Hi,
Thanks for joining me,
Clara,
On this guided visualization for sleep.
In this episode,
You will experience the day of silence in Bali.
Before we begin,
Please find a comfortable place where you can relax.
Gently close your eyes,
Let go of all the tension you might have in your face,
Neck and shoulders.
Allow your breath to carry you into relaxation and find its natural rhythm.
Notice each inhale as your breath travels down to your lungs into your belly,
And when you exhale,
How your belly contracts as your breath moves back out of your nostrils or mouth.
Invite your awareness to flow with your breath,
Be present in this moment with your breath.
If your mind wanders away with a thought,
Emotion or sensation that catches your attention,
Gently guide awareness back to your breathing.
The day of Nyepi,
Also known as the day of silence,
Is a sacred Hindu holiday celebrated in Bali,
Indonesia.
It's a time for self-reflection,
Contemplation and gratitude and is observed on the first day of the Balinese soccer calendar,
Which usually falls in March or April.
On the day of Nyepi,
The island of Bali comes to a complete standstill.
The streets are empty because no one can leave their homes or make any noise.
There are no lighting of fires,
No use of electricity and no entertainment.
Even the airport and seaports are closed for the day.
The purpose of this day is to purify and cleanse the island of any physical and spiritual negative influences.
It's also believed that during Nyepi,
The spirits of the ancestors visit the island.
By observing silence and stillness,
The people of Bali can pay their respects to their ancestors and show their devotion to the gods.
The night before Nyepi is called Tawur Kasanga,
Where the Balinese people perform an elaborate molasti ceremony on the beaches or other water sources.
During this ceremony,
They bathe and purify sacred objects such as the temples effigies and other things.
On the day of Nyepi,
The Balinese people retreat to their homes and spend the day in silence,
Fasting and meditating.
No lights are allowed at night and only emergency vehicles can be on the roads.
Throughout the time,
The Balinese reflect on their lives and relationships with the natural world.
They contemplate their actions and thoughts and focus on cultivating inner peace and harmony.
As the night falls on Nyepi,
The silence continues.
The island is shrouded in darkness because the only lights that can be seen are the stars in the sky or the occasional flicker of a candle in a Balinese home.
The day of Nyepi is a unique and powerful experience that offers a profound opportunity for reflection and self-growth.
It's a reminder to slow down,
Appreciate life's simple joys and connect meaningfully with the natural world.
Imagine yourself in Bali on the day of Nyepi.
Here you find yourself staying in a remote house in the middle of Bali's lush green rice fields.
The house is made of natural bamboo and wood and blends seamlessly with the surrounding environment.
The house's interior is simple yet elegant with intricate Balinese carvings and traditional batik textiles.
As you step outside onto the balcony,
You're surrounded by an endless expanse of green.
The patchwork of rice paddies stretches before you with neat rows of jade green stalks swaying gently in the breeze.
You can hear water trickling in the nearby irrigation canals and the occasional rusting of leaves as a gentle gust of wind passes through.
You watch as the rice fields become bathed in a golden hue as the sun dips low over the horizon and above,
The sky is a breathtaking display of pinks,
Oranges and purples with fluffy clouds adding depth to the view.
You inhale deeply savouring the fresh and crisp twilight air on your skin.
As the day slowly surrenders to night,
The sky begins to transform.
The soft hues of the setting sun fade into the deep blue of twilight and the stars begin to appear.
At first,
They seem few and far between,
Scattered like tiny diamonds across the darkening sky.
But as the darkness deepens,
More and more stars emerge until the entire dome of the heavens is studded with their twinkling light.
The constellations are the first to make themselves known,
Their distinctive shapes and patterns instantly recognisable to anyone looking up at the sky.
There's Orion with its bright belt of three stars and the Great Bear whose seven stars form a familiar shape known to humankind for thousands of years.
But it's when the Milky Way appears that the true magic of the night sky is revealed.
A faint glow at first,
It gradually grows in intensity until it becomes a shimmering band of light stretching from one horizon to the other.
It's as if the very fabric of the universe has been laid bare,
Revealing the vast scale and majesty of the cosmos.
The stars of the Milky Way seem to be arranged in a never-ending tapestry with clusters and patterns of light that hint at the presence of countless other galaxies beyond our own.
On this day of silence,
There's no light pollution to obscure the view of the night sky,
And the stars are so bright that they seem to sparkle with an otherworldly intensity.
The air is crystal clear and you can almost feel yourself being drawn into the depths of space as if the boundary between the earthly realm and the cosmic realm has been erased.
It's a moment of pure wonder where time seems to stand still and the mysteries of the universe are laid bare for you to see.
The silence is also profound,
Absent of sounds from traffic or other human activity,
Just the gentle trickling of the irrigation canals and the chirping of crickets in the distance.
As night falls and exhaustion sets in,
You retreat to the comfort of your room in the traditional Balinese house,
The soft rustling of the grass roof and the gentle breeze passing through the open air walls fill your senses along with the sweet scent of frangipani flowers.
As you climb into bed,
You feel fortunate to spend the night in this peaceful haven on the day of silence in Bali.
The absence of noise and distractions allows you to fully appreciate the spiritual aspect of the day and the beauty of the natural world.
As you drift off into a restful sleep,
The gentle sounds of nature outside your room continue to remind you of the simple yet profound beauty of this experience.
You feel at peace,
Safe and grateful to spend this sacred day in Bali.
