Have you ever felt - like *really* felt - pulled into an experience? Like you'd die if you didn't get to do it? Like it was part of your soul's journey? Well my whole body, spirit, and heart called out for me to experience this deconditioning retreat in Bali. And I was so so so afraid, but I knew that if I didn't go, I would be missing a core experience, one that would be life changing for me.
The time from when I committed to the retreat (hosted by Dana and Shayna, the creators of Dayluna), to when I actually left for my flight was filled with questioning, fear, and doubts. There were many moments when I thought I wasn't going to be able to go. SO MANY moments. But there was also so much yearning, and hope, and a feeling that I NEEDED to go to experience this stop-along in my journey though life.
To say that my soul needed this is an understatement. Back home, I was - am still - working a job that's not fulfilling for me and my heart. Living in a space that doesn't feel like home. And feeling like I was living two separate lives - one heavily mundane, going through the motions, and another where I fell connected to spirit, to soul, and the knowledge that there is so much more to this life than what I am experiencing. Bali was the chance to fully live in the soul space, in the spiritual space, and I was able to do it with my best friend - my soul mate, and I met so many other beautiful souls while I was there.
Getting there was an exercise in trusting my authority - through all of my peaks and valleys of my emotional wave, and in spite of all the worries, anxiety, and fear, I still knew that I wanted to go - that it would make me happy. The flights there were long, with little sleep, but once I got there, my brain and my heart exploded. Like "Holy shit, I am here. This is my life. I actually did it, and everything turned out okay."
While there, I felt expanded - full of love, opportunity, and hope. I felt deep in my bones the power of healing in a collective, something I always thought was scary, and too vulnerable, and even cringe-y. How could bearing your soul to a group of strangers really help, I mean really? But it was transformational. We are all so different, and yet every single one of them is a member of my soul family. Every person in that group touched my heart, made me cry, and made me laugh. Even coming home now, I'm still on that high from that trip.
Okay I am going to get into some of the more technical stuff, now, okay? If you've ever looked at astrocartography you know how cool it is to see your birth chart laid out over a map of the world - your lines tell you where you'd thrive in business, or in love - basically anything you find in your birthchart has an optimal location tied to it. (I also offer astrocartography readings as a product - check out the shop!). While I was in Bali - I was sandwiched between my North Node line and a Jupiter line and for me - my North Node is in Sagittarius, and my Jupiter is in Virgo. So this placement for me was HEAVEN. I felt expanded and grounded, like my soul was open to all the experiences I took in, and was in love with learning about the culture and religion there.
And by the way, the Balinese people are so kind and friendly, most know some English, and I tried to learn some Indonesian to help conversations as well. I was astounded by the level of kindness that I saw in their culture, and their willingness to share it with outsiders. Bali is also a very poor island, with a large tourist draw and a lot of "digital nomads" as well. And the locals are welcoming to everyone, though there has been a bit of an uproar lately due to some recklessness by some tourists not being safe on their motorbikes and scooters. There is a stark contrast between the locals way of life and the life of the people they ultimately are catering their businesses to. So if you get the chance to go there, be kind and generous if you're able to, because it means so much to them. During the pandemic, the island was completely shut out to tourists, so a lot of people had no way of making money and struggled to feed themselves and their families.
Overall, I feel like this experience is absolutely a core soul memory. A feeling of returning home to myself, to the beautiful land and people in Bali, and the connections I made with the women in my group. It was truly the privilege of a lifetime and I can't even begin to express the depths of my gratitude to the universe, to MYSELF, my friends, family, and the people I met, and the land I was able to explore.
