It’s still…
It’s quiet…
It’s dark…

Today is a day of reflection, of self-introspection and of giving thanks.
It’s a day of silence, fasting and meditation.

Today is a day of no lights, no activity, and thankfully… no scooters!

It’s Nyepi – the celebration of Balinese New Year.

The Balinese celebrate their New Year very differently to how we do in the West.
Firstly, the date changes every year as it is linked to the lunar cycle.
Nyepi follows the new moon.
Secondly, they celebrate with various rituals over a few days… and the official day of Nyepi is a full day of silence.

The eve of Nyepi

The first celebration is Ogoh-Ogoh. Here the locals walk down the village streets in their traditional dress and with huge scary looking status to scare away the negative energy and ‘black spirits’. In the evening each household starts with a blessing at the family temple and continues with a ritual called the pengrupukan where they hit pots and pans and make as much noise as possible to get rid of any negativity.

The day of Nyepi

This day the whole island shuts down.
The airport closes, wifi is turned off at the satellites, nobody is allowed to drive or be in the streets, and it is a full 24hrs of quiet and calm. Even the roosters seem to know that it is a day of silence!
In the traditional Balinese culture, they follow the 4 Nyepi Prohibitions – no fire, no travel, no activity, no entertainment.
It is considered a day of contemplation and self-reflection.
It’s also considered by the locals as the day when Mother Earth can ‘reboot’ herself after a year of noise and artificial light.
Even if you are a tourist or a visitor you have to stick to the rules of not going outside your hotel.
I took it as a glorious day of ‘me’ time!

The day after Nyepi

After a full 24hrs of silence and introspection, this is a celebration day to spend with friends and family. The focus today is on forgiveness and gratitude.

So what life lessons can I share with you from this valuable day of silence?
1) The world doesn’t stop when you do!
2) When you are quiet, you get answers.
3) By letting go of your ‘demons’, you make space for new experiences.

The world doesn’t stop when you do!
I know you may think that the world will stop if you take some time off, but believe me, it doesn’t. It’s amazing how you can ‘disappear’ for a day, and everything still keeps on working just fine. How often do we think that people/projects/work can’t cope without us? Make sure that everything is set up and then take some time out into the wilderness (even if it is just to go visit a friend for a cup of tea without EVERYONE knowing where you are).

When you are quiet, you get answers.
If you are having to make major significant decisions – or even just minor ones – and you are feeling overwhelmed and indecisive… get quiet, and the answers WILL come!
Sometimes we are scared of what those answers may be, so we keep ourselves busy. However, that just leads to more destruction down the line.
Make space in your life so that your mind has less clutter. This is the best way to figure out answers. They literally download, sometimes even in your sleep.
And if you are wanting to get creative and flesh out your business ideas or contemplate your next project… having a day of brainstorming is the best way to clear the slate for significant inspiration.

By letting go of your ‘demons’, you make space for new experiences.
Take the concept of Nyepi and integrate it into your life…
Step 1) – Get rid of any negativity in your life – anything that is no longer serving you.
Step 2) – Sit in quiet contemplation and see what messages/answers you get for how to go forward.
Step 3) – Be grateful for what you have, give thanks and forgive.
Step 4) – Make space for beautiful new experiences!

You don’t have to be in Bali to get value from the concept of Nyepi.

You don’t even have to take a full 3 days to go through the whole celebration.

Do a mini-Nyepi-moment at any point of your day or year.

Put it in your diary now – even if you just take half an hour to go through the exercises above.

Put it in your diary and see it as a day of celebrating you!

Lots of love

Your Life Transformation Cheerleader

Sharni Quinn

XXX

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