Today, I was honored to be able to go to the Sacred Water Temple called Tirta Empul. My friends' favorite driver, Dewa, took us and came prepared with a rich bag of offerings and fresh plumeria flowers to wear behind our ears. I wasn't sure what we had in store, besides the fact that it is one of Bali's most important temples, it was discovered in AD 962 and is believed to have magical powers. It is a bubbling spring which then gushes through carved waterspouts into 2 sacred pools. It is the main source of the Sungai Pakerisan River.
We were the only white people there, but it was bustling with joyous Balinese and lots of pregnant women peacefully praying for good health (and little boys in Superman undies!). The pool had a long series of spouts towering over with offerings of flowers, incense, money and even cigarettes. You always silently asked for permission to receive the water and it's respective healing benefits before bowing your head under the water (otherwise, it is considered stealing!). The 1st spout was only for people from this village. Most of them were for general health (physical, mental and spiritual), then one for your bad dreams not to come true and a big one at the end mostly for physical health. The 1st one in the other pool was for youth, the 2nd for forgiveness of wrong words said and the last was the general healer of all, which is where people collect holy water. Lovely beyond words!!
We were also lucky enough to be offered to buy fresh, young coconuts from this man. When we said yes, he started climbing! It was a really tall palm and had notches hacked in to make it easier to climb. He seemed really happy at our love and appreciation for the coconuts. They are simply a life saver in this climate...exactly what the body needs! I learned in the Peace Corps that it is the best hydrating drink with perfectly balanced electrolytes. Actually, I'm drinking my 2nd one of the day at this cafe!
Speaking of refreshing...watermelon juice!!! Oh my goodness, really, am I in heaven or what?!Another benefit of drinking these yummies, is that it supports local agriculture. A friend told us recently that it takes 20 liters of water to produce 1 liter of Coco-Cola...drink local!!
Tomorrow I head to Anahata Resort to begin my 4 week Yoga Teacher Training journey!! Anahata is the Sanskrit name for the heart chakra. I love that about Bali. Namaste Bookshop, Bhakti clothing store, Ganesha Bookshop...Divinity is infused in to daily life! Namaste means the Divine in me bows to the Divine in you! Bhakti means devotion and Ganesha is the Indian elephant-headed deity who helps transforms obstacles to God-realization. And with the spirit of Ganesha, I wish you a blessed day filled with joy and Divine synchroncities (they are everywhere!!) XOXO, Kelly O.
1 comment:
It looks like you are having a lovely time during all of your travels. I can't wait for watermelons to be in season here! Watermelon juice sounds heavenly on a hot day!
I am really looking forward to hearing about your ytt. I have left a comment on your blog before, but besides having a love of raw foods in common, we also both love yoga! I did my ytt last year and it was all I hoped it would be (I waited many years for it all to fall into place too, so it was extra wonderful).
Post a Comment