為什麼峇里島讓人流連忘返？一種更簡單的生活方式 | Relearning Simplicity in Bali

這次總共在峇里島待了12天，主要是為了為期8天的陰瑜珈師資培訓。

還記得多年前電影「享受吧！一個人的旅行」風靡全球時，那時的我只對峇里島有個模糊的印象，覺得那似乎是個遙遠的東南亞國家，對於當時電影想要傳達的「找自己」，也是似懂非懂——或許那時還太年輕，人生尚未經歷太多真的需要重新整理方向的階段。

出發前，我特地在Netflix上把電影找出來複習了一次，也好奇自己是否會像Liz一樣，或其他曾經造訪過的朋友，這麼對峇里島這麼念念不忘。

究竟峇里島有什麼樣的魔力，讓來自全世界的旅客流連忘返，甚至選擇在此定居？
帶著這樣的疑問，我踏上了這趟旅程。

峇里島「不完美」，卻仍然吸引人的魔力

這趟旅行回來後，峇里島確實在我心中成為了一個很特別的存在。它並不完美。作為發展中國家，無論是基礎建設或生活便利程度，都無法與大城市相比（尤其是交通）。但也正因如此，它保留了一種難以被複製的純粹。自然景觀的環繞、信仰與文化的滲透，都讓人很容易慢下來，重新感受內在的節奏。那種心靈被洗禮的感覺，是旅行許多其他城市難以比擬的。

我一直在反覆思索，究竟峇里島有什麼神奇魔力，讓人們這麼難以忘懷？
和旅伴討論了很久之後，我們得出來的結論——或許就是「在峇里島的生活可以很簡單」。

當外在的面具褪去，內在就會浮現

由於峇里島鄰近赤道，氣候炎熱潮濕。在這裡，最舒適的穿搭，莫過於寬鬆透氣的運動裝束了。

若能跳脫框架，你會想要擁有怎樣的生活？

在烏布市區，看見一些似乎已經在烏布待了很久的旅人，抱著台筆電，在不同的瑜伽館之間移動。即使忙於工作，看起來似乎也都散發出一種平靜與專注。在烏魯瓦圖海邊，則是另一種風景——逐浪而居的人們，一身健康黝黑的小麥色肌膚，精壯結實、體脂極低的身材，臉上閃閃發光的笑容真的是太過耀眼。

突然羨慕起他們的自由自在。在我們習慣的亞洲社會框架中，似乎比較難活得如此瀟灑不羈。
原來在我們以為的線性框架中，還有這麼不一樣的生活方式。

這種的氛圍，很自然地讓人開始思考：「我們一直以來視為「理所當然」的生活，是否只是其中一種選擇？如果可以重新定義，我們真正想要的是什麼？」

那一刻，我似乎更能理解，為什麼《享受吧！一個人的旅行》的故事會發生在峇里島了。

峇里島的魅力，在於回到「生活本質」

峇里島的魅力，不在於精緻，而在於「本質」。豐沛的自然景觀和獨特的信仰文化，形塑出峇里島獨一無二的風格。

喜歡山的人，可以走進梯田、瀑布與火山；
喜歡海的人，可以在無數海灘之間停留；
喜歡瑜珈的人，幾乎隨處可見練習的空間；
而熱愛文化的人，也能沉浸在當地深厚的信仰與藝術之中。

我很懷念那段在峇里島的日子——
早晨，在自然中醒來，享受芬多精的洗禮，以及健康新鮮的阿育吠陀早餐；
白天，前往瑜伽教室，開始今天的冥想及瑜伽練習，
傍晚，在海邊散步，然後享受一頓簡單營養的晚餐。

沒有過多的消費刺激，也沒有過度的社會比較。當外在的雜訊變少，內在的感受反而變得更清晰。

我能明顯感覺到，身體在規律的飲食、運動與穩定的情緒中，逐漸變得輕盈。那些在快節奏生活中累積的疲憊與發炎，似乎慢慢被修復。

這也是為什麼，峇里島讓我產生一種感覺：
「我好像重新找回了生活的本質。」

習以為常的生活，是否正在慢性消耗自己

在喧囂的城市生活久了，常常會把別人的目標，也不小心當成自己的方向。不斷向外追求與無止盡的比較，卻很少停下來問自己：這一切，是為了什麼？

我的瑜伽師資班老師曾經說過一句讓我深刻的話：
「人們用一生去追求名聲與財富，卻在過程中失去了讓自己放鬆的能力。最後，再花很多金錢，重新學習這個本來就與生俱來的能力。」

那一刻，我突然意識到——我們習以為常的生活方式，或許正默默消耗著我們的身體與心靈。再多的追求，不就是為了最後獲得「健康的身體」和「內心的平靜」嗎？

而峇里島之所以令人難忘，也許正因為它提醒了我們：其實，每個人心中，都渴望一種更簡單、更貼近自己的生活。

My recent trip to Bali spanned 12 days, primarily for an 8-day Yin Yoga teacher training.

I still remember when “Eat Pray Love” became a global phenomenon years ago. At the time, I had only a vague impression of Bali. To me, it seemed like some distant island in Southeast Asia, and I only half understood the film’s message of “finding oneself”. Perhaps I was simply too young then; life had not yet brought me to a stage where I truly needed to pause and reorient myself.

Before this trip, I deliberately searched for the film on Netflix and watched it again. I found myself wondering whether I, too, might come away from Bali as captivated as Liz had been, or like so many friends who had visited before me and never quite forgotten it.

What is it, exactly, about Bali that makes travellers from all over the world reluctant to leave — and, in some cases, choose to settle there altogether?

With that question in mind, I set off on this journey.

Bali’s imperfect, irresistible charm

After returning from the trip, I realised that Bali had indeed become something quite special in my heart. It is not perfect. As a developing country, its infrastructure and level of convenience cannot be compared with those of a major city — the traffic in particular can be rather overwhelming. Yet perhaps it is precisely because of this that Bali has preserved a kind of purity that is difficult to replicate elsewhere. Surrounded by dramatic natural landscapes and immersed in a culture deeply shaped by faith and ritual, one cannot help but slow down and reconnect with an inner rhythm. That feeling of spiritual renewal is something few other destinations can offer in quite the same way.

I kept returning to the same question: what is this mysterious quality that makes Bali so unforgettable?

After many conversations with my travel companion, we arrived at a simple conclusion: perhaps it is because life in Bali can be wonderfully simple.

When the outer layers fall away, the inner self begins to appear

Because Bali lies close to the equator, the climate is hot and humid. In such weather, nothing feels more appropriate than loose, breathable activewear.

If you could step outside the usual framework, what kind of life would you choose?

In Ubud, I noticed travellers who seemed to have been there for quite some time, moving from one yoga studio to another with a laptop in hand. Even when they were working, they carried themselves with an air of calm and focus. In Uluwatu, the atmosphere was different, yet equally striking. There were people living by the rhythm of the sea — bronzed, lean, effortlessly fit, their faces lit with bright and easy smiles.

For a moment, I found myself envying that sense of freedom. Within the social frameworks many of us in Asia grow up with, it can feel much harder to live in such an unconstrained and unguarded way. Bali reminds you that even within what we think of as a fixed, linear path, there are still entirely different ways to live.

There is something about the atmosphere there that naturally prompts deeper questions: “is the life we have always taken for granted really the only way to live? And if we were free to redefine it, what would we truly want?“

In that moment, I felt I understood a little better why Eat Pray Love found its home in Bali.

Bali’s appeal lies in returning to the essence of life

What makes Bali so compelling is not refinement, but essence. Its lush natural landscapes and deeply rooted spiritual culture give the island a character entirely its own.

Those who love the mountains can wander through rice terraces, waterfalls and volcanoes.
Those drawn to the sea can linger on one beautiful beach after another.
Those who love yoga will find spaces to practise almost everywhere.
And those who are nourished by culture can immerse themselves in the island’s rich traditions, beliefs and artistic heritage.

I often find myself missing those days in Bali —
Waking in the morning to the embrace of nature, breathing in the freshness of the air, and beginning the day with a wholesome Ayurvedic breakfast.
Spending the daytime in yoga studios, moving into meditation and practice.
Then, in the evening, walking by the sea before ending the day with a simple, nourishing meal.

There was little excess consumption and very little social comparison. As the external noise faded, my inner world seemed to grow clearer. I could feel my body becoming lighter through regular meals, movement and a steadier emotional rhythm. The fatigue and inflammation that had quietly built up through the pace of everyday life seemed, little by little, to soften and heal.

That is why Bali left me with one particular feeling:
that perhaps I had rediscovered the essence of living.

Is the life we take for granted quietly wearing us down?

When one lives in a noisy, fast-moving city for long enough, it is easy to mistake other people’s goals for one’s own direction. We keep striving outward, comparing endlessly, yet rarely stop to ask ourselves what any of it is really for.

One of my teachers during the yoga training said something that stayed with me:
“People spend their whole lives chasing success and wealth, only to lose the ability to relax. Then, in the end, they spend great sums of money trying to relearn what was once an innate human capacity.”

At that moment, I realised something rather unsettling: the way of life we have become so accustomed to may in fact be quietly depleting both body and spirit. After all, what are all these pursuits for, if not ultimately to gain a healthy body and an inner sense of peace?

Perhaps that is why Bali is so unforgettable. It reminds us that deep down, many of us are longing for a life that is simpler, gentler, and closer to who we really are.