The Balinese New Year’s Day, Nyepi, occurs in March or April of each year. Three days before Nyepi, all the villages take all the ceremonial objects they own and carry them to the beach in a procession to be purified by water—including Barong and Durga masks because they have living spirits in them. The next […]
“There is no freedom like seeing myself as I am and not losing heart.” —Elizabeth J. Canham Tell me who you really are, today, just as you are. No holding back. Tell me everything you see. As you write, try to write with acceptance of who you are and what you see.
On my first writer’s retreat in Bali, 12 years ago, I brought along by wife Karyn, who taught yoga in the mornings, and our 15-year-old daughter, Eliza. One of my fondest memories of that trip was Eliza’s excitement about all the cute monkeys in the Ubud monkey forest. I still have a whole bunch of
Today, we got to visit the expansive home and studio of our guide Surya’s mask carving teacher, Cok Raka Tisnu, vice-chair emeritus of the music and dance department at Udayana University in Denpasar. His family’s royal compound, which houses several generations of his family, stretches for an entire city block in the village of Singapadu.
What I Learned About Sacred Masks Read More »
One of the first things a visitor to Bali notices, after the tropical air, the hundreds of roaring, beeping motorbikes carrying entire families, and the incessant, wild flow of traffic, are the offerings you see everywhere. These small square flat green boxes, 3-4 inches wide, start with a base of young coconut or palm leaves,
Offerings Are Everywhere Read More »
In the early days of writing class for group #2, one of the prompts I gave my students was, “Write a set of directions for how to bring more wildness into your life.” This was my response. What would yours be? Stop listening to the news. Stop looking at your list. Better yet, burn your
How to Make Room for Wildness Read More »
Today we left our beautiful, peaceful resort on the shores of the Indian Ocean and drove to Ubud for the middle section of our trip, which focuses on seeing local healers, experiencing traditional purification rituals, and learning more about Balinese spirituality. On our way, we stopped for lunch at Senang Hati, the only center in
Putu’s Impossible Dream Read More »
One of the things I love and admire about the Balinese is how they’ve maintained strong family and cultural ties despite the tourism that is so much a core part of their economy. Family ties are incredibly strong in Bali and each village is organized in a banjar, where the whole community provides mutual support
A Society Steeped in the Sacred Read More »
Since I was out of commission for the first couple of days of my own retreat, I asked group member, Jamie Slaten Weil if I could repost her description of the outing I missed. Writing and photo credits to her. Today was a special day in Tenganan Pegeringsingan Village located 15 minutes from where we’re staying.
Guest Post: Tenganan Pegeringsingan Village Read More »
I’m on the second day of my four days off between my first group of Bali travelers and my second. The last day of our trip, I woke up sick with a head cold. My body held off on getting sick until my responsibilities were over, and then it knocked me flat. My plan for
Why It’s So Hard for Me to Rest Read More »
“There were times when I could not afford to sacrifice the bloom of the present moment to any work, whether of head or hands. Sometimes, in a summer morning, having taken my accustomed bath, I sat in my sunny doorway from sunrise to noon, rapt in a reverie, amidst the pines and hickories and sumacs,
Today is the last full day of our retreat in Bali. I’m teaching my last writing class for this group right now—they’re busy writing—and after our final class, the day is free for people to do whatever they want to do with their last hours in Bali. I’m getting a two-hour massage, that includes a
Well It’s Almost a Wrap Read More »
This is a compilation of responses to final writing prompt of this first of two retreats. Those of us who have all been here for 15 days together are all going our separate ways today. We just had our final closing circle. I’m going to be resting for the next 4 days and then will
Since I’ve Come to Bali Read More »
Today we took a break in writing class so we could watch the children’s dance class that meets on the hotel property. This is just one of the many things I love about Puri Lumbung. Turn up your sound to hear the music. Then the boys. The teacher invited those of us watching to join
“We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.” —James Baldwin Tell me about a time you stood up to hatred or injustice—a slur, a slight, or an attack on you or someone else. Or tell me about a
