#pathsoftransformation

It’s been a rough couple of days. Saying bye to loved ones in the states for another year. Getting sick during 24 hours of travel. Last night in the haze of jet lag and my cold I found out a dear friend died far too young from her battle with cancer. Life has its ups and downs and the Mystery has many faces. Some we delight in, some bring tears. I wasn’t sure I was up for client sessions today but the still calm voice inside said it’d be good for me. So I went to @somacafeubud and sat down to work with clients. They shared their struggles and their wonders, the magic happening in their lives, and together we came up with ways to accept the painful face of the Mystery while creating strategies for transforming that pain into something healing, empowering, beautiful. The conversation and insights flowed on their own and cut through the weariness and grief. I feel blessed to experience the flip side of the pain and send love to all those going through the thick of it! #sick #grieving #thankful #themystery #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #livingalchemy #lifeunfiltered #Bali #dharma_travel #lifeinbali https://www.instagram.com/p/B3vkrXLpoc8/?igshid=1vtqw507l12lk

When you open up to the Mystery you enter into relation with the world. Yesterday was my birthday. I ordered way too much food and due to ceremonies, half the people who said they were coming couldn’t make it. Five years ago this would have devastated me. The narrative in my head would have insisted this was a sign of my value in life, easily canceled and forgotten. This time around I recognized that things like this happen. Still, there was a point in the day when I almost sank into self-pity. I had gotten bored and my mind started thinking over the cancellations and whether I have a true “tribe,” a set of deeply connected friends that I could hold onto. That used to be my old obsession. People who would stick around, people who had your back. It was the root of my codependency, me trying to prove I was close friendship to those who didn’t want it. I hurt myself by trying so hard while pushing everyone away in my desperation. I recognized this train of thought yesterday and wanted to nip it so I performed the simplest ritual. I cut my nails and asked the Mystery to cut away what no longer belongs and then called my energy back from these parts of my old self. At that moment a new friend came up the stairs with a slice of birthday cake and candles. We sat and talked for a couple hours. Later that night my Balinese family brought cake and presents. I almost cried knowing that’s not an easy thing for them to do but they love me and wanted to show it. I’ve seen this happen at other times in my life. Times I thought I’d be alone because I chased people away but others showed up when I needed them. When we enter into relationship with the Mystery, with the Cosmos, we enter into relationship with the world itself. Those friends you just met, the ones thoughtful and considerate enough to do something special for your birthday, they become the face of the Mystery, the best friend you’ll ever have who is with you wherever you go. Love and Blessings to you this day and may you know the Mystery is with you. #Bali #birthday #family #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #liveyourstory #livingalchemy #livingstory #beyondsurviving #lifemagic https://www.instagram.com/p/B1TdaktBJgk/?igshid=5ddei6w560fs

It’s Galungan in Bali, thirteen days of thanksgiving that happens twice a year where the gods are honored for the abundance that they provide and their victory over adharma (disharmony). During this time the gods and ancestors are believe to visit the earth. Families gather, cook a bunch of food, put up posts in front of the house representing the mountains (home of the gods) and the abundance which flows from there. For nearly two weeks they make special offerings to the gods and ancestors who visit. It’s always interesting to see the parallels amongst traditions while at the same time noticing the difference in focus. In Bali thanksgiving is intimately wrapped up with the gods, ceremony, and spending time with the family. Not to mention the ancestors who have made this all possible. It’s a way of giving back to the forces of life that sustain us. What is a practice you can invoke in thanksgiving that honors those forces of abundance that sustain us? #abundance #ancestors #thanksgiving #balihinduism #pathsoftransformation #honoringthegods #ameaningfullife #returningtonaturesrhythm #lifeunfiltered #Bali #BaliAdventure #Wanderlust #dharma_travel #lifeinbali #expat #tradition (at Ubud) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0QMMl8hF9Y/?igshid=q11odx7fhc85

One of my favorite things about living at my family’s homestay is that here, as with most of Bali and much of the world, family units are multigenerational. On the poles of the generations are Ebu and Bella. Ebu (grandma, it’s the only name she ever gives for herself) goes to every ceremony in town (and many out of town) and holds the traditions of the family with a smile on her face. She’s constantly creating new offerings for the next ceremony and always starts the songs amongst the women during rituals. She knows how to perform every ceremony but it’s not a rigid following of tradition that accompanies her but rather a love for her community and spirituality. Bella is the resident four year old. Bright in intelligence and spirit and ranging from fierce to shy depending on the hour and day. In the video she’s teaching me how to count as she counts up how many ice creams she wants. It’s why she’s locked us into the kitchen, to demand payment. Her mother Mina only laughed and told me “we’ve been locked in.” I have never seen a parent in Bali yell at their child and I’ve never seen a kid spanked. For the most part parents seem patient and amused. Occasionally, in ceremony, they’ll give a special look or tone but usually they let children be children. People here know that their families and villages will be with them for the rest of their lives. There is a lot of attention paid to harmony and while people will occasionally clash they tend to come back together again in respect of that harmony. Personally I feel there’s a lot to be learned here about the wisdom that comes from sharing space and the times of youth, adulthood and wisdom. #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #liveyourstory #livingalchemy #livingstory #beyondsurviving #lifemagic #returningtonaturesrhythm #lifeunfiltered #Bali #lifeinbali #expat #balihinduism #offerings #spiritualcommunity #mybalifamily #balifamily #family (at Ubud, Bali, Indonesia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzpjDZFBAMH/?igshid=bbzcp9cer6ro

Once a Bali year every family temple celebrates the anniversary of its consecration. This happens twice a Gregorian year. Essentially it’s a family get together with praise and thanks for (the) God(s). As God in Bali is the Many as One. Since every house has a family temple that’s a lot of smiling faces at various get togethers, with prayers, offerings, and gratefulness. The priest who led the prayers today had four other temple anniversaries to bless. I found myself basking in the glow of a life lived in community, with supportive extended families, village support, and a grateful relationship with the Mystery. People will spend weeks preparing for a ceremony, friends, family and neighbors all doing what they can to help. Bali really is a tropical paradise but that is due to a lot more than the beauty of the island. It’s a culture that nurtures and nourishes community support and relationship to the Mystery. Which leads me to wonder, how can we do more of this in our own lives? #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #liveyourstory #livingstory #beyondsurviving #lifemagic #returningtonaturesrhythm #lifeunfiltered #Bali #BaliAdventure #Wanderlust #dharma_travel #lifeinbali #expat #spiritualadventure #balihinduism #offerings #spiritualcommunity #mybalifamily #livingwiththemystery (at Ubud, Bali, Indonesia) https://www.instagram.com/pathsoftransformation/p/ByjFpsRBXSn/?igshid=lrbnu5z1kre8