If you read my Ubud blog post, you’ll know what this will be about. I know, I know the cliche of having a spiritual experience in Bali, Eat Pray Love, eat your heart out. I didn’t go to Bali wanting or expecting one, maybe I’m even mistaken by calling it spiritual at all. All I can say is that I experienced something I never have before, and something shifted. With that cryptic start, I’ll get into it shall I?
Why is Bali viewed as ‘spiritual’ at all?
Unlike the rest of Indonesia, Bali has maintained its deep-rooted Hindu traditions. Each family has one or more temples in addition to the temples built representing each god Brahma, Vishnu and Devi (goddess).
Every morning, Canang Sair, or ‘offerings’ are presented on the streets or in the family’s temple. The offerings are handmade baskets containing food such as rice and/or biscuits, frangipani flowers and incense which deliver their gratitudes to the gods. Walking the streets you’ll pass the colourful baskets, clearly made with love and attention, and smell the incense floating through the streets.
Gods and spirits are worshipped, revered and respected in Bali. All of this combined give a unique energy to “the island of the gods”. This has drawn the spiritually minded from all around the world (especially since Eat, Pray, Love), causing a mix of the deep-rooted local traditions and yoga practices, healing workshops and ceremonies.
A scientific background and spirituality
I feel compelled to go into this topic every time I mention my spiritually and scientific background, and I wrote about it preciously, but honestly it’s still something I struggle getting me head around. I still don’t know how far I believe in the Chi and the energies.
What I will admit to, is I love being open, to new things, new thought processes, new ways to live a happier, healthier life. I’m open to thinking about the energy shooting out of my head and my fingers. Do I think I’m walking out with some special superpower? No, absolutely not. Do I feel lighter and uplifted? Happier? Yes I do. Is it placebo? You know, maybe, but the placebo effect is actually very powerful. The mind is incredibly powerful, and if all it takes is to “buy into it” for an hour or two to feel better for the rest of the day and in life, well I’m not going to be stubborn for the sake of it.
Be open-minded, be respectful about everyone’s thoughts, feelings and experiences and I think we’ll all have a great time.
Cermonial cacao, what is it and what is it used for?
I know, I know, I know. We’re mixing religions, mixing traditions, mixing origins. But is there anything wrong with that? Ceremonial cacao has its roots in mesoamerican cultures used in life-affirming ceremonies such as births, marriages, battles and worship.
These days, it is not used in an attempt to emulate the previous traditions of ancient cultures, however what may be in common is the desire to connect. Connect with what you may ask? Whatever you feel, connect with the earth, nature, the self, a higher power etc. Cacao is perfect for this, as it is said to open the heart to becoming more receptive and allowing for greater connection.
But what is ceremonial cacao and what makes it ceremonial?
“Ceremonial cacao” is a term used to describe minimally processed cacao beans. The drink is prepared by adding a liquid (water or milk) to the cacao and you end up with a thick somewhat bitter warm dark-chocolate flavoured drink. Not selling it, am I? Well it’s certainly a different palette to the chocolate you find in the supermarket. It’s not meant to be palatable, I see it representing an intention and an initiation into a new experience.
Sound healing, are we for real?
I thought the same thing. It was the ceremonial cacao that sold me, the sound healing was an add on I thought would be relaxing and enjoyable. I struggle with the word “healing” here. My concern arising from the suggestion it can heal physical ailments. So I put that thought aside and accepted that it meant emotional healing more than anything else.
Do I really believe sound can heal? Well, let me tell you this. Traffic stresses me the heck out. I don’t need to be sat in it or be taking part, if I’m sat next to a loud road, I tense up unconsciously, even if I’m just sat enjoying a coffee. Or, I can mention the times I hear hundreds or thousands of people sing in a crowd and it almost always brings tears to my eyes. Or how I feel so relaxed when I hear the trickle of water, or light rain on the roof. How thunder induces anxiety even though I know I’m safe. Like it or not, sound impacts the way we feel. Why not in a beneficial way, even if it’s just by leaving the class calmer than we entered.
Don’t knock it ’till you try it
So for real in fact, I’ve booked in to do a sound healing course alongside my yoga teacher training in India. Yes, fellow readers. Humour me, because I’ll be your resident sound healer. Now how does one become so convinced, so quickly? It’s easier for me to answer that question by detailing my experience (finally).
Initial impressions
The room was light, spacious, perhaps a bit warm. Yoga mat were laid out in a semi-circle facing two mats at the front and an assortment of tibetan singing bowls, crystal bowls and chimes. At the head of each mat were more props; a bolster, two mini bolsters, blocks and a cushion. As the instructor, or maybe I’ll call her the guide, explained to us what to expect, small pink ceramic cups of the ceremonial cacao were put down by each of us.
The cacao and intentions
Before we got into it all we were instructed to pick yo the cacao and hold it while we settled into the class, focusing on our breath and setting an intention for the practice. I always struggle with the intention setting, even at the beginning of a yoga class so to be honest I can’t remember if I set one or just thought about how I struggled with setting one.
Slowly and thoughtfully, we brought the cacao to our nose, took in the smell and had our first sip. It was like a really thick gravy I had to pull into my mouth. It didn’t particularly go down smoothly, but the taste wasn’t so bad. Not sweet, a little bitter but not too much for me.
Ho’oponopono
After finishing the cacao, the guide asked us to imagine our best selves. What does it look like? Who do we want to be? What does that feel like? We imagined it as though we were living it. She then asked us to think of something that got in the way of us becoming our best selves. She said to put that thought in our hearts. Then she played a Hawaiian mantra ‘Hoʻoponopono’, translating roughly to ‘to return to balance’ which repeats ‘I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you’, being sung beautifully from the speakers. This is when my eyes first filled with tears, but none fell. I wasn’t the only one, once it had finished I opened my eyes to find some people wiping tears away. I almost wanted to reach out and hold their hands, but for many of us, it was a solo journey.
Self-love and gratitude
I think this taps into fighting the self-critic we all have within us, and makes us open to self love. By repeating this over and over to myself in my head, I really did feel like I forgave myself for something I didn’t realise needed forgiving. At the end of the day, it’s a simple practice that allows space to embrace that self-love and forgiveness which is so important but completely overlooked in our day to day lives.
We then moved into our 3 or 4 yin poses. In the last yin posture, the guide asked us to imagine our younger selves and say “I love you”, feel that self love, then think about something you’re grateful for and to feel it in your heart. Honestly, this part was where my tears just started streaming. I have never felt as grateful for anything in my life as I did that moment.
Realising that, truly, there is so much to be grateful for
It wasn’t just one thing, it was everything. It was my family, Ben, Ben’s family, my past experiences, good and bad. I was even grateful for the pain and trauma of my illness and surgery a few years ago, because without it all I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Combined with the self-love I was also dishing out, it was a recipe for just profound feelings of love and gratitude like I’ve never experienced.
Tears streamed until we ended the session. Then they streamed again when I walked outside and saw Ben waiting for me. That kind of session requires a good long deep conversation about it. After I’d finished sharing my experience with Ben, he said he wanted to give it a try too, and try he did.
Ben even gave it a go
I had booked myself in for a second time to go with Ben on his first time. I said he at least had to ‘buy into it’, by that I meant be open to what was happening and not immediately dismiss something because it sounds too ‘woo-woo’. I hope he doesn’t mind me saying, but Ben also had some tears and a certain emotional shift during the experience.
So if Ben can get something from it and he’s not believed in a spiritual thing in his life then, yeah I gotta say I think it was somewhat healing. I think you should try it too. Good job I’ve added a sound healing course onto my upcoming Yoga Teacher Training in India, so I’ll be your resident sound healer! I’m open to mates rates. Watch this space!!!
