Spiritual Lessons from Bali, with Love

My love affair with Bali started 28 years ago and heralded the beginning of my spiritual journey.

I went on a retreat that awakened a remembrance in me that I was much older, wiser and infinitely ‘greater’ than I’d thought myself to be and my life was changed forever.

Bali’s beauty and intrigue, and her loving, nurturing energy seeped into my Soul, and lit a spark in the far reaches of my awareness that I have carried with me ever since.

And so, I recently returned to Bali on another retreat with eager anticipation, not knowing quite what to expect.

Of course, Bali is very different now compared to three decades ago.  Like everything in life, modernisation, globalisation and the harsh realities of an economically-driven world, have seen Bali evolve to meet demand and stay afloat as a global tourist destination. 

The sheer amount of accommodation options and activities for visitors is mind-boggling, and the roads are clogged with cars and scooters (except if you arrive at midnight as I did).

Yet, what I find incredibly endearing about the people of Bali is that they show no signs of discarding their traditions or compromising their core values.

Their spiritual devotion and cultural beliefs have remained strong, and they continue to welcome the rest of the world with open arms and the sincerest wish that every visitor enjoys their tropical paradise. 

There’s a good reason Bali is known as ‘the Island of the Gods and Goddesses’. Balinese spirituality blends Hinduism and Buddhism into a form of worship that is intertwined with and inseparable from daily life.

Practically no day goes by in Bali without at least one religious ceremony. And far from being ‘staged’ tourist attractions, the Balinese perform these ceremonies with the sole and ‘soul’ intention of maintaining harmony amongst humans, nature, and the Divine.

Despite the rapid development, nature still takes centre-stage in Bali: from the bounty of fresh produce, to the spectacular beaches, rice fields, jungles and waterfalls; from the melodic birdsong at sunrise, to the cheeky monkeys hovering nearby hoping for a quick snack.

With its natural splendour combined with its ‘other-worldly’ vibe, Bali can teach us so much about integrating our divinity into our humanity. But it all depends on the lens we choose to look through as we experience this island of contrasts.

Lesson 1: Gratitude is the key to happiness

No matter what you see on the surface in Bali, there is an underlying celebration and appreciation for life. The Balinese live in gratitude, and I could not help but be infused by the same, deep sense of being blessed in every moment. 

I learned many lessons from observing the Balinese people’s humility and the extraordinary spiritual energy they embody and share with others as a way of being.

The Balinese men and women I met struck me as exceptionally kind, gentle, genuine, calm, caring and grounded.  As well as being efficient, reliable, hard-working, creative and enterprising.  In all, the perfect balance of Divine feminine and masculine energies.

Lesson 2: Celebrating life’s ‘beautiful purpose’

Canang sari - daily offerings of gratitude to the Gods. Photo credit: Jeni Wahlig

Canang sari, meaning ’beautiful purpose’, is an offering made several times a day in front of and inside every home and many businesses, to express appreciation for balance, abundance, and a peaceful world.

While on past trips to Bali I had certainly seen and stepped over the ubiquitous ‘canang sari’ - small offerings of flowers, food and burning incense - this time I gained a much deeper understanding of their spiritual significance.

The base of each canang sari is woven from young palm leaves called ‘ceper’, symbolising the Earth and the Moon. Different varieties of flowers are carefully placed to pay homage to specific Gods.

Red petals are for Brahma, symbolising the Power of Creation and also representing the base chakra. Yellow or orange petals (often marigolds) are for Shiva, the God of Destruction and Transformation, and are also the colours of the solar plexus and sacral chakras, respectively. Green and blue (often hydrangea) are for Vishnu, the protective God of Life, with green also corresponding to the heart chakra and blue to the third-eye chakra. White petals are for Ishvara, the God of Nature and purple petals relate to the crown chakra and connection to Spirit.

Another layer of interpretation I would like to add is that the Five Elements, the foundation of Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine, are also represented: red for the Fire element, yellow for the Earth element, green for the Wood element, blue for the Water element, and white for the Metal element.

Lesson 3: There is healing in letting go

One of the highlights of my recent retreat was visiting the cool and serene Mengening Water Temple, just a short drive from Ubud. Dedicated to the God of Water, locals have been going here for centuries to perform a cleansing ritual that purifies the mind, heart and spirit.

When we arrived, respectfully dressed in traditional clothes, the peaceful energy of the temple was palpable. I felt privileged to participate in an authentic prayer ceremony and purification ritual with a Balinese Priestess.

Next, we entered the sacred pools and set our intentions to be cleansed of negative energies and past karma, With nervous giggles, we let our hair down (literally) and fully submerged ourselves in the chilly water.

We were then guided to put our heads under the fountains of fresh spring water. And finally, one-by-one, we each stood directly beneath a fast-flowing waterfall.

With trepidation, I stretched my arms forward to lean on the rock in front of me. I closed my eyes tightly, took a deep breath and held it as I plunged face-first into the gushing torrent.

Water purification ceremony at Mengening Temple

I will never forget what happened next. There was a moment when time stood still. Vaguely aware of the muffled sound of water rushing past my ears, I found myself in a tunnel of light. Then, in an instant ‘whoosh’, it felt like all the ‘left-over’ unwanted energies from my past were sucked up into a vacuum and returned to Source.

Lesson 4: Only love is real

I once heard someone say, “everything that isn’t real changes, but what is real never changes”.

Bali might look radically different compared to 28 years ago, but that’s just part of the illusion or ‘maya’.

There was a reason I’d felt a tug on my heart to return to Bali, and a lesson I needed to learn that perhaps only Bali could teach me:  

Divine love is real and it’s here to stay.

About the author: Kerrie Womersley is a Certified Advanced Holden Qigong Teacher, Advanced Soul Realignment Akashic Records Reader, Emotional Freedom Techniques Practitioner and Certified Infinite Possibilities Trainer.

The Find Yourself Qigong Online Studio is a supportive, sacred space, where Kerrie guides her students - through movement, intention and breathwork - to release stress and anxiety, ground themselves, raise their vibration, and refine their natural intuition to reconnect with their Divine True Nature.

Connect with Kerrie by visiting www.findyourselfnow.com.