Bali Wisdom
Namaste from mama Bali beautiful people! I have been here for around two weeks and this time has been absolutely life changing. In this post I want to share a two week recap. Here I will share some tips and epiphanies I have come across while in this beautiful land. In another post I’ll share my Bali favs, but for now let’s get into what i’ve learned. I may have already mentioned these tips at some point and they don’t go in any specific order, but it’s always good to reiterate and my brain has so much to share. This post might be a little messy, a little disorganized, a little crazy, but guess what? So is life!
First and foremost, be present. Be in the here and now. Anxiety comes from living in the future and depression comes from living in the past. Peace is in the present, love is in the present.
This life is so short, so enjoy what you have in front of you. Think of things in a positive light and most of all be grateful. Be grateful for the good, focus on the good.
Be happy. “A happy person doesn’t hurt others.” You cannot control others, but you can control yourself and how you react. Every time you do something negative, that will come back to you in another way, so choose to be kind and joyful.
Trust yourself. Trust your soul, listen to not only what you want but also what you need. It’s ok if what you want and what you need are two different things, but be in tune with yourself. For example, last night I really wanted to go out with friends for a birthday celebration, but I was exhausted and I knew I needed to refill my cup. So, although I wanted to go out and try a new restaurant, I needed to eat at the resort and go to bed early. I listened to myself and it was so so worth it. I had a great dinner that was included in the price so I didn’t have to spend money on food or a taxi. I had amazing conversations with two friends. I got in bed and scrolled on my phone and went to bed by 9. It was a perfect, very much needed night.
What’s the rush? We are always trying to get through the next thing and the next without ever living. Why are we so scared to slow down and take time? Embrace island time. Go at your own pace.
Try new things, meet new people, get out of your comfort zone. Whether that means eating a different cuisine, trying a new workout class, reaching out to find new friends, etc.
Life is a learning process, it’s a practice not a perfect. It’s ok to mess up, it’s ok to be messy. Just go with the flow. Allow yourself to be wrong and allow others to correct you. Be open to the learning process.
Be you! Stop living life for others and start living for yourself. If you live for others, you will always be unhappy and unsatisfied. Stop caring what other people think or do. You are amazing, be confident in who you are. Let loose. Dance around. Close your eyes and let your body move however it wants. Stop being so quick to judge or compare. Our brains are wired to be looking for the next comparison and a new way to one-up someone, but how about we all hype each other up. Be excited for other peoples successes and be there for people when they need you.
Be welcoming and be kind. In the short amount of time I have been here, I have not just made friends, but family. A week before the trip we all got on a zoom call together and the directors of the program said that although we were strangers on a screen, very soon we would be like family. When I first heard this, I didn’t believe it at all. I thought that I would make some friends by the end and that we would all form a beautiful community, but I never knew it would be like this. This process has showed me that with the right amount of kindness and openness, it is possible to form bonds within just a few days.
Have awareness and mindfulness, but don’t judge your thoughts. Thoughts will come up throughout the day, but we don’t need to label them as “good” or “bad,” simply just let them exist. Notice them and let them pass. One thought after the other prevents us from seeing our real nature. “You are’t really thinking, you are listening to the thought.”
Instead of looking for external validation, try to be complete with just you. Moksha is the overall goal of many Hindus and this is the desire for freedom. Freedom from the material world and free from desire. This leads into being happy with what you have. Stop looking for the next thing to purchase or the latest technology, that will only lead you to want more and more.
Embrace your inner child. We start life with no thoughts, no name, no language. We begin life in a meditative state. Just living, not thinking. We are so happy and pure. Come into this energy and bring it into your life.
Our energy is also what we take in. This means that our energy is not just our food, but it is what we watch, who we are around, etc.
“When you accept imperfection, that is perfection.”
I will leave you on that note. I hope you have enjoyed just a few pieces of the wisdom I have learned while here. I want you all to take these things in and truly contemplate them. I love you all.