Desa Seni A Village Resort

kula Desa Seni, A Village Resort

Volume 4 路October 路 November路 December

2011

Manifestation CHANGE: Why do we fear change? Why are we so resistant to change? Let’s look at the definition of change; 1. To alter; to make different; to cause to pass from one state to another.

2. To alter by substituting something else for and or by giving up for something else; as, to change one’s intention.

3. A succesion or substitution of one thing in the place of another; a difference; novelty; variety.

4. A passing from one phase to another.

5. Any variation or alteration; a passing from one state or form to another; as, a change of countenance; a change of habits or principles.

their jobs, climate change, illness, war, 2012, in fact, a whole heap of things that in themselves imply a change of state- from happiness/comfort to unhappiness. People fear change because they associate it with a change from good to bad or from bad to worse. We must stop focusing on the bad stuff and start focusing on the good that may come from change.

It is cha-

Change has been taking place since the world began. Change is inevitable! So why do we fear change? This is a very complex and interesting question. We fear change because: 1. One is, in general against or negative towards all that is new or different.

2. One, the person is not interested in the idea/the change. He/She has other goals that they want to pursue.

3. One, the person, does not understand the message and or the consequences that the change will have.

4. One, the person does not trust the person who is communicating the change initiative.

5. FEAR It is important to acknowledge that most people FEAR change. People fear loosing

llenging as we are constantly bombarded from an early age with negative messages about change. We are always being told of all the negative things that may happen from our news, our media, even our friends and family. “The real fear is the fear of not being able to handle it” spoken by Susan Jeffers in her book, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.

This ties in perfectly with change- if change happens, we are automatically or instinctively frightened. We must stop focusing on the negative impacts of our lives and happiness, look for the positive and realize we can handle it.

So, with so much change taking place all the time, constantly being bombarded with it; How do we Conquer the Fear?

It’s easy to say that we shouldn’t care what others think about us. What they say doesn’t matter, doesn’t define you, has nothing to do with you. I could easily say that. But the problem is that we’re not just subject to the criticism of others when we fail, we still have to face our harshest critic: ourselves.

But here’s the secret most people don’t know. You don’t actually have to “conquer” fear. You have to master it. Mark Twain once said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” Successful people aren’t people who conquered fear, they’re people who have faced fear. They’re people who were afraid and did it anyway.

What are you afraid of? Think about that for a minute. If you’re not very good at something, you tend to fear it. If you make a decision to face the fear and forge ahead with courage, you’ll eventually make courage a habit- and you’ll master that fear.

So what’s holding you back right now?

What are you afraid of, and how can you face that fear with courage?

Namaste

TRIMURTI YOGA MERAPU SPA FOOD / MAKANAN DEWI ORGANIC DHARMA / COMMUNITY ART & CULTURE I LAB

“I simply follow my own feelings” Mozart

TRIMURTI YOGA STUDIO YOGA

Bali Usada Tapa Brata Retreat Life Changing!

I

t was my very first silent meditation retreat and I am thrilled that I did it; it was life changing. What initially intrigued me to participate in a silent meditation retreat was an experience I had awhile back at a breath work retreat I was attending. During this retreat, the leader asked the group (over 140 of us) to observe a day of silence. Most of the group, although hardly all, managed to not talk for the day but there was an awful lot of smiling, signing, thumbs upping, gesturing and communicating through eye contact. Somehow this just didn’t feel right to me and I thought how I would really like to try a practice of silence and solitude. Or noble silence as it’s called: no communicating whatsoever either verbally or non-verbally which includes no eye contact. Pak Merta Ada’s extremely disciplined and structured Tapa Brata (health, in Bahasa Balinese) Meditation Retreat was just the thing!

Pak Merta Ada is very well known throughout Indonesia with his own radio show broadcasting his message of meditation and positivity to over 4 million listeners. He is an excellent storyteller and the week of silence was made that much more enjoyable listening to his lectures which were spiced and accented with stories from experience with past students, Indonesian folklore, as

“Using Pak Merta’s specific techniques, it is often possible to heal ailments, clear blockages, settle unresolved emotional trauma and generally be happier.”

well as stories from the Koran, the Bible and other sources. Pak Merta is Indonesian of Chinese descent and Buddhist belief but he keeps the teachings and entire retreat completely secular with no religious overtones, accessible to everyone.

A big theme of the week was “anicca” or impermanence, which is the Buddhist notion that all of conditioned existence or our reality, without exception, is in a constant state of flux or change. Pak Merta re-iterates this fact over and over and pushes us to embrace and acknowledge this notion deeply and to really believe and understand the fact that this is truly so, as a means of reducing suffering and achieving a more equanimous state of being. A lot of the week is spent focusing on one’s breath, the chakras, and our physical bodies, as well as listening to Pak Merta’s lectures and stories where he imparts some very valuable information and knowledge.

This meditation teaches not only how to attain a harmonious mind but also how to use that to purify negative reactions in the

body, on both a physical and mental level.

Using Pak Merta’s specific techniques it is often possible to heal ailments, clear blockages, settle unresolved emotional trauma and generally be happier. What struck me most at the end of the week was how applicable the teachings were to one’s daily life; not just esoteric languaging that makes you feel good at the time, but actually a process and technique that we can use daily to improve the quality of our lives.

This retreat was my first foray into the world of meditation and it got me hooked.

I am now proud to say that I am a meditator and since doing this Tapa Brata retreat in May I have been meditating every single day! I cannot say enough good things about how this practice has helped me and how I have benefitted from both attending this retreat and having a meditation practice; life changing! I truly believe that everyone should do this retreat and experience the benefits that it has to offer, a real must for all. Don’t take my word for it – experience it for yourself!

A

fter having such a great experience at the Bali Usada Tapa Brata Meditation Retreat, I wanted more. A good friend and fellow meditator told me about a Burmese monk that was coming to Bali to lead a Vipassana Retreat and that he was top in his field for mindfulness training. Sign me up, I said!! I had only been meditating for about 7 weeks at this point and I was very eager to learn and experience more. For those that are unfamiliar, “vipassana” actually means “insight” and a vipassana retreat traditionally is a noble silent retreat (no speaking, gesturing, or eye contact) with a very rigid schedule of alternating walking and sitting meditation. Reading, writing, listening to music, or doing any other discipline or practice (such as yoga) is usually forbidden as the journey is supposed to be fully inward and introspective.

The retreat was held at the Buddhist monastery near Singaraja in North Bali, a beautiful location atop a hill overlooking the coastline with some amazing energy; a pretty spectacular spot to practice mindfulness and have an introspective journey.

Upon registering as retreat participants we were given a book of Sayadaw U Tejaniya’s teachings, which we were supposed to read during the retreat. Right then, I knew this wasn’t going to be the average vipassana.

(The term Sayadaw is Burmese for senior monk or abbot of a monastery, often refering to influential teachers of the Buddhist Dhamma and also important meditation practitioners.)

Sayadaw U Tejaniya began his Buddhist training as a young teenager in Burma under the late Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw. After a career in business and life as a house-

The Vipassana Retreat at the Brahma Vihara Arama

holder, he has become a permanent monk since 1996. He teaches meditation at Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Forest Meditation Center in Yangon, Myanmar. He is relaxed and easy to talk with and has an excellent sense of humour, always quick and easy to laugh. In fact, we all laughed a lot during this retreat!

During the opening session with Sayadaw, he explained that he does not insist on silence, noble or otherwise, as he does not want this retreat experience to be that far removed from our daily lives. He feels that the closer the retreat is to our daily activities, the easier it will be to integrate the teachings and apply the principles to our daily lives. All that he asked was that if we spoke, we spoke mindfully. In fact, everything we did, we were supposed to do mindfully and with full awareness. We were instructed to read the compilation of dhamma talks and teachings that we were presented upon registering, we could speak, practice yoga or any other discipline if we choose to, as long as we did all of the these things mindfully and with full awareness. The schedule was rather light as well, the usual wake-up gong at 4:00 am (standard at these retreats), with breakfast at 6:30am, a group meditation at 9:00am, lunch at 11:00, question and answer dhamma talks at 3:00 and 7:00 pm.

(There was no dinner, following Buddha’s 8 precepts, one of which is no food after

noon when studying.) The rest of the time we were left to our own devices. We were expected to spend a good amount of time meditating and of course we were expected to read the teachings, but there were no specific requirements. This is what I am calling a ‘vipassana lite’!

Regardless of lite or heavy, the experience was thought provoking, educational, stimulating, and certainly insightful, with teachings that were inspiring, challenging and most certainly interesting. The teachings of Sayadaw U Tejaniya are all about knowing the mind and recognizing how the mind works, thinks, and operates. Throughout the retreat we are told over and over again

by Sayadaw that we are trying to understand the mind exactly as it is. We are observing to understand, not to achieve anything or make anything stop happening. We are simply trying to understand the mind as it is.

We are trying to understand and recognize the defilements of craving, aversion, and illusion, in all their forms. They are all natural phenomena that we need to recognize and understand but that will always be present. Through vipassana meditation we can cultivate awareness and understanding of these cravings, aversions, and illusions as well as ourselves and our world. From awareness, insight arises and from insight, wisdom arises.

What is the Right Attitude 1- Meditating is acknowledging and observing whatever happens, whether pleasant or unpleasant, in a relaxed way.

2- Meditating is watching and waiting patiently with awareness and understanding. Meditation is NOT trying to experience something you have read or heard about.

3- Just pay attention to the present moment. Don’t get lost in thoughts about the past. Don’t get carried away by thoughts about the future.

4- When meditating, both the mind and the body should be comfortable.

5- If the mind and the body are getting tired, something is wrong with the way you are practicing, and it is time to check the way you are meditating.

6- The meditating mind should be relaxed and at peace.

You cannot practice when the mind is tense.

7- Don’t focus too hard, don’t control. Neither force nor restrict yourself.

8- Don’t try to create anything, and don’t reject what is happening. Just be aware.

9- Trying to create something is greed. Rejecting what is happening is aversion. Not knowing if something is happening or has stopped happening is delusion.

10- Only to the extent that the observing mind has no greed, aversion or anxiety are you truly meditating.

11- What is the mind doing? Thinking?

Being aware?

12- Where is the mind now? Inside? Outside?

for Meditation?

13- Is the watching or observing mind properly aware or only superficially aware?

14- Don’t practice with a mind that wants something or wants something to happen. The result will only be that you tire yourself out.

15- You have to accept and watch both good and bad experiences. You want only good experiences? You don’t want even the tiniest unpleasant experience? Is that reasonable? Is this the way of the Dhamma?

16- Don’t feel disturbed by the thinking mind. You are not practicing to prevent thinking; but rather to recognize and acknowledge thinking whenever it arises.

17- Don’t reject any object that comes to your attention.

Get to know the defilements that arise in relation to the object and keep examining the defilements.

18- The object of attention is not really important; the observing mind that is working in the background to be aware is of real importance. If the observing is done with the right attitude, any object is the right object.

19- Only when there is faith or confidence (saddha), effort will arise. Only when there is effort (viriya), mindfulness will become continuous. Only when mindfulness (sati) is continuous, stability of mind will become established. Only when stability of mind (samadhi) is established, you will start understanding things as they are. When you start understanding things as they are (pañña), faith will grow stronger.

Yoga

Bali’s Senior Citizens While Bali has a myriad of yoga retreats, workshops and classes on offer, the practice of yoga has been slow to catch on with the Balinese; but a group of 100 senior citizens from the small village of Nyuh Kuning are leading the way.

I

t is late afternoon when I arrive in the peaceful rural village that straddles the southern border of Ubud’s monkey forest; the sun has dropped below the trees and the heat of the day is mercifully waning. I take a seat on a wooden bench, and one by one the village elders trickle into the sprawling pavilion, dressed in matching tee shirts and sweat pants. Some arrive on foot, others have ridden by bicycle from surrounding villages; their ages range from around 60 to 95. It is clearly quite a social gathering and the air is soon filled with the sound of laughter, but silence prevails as Deborah Koehn arrives, a statuesque blonde American with a huge smile and decades of yogi wisdom and experience un-

TRIMURTI YOGA STUDIO YOGA

der her belt. She gently leads the group through a series of asanas; the twists, forward bends and balancing poses all performed with greater agility and strength than you would expect to find in a group of people half their age. Towards the end of the class she divides everyone into partners; they face each other, hold hands, and plant the soles of their feet together then attempt to straighten their legs. Laughter erupts as some of them topple over, although quite a few manage to hold the position admirably. When the class is over everyone sprawls around the floor chatting and giggling, the sense of fun and camaraderie is palpable, as is the love and respect for Deborah. “These people have taught me so much about keeping ritual in my life, and it is a blessing to share the ritual of yoga with them,” she tells me. “When we walk through the village we always meet with people who have stories of pain that has disappeared, more restful sleep, stronger bodies, easier breath and more ease in day to day life.”

The idea of bringing yoga to the elders of Nyuh Kuning came from I Made Wena, the former Bendesa (leader of temple ceremonies) and a respected and inspired leader in the community who wanted to “give something back.” He tells me that it made him sad to see the village elders just sitting at home with nothing to do, and explains that many of them had started to suffer from degenerative illnesses. He wanted to see them “healthy and stress free in the last stages of their life”; so he started organizing regular walks through the rainforest and rice paddies. When he had the idea of starting yoga classes, his old friend Deborah, an internationally renowned yoga teacher and medicine woman with long standing ties to the community was keen to get involved, and 100 senior citizens were soon turning up to the weekly classes. As well as the obvious health benefits, it also provides a time for the elders to get together and support one another, while easing the burden for families who are able to focus their energy on day to day functions because they don’t need to attend to weak and infirm parents. Deborah talks of the joy of seeing the seniors turn up week after week with “great gratitude and enthusiasm”; and adds, “Where else in the world can we teach 87 elders the tree pose and every single one of them is able to keep their balance with their arms up over their head”.

Deborah and her husband have been involved with the village for over twenty years and also run Yoga Adventure programs which incorporate ‘Yoga for the Village People’ on their trips to Peru and Bali. She tells me that, “every time we have had the opportunity to share yoga with someone who had no access to yoga in remote villages, the benefits were profound and the word would spread.”

Local sponsors have enabled the program to continue – including the occasional day trip to the beach and a memorable trip last year to

Besakih (the mother temple). Made hopes to set up a foundation that will be named ‘Forever Young’ to sustain the yoga program; he and Deborah are keen to raise money so they can create their own yoga space in the village that will be big enough to accommodate all 100 elders (the group are currently practicing in an open field). They would also like to raise funds to train more local teachers who could then start similar programs in other villages. If you would like to help sponsor the classes and other activities you can email Made at wenamde@ yahoo.com.

“Where else in the world can we teach 87 elders the tree pose and every single one of them is able to keep their balance with their arms up over their head”

TRIMURTI YOGA

Wave Riding without a Surfboard

D id you know that you can surf and ride waves on your yoga mat?

Sure you can! I have been surfing for the last 9 months and haven’t picked up my surfboard or paddled out even once in that time. But for sure I’ve been surfing. It’s all a state of being, especially when you are a Prana Flow yogi!

And what’s a Prana Flow yogi all about?

Simply the state of being in joy and alignment with a Force of the Universe and riding the waves that this Intelligence has to offer us, one moment at a time (whether you’re on or off the yoga mat).

But how can you ride waves without a surfboard?

Well, let’s take surfing or even yoga as an example. When you start learning how to surf, or begin yoga, you learn the technique….the Form. In surfing, you learn to paddle for the wave, to pop up onto your feet, then to balance on the board so you can eventually ride the green face of the

“We are the ones we have been waiting for” Hopi, American Indian

wave into the shore. With yoga, you learn where to place your feet (or hands) in so many postures on the mat, to breathe and eventually to let go and relax at times or to activate at other times. Your “goal” is to find steadiness and ease within the postures and to eventually experience your body mind and soul integrated together towards an inner and outer harmony, in relation to the present moment.

Whether it’s surfing or yoga, you ride these waves at first by learning the Form, and then eventually you release the control that it’s all YOU doing the work or finding the “correct” alignment. You release into something more powerful that just you. And now you begin to enter into the realm of Fluidity.

Fluidity is the ever wavering and presence of accepting the moment as it presents itself. One recognizes and may even indulge in the presence of this absolute intelligent Force that is guiding you towards joy and balance and harmony.

And once you connect to this wave riding between Form + Fluidity, you realize that this Force is not just outside. It’s within as well. From this recognition, acceptance, and even indulgence in this knowing, there emerges a sense of peace, interconnectivity, interdependence with Nature, a collecti-

ve consciousness that creates these curls around the corners of your mouth, your skin to relax, your muscles to release, your brain to expand within your skull, and this state of existence that you’re just happy for the pure sake of being happy and content in the moment as it perfectly is right now.

How’s that for Wave Riding without a surfboard? How’s that for a true surfer of Life.

Form + Fluidity. Activate, make an effort, create visions, plans, dreams, and goals… then let go into the Fluidity of what the Universe has to deliver to you…to all of us…. without getting too attached to the outcome or too overly involved in how She will deliver…and by following your deepest desires and inner voice.

It’s been 9 months now, and it’s time for our first baby to arrive. We call him|her “radiant glitter baby.” We have no idea what is ahead. We’ve made some plans, prepared lots of space in our home and our lives, and now we will just allow the fluidity of baby’s arrival to guide us. I’m so looking forward to bringing our little one to Bali in March and to riding some gorgeous clean glassy waves at Tugu Beach! Hope you’ll join us, and in the meantime please continue to enjoy the waves of your own life’s journey.

My TEACHER

Tara All of us are shifted and changed by such a vast array of teachers and teachings, it is difficult to choose one that is the most influential.

However, in my teaching I do hear one voice sing through my words, and anchor me in greater truth. That voice is of my meditation teacher Sally Kempton. Known for 30 years as Swami Durgananda in the Siddha yoga lineage, Sally Kempton is a wise, loving, innovative teacher of truth and awakening that I studied under exclusively for 2 years. In our studies of the Shiva Sutras and The Spanda Karikas she poured the teachings of the lineage of Kashmir Shaivism like liquid sunlight into my ears. She taught me the nature of the universal heart and the illusions that ego creates, how to bridge closed eyed meditation to open eyed meditation, and how to understand the inner atmospheric layers of the inner landscape. Sally teaches me that our reality is entirely invented by us and our agreements, and how to witness the habits that we are wittingly or unwittingly pushing forward through our lives. As a true spiritual friend, Sally is a teacher that I call or write when I am lost in misunderstanding and confusion, and she, with her golden voice, always leads me into the light.

MerKaBa: is the divine light vehicle used by the Masters to reach and connect with those in tune with the higher realms.

Jamie The open circle: represents the imperfection found in all things, and suggests to the student to stop striving for perfection and instead to allow the universe to be as it is.

Sri K S Pattabhi Jois underpins his Ashtanga Vinyasa system with the instructions “ninety nine per cent practice, one per cent theory,” and “do your practice, all is coming.” I am inspired by this pragmatic approach. The emphasis on daily self practice, with breath as the focus, draws the student’s senses inwards and the process of purification and insight begins to unfold.

If asana teaches us to be steady, and to observe and drop unhelpful conditioned patterns, then I am inspired by the people that have this ability off the mat; the friends who know how to hold the space of an asana in daily life because they know how to listen without allowing their own ego’s agenda creeping in.

Being close to the source, living in close commune with nature; my year living apart like this in a small community showed me how important this can be. The beauty and stillness has a way of reflecting things back at you, with less distractions to turn away from what is happening. Living in nature brings the power of retreat into a person’s life.

I’m inspired by the fact that we don’t need to add anything, we just need to learn to see what is already there because the Truth is the Truth and we can take faith in that when practice is difficult. Thankfully brave souls have trodden the path before us and tested the way. This is more than inspiring.

Daphna

Manuela

Kundalini Yoga has been a consistent teaching in my life as it has given me a language and a means of connecting integrally with my being, to a space where I am able to process and integrate this dance of life and self. It has brought me to understand, on a physical, mental, and emotional level that every challenge of life is a lesson in some aspect of love, be it trust, surrender, acceptance and letting go.

Having a practice has given me the reference point of self to come back to, to see where I fall out of alignment with the teachings of these lessons, and to reassess and realign myself with openness.

As I became committed to this practice nearly 20 years ago, I was quickly moved by the effect of the adi mantra (Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo) which we tune in with at the beginning of each class. I would walk in to class, my mind racing, attempting to make sense of all the thoughts and emotions running through.

Once I would sit down, connect and tune in with the mantra, an internal organic shift would bring me to a place of peacefulness within, a place where I could feel the resonance of familiarity with the choice inherent in each new breath to be more than the sum of all my parts, to be truly present and whole.

The tree of life: the entire cosmos in the form of a tree whose roots grow deep in the ground, branches reaching high into the heavens

4th Heart Chakra: is in the middle of the chest and is called Anahata Chakra, meaning “un-struck.”

8 years ago I gave birth to my first child, Amalia. She was born with a birth defect called spina bifida, caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. We spent her first year at the hospital; a very difficult time that included multiples surgeries, not knowing if she will survive or not. Nothing was at all the same as what we were expecting and we were diving deep into the space of the unknown.

We couldn’t project any future, we learnt not to have any expectations, we were building our life again day by day, learning to live in the present moment in the best way that we could.

In this very difficult time of our lives, we didn’t know that Amalia was the biggest teacher we were to ever have. I was learning to experience life moment to moment, to find love even when everything looked so constricted. Amalia has taught us to be present and to experience the beauty in being connected to our deep emotions; to surrender to the space of the unknown without fear, but trusting the process.

Amalia did survive and is thriving. And now, still, every time I feel disconnected to this present moment, I know that the only thing I have to do is to sit beside her and listen to her because she always brings me right back to that space of love.

TRIMURTI YOGA

Teacher In the HOUSE: Arlisa “Because you are ALIVE, Everything is Possible.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

Life Story

For nearly a decade Arlisa Houston has been sharing her heart and igniting others in the pure joy of being in breath and body through yoga, holistic massage, and energy healing. Her powerfully guided classes honour the breath as Maha Guru and offer each student the space to experience their fullest potential in each moment. She gracefully weaves all the limbs of yoga together with her passion for our earth and the healing wisdom of the body. Offering sacred touch with attention to enhancing inner and outer alignment, she supports the natural evolution of each individual.

Having completed her 200 hour Kundalini Teaching Level 1 certification as taught by Yogi Bhajan in 2003, she has shared this transformative yoga with people of all ages and paths. In 2008 she was deeply, cellularly inspired by Shiva Rea and the evolutionary Prana FlowTM. She has been a devoted student since, currently finishing her 300 hour teacher training within the Samudra School of Living Yoga. Blessed to study with and globally assist, senior Prana Flow teacher Twee Merrigan, Arlisa loves to share and inspire people to flow wherever she goes. She is also forever grateful for the teachings of Mark Whitwell and the Krishnamacharya lineage, Anusara, and many amazing teachers such as Dan and Sue Retuta, Mas Vidal, the science of Ayurveda, Mantra, Tantra, Reiki, Mother Nature and high mountain peaks, her daughter and her own body and breath.

Arlisa’s dynamic, full spectrum classes offer a transformational experience at the heart level.

My Teacher From my earliest memory to this breath I am in constant awe and honour of our natural world, its cycles and rhythms; of Mother Nature and all of the mystery and majesty embodied, her power to create, sustain destroy and renew, the macrocosm reflecting the microcosm, the grand dance. She is Shiva Shakti, the Divine Trilogy, the Maha Prana and for me, my greatest teacher. As I first sat with this question my daughter came to mind as so many BIG lessons have been learned in such a short time span from someone so seemingly small and reliant upon me, but she too for me is the most divine expression of the Mother. As the experience of creation, the gestation of life inside my being and the birthing of another through me are all still so fresh, so too is the knowledge of this the great Teacher, this life force, this infinite capacity to create and expand. This pulse that is in each of us, as us, every being regardless of gender, all around us, is constantly teaching us, showing the way, leading the dance.

Teacher In the HOUSE: Anna “Every time you smile at someones, it is an action of love,a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

Mother Theresa

Life Story

For the last 20 years, Anna Kolacny has been studying eastern religion and philosophy. Her first exploration of yoga happened when she was 15 yrs old in the wooded hills outside of northwest Chicago.

Having no teacher to guide her except an old poster written in Sanskrit, it wouldn’t be until 2001 that Anna would be able to experience the real power of the practice. While living in Los Angeles, Anna suffered a minor neck injury and turned to yoga for relief. Shortly afterwards, she discovered the therapeutic benefits of Anusara TM Yoga. Quickly she recognized her own transformation as she not only healed the outer body, but started to heal the inner self. Yoga was the link that aligned the mind and body.

This journey of discovery and growth has taken Anna to different parts of the globe as she continues to deepen her understanding of this ancient practice. For the last 10 years, Anna has devotedly spent thousands of hours with senior level Anusara teachers, including Anusara certification board member Noah Maze and Anusara founder, John Friend. Anna attributes her current wave of enrichment to the beauty of her philosophy and meditation teachers Carlos Pomeda, Sally Kempton (Swami Durgananda) and Shrividya Shakta Tantric Scholar, Douglas Brooks.

Over the years, Anna has also had the fortune to train with many master teachers throughout India, China, and the U.S, but it has been the spirit and community of Anusara that has helped bring Anna to her deepest heart.

As an Anusara-InspiredTM teacher, Anna energetically combines her extensive background in health, nutrition and yoga philosophy to create an environment that allows students to discover and nurture the self while deepening and refining their physical yoga practice. Her classes are dynamic and playful and challenge both the mind and body. Presently, Anna travels and teaches primarily around Asia and Europe.

MERAPU SPA

Symbols & Spirituality F

or almost as long as humans have roamed the earth they have adorned themselves with symbols. Primitive man wore amulets of rough hewn stone for protection; Native American hunters carved bracelets of animal bones to hide themselves from the spirits of the animals they hunted; while women from diverse cultures cover their arms in bangles to create rhythmic sounds as they dance and call on the gods for favour. While some symbols have meanings that are widely accepted, others are entirely subjective; but no matter what the intended purpose people have always chosen those symbols that have significance for them.

Identity Symbols in jewellery can act as potent markers, a non verbal communication of identity and status, an expression of culture and spirituality through ornamentation and embellishment. In most cultures a crown is a potent symbol of royalty, the spiked design mimics the rays of the sun – and symbolises power bestowed on the wearer by the ancient Sun God. Of all cultures and religions, Hinduism is one of the most rich in symbols. For Indian Hindu women, elaborate adornment in colourful bangles, intricate facial jewellery and jingling anklets enhances beauty, but is also considered highly auspicious, as it embellishes the unseen human spirit. Within Hindu philosophy there are 16 ornaments for female beautification – each imbued with deep spiritual significance. A pendant or necklace is believed to help pro-

tect from the evil eye as it distracts the eyes of the viewer from the wearer’s face and eyes; while a tika (pendant) dangling over the ‘ajna’ chakra (third eye) is seen as representing a woman’s status as ‘preserver of the human race’.

Beliefs While the way we dress and the items we choose to adorn ourselves with convey a message to the outside world, many people also choose to wear symbols in jewellery as a way of manifesting their own inner hopes and desires, and as an expression of devotion. It is not the symbols themselves that hold the power – but the intention of the wearer, the belief, the consciousness behind their placement that may bring about a desired outcome. For Martina Urbas, founder of Maru Gallery and creator of a line of jewellery available at Desa Seni, symbols of religion and spiritual practice can be seen as “connectors of shared experiences.” For a Christian, wearing a cross may help bring the wearer closer to God, for a sadhu a string of sandalwood beads act as a powerful tool for meditation. Such symbols are automatically imbued with meaning because so many people use them for the same thing, creating what is known as a strong energy path.

Intention Alternatively symbols can be deeply personal and act as a key to consciousness; many will argue that crystals and other stones can

be programmed to help achieve particular goals. Perhaps a piece of jewellery that incorporates a beautiful gemstone, or engraved with a symbol will help you crystallise your intention because you acquire it for that particular purpose. Most of us have been drawn to specific pieces of jewellery at some point – perhaps the attraction is purely cosmetic, as we are naturally drawn to that which is beautiful, or perhaps there is a deeper more personal significance.

For Martina, jewellery can be “transformational, with symbols providing a pictorial invitation to explore unseen elements of yourself.” While visiting Desa Seni you may join an inspiring yoga class or a workshop that leaves you feeling completely at one with the universe, then you wander into the gift shop and are immediately attracted to a silver OM pendant - an enduring symbol of peace and perfection, or perhaps a Buddhist icon - representing oneness, or maybe you are drawn to something for no reason other than the fact that it is very beautiful and will act as a constant reminder of a magical time and place.

No matter what your reasons for choosing a piece of symbolic jewellery; you do so because it is right for you at that time, so embrace and enjoy it because most things come to us for a reason.

The gift shop offers a range of jewellery, created for Desa Seni by Martina Urbas and Anna Michielan, including malas, crystals gemstones, pendants, and icons.

Yoga Bites Sri Yantra

Yantras come from the more than 2000 year old tantric tradition. A Yantra is the yogic equivalent of the Buddhist Mandala.

Sri Yantra is called the mother of all yantras because all other yantras derive from it.

The Sri Yantra is a configuration of nine interlacing triangles centred around the bindu (the central point of the yantra), drawn by the super imposition of five downward pointing triangles, representing Shakti, the female principle and four upright triangles, representing Shiva, the male principle.

Man’s spiritual journey from the stage of material existence to ultimate enlightenment is mapped on the Sri Yantra. The spiritual journey is taken as a pilgrimage in which every step is an ascent to the centre, a movement beyond one’s limited existence, and every level is nearer to the goal.

Each of the circuits of the Sri Yantra, from the outer plane to the bindu (the center), corresponds with one of the stages of the spiritual journey.

The goal of contemplating the Sri Yantra is that the adept can rediscover his primordial sources. The circuits symbolically indicate the successive phases in the process of becoming.

Spa Bites i’Tem Indonesian Mystic and Healer We are blessed and honored to introduce you to i’Tem, a gifted spiritual healer and mystic from the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, who is living here in Bali. On meeting i’Tem you will find yourself transformed and mesmerised by his high voltage energy, his gentle manner and his perennial wisdom. i’Tem is able to focus on the mind, body, spirit connection to make an individual diagnosis and then applying where necessary traditional healing techniques handed down through his bloodline. He uses a combination of reflexology, acupressure, intuition and traditional massage to clear energy blockages throughout the body and manifest healing. For an appointment contact us at info@desaseni.com or call 0361 844 6392.

F

or hundreds of years, maybe longer, the indigenous people of Indonesia have known about the intelligent dispensing of herbs and traditional medicine. Various types of plants, roots, and other natural ingredients are formulated as medicinal herbs to cure various diseases, often referred to as jamu. Jamu was also used to maintain the condition of the body to stay healthy, prevent disease, and also to beautify. Proficiency in mixing the ingredients was passed down from generation to generation and continues to this day.

In many areas of the country, we find various types of traditional medicinal plants with various uses such as for pregnancy and delivery, remedies for influenza, eye sight, lumbago, to appetite enhancers as well as slimming formulas, and many more. The practice and proliferation of jamu is still very prevalent today even amid the rush of modern medicine.

Herbal and traditional ingredients remain one of the options for our society. Not only in rural communities, but also urban communities began to consume these traditional medicines. In numerous parts of Indonesia, herbal medicine stalls are spread evenly across the country. Herbal and traditional medicine has become an inseparable part of community life.

The diversity of traditional medicinal herbs in the country have enriched the science and health of the nation. Indonesia became one of the centers for medicinal plants in the world, with thousands of species of tropical plants thriving in all corners of the country.

Herbal and traditional medicine needs to be

MEDICINAL PLANTS IN INDONESIA encouraged as a viable treatment option.

As a wellness resort, Desa Seni is also growing medicinal plants in part to keep this traditional art alive as well as in keeping with our eco friendly philosophy. Desa Seni also grows their own vegetables which are all grown organically, including their medicinal plants, fertilized with organic compost.

Looking at the Desa Seni beverages menu, there are many options that aside from simply tasting great also have the function as medicinal for the wellness of mind and body. Among them is sugar cane which is used to help fever, coughs, and palpitation problems . Young coconut water is great for rehydration as well as for the skin, as an antitoxin and a lot more. Ginger-lemongrass tea is used to treat colds, coughs, headaches, nausea and body odor. And there are many other plants that grow in the gardens which also have diverse uses as medicine either by consuming them or for external use.

Understanding TOGA (Tanaman Obat Keluarga ) or Medicinal Plants for the Family The TOGA or Medicinal Plants for the Fa-

mily is essentially a piece of land either in the yard, garden or fields used to cultivate plants that are effective medicinally in order to meet the families’ needs for medicine.

The reality is that with the help of medicine from natural ingredients, the public can address the health problems it faces. This suggests that medicine derived from natural sources especially plant materials have shown their role in the administration of public health efforts. The utilization of TOGA for the treatment of families’ health disorders according to common symptoms such as fever, cold, cough, stomach ache, and itching.

The type of crop to be cultivated for TOGA are the types of plants that meet the following criteria: the species mentioned in the utilization of medicinal plants; types of plants that can grow and live well in residential areas; types of plants that can be utilized for other purposes such as fruits and spices; other plants that are still considered wild. One of TOGA function is as a means to bring herbs to the efforts of public health and include preventive measures and promote curative efforts. In addition to the-

se functions there are also other functions such as: improving the nutritional status of communities, because many plants known as medicinal plants produce fruits or vegetables such as turnips, celery, papaya and others; for nature conservation means; spreading the Green movement; and for income equalization.

FACTS: In using medicinal plants, there are several things to consider so that treatment outcomes are optimized.

1. Harvesting To get the best ingredients from medicinal plants, keep in mind moments of gathering or harvesting nutritious ingredients. Here are the guidelines when gathering medicinal plants - Leaves are collected during the plants flowering and before the fruit becomes ripe.

- Flowers are collected before or immediately after bloom.

- Fruits are picked when ripe.

- Seeds are collected from perfectly ripe fruits.

- Roots, rhizomes, tubers, and bulbs of plants are collected once the flowering process stops.

2. Preserving The ingredients that have been collected must be immediately washed, preferably with flowing water. Once clean, they can be utilized immediately as fresh ingredients.

However, they can also be dried in order to

be stored and used later. Drying aims to reduce the water content and prevent decay by fungi or bacteria. Thus, the material can be stored longer in a jar or a sealed container.

Dry ingredients are also easily crushed if you want to make a powd

3. Nature and taste There are 4 different natures and 5 different tastes of medicinal plants. The four natures of medicinal plants are characterized as cold, hot, warm, and cool. Hot and warm plants are used for the treatment of cold symptoms, cold hands and feet, pale tongue or slow pulse. Medicinal plants that are cold and cool are used for the treatment of heat syndromes such as fever, thirst, dark yellow urine color, red tongue or rapid pulse.

The five flavors of medicinal plants are spicy, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. The flavor is used for certain purposes and generally associated with a specific organ and therefore has its own efficacy and usefulness. For example, a spicy plant taste has the character of a stimulant and a bitter taste can relieve hot and humidity, while the taste of salty is to soften and as a laxative.

4. Boiling of ingredients Boiling is best performed in ceramic pots which can be purchased in traditional Chinese medicine stores. Use clean, fresh water to boil. Boil the ingredients as follows: add water until the ingredients are completely submerged and the water surface is about 30 mm above it. The process begins when the water is boiling and starts to seep into the ingredients of the remedy.

5. Medicine drinking time The medicine is usually taken before meals unless the medicine stimulates the stomach, if so drink after the meal. Tonic remedies should be drunk before meals, sedative remedies should be taken right before going to sleep. In chronic cases take three times a day.

6. How to drink medicinal herbs Medicinal herbs are usually taken one dose a day divided 2-3 times throughout the day. Generally drink while warm, especially for the treatment of an external syndrome.

After taking medication, wear thick clothes or be heavily covered in bed in order to keep the body warm and sweat easily. For the treatment of heat syndrome, medicines should be taken when they are cold. In contrast to the treatment of cold syndrome medicines, take when they are warm. Less toxic medicine, induce in small amounts, but frequently.

7. Length of treatment Chemical medicine treatment has quick results but is destructive. One needs to be patient with natural remedies as they take longer to take affect. Therefore, medicine derived from plants should not be used for acute infectious diseases. Medicinal plants are preferred to maintain the health and treatment of chronic diseases that cannot be cured with chemical medicine, or require a combination of chemical medicine and medicinal plants. They are preventative and healing at the same time.

FOOD / MAKANAN

Garden Bites Garden Medicine Carrots contain carotene, a chemical that is converted into vitamin A by the body, wonderful for the eyes and helps prevent night blindness.

Red Beet is unique for its high levels of anticarcinogens and its very high carotenoid content. Red beets are high in carbohydrates and low in fat and it is an excellent source of folic acid. It is loaded with antioxidant that helps the body against heart disease.

Ginger works wonders in the treatment of everything from cancer to migraines. It is a great remedy for morning sickness, motion sickness, inflammation and has been used for grounding.

Lemon Grass contains antibacterial and antifungal properties which help to detoxify the liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder and the digestive tract.

Turmeric has long been known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease.

It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.

Plants add a sense of vitality, tranquility and abundance outdoors and indoors. They bring nature’s magic inside and a feeling of connection to the universe. As animals and crystals have their own symbolism, so do plants.

Plant Symbolism • African Violet: protection, promotes spirituality, peace.

• Aloe vera: protection against accidents and intruders, luck.

• Anthodium: beauty, love.

• Avocado pit grown in water: love.

• Bird’s-nest fern: beauty, protection.

•Bromeliad: abundance, opulence, beauty.

• Cactus: protection, guards against intruders and burglars.

• Fern: protection, magic.

• Ivy: repels negativity and evil.

• Orchid: love.

• Palm: spirituality.

• Peace lily: peace, hope.

• Water lily: enlightenment.

Ronde Drink (Serves 2) Ingredients: 3 Cups Water 1/4 Cup Sweet Coconut Milk 1/4 Cup Sugar 3 Slices of Ginger (pounded) 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1 Pandan Leaf 3 Slices of Banana 1/4 Cup of Papaya cubed 1/4 Cup of Peanuts Put the water on to boil and add the ginger, salt and the pandan leaf. Let boil 15 minutes. Take off the stove and slowly add the sweet coconut milk, constantly stirring the mixture. Set aside. You may serve this in a glass or a bowl, take your pick. In either, put in the banana, the papaya and the peanuts, pour the hot mixture over and enjoy! This is great for headaches, sore throat, the flu or influenza and nausea.

Temulawak (Jamu) (Serves 1) Ingredients: .20 Gram White Turmeric .20 Gram Red Turmeric .20 Gram Temulawak (Wild Ginger-Curcum Xanthoriza) 1.5 Cups Water .30 Gram Sugar

Peel the skin of the Turmeric and the Temulawak and slice thinly, add sugar. Set aside in a tea pot or a ceramic bowl. Boil water and pour over the ingredients. Let sit 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold. This is great for digestion problems, anti inflammatory, liver cleanser and for tumors/cancer.

DEWI ORGANIC

C

harming, secluded bungalows with names like Tree House and Jungle Lodge cling to the hillside, with wooden verandas offering bird’s eye views of steep valley walls blanketed in thick rainforest. Far below you can see the sprawling coast of Kuta – so near, yet a world away. The first thing you will notice is the bird song – woodpeckers, kingfishers and parrots are at play in the forest canopy, black eagles streak effortlessly across the pastel sky, the looming peak of Mount Batukaru creates a dramatic backdrop. Natural building materials include bamboo, and local timber, like coconut and jackfruit, while floors are made of hand crafted terracotta tiles. Fresh cut flowers, colourful woven textiles, and warm patchwork quilts (the nights can be chilly in July and August)provide homey comforts.

Being Green The lovechild of dedicated environmentalists, Linda and Norm Vant Hoff, the lodge is about as ‘eco’ as it gets, with well documented green credentials, including the ‘Responsible Tourism Award’ in 2007 and 2010 (www.wildasia.net). The tenets of sustainability, low impact building techniques, effective resource and waste management, are all faithfully adhered to, everything is in perfect balance with nature; but we sometimes forget that there is more to the environment than physical factors. From Norm and Linda’s point of view, an eco lodge is: “sustainably connected to the natural, built and social environment”; and the lodge has become a valued extension of the village and the community of Sari buana. While you enjoy the lush setting, the comforts of home, and a range of nature based activities, you can also feel good in the knowledge

Saribuana Eco Lodge

At One With Nature

With a picturesque setting on the slopes of Mount Batukaru, Saribuana Eco Lodge provides a genuine haven for those looking to immerse themselves in nature and to experience the true essence of Bali. that your stay here contributes to the local economy on a number of levels: the lodge employs 26 staff from the village and have trained locals as trekking guides and massage therapists. Ongoing community projects include extensive tree planting; free English, martial art and football classes for village children; the sponsoring of a university student; and ongoing additions and improvements to the school. It also acts as a role model for responsible tourism by promoting low impact activities, with an emphasis on trekking, walking, bike riding, and swimming in the waterholes. Enormous value is placed on the preservation and promotion of local culture, with popular workshops providing genuine insight into everyday life in Bali, and the chance to gain time-honoured skills. Learn Balinese calligraphy, Indonesian language, and how to play a traditional instrument, or join the village ladies who teach the art of creating beautiful temple offerings, table settings, and cooking; while Pak Ketut, a remarkable and inspired wood carver (responsible for the ornate carvings in the bungalows) shares his craft and his wisdom.

A walk in the garden When Norm and Linda first took over the property it was dominated by grass with tethered Bali cows and coconut trees. Twenty years on, the gardens are flourishing with over 100 edible and medicinal plants. The garden tour is a fascinating and informative journey with landowner Jero pointing out all manner of herbs, spices and plants, and explaining their traditional & culinary uses.

Look out for the fiddle tip ferns - they make a great salad served with shredded coconut and Lombok chilli, while the dainty ginger flowers are equally tasty. Delicious, wholesome cuisine served up in the restaurant focuses on Balinese flavours, much of the produce is picked fresh from the garden, or sourced locally, including coffee and cacao, and home made ice cream is flavoured with the vanilla that grows here. A meandering path leads down to the water holes passing sweetly perfumed coffee trees, a grove of salak (snake fruits), dangling passion fruit vines and a plethora of tropical blooms.

Bamboo benches and open air bales are scattered about the property, ideal for yoga, meditation and soaking up the silence. If you are feeling more energetic take an early morning hike up to the top of Batukaru, emerging at a peak with views stretching over to Lombok and Java; or journey into the largest wetland rainforest in Bali, home to luwak (Asian civet), pangolin, leopard cats, and monkeys.

The beauty of the Eco Lodge is that it can be enjoyed on so many levels, hide away from the world in a secluded mountain paradise, or put yourself out there as you immerse yourself in the nature, culture, and community. For Linda the Eco lodge has provided “a chance to give back”, but she makes it clear

that she gets back as much as she gives. For her the greatest joy is “to be connected to the environment, the people and the land, making a living and a life with local people who are incredibly talented.” Make sure you spend some time with Linda and Norm so you can learn about their various eco projects around the island, including their two latest eco resorts, Bali Eco Stay and Sumba Sari Resort; and their new Bali starling breeding program, working with the Begawan Foundation. www.baliecolodge.com

“A meandering path leads down to the water holes, passing sweetly perfumed coffee trees, dense thickets of mulberry bushes, dangling passion fruit vines and a plethora of tropical blooms”

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he first thing that is noticeable when speaking to Sara Al-Lamski is her enthusiasm and passion towards her work with the Yayasan Rama Sensana (YRS). Sara came to Bali to work under an NGO contract to set up projects and work internally for the YRS. The YRS is a reproductive health centre that opened in 2004 to specifically cater to women working at the traditional market in Denpasar (Pasar Badung). But although this has been their particular demographic the YRS helps with the diverse needs of the market population, women, their partners, and vendors. We spoke to Sara about her work for the YRS and the new projects that are waiting to come to fruition to expand the network.

The YRS was the initiative of Dr Luh Putu Upadisari who used to visit the market often. She found that there was little education on sexual and reproductive health amongst the vendors of the market and specifically women vendors who prioritised earning money for the family rather than taking care of their own health. She realised that the market is a main spot for reaching women in the workplace and raising awareness of sexual health issues. She set about distributing leaflets to vendors and people visiting the market in order to help educate the population. She eventually set up the clinic within the market with the help of the local government who donated the space for free, with the majority of the financing coming from The Annika Linden Foundation.

The Centre provides free tests for pap smears, STI’s (sexually transmitted infections), HIV/AIDS, general medical checkups, as well as counselling and pre-natal advice and assistance. They do not specifically cater for pregnant women but do help to set them up with birthing centres where they can be taken care of pre and post-natal. Sara says that women in the market often work a 10 – 12 hour day without being able to take time off for medical reasons or assistance. Free health care is usually based upon location of recipient and often the women who work at the market are not entitled to this as they come from outlying areas. They often prioritise making a living for their family over their own health and therefore health care becomes somewhat of a luxury.

The program has become extremely successful with over 26,000 people served since 2009. They have a good outreach program which provides seminars to bring awareness of reproductive health in general as well as monthly educational discussions on health topics. The YRS has a five year plan for clinics in each market district but Sara explains that sometimes local

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DHARMA SERVICES COMUNITY politics can make it difficult to expand into other areas as well as lack of funding opportunities.

The HIV/AIDS program helps to prevent and to control transmission of disease especially within women and children of the community. Approximately 4.000 cases of HIV/AIDS have been recorded in Bali since 2009 and YRS hopes to reach the community through education to prevent contracting the disease as well as reducing the stigma for those who have already contracted. The program encourages prevention, education, screening, and treatment especially as this is a low risk community where prevention becomes easier.

The local attitude towards the clinic has altered over the years with people becoming more receptive towards what the clinic offers. To avoid the stigmatization of being a clinic that provides sexual health education and treatment, the YRS markets itself as a general health clinic and uses peer education, training women from within the market as management and representatives. They look for individuals who have a higher than average knowledge and who are social and confident, then educate them in basic health care within the community as outreach workers.

The local women see this communication as coming from within their own community and in general the attitude towards education and treatment is receptive.

It is enlightening to listen to Sara explain the local demographic and shows how closeted we can become as ‘Bule’ living in an ex-pat area. Often the vendors who work at the market speak only Bahasa Bali with little Bahasa Indonesian and little or no Bahasa Ingriss. They work in labour positions coming from outlying villages where they live in fairly sheltered communities away from the cosmopolitan air of South Bali. Many of the workers have only basic education with 80% educated to junior high school level and 20% with no formal education at all. An average wage for vendors is Rph 30.000 per day (US$3.50), and is often lower than this (as little as Rph 5,000) for those who are porters and not selling within the market. This makes it difficult to provide health care for themselves or their families with little or no self empowerment for women in particular.

Sara states that she saw quite a contrast from ex-pat Bali as the market is a main central market, the biggest in Bali, yet very few outsiders go there. The attitude towards Sara however, has been open and welcoming. As time has progressed she has seen a positive development in attitude towards the clinic from women and their families especially considering that at the beginning it was seen as a potential negative influence within the community. Luckily this has changed!

The YRS is doing much to educate the local population in safe practices, as well as helping to manage individuals who have already contracted diseases such as STD’s or HIV. They provide management skills through monitoring and the use of anti-viral medication. They also educate families to get past the stigma of STI’s and especially HIV/AIDS. However, it is clear that many do not inform their families of their illness preferring to keep it quiet – not much different to in the West. Although the clinic caters for reproductive health issues, many come who have contracted disease through intravenous drug use or their spouses. The clinic works in collaboration with other specialised Yayasans who provide care and education for sex workers in Bali, drug addiction and domestic violence victims, networking with other projects.

Dr. Upadisari is said to work tirelessly within this project and others, with the plan to develop further into other Denpasar markets. She hopes to provide outreach centres and set up mobile clinics that can cater for the population in those areas. When questioned about entering other areas such as drug addiction and sexual workers within these communities, Sara says that it is important to be specific regarding which population is catered to as it is not possible to solve all the issues in a population. The drug and sex market is specific and has specific Yayasan organisations who deal in these areas.

Perhaps we do live in a bubble here in ‘Bule Land’. We hold a lot of power as ex-pats, not least in education and money. Local Yayasans find it difficult to get significant funding to expand existing projects into other areas or to begin new projects and are often not known about. Ex-pat projects have more ability to provide financing, marketing and support from abroad, and whilst more support is needed for projects such as the YRS Clinics it is difficult to market when the already limited funds are being put into more pressing areas. Sara feels that the YRS needs the recognition that it deserves and would encourage visitors to go to the market and clinic to see what real Bali looks like and how it lives.

If you feel you would like to be a part of the project through volunteer or outreach work, or if you would like to make a donation, please contact: www.ykip.org; info@ykip.org

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DHARMA

Offering oneself

for a cause...............

H

ow to raise $165,000 US to help the Bali Street Kids buy their home by the end of 2011?

In the past year and a half, Desa Seni, expat friends, and private donors of the Yayasan Kasih Peduli Anak (YKPA) have managed to raise $100,000 towards the purchase of the house that has served as home to 25 street kids for the last three years. While the Founder Putu Etiarini has worked tirelessly to be both mother to the children, to get them educations and healthcare, food and clothes mostly through the sale of cards and dolls, she now faces a rapidly approaching deadline to purchase the house she’s been leasing before the lease runs out.

The idea has been bouncing around for a while: how do we, as a Kula (collective body) offer our energy, love, and service for those in need? How do we use our yoga (union) to help the larger collective body?

We, at Desa Seni have offered donation classes, cards and dolls towards the fundraising of the house. As well as teaching yoga, collecting donations and serving as liaison for expats who want to befriend the

organization, we have worked to offer our efforts towards the YKPA. The name for this type of yoga is called Karma yoga, or yoga of service. Seva means to offer all of oneself for one’s cause.

When kirtan master Krishna Das, asked his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, “How do I get to know Love?” the master replied, “Feed People”.

The amount of money in front of us is sizeable. What can I do? What can we do?

When I asked myself these questions what magically presented itself was this: I already had an end of the year retreat scheduled at Desa Seni. The idea sprang forth that all proceeds from the retreat would go towards the purchase of the Bali Street Kids Home. We will combine the ideas of retreating and service in a comprehensive union that opens us up to the concept of Seva. The YKPA kids, who are themselves accomplished yogis, will also participate in classes on the retreat. Together we will work with the Yayasan Kasih Peduli Anak to access what we as a group can do to offer the most support for the home, the kids, and our time together. Depending on the

house’s needs at the time we may help with a project on the house, or in spending individual time with the children to help them learn new skills. While we nurture ourselves within the rigueur of a retreat, (one of my teachers calls them an “advance”,) we will also put our own energy and finances towards helping another collective body have a sound home in which they can thrive and grow.

Once we feel our best self, the next phase of advance is to help the collective self.

In dedicating yourself to your yoga in the Seva retreat you will also remember the big reason of our purpose - to help all beings become free. By freeing these Bali Street Kids of the fears of living on the street, by giving them skills to advance in their lives, their communities, their country - we pool resources. Everyone wins.

Desa Seni’s Seva retreat is December 2 - 10, 2011. For more information contact info@desaseni.com. To find out how to contribute to the YKPA, please see www. ykpa.org

Art & Culture

“WHAT’S IN A NAME? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Shakespeare

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he power of a name and its value has long been immortalized in prose, poetry, culture and religious ceremony. Everyone recognizes him or herself by name.

There are many different ideas, concepts and philosophies attributed to names. One thing is certain, we all associate and make reference to people, things, places, culture, foods, etc by using names.

We are all given names at birth and will carry these with us until our deaths. Even after our life on earth, our names will continue to exist. Names have no life span. Sometimes we change our names, maybe for spiritual reasons, other times for marketing reasons.

Names can have a manipulative sense on people. They can leave people with either good impressions and or bad ones. Names have history. In some cultures names are carried down from generation to generation.

We use names to remember, immortalize.

To others a name is just a name.

Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet met and fell in love in Shakespeare’s lyrical tale of “star-cross’d” lovers. They are doomed from the start as members of two warring families. Juliet tells Romeo that a name is

Some of our names and their meanings: an artificial and meaningless convention, and that she loves the person who is called “Montague”, not the Montague name and not the Montague family. Romeo, out of his passion for Juliet, rejects his family name and vows, as Juliet asks, to “deny (his) father” and instead be “new baptized” as Juliet’s lover.

At Desa Seni, we believe a name is a given opportunity to fulfill a life, a history, a belief, a concept. A name should live on, be given attention for the attributes and the accomplishments it has endured. Let’s start with our name: Desa Seni. ‘Desa’ is a self contained, self sufficient village; ‘Seni’ means art. What better way to describe our intentions: eco friendly, recycled, wellness, organic, community, cultural, and preservation. Preservation is the intent, which is why we have used names to identify all the buildings at Desa Seni. By preserving, we bring awareness to important people, events, times, and locations throughout the history of Indonesia. If it is Wungsu, a famous Balinese King or Lengger, a traditional dance in Java where men dress up as women, let’s remember that we are the ones who make and appoint the names. Use and choose names wisely as they do have an impact.

TOER: An Indonesian author best known for the novel Glass Houses NASHAR: An Indonesian artist known for leading the abstract art movement ERLANGGA: A Ruler of East Java MANDAU: A Kalimantan ceremonial dance BENDI: A master painter from Ubud, painting the traditional aspects of daily life WIDJA: A master puppeteer of leather shadow puppets GAMBUH: Traditional Balinese theatre MAJAPAHIT: The Javanese Hindu Dynasty WISNU: Balinese Hindu god of preservation SHIVA: Balinese Hindu god of destruction BRAHMA: Balinese Hindu of creation RUMAH UMA: Communal House in Mentawai CEMPAKA: An important flower in the Balinese offerings CANDI: A shrine or a temple KAWI: The oldest Hindu temple in Bali from the 11th century TRIMURTI: The Hindu Trinity of Brahma , Wisnu, Shiva MAHA DEVI: The greatest Goddess of all RUMAH MAKAN: Communal house in West Sumatra

Art & Culture

D

ance is much like yoga in many respects. It not only enhances the physical form but also feeds the spirit. Dance Asia’s Laura Bong knew she wanted to teach dance from an early age. Enrolled at 7 years old, by the time she was 12 she had developed a passion to teach.

Firstly however, she went through the gruelling training required to dance and perform ballet; a most unnatural form she says, requiring endless hours of practice on point and a fair measure of pain, to achieve what appears to be so graceful.

It is little wonder that later in her life, having achieved her ambition to teach, she found another passion in her yoga practice.

Laura is well known to many at Desa Seni and throughout Bali’s yoga community. As an Anusara teacher and student, she has

Dance Asia

She’s Got the Moves participated in many events on the island.

As the owner of Dance Asia, she finds that the combination of the two disciplines has brought about some profound changes and benefits.

“The first yoga class I tried was an Ashtanga class. To me it felt strange, the moves were sometimes dance-like but without music. Much like ballet, Ashtanga works to a syllabus. I still felt the need to break out and once I discovered Anusara, I was hooked, for life,” she explains. “In my own practice I can fuse yoga and dance. I found myself stronger than before and the soreness I suffered from a particularly tiring dance session was relieved through my Anusara practice.”

Today at her dance studio on Sunset Road, Singaporean Laura is able to incorporate some yoga moves into her warm ups with students and even into some routines.

Also much like yoga, dance can be enjoyed by all fitness levels and for a variety of reasons. Dance Asia is busy with young children who are learning to dance, yet there are also a host of classes for those who want to increase their fitness, from belly dancing to salsa, some who have always wanted to dance and those who simply enjoy it. Dance Asia also has a delightful healthy café at the back of the building and also stocks a great range of shoes and dance wear.

From 3 year olds to a student in her 60’s, teaching students of all levels a variety of dance styles is Dance Asia’s mission. Drop in, join in, and commit; Laura loves teaching, both yoga and dance as much as ever and the two work beautifully together in her own life. Dance Asia offers the chance to get fit, have fun and exercise your creativity. balidanceasia@gmail.com

Art & Culture

THE CORAL

Goddess

A Living artwork dedicated to the health of our seas

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he Coral Goddess is a living underwater sculpture located in the tranquil and spiritual bay of Pemuteran in the north west of Bali and is created using Bio-rock® an innovative coral reef regeneration technology. Only a decade ago, Pemuteran, Bali’s house reef was devastated by bombing, cyanide fishing and El Nino. A local initiative to establish bans on these destructive fishing methods and then the implementation of an extensive Bio-rock® program means the location is now an award winning eco tourism destination.

The Coral Goddess was installed in May 2011 in 5 meter depth of water in front of Taman Sari Bungalows. The design is inspired by and sensitive to the culture of Bali. The stone carving Prajnaparamita, Buddhist Goddess of Transcendental Wisdom, in the style of Singosari Dynasty, 13th century East Java was blessed by holy priests, the local community and healers from around the world during a traditional Balinese ceremony, holy water for the blessing ritual was collected from several important local temples including the famous monkey temple and melanting.

This ceremony in the Balinese belief system gives her powers of healing.

Designed by Celia Gregory, a dedicated yoga practitioner and regular visitor to Desa Seni explains that the goddess conveys and explores a deep and positive message. Her works of art aim is to ignite a feeling of wonder and appreciation for beauty. For over twenty years she has created intricate mosaics for many yoga centers and private clients often working with sacred images.

“I was so moved at how everyone came together, not motivated by money but by a shared goal and dream, a true community effort. It was by an organic and magically unfolding that Rani ( the regeneration project founder) and I managed to raise the money with the support from donors from around the world including with great gratitude a generous donation by Desa Seni but aside from financial donations, it is people’s time and contribution of their skill and enthusiasm that made and is making the coral goddess possible.”

“Individuals make a difference in society. Periods of change such as the present one come so rarely, it is up to each of us to make the best use of our time to help create a happier world” - Dalai Lama

After placing the coral goddess in her underwater home, Celia collected baby corals from the surrounding reef. It takes time for juvenile corals to attach to a solid substrate, similar to a plant taking root in the soil, so only the loose and damaged corals are gathered. The Coral transplanting process could be compared to a gardener lovingly attending to flowers in a flowerbed thinking of the colours, how they will grow over time and ensuring they have the best chance to survive; blue corals were used for the upper petals of the lotus flower bio-rock form and more textures corals for the lower leaves. Bio-rock® the coral regeneration method used requires a gentle electrical current to enhance coral growth and survival rates, the power for the goddess is generated by a green energy source; The 2 solar panels and marine breeze wind turbine have been installed on a tower close by in the water.

The Coral Goddess is a living marine eco system and the artwork will keep evolving; a nursery for fish and coral which can over flow and repopulate the surrounding area. Part of The Marine

Foundation’s Living Coral Art Project. www.themarinefoundation. org which merges marine science and creativity to create strong, positive and visual images to raise awareness and innovative eco tourism attraction to generate an on-going income for the coastal communities.

‘What we focus on grows and by creating inspirational and positive images for ocean health, our hope is that we will be inspired and take action for the preservation of well being for all future generations.’ The Marine Foundation It is possible to visit the goddess in Pemuteran, Bali, you can snorkel from the bio-rock centre, see her from bio rock centre’s glass bottomed boat, do a shallow try dive with Bali Dive Academy or support the project through their online Sponsor a Coral program.

-www.biorockbali.webs.com

I LAB

I Lab Bites October brings us new earthly delights, awakenings‌ Hamanah Drum N Dance will be here every Wednesday sharing African Dance with the master dance facilitator Aby. Dance class will be at 6:00 pm. 8 Years old and up welcome! Come learn to African Dance. Wednesday the 12th of October, and after , at 8:00 pm., we will celebrate the full moon, drumming and dancing to Mother Earth. Full Moon is Gratuitous. Dance Class will be Rp. 120,000 Sparrow, a very talented musician offers performances of original conscious music, kIrtan. She aims to create music to unite and inspire community is a conscious, uplifting way. She will be joining us every other Thursday for Kirtan. In the Bhagavadgita Krishna states that great souls worship and glorify him single mindedly. In Maharashtra state of India, Kirtan is a unique devotional performance and theatrical folk art which accompanies spiritual story telling along with chanting. Using ancient Sanskrit mantras, the kirtan calls upon sacred energies which serve to quiet the mind, remove obstacles, and bring us back to the center of our being. Thursday the 6th, 20th and November 3rd. Come rejoice! Rp. 120,000

Folklore Bites Leyak: A mythological figure in the form of a flying head with entrails (heart, lung and liver etc.) still attached. Leyak is said to fly trying to find a pregnant woman in order to suck her baby’s blood or a newborn child. There are three legendary Leyak, two females and one male. Leyaks are humans who are practicing black magic and have cannibalistic behavior. Their mistress is ‘the queen of Leyak’, a widow-witch named Rangda, who plays a prominent role in public rituals. Her mask is kept in the village death temple and during her temple festivals, she is paraded. Besides leyaks, demons are said to be the followers of Rangda.

Barong: A character in the mythology of Bali. He is the king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good, and enemy of Rangda in the mythological traditions of Bali. Banas Pati Rajah is the fourth “brother” or spirit child that accompanies a child throughout life. Banas Pati Rajah is the spirit which animates Barong. A protector spirit, he is often represented by a lion, and traditional performances of his struggles against Rangda are popular parts of Balinese culture. The Barong is often portrayed with two monkeys.

Dewi Sri: A goddess believed to have dominion over the underworld and the moon. Thus, Dewi Sri encompasses the whole spectrum of the Mother Goddess- having dominion over birth and life: she controls rice: the staple food of Indonesians; hence life and wealth or prosperity (most especially rice surpluses for the wealth of Javanese Kingdoms such as Majapahit); and their inverse: poverty, famine, hunger, disease and death.

News

Yayasan Kemanusiaan Ibu Pertiwi

bites

(YKIP), Jl. Kediri No. 38, Kuta, Bali 80361, Indonesia Tel: +62 361 759544 or +62 361 759544 www.ykip.org ; info@ykip.org Donations can also be made via the website through PayPal.

The Coral Goddess is a living artwork dedicated to the health of our seas.

The house reef outside Bali Taman Sari Cottages in Pemuteran Bali is home to the award winning Karang Lestari coral reef restoration project which uses Bio-rock速, a method that uses a gentle electrical charge to enhance coral growth and survival rates. Only ten years ago this coral reef was almost completely decimated and the success of this project now draws eco tourists from all over the world.

Our working partners and credits are Bio-rock centre, Karang Lastari ngo and SPONSOR A BABY CORAL program -www.biorockbali.webs.com Hotel partner and host - Taman Sari Cottages - www.balitamansari.com Dive Centre - Bali Dive academy - www. scubali.com www.globalcoral.org Follow us on Facebook @ The Coral Goddess Community

kharisma Antique & furniture www.kharismabali.com

Come check out the lovely Chinese antique furniture, a new arrival at Folkart Gallery.

This includes small Buddhist Altars,scholars tables,benches,cabinets, Mongolian trunks and much more.

Join us Nov.2 ,2011 For our 3rd annual Dia de los Muertos Altar installation 5:007:00 Remembering our dearly departed.

This is an interactive installation, please bring photos of your loved ones and a candle.

Mexican tapas (snacks) and fruit drinks will be served.

Jl. Laksmana (Oberoi) 17 B, Seminyak - Bali folkartgallerybali@yahoo.com www.folkartgallerybali.com

The Yoga Barn Oct 4th - 6th - Belly Dance Retreat Oct 8th - Ubud Writer’s Festival Book Launch “Cause No Harm” by Rick Purcell Oct 9th thru Nov 6th - School of Sacred Arts - 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Oct 10th - Monday Movie: “The Beatles Yellow Submarine” Oct 19th - 25th - Vedic Astrology Readings with Dr. Theja Oct 23rd & 30 th- Two Evenings of Kirtan with Dave Stringer Oct 24th - Monday Movie: “Gasland” Nov 9th - 16th - Nia Group with Anya Phelan Dec 10th - 12th - Detox Workshop with Claudia Jones Dec 15th - Reiki Workshop with Claudia Jones

Pak Merta Ada, also has a center in Sanur where he holds weekly classes and also conducts these Tapa Brata retreats throughout the year in both English and Indonesian, here in Bali and Java. You can find all the upcoming retreat dates and information on the Bali Usada website www.balimeditation.com

December 2nd until the 10th will be a Desa Seni Anusara Seva (selfless service) Yoga Retreat with Tara Judelle, benefiting the YKPA (Bali Street Kids) non profit organization. All proceeds will go to help purchase their home.

For more information please contact events@desaseni.com

Twee Merrigan, a senior Prana FlowtmYoga teacher + trainer offering yoga retreats and workshops worldwide including | Wave Ridings - A Yoga Retreat with Twee Merrigan at Desa Seni, Canggu, Bali | March 2012 | tweeyoga.com

For information on Sayadaw U Tejaniya and his teachings, please see his website: http://sayadawutejaniya.org/ To contact the monastery and for a schedule of future retreats please see: www.brahmaviharaarama.com

The outreach program “Ayo Kita Bicara HIV/AIDS” is a local charity that aims to raise awareness about the rapidly growing threat of HIV/AIDS in Bali.

Now in its second year of operation, enough funding has been raised to support the program’s expansion to reach approximately 25 schools in Bali. The goal for the program is to continue outreach activities through the end of 2012, with an emphasis on targeting high risk high school children from areas in Bali with the highest HIV infection rate. For more information please go to: www.balispiritfestival.com

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Thank you to everyone who has continuously contributed and supported Desa Seni in staying true to it’s vision and philosophy. After 4 years of building Kula, we are honoured to be a part of the community, growing strong, evolving and developing amazing relationships. A very special thank you to Brad, Orly, Virginie, Rani E Morrow-Wuigh and Miryam Faken our photographers; Allison, Sarah, Johnny V, Daphna, Jamie, Tara, Sam, Abi, Britta, Iwan, Twee Merrigan and Howard for the articles; Martina and Howard for editing; Our new Kula members, Folk Art, Yoga Barn, Kafe Restaurant, BaliEco Village, Zula, and Earth Cafe, Saribuana Eco Lodge, Dance Asia, Pak Merta Ada, Brahma Vihara Arama, Maru Gallery, Celia-biorockbali, Kharisma, Bali Spirit Festival, YKPA (Bali Street Kids), Yayasan Rama Sensana, and Bali A very special THANK YOU to Manuela for all her magic! Matur Suksema! Terima kasih!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mediadesk@balispirit.com

“BaliSpirit Festival Responds to AIDS Epidemic with New Programs in Bali’s Schools” BALI, Indonesia – August 5, 2011:· The 5th annual BaliSpirit Festival is launching the “BaliSpirit Festival Responds to AIDS Epide- to their unknowing wives and girlfriends, in- HIV/AIDS and counter misinformation and continuation of it’s outreach initiative “AYO! Kita Bicara HIV and AIDS” (Let’s Talk about HIV and fecting their unborn children. This new trend, negative stereotypes about those afflicted.”‖ mic with New Programs in Bali’s Schools” AIDS!) in 2011 to engage the localcombined community–particularly Balinese youth—in conversations and In order to reach a larger number of young with the proliferation of intravenous BALI, Indonesia – August 5, 2011:· education about HIV/AIDS. August, these educational programs, named people,aptly AYO! Kita BicaraEduSpirit will expand school use, is the reason for the skyrocketing The 5th annual BaliSpirit Festival isStarting laun- drug Workshops, will expand throughout Bali oftothe include regions of Gianyar, Denpasar, Badung, and and activities, information-sharing events, disease. the Community education ching the continuation of it’s outreach initia- spread media engagement throughout 2011 and 2012. on HIV/AIDS is a major challenge around the tive ―AYO! Kita Bicara HIV and AIDS‖ (Let’s Singaraja.

Talk about HIV and AIDS!) in 2011 to engage world, but particularly within communities Programming will commence in five additional the local community–particularly Balinese like Bali’s, where talk about sex is publicly dis- senior high schools in Denpasar, followed by According to a new report by DINAS Kesehatan Propinsi Bali, Provincial Department of Health, the youth—in conversations and education about couraged. A lack of sufficient education about five schools in Sangeh, Tanah Lot, Jimbaran, total number of reported HIV/AIDS cases in Bali, since 1987, has now reached an alarming 4,464 HIV/AIDS. Starting August, these educational how the disease is spread suggests this alar- and Kuta in September, five in Buleleng, and –programs, reported every district in Bali. ming Experts, believe the real total to be well over 7,000, in Gianyar. increasehowever, in new cases will skyrocket in five aptlyinnamed EduSpirit Workshops, effecting the mostBali vulnerable the population: women, teens Theand ―Ayo!children.

Kita Bicara HIV & AIDS‖ Outreach will expand throughout to include thesegment re- comingofyears.

The AYO! Kita Bicara HIV/AIDS EduSpirit program is presented by the BaliSpirit Festival gions of Gianyar, Denpasar, Badung, and SinThis growing Bali, where both illicit Group, and Desa and supported by the BaliSpirit team actively works torural combatsex this industry rising epi- in garaja.extreme growth is due to the rapidly Seni & Sutra Condoms, Komisi Penanggulandemic.

Using an interactive and communicaAccording to a new report by DINAS Keselegal “cafes” are popping up to service a largely unaware local market. 9-24% of female sex Aids Kabupaten Gianyar, Pemerintah tive approach, offer school-based workshatan Propinsi Bali, are Provincial Department workers in Bali infected with HIV, and fewthey practice protected sex.gan Teenagers and grown men Kaof Health, the total number of reported HIV/ hops to provide basic information about the bupaten Gianyar, BaliPost Group, Radar Bali, are bringing the disease home to their unknowing wives and girlfriends, infecting their unborn AIDS cases in Bali, since 1987, has now rea- contraction, prevention, and treatment of HIV/ Yayasan KISARA, and Yayasan Spirit Paramachildren.

This new trend, combined with the proliferation of intravenous drug use, is the reason for ched an alarming 4,464 – reported in every AIDS. The dialogue format of the workshops citta. the skyrocketing thethe disease.

Community education on HIV/AIDS is a major challenge encourages openness within the community district in Bali. Experts,spread however, of believe around the particularly communities like Bali’s, whereThe talkBaliSpirit aboutFestival sex isispublicly a leader among and allows for frank conversations about HIV/ real total to be world, well over but 7,000, effecting the within a new generation of festivals for the rapidly AIDS and practicing safe sex, without the risk most vulnerable segment of the population: discouraged. A lack of sufficient education about how the disease is spread suggests this alarming growing holistic travel marketplace.

Combiof social stigma.

Wiwie, BaliSpirit Outreach women, teens and children. increase in new cases will skyrocket in coming years.

This extreme growth is due to the rapidly Coordinator, explains, ―”We provide a safe ning over 100 yoga, dance and music workshops with music concerts, this space to share opinions and opportunities growing rural sex industry in Bali, where both EduSpirit The AYO! Kita Bicara HIV/AIDS team actively works to to combat thisnightly risingworld epidemic. illicit and legal ―cafes‖ are popping up to ser- maturely discuss and evaluate the myths and annual event provides a platform of inspiration Using an interactive and communicative approach, they offer school-based workshops to provide vice a largely unaware local market. 9-24% of truths about HIV & AIDS.” Balinese are very and the opportunity to affect positive change basic information about the contraction, prevention, and HIV/AIDS. The dialogue the personal and community level. Be a part to talking about HIVtreatment when the op- of at female sex workers in Bali are infected with responsive format of practice the workshops openness community allows something thatfor will frank change your world! presents within itself.‖” the By starting on a ofand HIV, and few protected sex.encourages Teenagers portunity of opensafe dialogue, ―wewithout can demystify and grown men are bringing disease home conversations aboutthe HIV/AIDS andplatform practicing sex, the riskwww.balispiritfestival.com of social stigma. Wiwie,

BaliSpirit Outreach Coordinator, explains, “We provide a safe space to share opinions and opportunities to maturely discuss and evaluate the myths and truths about HIV & AIDS. Balinese are very responsive to talking about HIV when the opportunity presents itself.” By starting on a

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