Daily offerings of gratitude

Welcome to Bali

Desa Seni gratitude

Each morning .. an offering

Bungalow Living Bali .. shop offering

Hindu Temple Echo Beach Bali

Each day (in fact three times a day) the balinese Hindus prepare small offering baskets called ‘canang sari' which are placed everywhere you can think of .. throughout the yard around the home/villa, the entrance to shops and markets, before statues and even on busy street corners to aid protection and give thanks.  

These offerings to the Gods or blessings are simply crafted out of natural materials, usually starting with a small basket made from a banana leaf and holding a small amount of rice, meat or fish, a flower and incense.  Sometimes I would see a small amount of money also included.

Many times I watched locals picking up frangipani flowers along the street, and carrying and placing down offerings along their journey.  

I am thinking of what simple offering practice I might be able to incorporate in my life .. a gratitude and mindfulness practice to set the 'tone' and intention of my day (stay tuned).

Meditation Bell .. a call to calm

On my recent visit to Bali .. I experienced the best massage e-v-e-r!

I am a trained remedial massage therapist (no longer practicing) so my expectations around massage can be high .. but I was totally lost in the sublime massage at Jari Menairi (Seminyak), along with the gorgeous surroundings, caring staff and totally indulgent 75 minute self care session.

While waiting for my girlfriends, I spent some time with the staff in the little shop out front and was so excited to find that they sold these gorgeous meditation chimes.  I find the Tibetan Singing bowls to be a little fiddly and time consuming to use in group meditation sessions .. and have been waiting for the 'right' chime or bell to find me.

In meditation a bell or chime is often used to indicate the start and finish of practice .. we follow the sound of the bell as a pathway to inner stillness .. listening to the sound until the sound merges into silence.

Sometimes a bell will also be used at intervals through meditation to indicate time frames while also acting as a reminder to come back to the present moment.

"The bell is an invitation to meditation.  An invitation to rest and enjoy the breathing in and breathing out between the sounds of the bell.  The sound is there to help you concentrate and enjoy your breathing".

Thich Nhat Hanh

Jari Menari, translates to 'Dancing Fingers', which describes the flow of fingers during this wonderfully effective massage. 

Learn to Meditate

If you feel it is time to learn how to meditate, to find the right technique and start a regular personal meditation practice - our Exploring Meditation 6-week course starts next week in Black Rock (Melbourne) and our next E-Course starts 1st October.

Bali Magic

We are back home.

And yet I feel I have had to also leave home.

My magical Bali home  

This holiday was a long anticipated dream that finally came together at the last moment.  Along with my teenager and a few special friends I have spent the last few weeks soaking up all that is Bali.

Amazed again at how generous and engaging are the Balinese, the totally intoxicating weather and landscape which just seduces you to let go and inhabit the present moment .. and the wonder of 'bali time' which is just a perfect way to live (time for everything and life at it's own pace).

Grateful for: wonderful memories ~ the time and space to truly rest, wander, ponder and dream ~ and the renewed vigor for LIFE!

Blessed Bali Life

Within my online tribe there is constant talk of location independent work options .. and here I am testing the theory that one can travel the world and maintain a connection with work, family and friends.

I am in Bali for a well-earned holiday with my daughter and a few close friends .. but also managing a busy work desk with our upcoming Quiet Mind Meditation E-Course starting in just a few days - starts 1st SEPTEMBER.

When I left cold and grey Melbourne just over a week ago, I so wished and hoped that energy and inspiration would return once I took some time for self nurture and rest.  

Waking each day to this view (video above) and the opportunity to write by the pool, dream and conjour and rest in the sun, walk along the endless sandy beaches and eat the lovingly prepared offerings .. I feel myself restoring and finding new insights each day.

Blessed.

Full of gratitude.

Bali bound ..

I am about to jump on a plane to Bali ..  and I am beyond excited.

Last time I was in this magical place I was on a yoga and meditation retreat and I made a life changing decision ..

to share my passion for meditation with the world

Quietening the Mind

I am soon going to be on a plane .. heading off to a magical island for some rest and relaxation.

Ten years between plane travel (and a good solid holiday break) is not a healthy option for anyone .. and this is where my meditation practice has been invaluable over the last few busy years.

Each morning I have the opportunity to sit with my 'best friend' and rest.  Each morning I am gently held by my practice to find that place within me that is quiet and still and spacious.  And in that space I can find peace, I can sort through and let go of things that no longer serve me, listen to my body and tap into my creativity.

Each morning on my cushion I am restored, nurtured and supported.

But a holiday in the sunshine ~ well that's something magical and you can follow some of my travel adventures on my Instagram page over the next few weeks.

I am really looking forward to being closer to the water, resting under the blue sky, listening to the sea breeze in the palm trees and meditating with the setting sun.

Water is an image often used when discussing meditation.

If you imagine the mind as a vast expanse of ocean, our daily chattering thoughts are like the waves that continually rise and fall, chopping up the surface and distorting our view of the beauty below. 

Sometimes the waves are wild, dark and tumultuous .. they toss us around and make us edgy, anxious and weary. 

Sometimes the waves are just a gentle ebb and flow, a lapping rhythm that naturally calms us allowing us to more easily 'let go' and relax into the flow of life.

When we dive under the water .. we leave the waves overhead and immerse our body/mind into a deeper quiet and stillness. In meditation we remain aware of the waves (thoughts) occurring above us, but there is no need to engage with them, instead we relish the opportunity to swim deep below the agitation and touch a sense of real freedom. 

Most of the human body is made up of water, somewhere between 60-80%, so we are naturally a part of the great body of water around us, also effected by tide and lunar cycles. In the Buddhist tradition the symbol of water denotes purity, clarity and calmness .. reminding us to cleanse our minds and attain a state of purity.

* sea air is charged with healthy negative ions .. these increase our ability to absorb oxygen, thus helping to balance our levels of serotonin (the chemical associated with mood and stress)

* Listening to the waves alters and mellows the wave patters in the brain .. soothing us into a deeply calm and relaxed state.

Hot weather delights:

* drinking plenty of cool water with jingly ice

* being still more .. body and mind

* reading, feet up, on the couch with no guilt

* sarongs and bare skin

* ice cream .. or better still .. fresh green apple gelati

* cool red grapes eaten straight out of the fridge

* a dip in a friends pool or a late afternoon beachside plunge