By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

When life gets too much to handle, remember this story…..

MAYONNAISE JAR and 2 CUPS OF COFFEE

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee story.

A 
professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. Next, the professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES.” The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the 
empty space between the sand. The students laughed.”Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, family, children, health, friends, and 
favorite passions — things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So…Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play With your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. “Take care of the golf balls first –the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. “One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend. ”

Author unknown.

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

10 Ways to maintain positive feelings

A positive attitude is important for ensuring that you have a fulfilling and enjoyable life. Building a positive attitude will make it easier for you to recognize and reflect on positive emotions as you experience them. This in turn helps you fight against those moments of doubt, stress, anger, anxiety and negativity.

Here are 10 tips to help you maintain positive feelings:

1. Write a thank you letter to someone.
2. Everyday before going to bed, write down what was good about the day and what made you happy.
3. Write down what you are grateful for.
4. Do something that makes you happy everyday and enjoy it to the fullest extent being in the moment and showing gratitude.
5. Tell someone they are appreciated.
6. Give someone a compliment.
7. Do something for someone without expecting anything in return.
8. Meditate more. Go inward. Soul-search. Set a reachable goal that is meaningful to you, no matter how small and go for it. Repeat this step daily.
9. Refuse to be involved with negative thoughts and feelings. Keep away from negative people, and if you must be with them or work with them, don’t let their state of mind affect you. Fill your mind with positive feelings and thoughts, so that there will no place for their negativity in your mind. Repeating positive affirmations quietly helps in these situations.
10. Understand that you cannot always control the situations in your life, but you can control, and change your attitude and reactions. A positive attitude and feelings will make the situation improve.

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

DIY Cellulite Scrub

Reduce the appearance of cellulite with these simple steps:

What is cellulite?

Cellulite is caused by a combination of genetic as well as lifestyle factors. Basically, it gives a dimpled effect on skin due to the presence of fat beneath the skin. It happens when fat pushes up through the connective tissues. Consequently, they start bulging and pressing against the skin, thereby causing a rippled and uneven appearance.

Most women have it!

Contrary to the popular misconception, cellulite is common in overweight as well as thin people. In fact, it is believed that about 95% of postpubertal women tend to develop cellulite at least to some extent

Cellulite can be caused by a variety of factors such as hormonal factors (estrogen, insulin, prolactin, adrenaline, noradrenaline, thyroid hormones, etc.), genetics, excess body fat, excessive dieting, changes in metabolism, stress, alteration of the connective tissue structure, microcirculation impairment, and so on. The exact cause of cellulite, however, is not well understood as yet.

It can be prevented but, there is no real cure.


Eating healthy, low fat foods can help you avoid cellulite, as well as exercising regularly. Drinking lots of water (especially with lemon) and eating a high-fiber diet can prevent it as well. Eating a healthy diet, exercising and exfoliating areas of your body with cellulite can all help reduce its appearance, but it won’t cure it permanently. However, massaging can stimulate circulation and break up the fluids beneath your skin, which can make your skin appear more even.

Diet and exercise are crucial elements that you need to incorporate into your anti-cellulite efforts, but you can also add a quick DIY scrub that helps to break up the concentration of fatty tissue deposits and give your skin a more smooth appearance.

Directions:

Not only is this treatment easy to make but you can find all of the ingredients at your local grocery store, if you don’t already have them lying around the kitchen.

All you need is:

½ cup ground coffee ( used or fresh)

¼ cup olive or coconut oil

¼ cup sea salt

¼ cup brown sugar

Once you have your ingredients rounded up, the process is simple:

• combine all your ingredients in a medium-size bowl and stir your mixture until evenly combined
• have a hot shower to help open up your pores
• using your hands, apply in a circular motion to targeted areas on the body
• scrub your skin as hard as you can for 5 minutes and do not rinse off
• using plastic wrap (or saran wrap), wrap the areas you have applied your scrub
• leave those parts wrapped up for 10-15 minutes
• after your 10-15 minutes are up, remove the plastic wrap and rinse off but do not use soap

The caffeine and antioxidants in the coffee grounds stimulate and dilate your blood vessels, which tones and tightens the tissue. The sugar further helps exfoliate and the oil gives a big dose of hydration and plumping.

Use this scrub 2-3 times a week over a couple moths time for best results. xx

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

Reconnect, Relax and Recharge Through Surf and Yoga in a Women’s Wellness Retreat

Reconnect, Relax and Recharge Through Surf and Yoga in a Women’s Wellness Retreat 

If you are looking for new experiences, need fresh energy in your life, feel tired and uninspired, need healing time and want to do what your heart desires? Than a woman’s surf and yoga retreat might be just what you need to gain a new perspective, expand your horizons and bring positive energy into your body, mind and soul.

Why join a woman’s retreat?

When you let go of daily responsibilities you can give yourself the gift of self-care and love. You’ll get off the fast track and re-discover your own rhythm. You’ll also have precious time to reflect on what you want to manifest upon your return home.

Recharging, rejuvenating, renewing – these are words associated with all wellness retreats. So what’s different and special about a retreat for women? Can a retreat that’s specifically for women take your own personal journey one step further?

Retreats in general, provide the opportunity to step back from the demands of daily life, reflect and re-orient your focus and priorities. During a retreat, many moments of quiet introspection can help you rediscover what is important to you, and what you want to manifest. Retreats inspire you to make positive changes, as well as appreciate and have gratitude for what you already have in your life. And while ‘finding yourself’ is something that can happen unexpectedly on any retreat, there is a special atmosphere in all-women’s retreats that stimulate inspiration, empowerment and new perspectives.

Being with all women tends to bring out a sense of sisterhood and support. Women bond, laugh, cry, get sexy, act silly and express ourselves in full color. Discovering common ground, and sharing life stories and rites of passage with other women helps you connect, not just with them, but with parts of yourself that you may have lost touch with.
In this kind of uplifting atmosphere, it can be easier to direct your attention towards yourself, restoring your mental and physical energy as it starts to flow into rather than away from you. This lifts your spirits, revitalizes your body and boosts your confidence.  At the same time, the freedom to observe yourself without feeling observed shifts from self-consciousness to self-awareness.

What’s special about a surf and yoga retreat?

Surfing and yoga work in harmony together, both requiring strength, flexibility, balance and focus. Most importantly they both require you to be in the present moment. Surfing and yoga are both pure indulgent and yet so simple. It’s a great way to get fit and tone and sculpt your body, and it only takes a yoga mat, a surfboard and some waves.

“Surfing will leave you feeling alive, at peace and truly connected with Mother Nature. There is no greater feeling in the world than sitting on your board, looking to the horizon and waiting for your next wave to come in. Out in the ocean you experience what it means to live in the moment and to forget everything else around you. It’s meditative and calms your mind. You feel the magic of the ocean, its energy and being connected to it. The thrill of taking off on a wave and the rush of the ride is truly amazing.”

Surfing will make you glow as you connect with mother nature, feeling the wind blowing in your hair, the water splashing gently on your skin and the sun radiating its warmth on your body, whether you have just rode the face of a wave or stood up for the first time. Yoga will circulate your blood, eliminating many toxins, which will have you radiating with health. The feeling of both is pure bliss and they will both leave you smiling from the inside out.

Surfing and yoga both are conversations between your mind, body and soul. Both teach you to quiet your monkey mind enough to concentrate on catching the next wave or executing the next pose. They are very grounding experiences and a great chance to gain clarity in life and help build your mediation practice.

Just like a challenging yoga pose, where you need to surrender to your breath and gently fall into the pose when your body and mind are ready, surfing teaches us about “Patience”. In a world that is built on control its nice to surrender and just go with the flow and wait for the wave to roll in on its own time, or for the pose to come when we are truly ready.

Whether you manage to quiet your busy mind through yoga or find a quiet beach where you are out on the water alone. Both will soothe your soul. It will give you space to quietly reflect on life, and allow the answers to everyday questions come into your head. It will put your everyday life into perfect perspective.

The beauty of both is that if you don’t succeed, you stop, learn, re-focus and feel better prepared for the next time. It’s an endless discovery of both physical and mental strength. This is why the awakening of ones mind, body and soul through surfing and yoga is so inspiring on every level.

You will be amazed at how the camaraderie inspired by an all-woman retreat brings with it a sense of sheer fun!  We’re simply wild and radiant when we let loose and allow the full range of our emotion and beauty shine.  All-women retreats encourage personal growth, empowerment, inspire to follow your own bliss and are a great deal of fun. So in summary, the best retreat to go for is an all women’s retreat that focuses on surfing and yoga!

For more on our retreat philosophy please click here.

(Text inspiration from Gayle Olsen and Claire Charters)

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

Mind Body Soul Surf Bali Energy Ball Snack

These healthy homemade protein energy balls are ideal as a workout snack. Our guests love them, so we thought we would share a couple of recipes we use here at the retreat. They give us the needed energy boost during our surfing lessons. Not only are they super easy to make, (no bake) but delicious and addicting!

RECIPE 1

1 Cup raw almonds

½ Cup sunflower seeds

Hand full raisins

Hand full pitted dates

2-4 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp peanut butter

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

2 Tbsp coconut oil

Pea size amount of vanilla pod

Desiccated coconut for coating

Grind nuts, seeds, raisins and dates in blender one at a time, add all ingredients together in a bowl and mix. Place the bowl in the fridge for approximately 1-2 hrs. This makes the mixture easier to roll in the desiccated coconut.

Roll into 1” balls and roll in the coconut to coat.

Variations: add walnuts, hazels nuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds or chia seeds, maca powder

RECIPE 2

100g chopped walnuts or cashews toasted

100g almonds toasted

2 T linseed or sunflower seeds

100g dried apricots or figs

100g prunes

170g dates pitted and chopped

Through nuts into chopper/food processor, then dates, prunes and apricots

Add below and mix;

1T peanut butter or tahini

2T raw cacao or cocoa powder

1T cinnamon

2T honey or agave

pinch salt

100g desiccated coconut for coating

Roll into balls and roll in coconut to coat.

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

Asking for What You Want

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

Raw Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

This raw vegan cheesecake has everything: the crumbly, golden base; the creamy filling and a tangy frozen strawberry topping. It’s also dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free and no-bake.

Equipment

• You will need a 22cm round springform tin.

Base

• 1 cup macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup pitted dates
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Filling

• 3 cups raw cashews (soaked for 2-4 hours and then drained)
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 to 1 cup coconut nectar
• 3/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Topping

• 2 cups frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup pitted dates
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries, plus 1 cup whole strawberries, to serve

Step 1

Lightly grease the 22cm round springform tin with coconut oil and line base and sides with baking paper. Place all ingredients for the crust except for the dates in a food processor until you get the texture of crumbs. Add dates and pulse until well combined. Press into the base of the spring form tin and pop into the freezer while you prepare the other components of the cheesecake.

Step 2

In a blender, blend all the ingredients for the filling at high speed until smooth. Pour onto the base layer and return to the freezer until set enough to pour strawberry mixture on top.

Step 3

Wash out the blender and blend the frozen strawberries and dates on high speed until smooth. Pour on top of the cheesecake layer and return to the freezer for 4 hours or overnight.

Step 4

To serve, sit at room temp for 10-15 minutes. Carefully remove the sides of the springform tin and transfer the cheesecake onto a serving platter (you may need to use a sharp hot knife to ease the cheesecake from the tin). Gently peel away baking paper from base and sides. Arrange sliced strawberries on top to serve. Keep cheesecake frozen when not being served.

*Coconut oil and coconut nectar can be found at most organic health food stores. If you have trouble finding coconut nectar, you can substitute it for either agave nectar or maple syrup. You can also substitute the vanilla bean with 2 tsp of high quality vanilla extract.

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

Change your life – Start meditating

This is a short relaxing meditation which has been found to be of help in times of stress and anxiety. 
Find a quiet spot where you can sit or lie in comfort for 10 minutes or so.
 Begin by softly closing your eyes, and take several slow, deep breaths, and allow your body to relax, allow your mind to relax, feel the pressures of the day receede to the far recesses of your being.

Now imagine you are in a beautiful garden. It is a clear, sunny day. Feel the sun warming your whole body. Feel its warmth penetrating into your heart, your mind and your inner being (soul). You can feel it drawing the stress and anxiety from your body.

As you lie on the soft grass and feel the gentle breeze, you can smell the heady perfume of the flowers. You can hear the trickle of a small stream close by and the quiet chirping of the birds.
 Breathe in the beautiful aromas of the flowers and feel them healing your body. Breathe out your anxieties and watch them settle on the water to be carried away down the stream and out of sight.
 Again breathe in the pure healing essences of nature, and expel the anxiety and toxins from your body,see them floating away.

Feel totally relaxed, bathed in the soft warm sunlight and the gentle breeze.
 Now retain this feeling, and take it with you. Know that you can reach this peaceful place at any time. Retain it in your mind and in your body.
 Remain in this relaxed state for a few minutes more, before slowly opening your eyes.

Try integrating this 10 minute meditation into your daily routine. x

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

5 Amazing Ways To Use Coconut Oil

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, cholesterol level maintenance, weight loss, boosted immune system, proper digestion and regulated metabolism. It also provides relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV, and cancer, while helping to improve dental quality and bone strength. These benefits of oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and their respective properties, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-fungal, antibacterial and soothing qualities.

Coconut oil has become more mainstream over the past couple of years, but tropical populations have enjoyed the benefits of this powerful oil for centuries. This oil offers so many health benefits, and it can be used in a variety of ways. Coconut oil is 92 percent saturated fat, and 2/3 of this saturated fat is in the form of medium chain fatty acids. This type of fatty acid is used quickly by the body as energy. A powerful component of coconut oil is lauric acid, which has strong antifungal and antimicrobial properties.

Below are just a few of the many ways you can use coconut oil and improve your health.

1. For your skin.

Coconut oil is a great moisturizer for your skin and boasts many characteristics that help nourish and heal the skin. It has antibacterial properties and can be used as an acne treatment. It’s a much more natural and affordable solution compared to the expensive lotions and procedures that are available. The antioxidant properties of coconut oil help protect the skin from free radical damage caused by the sun. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Coconut oil also helps in preventing premature aging.

2. Use as a hair treatment.

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrients for your hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair and gives your hair a shiny quality.Coconut oil is a great hair treatment and helps improve dry scalp conditions. Coconut oil helps hair retain its natural moisture and makes hair stronger. For an easy, deep-conditioning hair mask, rub a little coconut oil into your scalp and let sit for 5 minutes. Then wash your hair as normal.

3. Cooking and baking.

Coconut oil is a great cooking oil because it’s stable and can withstand high heat. Vegetable oils oxidize quickly and become rancid at high temperatures. Try using coconut oil when sautéing, baking, or roasting. Here in Bali we mostly use coconut oil for cooking. I also use it raw in my raw energy protein balls recipes.

4. Restore and balance your digestion.

Whether you suffer from mild, occasional digestive discomfort, or more severe and chronic digestive problems, consuming coconut oil can help. In addition to the health benefits of coconut oil itself, these fatty acids may also help the body absorb other nutrients as well.

When purchasing coconut oil, make sure you buy organic, cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil.

5. Weight loss

Coconut oil is very useful for weight loss. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and endocrine system. Further, it increases the body’s metabolic rate by removing stress on the pancreas, thereby burning more energy and helping obese and overweight people lose the weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who use coconut oil every day as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.

How to use coconut oil?

If you are using coconut oil for topical purposes, especially hair care, just melt the oil (if it is solid) by keeping the bottle in the sun or soaking it in warm water. You can also take some coconut oil out and put it in a small bowl and heat the bowl over a flame (don’t use a microwave). Then, take the oil on your palm and apply it to your hair. If you want to use it for internal consumption, simply replace butter or vegetable oils with coconut oil in your recipes. Remember, you don’t need to completely switch to coconut oil, because then you will lose the other benefits of more traditional oils and dairy products.

Varieties of Coconut Oil

There are primarily 6 varieties of coconut oil that you will find on the market. These are pure coconut oil, refined coconut oil, organic coconut oil, virgin coconut oil, organic virgin coconut oil and extra virgin coconut oil.

Buying Coconut Oil

Purpose————–Preferable Type to Buy

Cooking————–Refined Coconut Oil

Weight Loss———Virgin Coconut Oil

As a Carrier Oil—–Virgin Coconut Oil,Fractionated Coconut Oil

Good Health———Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Coconut Oil

Massaging———–Pure Coconut Oil, Refined Coconut Oil

Hair——————–Pure Coconut Oil, Refined Coconut Oil

Medicinal uses—–Virgin Coconut Oil, Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

The Journey Starts With You

When asked what goals do you want to achieve during your Mind Body Soul – Surf Bali Surf & Yoga Retreat, a recent guest wrote the following on her booking form:

My goals for my body:
I want …
to slim
to be fully fit again
to build up muscular
to develop endurance

My goals for mind, body, soul:
I want …
to eat healthy
to live healthy

My goals for my mind/soul:
I want …
to accept myself
to think positive
to find my way how I want to be and for what I meant to be
to find the way back to myself
to find my inner peace
to laugh more often

She has perfectly summarized what Mind Body Soul – Surf Bali Retreats are all about. We provide a serene atmosphere giving you time and space to reconnect to mind, body and spirit. Many of our guests are like Frauke, solo travelers who have set out on a new journey discovering different life paths that have come to our retreat looking for inspiration and empowerment to recharge and renew.

By sharing their personal experiences with like-minded women and realizing they are not alone, they quickly step out of their comfort zones, opening their hearts and minds to experiences usually daunting to them, such as learning how to surf, practicing yoga or trying out holistic therapies.

The four key elements in creating our successful rejuvenating, wellbeing retreats are: Surf lesson which teach you patience, self-empowerment, courage and love for nature. Keeps your mind, body and soul healthy, strong and young at heart.

Spa treatments let you unwind, find balance, tranquility and reconnect with your natural state of wellbeing. Yoga unites the mind, body and spirit through exercise, breathing and meditation leaving you feeling reconnected and restored. Bali’s Culture will teach you open heartedness and compassion while unveiling beauty and magic.

Women love everything Bali has to offer – beautiful beaches, the best waves, delicious food, abundant shopping, world class restaurants and bars, 5 star spa sanctuaries, gorgeous villas, breathtaking views and special healing energy making it the perfect destination for retreats of this kind. So join us here in Bali and you will be taken on an incredible seven day journey filled with lots of fun, relaxation and once in a lifetime experiences.