One Year in Bali: A Life Update, A Love Story, and What’s Next for Sequential Body
Well hello, beauty.
Somehow it’s been one whole year since I packed up my life, dropped the mic on my career in Los Angeles, and flew to Bali with nothing but a carry-on, a wildly loyal heart, and a quiet whisper that it was time to redesign everything.
I came here to rebuild my life — my work, my circle, my rhythm, my sense of trust in myself. And ohhhh did this island deliver. Not always softly, not always gracefully… but always exactly how I needed it.
The Year That Put Me Through the Fire
Let’s just say Bali didn’t ease me in.
I learned to drive a scooter on the opposite side of the road.
I survived villa nightmares.
I dealt with visa chaos that could be its own Netflix series.
And I walked through a breakup after five years that stretched every part of my heart.
Living abroad tests you in ways nothing else will. Trusting yourself hits different when you don’t speak the language, don’t fully understand the culture, and don’t have a built-in support system. This year humbled me. Strengthened me. Softened me.
It also gave me a deeper empathy for every immigrant who moves to the U.S. and has to rebuild from scratch. The resilience it demands is next-level.
Why I Went Quiet on Social Media
If you noticed I went a little ghost this year… you were right.
But it wasn’t burnout — it was intentional.
I wanted to live my Bali life in real time, not through a screen. I needed space to process, to heal, to grow, and to fall in love with the slower, simpler moments that don’t always translate online.
The island taught me to listen inward instead of outward.
To savor instead of share.
To choose presence over performance.
And honestly? It was the best decision I made all year.
The Island Made Me Need Less
People assume I’m in a bamboo shala doing 3,000 sun salutations a day — but I’m actually not in that era anymore.
I moved from a huge villa in Uluwatu into a cozy place in Canggu where my mornings are slower, my life is softer, and my home feels like a sanctuary instead of a statement.
Enter: King and Prince — My Bali Sons
Now… my boys. The true stars of the year.
Prince arrived first — a tiny, loud, demanding kitten who wandered into my Sequential Body filming day like he owned the place. Shortly after, King — an older orange cat — began showing up to take Prince on little father-son adventures. It didn’t take long to realize King was his biological dad.
One night Prince got lost in the jungle hours before an international flight. When I finally found him with King, I scooped them both up, kissed their faces, and told King to take care of Prince. And he did. And we’ve been a family ever since.
They have filled my Bali days with cuddles, chaos, neighborhood walks, pool swims, and more laughter than I ever expected. They’ve taught me presence in a way no meditation ever has.
Island Life, Work Life, and the Reality In Between
Bali is stunning… but living here is not a vacation.
Schedules dissolve. Meetings shift. A coffee date becomes a three-hour brainstorming session. Work opportunities appear and disappear in the same day. Island life demands flexibility and a good sense of humor.
Trying to work legally as an immigrant is even harder. Much of my behind-the-scenes work this year has been slow, experimental, and incredibly strategic. I’ve stayed quiet until I had real stability and clarity — and now I finally do.
And with that…
What I’ve Been Building Behind the Scenes
Even though I wasn’t posting much, I was working harder — and more intentionally — than ever.
Since leaving L.A., I’ve poured myself into expanding Sequential Body into the hospitality world.
One of my biggest projects is my partnership with Grün Resorts here in Bali (insert website link). Together, we’ve been creating thoughtful, elevated, SB-standard wellness programming that blends movement education with luxury hospitality.
This is also where I’ll be hosting:
Inner Pulse: A Reformer Pilates Retreat
The Sequential Body 200HR Yoga Teacher Training
It’s been deeply fulfilling to help build their wellness offerings and ensure every class and teacher embodies the quality SB stands for.
And in the U.S., another exciting partnership is unfolding…
On January 9th, I’ll be teaching an exclusive SB Sizzling Sculpt class at the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage. This collaboration is part of a bigger vision:
bringing Sequential Body into luxury wellness resorts around the world — places aligned with our love for intelligent movement, world-class teaching, and beautifully curated experiences.
Beyond the resort world, I’ve also been consulting for studios across the country — helping them standardize, stylize, and elevate their class experiences so the studio’s brand actually feels cohesive, intentional, and meaningful.
This is the next evolution of SB:
A movement education brand that elevates every space it touches.
Retreats. Resorts. Studios. Trainings. Hospitality.
All connected by the same mission — purposeful, intelligent, embodied movement.
Sequential Body Is Still the Heartbeat of My World
Through every challenge this year — the transitions, the rebuilding, the late-night doubts — Sequential Body has been my constant.
Your support means everything. Truly.
Our subscription, retreats, and teacher trainings have continued to grow because of YOU — your trust, your commitment, your willingness to show up for yourselves and this community.
And now that I’m finally settled, grounded, and clear — we have so much coming in 2025:
New teachers joining the platform
Reformer Pilates Retreats
Mat, Reformer & Yoga Teacher Trainings
New sequencing + creative programs
A deeper expansion into luxury hospitality
More behind-the-scenes storytelling from Bali
This next chapter feels aligned, inspired, and fully in motion.
A Final Thank You
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for letting Sequential Body be part of your life.
Thank you for supporting my journey — from L.A. to Bali to everywhere this little dream is growing.
From my cozy villa in Canggu — with King and Prince curled up beside me — I’m sending you the biggest hug and so much love.
Here’s to year two in Bali, to new chapters, and to everything we’re building together.
With love,
Emilie
Founder, Sequential Body