Where Do I Start?

My days have been busy and my heart is full with gratitude for all that I’ve experienced over the last week. I will have lots more to share when I get home, but wanted to try to capture some of my impressions from the water purification ceremony we went to yesterday.

The night before, we had a wonderful “future dinner” where we were arriving back to Bali 5 years in the future. We then got to “share” everything that has happened in our lives. We all got into the spirit and our imaginations took us to some wonderful places as we enjoyed wonderful food, great conversation, and a chance to try Balinese dancing. My “2019 word” is ZEST - I certainly felt zesty as I dropped my normal dancing inhibitions and tried to follow our beautiful dancers moves. 😀

Very early the next morning, our driver, Made, took us to the temple. Along the way, we stopped to take a photo of the sun rising over a volcano.

Once at the temple, we were dressed in sarongs, white tops, and a yellow sash over our swimsuits.

Our group ready to enter the temple.



There are a whole series of steps that lead down into a lush sanctuary with a series of ponds and waterfalls.

Part of the way down, we stopped and gathered in a circle with the priestess who explained all the parts of the ceremony. The Balinese people are incredibly spiritual and believe in the importance of harmony between themselves and God, themselves and others, and themselves and nature. They also believe in the importance of purifying themselves of anything that can bring negative energy into their lives.

We then descended more stairs until we got to a beautiful pond with four waterfalls. 

After removing our white tops and sashes, we got into the water to begin the ceremony.

The first waterfall is to cleanse your body. The second waterfall is to cleanse your mind. The third waterfall is to cleanse your soul. And the final waterfall symbolizes letting go of everything in you that is negative energy. Because the Hindus are extremely tolerant, our guide told us to pray to our God as we went through the ceremony. 

As we reflected about the experience afterwards, all of us felt it was extremely moving, and for some, very emotional.

After the time in the water, we put on a dry sarong. You can see the kernels of rice on my forehead and throat - these are placed here to signify welcome abundance into my life.

We then went to a beautiful resort and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast.

We then had a chance to learn to make Canang Sari, the small, palm-leaf basket that the Balinese make daily to offer thanks. Everyday, these beautiful offerings are place in front of residences and businesses. Each of the flower colors has significance. Gratitude is a foundational value of the Balinese people and it is evidenced in all the people we have met.

The final opportunity was a chance to meet individually with a Balinese shaman. Traditional Balinese healers play an important role in Balinese culture and help people restore balance between the seen and unseen worlds. 

The shaman and her interpreter.

So grateful to have had this experience today.