I'm a changed person after completing the self-created 30-day program at Soulshine in Ubud, Bali. I worked hard with great diligence and determination each day of my 30-day program to do at least one healing activity a day with the caring assistance of the loving Soulshine staff. I speak with great triumph and pride as I declare that I picked the perfect island (Bali), the best wellness home (Soulshine), the kindest family (Soulshine staff) and the right activities to heal my soul.
I learned it is possible to fall completely in love with a whole group of people in less than a month. And care for them and their families sincerely. And consider them to be real friends. I love many of the people at Soulshine who took such good care of me and I am forever grateful for their help, service and smiles during my 30 days with them. They told me Soulshine is my Balinese home and I'm a part of the Soulshine family. Michael and Sara Franti would be so proud of and inspired by this team.
The first step in creating my own program was the keyword "yoga." My first exposure to yoga was a class I took second semester of my freshman year of college at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville in 2000 in the basement wrestling room. Yoga has been a regular part of my life since. Truly, yoga has been my life saver. I always feel better after practicing yoga. So, my 30-day program included daily 8am yoga M-F with Hindu instructors in incredible outdoor, sacred settings. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om, Namaste.
Shanti = peace
I had an incredible conversation with a Buddhist, Russian refugee, professional singer. We shared. I brought her to tears with my story. I listened and she brought me to tears with her story about the war. And we laughed. 'Ti's life with tears and laughter.
Soulshine arranged a session for me with a multigeneration bloodline, 6th sense, Buddhist, intuitive reader and body scanner from Java. He read my chakras and told my life story with 100% accuracy. Not like a psychic, rather he validated absolutely everything in my mind, heart and soul perfectly including all the good and bad. Andrie knew. He knew.
A major theme in my healing is water. I saw two Balinese Priests who spritzed me with holy water. I went to two ancient water temples and glided one by one down the numerous fountains performing the ritual (pray, 3x to mouth, 3x to face, 3x to hair, 3x dunk, pray). Lots of baths and playful pool time. The resident Soulshine "old man of the property" walks around daily with the offerings to the many temples and he too would spritz me with his water (I fell in love with him like everyone does). (Photos of us in my album.) In Bali, water purifies and cleanses the soul. It blesses. Yes.
You could look up-
-Gunung Kawai Sebatu Water Temple
-Pura Tirta Empul
Pura = temple
Tirta = water
Funny story - I offered the old man of the property, Tanggu, a Luna Bar as a gift for him to eat. He put it though in his basket to add as an offering with the flowers and incense. He's 0 English, so he didn't understand when I tried to explain that it's a gift for him from my home for him to eat.
I'm a scooter riding passenger pro now. Ubud's traffic is terrible with narrow roads, so scooters are the way to get around. I wanna get a scooter now.
I received a scooter ride and told the driver I'm in Bali for healing. His way to help me was to Om with me for the entire 30 minutes to my destination.
It's so interesting to me that 1. I never found a therapist or counselor here. Balinese people just could not understand why I would want to talk about my past problems. And 2. Balinese English speakers do not know the word "abuse." Even when they translate it in their phone app, most don't get it.
Instead, Balinese people believe in 1. Healers and 2. Smiles. I went to many Healers in my 30-day program and they are so different than USA doctors because the Healers aligns the mind, heart and soul through prayers, chanting, sound bowls and other spiritual practices. No pills. And all Balinese understand the power of "the" smile, not just with the lips but smiling with our organs and every cell of our body. Smiling with our souls to be happy.
I made a close friend named Gung Rai and asked her if she could go to the water temple with me. She said she couldn't because she had to pray that morning.
Gung Rai was a waitress at Soulshine and served me food. I ate organic, vegetarian almost vegan. We are what we eat, so it does feel amazing to fuel my body with good, beautiful food.
Art is healing. I did so much art, both my own and Bali art including batik (hot wax) and painting. I repeat, art... is.... healing.
Giving back was important to me, so I tried at every opportunity to give kindness in my conversations with Soulshine staff. I turned on my English Teacher and attempted to build their confidence. By teaching a new word like "weird" " or "gorgeous," or encouraging them to say "I'm learning" instead of "I'm sorry my English is bad," I hope the Soulshine staff remembers me positively when they talk. I also brought my calligraphy kit and made more than a dozen signs, letters and cards for individuals, groups and teams to inspire and express gratitude. My calligraphy seemed to impress and again I hope those little gifts leave my legacy of kindness.
I am so thankful I saw four kacek dances, one in a temple and three at Soulshine. Video below. Chek chek chek....
C in Bali = ch
So, did my 30-day program work? Was it successful? Yes.
I'm now at the beach at The Village of Angels in Manggis for a week to rest. I'm alone, isolated, calm, silent, reflecting and listening to the ocean. Peace.
Except yesterday. I made a new "timpal" (friend). She took me to her house to hang out with her elderly parents, whom I loved. We spent hours making decorations from leafs for Saturday's holiday (yay, another one I get to witness). I went to Bali' oldest village called Tenganan. Then to a smoky restaurant where everyone went silent when I walked in because no white people probably enter there normally. I ate a fish wrapped in a banana leaf cooked on an open, smoky fire.
I leave Bali on Monday at 10:50am. Layover in Singapore. Leave airport to hangout with Richard's college friend, Armen, for 7 hours. Fly to San Francisco. Home on Oct 8 at 8:30am.
Bali IS magical in every way. As that Russian woman told me, "Thank God we have this little corner on the Earth for healing." The temples, the culture, the tectonic plates, the smiles. Everything warms the soul here.
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