Nyepi is the day of silence here in Bali, 24 hours of beautiful lovely peaceful peace no street lights, no dogs barking they all obviously got the memo. It. Was. Bliss.
Not that we haven't been in mashup of a rather vexing over elongated lock downs mixed with occasional dashes of flagrantly un endearing house arrest for the last two years or anything..... but Nyepi is different.
Nyepi is preceded by a few events; On the eve if Nyepi children carry flame torches that are used to light bonfires which symbolically burn ogoh-ogoh statues. Ogoh Ogoh you ask? Ogoh-Ogoh are slightly scary looking statues built for the Ngrupuk parade eventually they are set a light as the final stage after they are paraded through the main streets which is kinda like a giant street party. The parade/street party celebrates the departure of any unhelpful spirits that have been lurking around and I reckon there have been a few of those not only in Bali but the world over.
Also those giant two story Ogoh Ogoh have been wrapped in plastic gathering dust for the last two years, so this was definitely a Nyepi of excitement.
I was fairly silent, by that I mean I was talking to my self in my own head as a distraction because I was pretty sure that I could hear my neighbours doing horizontal adult activities which made me grateful that I could also hear my own mouth munching my salt and vinegar chips which were delicious but completely numbed my lips. Reading a book and enjoying the sunlight. I think that I would like to give myself a Nyepi on a monthly basis, minus the horizontal neighbour action.
Bali is buzzing with the news of flights coming back into Bali form Australia, zero quarantine and visa on arrival from Monday March 7. You can feel that the energy has picked up, there are small businesses coming back to life like flowers blooming in the springtime, buildings getting new insides, signs going up, stock going in and people getting their jobs back. The only dark cloud over these sunshine days is Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
There are many people from Russia and Ukraine living in Bali. Remember not to many years ago when Russia,Ukraine and 13 other countries all lived under one international direct dial country code +7?
That was only in 1991. Although these may be two separate countries with their own international direct dialling codes now +380 for Ukraine and Russia got to keep +7, these two countries are really deeply connected, they are an extended family made up of brothers, sisters , friendships, families and a shared histories. Regardless of which side of that recently dawn line in the sand dirt or snow you sit, neither of these countries men, women or children want a war.
This is a tough time for Russian and Ukraine visitors to Bali. Both countries are well represented here in Bali with visitors and long time covid stayers, some of whom have been left without access to money, not even their credit cards are working. Last week there was a rush to get to local banks here in Bali to withdraw funds before the sanctions cut them off, the people that are being punished are not the ones wanting, plotting or orchestrating this war. Its hard to paint a picture of a victim thats living n the tropical island paradise of your dreams. War is not supposed to look like that, it's simply not gruesome enough. But there is sadness and an another slather of uncertainty on the covid catastrophe cake. This is breaking people.
As we slide rapaciously past the slippery slope of the age of "cards, no cash" right into the digital, "do it on your device playment systems" we get a little excited like a kid at Christmas. Past the frustrations of navigating new systems and 11venty million new passwords and endless loops of sliding puzzle pieces of koala fur to a koalas belly , I am not sure what your "captures" "or I am not a robot" tests look like? please feel free to let me know in the comments. There is plenty of intermittent cussing and occasional identification requests for squares displaying trains to let the BFAC Big Far Away Computer know that it really is you.
It prompts me to ask how in control of our on financial freedom actually are we?
I say pretty much zero, directors and dictators will decide your hard earned monies, slavings and balances availability to you depending on how compliant you are, Canada first now Russia are two really great examples. Be afraid, how can it be even if we create our own wealth that we are still at the mercy of the powers that be?
Crypto currency may well be the answer.
If you haven't done crash course in crypto this is a really great time to get started, and the buy price is low.
Step 1 Open a trading account here is a link to Coinbase
Step 2 Get on Yoga Tube and start studying Meet Brian Jung He makes learning easy & fun for beginners
No one ever really wants war, no one wakes up and goes "bonza beaudy mate lets go do some big time damage to people places and things" who ever they are, are programmed to believe that this is the way forward, only it's not. Om Shant Shnti Shanti; Peace in the heart Peace in the head Peace in our homes, Peace always.
There are wars ongoing all over our planet , if everyone was able to find their own patch of personal peace the world would be a more peaceful place. this is the work of the yogi, helping our spinning orbs inhabitants find their way to personal peace. Unfortunately its not all hairy arm pits and hippy communes of my parents era, part of feeling peace is found in owning our own financial freedom.
Financial Freedom rolls easily enough off the tongue but not always easy to achieve, Create a few side hustles hope one sticks, watch a million YouTube clips and get super confused about what will be your best option?? If it was we would all be there, not tethered to some one else's dream. But it requires tenacity and application, showing up learning something new and doing the work. All skills that a life in yoga teaches us. There are so many ways to find your freedom, there is no one way just as there is no one way to "do yoga" There is a plethora of inspiring people and stories and you can find and follow as you figure out your own way there.
I think the first step is finding some of your own personal peace, effectively giving creativity space to breathe. How do you find your own personal peace? In the past I wouldn't be able to answer this question at all, I would have held my breath and waited for the question to pass over my head in its own speech bubble until it popped and the question forgotten. Then popped off to the shops with a wad of old school cash to buys something to putty up the holes that expose my personal failures.
Today its a different story, I have the tools
Breathe
Bend
Sit
Wondering how to get started? Want to learn how to take back control of your own life? It starts with connection to breath check out my books on Amazon & free trainings on YouTube
Or you can book a flight to Bali and come train with me in person!!!!
Peace love & mung beans
xxxkit