Healing Gently

Embracing Stillness: Nyepi Tradition and Serenity in Bali

Here in Bali it is the Hindu New Year today, and everything goes quiet just for one day.

Nyepi

On the eve of Nyepi, 10 March 2024, celebrations are held on the streets in every village. The locals build a monster called the Ogoh-ogoh, made of bamboo. The monster is paraded through the streets, followed by a procession of loud noise, music and banging drums. People cheer as Ogoh-ogoh is pushed down the street. The monster is confronted, evicted from the community and eventually, set alight! The idea is that all the darkness, illness, and evil spirits that have caused misery on the island during the year will be banished! It was wonderful to be a part of this energy; feeling the joy as everyone in the village joined together to eradicate all the bad karma from the last year.

Staying Quiet

Waking up on this Hindu New Year, I can’t hear any human sounds. It’s quiet. There is a light, gentle rain falling on the plants and the pool I share with other guests. The air is pleasantly warm for a change (Bali is constantly humid for those who aren’t aware). It’s a relief. I’m noticing all this more acutely because the humans are resting and out of the picture for the day. What a great idea. The locals believe that by staying quiet, the banished evil spirits will not be able to find them and move on as there are no signals to follow. I can hear the birds singing, roosters crowing, and the occasional dog bark. 

Starting Over

This is a great way to start anything new, including a new year! It provides the space for everyone to rest, pray, meditate and focus on the idea of starting afresh with clean, clear energy with the misery banished to the sky.

Traditionally, people don’t cook, work, or even leave their properties today. They turn off the internet and artificial entertainment devices. No one drives, the mopeds are parked safely, the cafes are closed and even the tourists are forced to rest. (They will be back on that tour bus, cameras loaded tomorrow!). and everything is incredibly peaceful. 

Chaos Theory

So today, we rested together. I know in my heart that darkness and fear thrive on chaos, noise, confusion and overwhelm, but people don’t. Chaos causes anxiety, confusion, and disconnection from self and others. We stop paying attention to what really matters. So, I am happy to stay quiet today (besides engaging in this bit of writing, which is still a quiet form of expression). I hope there is a little less chaos and suffering in the world this year because Bali was silent today.