In the two weeks of the yoga retreat, I had expected cartharsis, tears, and the accompanying relief. None came. It is to the credit of my teacher, who always paces the class so well, that the tiredness never segues into unbearable fatigue. He started the retreat slow and gradually built it to a crescendo. Strangely, despite the tiredness, sleep still eluded me.
Nonetheless, the pace of life in Ubud, the friendliness of the people, made me calmer. In Singapore, we would call their pace inefficient. But I've learnt to adapt somewhat, become more patient in the process, and learnt that I cannot always have what I want, when I want to. In Singapore, it's always "I want, I want, I want, and I want it NOW!". In Bali, you learn to wait. Even now, I find myself more patient when I drive (mostly).
Yet, the two weeks of yoga must have opened something. Because in the last weekend I spent in Bali, I was almost moved to tears by the sound of a Tibetan singing bowl. The vibrations, the sound went straight to my heart. Back in Singapore, I attended a talk on the feminine in spirituality. I didn't think at all of about the puja. But when I heard Khandro-la sang a chant during the prayers, the tears just flowed. Although I thought of the man in some moments, I never really knew what the tears were about. They just came and wouldn't stop. My friends said the tears are purifying for the soul. I just know I've never been so touched by a voice.
Nonetheless, the pace of life in Ubud, the friendliness of the people, made me calmer. In Singapore, we would call their pace inefficient. But I've learnt to adapt somewhat, become more patient in the process, and learnt that I cannot always have what I want, when I want to. In Singapore, it's always "I want, I want, I want, and I want it NOW!". In Bali, you learn to wait. Even now, I find myself more patient when I drive (mostly).
Yet, the two weeks of yoga must have opened something. Because in the last weekend I spent in Bali, I was almost moved to tears by the sound of a Tibetan singing bowl. The vibrations, the sound went straight to my heart. Back in Singapore, I attended a talk on the feminine in spirituality. I didn't think at all of about the puja. But when I heard Khandro-la sang a chant during the prayers, the tears just flowed. Although I thought of the man in some moments, I never really knew what the tears were about. They just came and wouldn't stop. My friends said the tears are purifying for the soul. I just know I've never been so touched by a voice.
2 comments:
you need more yoga, ubud, tibetan chants in your life !
sinlady - I know. I wish I didn't have to come back; or that I could go away to Tibet/Bhutan now.
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