Well, I had a whole ’nother subject worked up for today’s newsletter, but then I edited today’s Spotlight feature and shifted gears. I’m taking a detour down memory lane to make a point about non-attachment and the value of having a reset button in life instead.

You see, it was nine years ago, clear back in 2015, that Ellen Watson invited me to participate in one of her Vibrance retreats in Bali. (She was calling her work SpiritDance/SoulSong at the time.) Toting my turntables inside my luggage across the Pacific was quite the adventure, but what I found at the other end of the journey made it all worthwhile.

The destination was fabulous, and DJing in paradise can’t be beat. But what was going on while we were there had a bigger impact on me than I could’ve imagined.

You see, Balinese folks of the Hindu faith have a special way of celebrating their new year. The date in the springtime is different each year because it is based on the lunar cycle. The celebration and ceremony is called Nyepi and it has several components.

In the weeks leading up to it, every clan, community, or extended family collaborates on building what is called an Ogoh Ogoh. These are elaborate psychedelic whimsical sculptures that are beautiful and terrifying in equal measure. Constructed of paper mâché and other light, flammable materials, they are brilliantly colored, and ornately decorated representations of malevolent spirits or negative elements from the past year to be banished.

They are built on lightweight platforms that can be shouldered by a group of people and paraded around the villages on the eve of Nyepi, after which they are burned to ashes. What a way to end the year!

Starting at 6 AM New Year’s morning for the next 24 hours, a hush falls over the island. There are no fires, travel, working, or entertainment — the whole country goes quiet, even the airport shuts down. The only sounds are the sea, the birds, and the roosters.

There are various other rituals and feasts leading up to Nyepi, and afterwards a ritual for Hindus to forgive each other and to welcome the new days to come.

As a typical Westerner this experience hit me like a breath of fresh air. It immediately became a meditation on non-attachment and the value of metaphysically pressing the reset button on a regular basis.

As guest at Mimi Menjangan, we were welcome to participate in the ceremonies with the villagers there that hold the space. Mimpi is a marvel, one of the few places in Bali blessed with hot mineral water springs.

Its cultivation into a world-class retreat center on the level of Esalen or Rancho La Puerta has been lovingly and sustainably guided with the consultation of Ellen Watson for over 20 years. Some journeys are worth the effort, Mimpi is one of them. If Bali is a crown of pleasures, Mimpi Menjangan is one of its sparkling jewels.

You never know when an experience is going to prove to be life-changing until you do some living afterwards. Sometimes you have to find yourself somewhere really extraordinary to create memories that will show you your turning points later on.

Much love till next Monday!

M+

Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine