heading home to a land of hope..

So it is my last day overseas...for now..

I am here in Bangkok, looking out at an amazing city filled with skyscrapers, temples, pink and yellow taxis, streetside padthai stands, and every culture, race, and creed walking on its street...it is a friendly 'wake-up call' to me for the transition that lies ahead ....


ah, the urban way...I am glad I am not fighting this sudden immersion into city life...





For I know what lies ahead of me is the western world, filled with all its many excesses and consumer-filled and fear-based messages ...I smile now thinking about this as I find it almost surreal now when I come home and turn on the TV, watching the news again, filled with so many horrendous shots of violence, sadness, economic woes...it is always such a shock to me to be suddenly bombarded with so many messages...it makes me so keenly aware of how the psyches of so many people are influenced by this constant babble and noise...




but this is the world we live in...and I am not fighting it anymore...awareness is key...and it certainly inspires me to bring this topic into discussion more often with both my freinds and students...



I am also learning more and more that really the best we can all do on a daily basis is to continue to become the best possible person we can be; to be tolerant, kind and compassionate in our own lives.....





the ripple effect is profound...



I have lived a very peaceful , idyllic life now for 2 1/2 months and I feel quite calm right now- I am not as easily rattled by the randomness of sounds and sights around me..it is a calm I always try to maintain for as long as possible when I get home...I find this is truly one of the greatest gifts I can give myself when I travel...this inner calm is priceless and I will be very protective of it in the next few months..


And yes, my life in a bamboo bungalow by the sea has filled my soul, once again, with peace, quiet, and rejuvenating energy. It allows me to come home now with fresh ideas, new excitement, a few clever insights, and more love and energy to give to all those around me, ...I am ever so grateful for this gift and thank all those around me who have supported me along the way, allowing "me" to be "me", never questioning, always encouraging...


thank you , from the bottom of my heart...

Bali’s beckonings…

Bali is one of those places where few words really need to be spoken…




Bali speaks to you…and you are forced to listen…if you fight it, you will feel it…your mind and body will take over and your heart and spirit will shut down, become numb.




Historically, Bali was an island where “refugees” came from India ….they were mostly writers, artists, musicians…settling here to live a new life of freedom..with all the benefits that freedom of will and speech provide…




Art oozes here..in every corner, nook,and cranny..from the poorest homes and shabby street side corners, to the most posh of restaurants and hotels…the Balinese have aesthetics down pat…









I believe Bali is truly a place where people come to be still…listen….create …heal…. it is palpable in the air…if you only just pay attention…

yoga centers and health food bars are strewned in every street here- classes in meditation, art, music, philosophy, religion abound… …


one can see this need to grow, expand, actualize in almost every pair of eyes you meet…it is like a secret society of people have come here to graduate with a special diploma to life..they will leave with no documents or grades to show for this experience….only a lightened spirit and an expanded heart….




Right now , I am sitting on my balcony at 8 o’clock on the morning..I am having my daily routine breakfast of pineapple, papaya, and bananas…and a strong cup of Balinese coffee…my ritual in the morning is to come out to this balcony and just look out and listen…




Today it is raining…hard. The sounds of the river below me have been drowned out by the strong hum of raindrops…even the butterflies and dragonflies are taking a break this morning…there is a mist in the air…reminds me of Ireland…so green everywhere…so green….







Bali feels like a mothering cradle that just rocks you gently throughout the day…you may feel you are going to fall out at times, but she is always there to catch you when you think you are…she knows when to be strong, but never shouts back…





The feminine energy here is prevalent; not only from what one feels from walking around in nature but also from what one sees on the streets and in the art….


The women are more often than not the ones I always see carrying the heavy loads of weight on their heads, walking for miles it seems throughout the streets and rice fields....it is amazing what I have seen them carry single-handedly on their shoulders…from huge bushels of rice to porcelains bathtubs (yes, I really did see this)….the Balinese women truly carry the weight of the world on their shoulders but do it with such dignity, pride , grace…never complaining…



I have so much to learn from these people…they say so much with just their eyes, their unconditionally loving smiles, and with their patience…ah, their patience….I have yet to hear any Balinese raising their voice, having a fight, looking upset…it is uncanny…




Their spirit is strong…


It is wonderful, too, how the connection with Obama has surfaced here..I had forgotten the fact that he had gone to school here for a few years when he was a child…that his stepfather was also Indonesian…my first glimpse at a painting of him here literally threw me off guard…in the most wonderful of ways..





their joy at his being president now is so very evident…they consider him one of their own…as we all do…

Hope…this is what I have now…


hope that I never stop learning..
and that I always remain humble in the lessons being taught..
I do not know it all…and never will.


I have hope that more and more people on this planet are waking up…truly waking up…to all the love and light that has been locked up inside of them for so long…for so very long…it is all there…always has been. Sometimes all it takes is to find that special someone or someplace to help you unlock this mystery that you have kept secret …from yourself and from others…

Finally, I have hope that love truly does conquer all..it is all there really is to start with- nothing else…


so many of us just have run so far from home that we have forgotten how to be okay with what we already have…which is a lot…which is huge…



So to Bali , I thank you my great gentle teacher, for patiently holding me, rocking me, watching me unleash yet another unlocked storm…I know there is so much more to go…but I am ever so grateful you have reminded me of the importance of just being still…and to listen..and look…and go inside….




for all the answers are already there.


Until next time…