoga is participation in the given reality."

"There's no need to get to what you already are."

"The gathering is the icing on the cake. Zoom is the cake—we already have it."

"People come to Bali looking for something, even if they don't know what it is."

"There's a relief in realizing there's nothing to become. You already are."

Key Takeaways

Place Carries Power – Bali holds a blessing culture that people can feel in their bodies.

Gatherings Create Intimacy – In-person Yoga opens a space for deeper relational presence.

Practice Starts with You – The daily rhythm of breath and movement is where change happens.

Transmission Is a Felt Thing – Yoga is shared in silence, in contact, in attention.

Seekers Need Care – Honest offerings matter in places shaped by spiritual commerce.

There Is No One to Fix – Yoga reveals freedom through untraining, not accumulation.

Learn more and register for future events at https://www.heartofyoga.com/bali-ytt.

This podcast is sustained by your donations. You can support the Heart of Yoga Foundation at www.heartofyoga.com/foundation