Fortune comes to all that seek what their heart calls for the most..let it count, let it bring peace.

Music to go with my photos, if you wish x Snatam Kaur – Servant of Peace – Anandmayi Ma

The Inner Goddess Retreat. Ubud, Bali (August 2014)

Returning to the villa, after leaving yummy remnant of chocolate banana lover shake out on the patio, a fellow chocoholic was found comfortably nestled in the glass. After numerous photos, I realised it was stuck.

 I couldn’t help but assist my little friend, by first asking permission to take further shots. As soon as I was distracted, it did not hesitate to scurry away in a flash.

This little chocolate banana lover is known as ” Chichak”, due the sound it makes of a night. The species name is Hemidactylus frenatus, or Common House Gecko.

Engaging with Chichak, a few victims were sacrificed along the way. I felt pretty horrible as I perched on top of these little guys, as the red ants surrounded their flattened friends and two came my way with behinds up high ready to attack.

One morning, I woke up with a bite under my arm,, which inflamed quite nastily over the duration of my stay. I think it was a deserved pay-back for my unconscious killings.

        Lilith, the base chakra

 The Wild Woman is the first soul sister we meet in our inner journey through the

feminine psyche. Although widely unknown in our society, her presence is felt with

the onset of our first period. It is her role to initiate us into our fertility and reveal to us

our feminine nature, cycles and sisterhood. Unfortunately she is often subconsciously

greeted with shame as a bringer of ‘The Curse’ (a telling colloquialism referring to

how our menstruation is viewed within our culture). – Tanishka, The Inner Goddess Makeover.

It was a tribal day, and a great day of connection with my fellow soul sisters.

The fire burnt bright, as we all threw our deepest troubles to the fire and ignited the healing of past into the flames. Our future looks bright, while we let go of what was dampening our own internal flame.

The day breaks and the path is clear. Reassured by the green of nature, I am exactly in the right place at the right time towards a spiritual awakening once again.

The Balinese are great believers of the spirit world, and give offerings of flowers and incense daily outside their houses, shops, or shrines placed on the street front. The offerings are blessed by what would seem spiritual leaders on a street side stalls. I think if I was born Balinese, I would want to be a part of these families that for a living prepare and bless offerings. It would be a humbling job indeed.

The explanation of Balinese spirituality received by our first driver from the airport to Dragonfly Village, is there is the world ‘Ba’, ‘Wa’ and ‘Sa’ (excuse the spelling as I could not find info on the www about this specifically). Ba is the human world, where our karma is rectified and created daily, which then there is Wa, the spirit world where you stay until you a cremated. Sa is the God world.

Check out more info on Balinese belief, if this tickles your fancy so…here and here.

Ubud is like no other place I know. The lush green, the morning light to the sunset hue. Us goddesses were surrounded daily by such beauty. The people, the moments, our little four-legged friends…and those with none.

Let me introduce the bathroom cat. A gentle male cat, who sleeps in a different bathroom villa each day, visiting us each with his long cat’s meow that would think it was crying to you for help. Never heard anything like it before, and I have had cats my whole life. It seemed to be common amongst the cat’s in Bali. Youtube doesn’t seem to have the sound either.

He was a cutie.

Venturing out and about in Ubud barefoot, with a smile on my face and heart.

A song to take you through – Govinda Govinda Hari Hari – Snatam Kaur

It always amazes me, and this could be understood for any who travels outside the parameters of their home, local shops and town streets; people of our world are amazing.

My mum ushered me out, encouraging me to take my camera, what a sight! This man was high on a coconut tree. When he came down, he offered one of his many coconuts. I had to refuse as I knew that he was collecting them to sell, and at the villas I was staying, they offered yummy ones daily. I couldn’t take his profit. I took his picture instead. I forgot to mention this man was in his 70s.

Balinese massage time…

As my massage lady was not ready for me yet, another – this beautiful lady is her ceremony outfit – offered to help out and give my muscles a good tending to. As we spoke, she just arrived from her sister’s wedding. Pretty happy about her kindness, and the fact she looked beautiful.

The lady behind was a little shy about her beauty. I received a massage from her at a later date. Her perception of beautiful was white.

” You are beautiful, because you are white” She shyly states.

“You are beautiful, because you are woman!” I respond.

It is common, not only in Bali but also India, the perception of what women think is beauty is to be white. Whereas the lighter skin believe beauty is tanned. It is known beauty marketing companies target the insecurities of people, in particular women, on what they seem to be lacking. They sell an ideal look that is somewhat unreachable, as no one is born the same. Celebration of our differences is amiss in our society. If marketers sold beauty as acceptance of one’s self and no product except that which is good for your self-esteem, inner health, and traditions and culture, would it be as profitable?

As we play away from work, it’s business as usual for most in Ubud.