It’s another magical morning as we awake early to birdsong. This special morning is to be shared with a group of primary school
Children at Suta Dharma School
children, as arranged by Anita Ikonen. It’s a short bus trip but we are on at 8am in tune with the morning school assembly (voice is a bit craggy from last night but a few quick vocal exercises undoes the knots, and we’re ready for our early morning gig).
The school is called Suta Dharma providing education to several hundred ‘coffee and cream’ kids as referred to by the long standing Principal, a deeply passionate educator. She has been there over 15 years helping the kids to integrate their lives made difficult through the cultural challenges of mixed marriages. She tells us that every morning before the academic components starts, they have a sharing circle where each one is invited to share how they feel. It helps them to get things off their chest and to focus on their work better. After the music session we share some basic techniques that can be used with the kids to help clear their energy subtly.
The school feels like one big happy family and the kids are just such a delight. They actively engage with us clapping along to our singing. They are led through a couple of brief exercises in raising their kundalini’s and putting on the ‘rainbow of love’ as referred by Craig, whose words are being translated by Anita. We sing 5 bhajans in all then we line up as each child (classroom by classroom) file past us and shakes our hands. It is a very touching experience, done so sweetly. There are several new methods for greeting and showing love and respect that we experience. One is them taking the tips of our fingers between their hands which are in the praying position. There is a light pressure then they retract their hands towards them as they disengage from ours. I am informed that this symbolises they are taking ‘your heart into their own heart’. Another which some of the children choose to do is to take one of our hands with their and to press them up to their foreheads. Both are very soul-filled gestures of love and we feel very humbled by the experience.
They then entertain us with their own folk songs accompanied by dancing and they are very good indeed. We feel most blessed.
We get back to the hotel and saunter off for brunch. Then it’s some free time to swim, catch up on rest, explore and shop. As we shop we encourage those we meet to attend what will be our final performance/program of the tour, to be held upstairs at Gayatri Restaurant. As we browse the streets, some by foot, some by motor scooter, we occasionally and spontaneously (as the opportunity presents) give realisation.
I decide to hire a scooter… it makes getting round so much easier. The traffic is a happy chaos, and Ramaa gathers the courage to join me and jumps on the back. We zip around enjoying the busy-ness of Central Ubud… later at night we take a ride to previously unchartered areas, and watch as hundreds of Balinese flock to the temple for worship, in traditional dress. Sometimes you see a whole family (Mum, dad and 3) all on one small scooter, making their way about.
We have a 7.30pm concert at Gayatri and dress for the part. The score in the men vs women performance outfits currently sits at 2.5 for the men and 1.5 for the women. The women really need to pull something out of the hat tonight. Us men are mildly confident as the Mens Wardrobe Sub Committee of Sameer and Vishwanath have really gone beyond the call of duty tonight and purchased Traditional Cotton Sarongs, Shirts and Head dress, finished off with a frangipani flower inserted into the headress and a beaded bracelet. However it is a misplaced and complacent confidence as the women throwing all caution to the wind, come in an outfit consisting of a Batik styled sarong, white top which is accessorised with hairpins, bracelets, earrings and fans.
The evening is somewhat unusual because it’s such a mixed bag in the audience. Some are local tourists who have either been dining downstairs or are simply passing by and are looking in for curiosities sake, some are locals who have already attended a performance or been with us at the birthing centre or elderly concert in the park, some are coming because they were invited. It’s a bit like a saloon door for the first 45 minutes (people coming and going) and it takes to guiding them through the realisation process, before things settle. The announcement that we will guide them through this means that those who are teetering or not really there in spirit, take their leave and the room settles. They are encouraged to remain in meditation after the guided process, with their eyes closed as we perform Dhanye Te Rangerle. The vibrations really start to settle and flow, the room is still and virtually all sit with their eyes closed for the duration of the song. Many are in deep meditation. We follow this up with Jago Kundalini Ma as the mood calls for another slow meditative bhajan.
Towards the end of the performance we interact with an audience that is now defined and present and after introducing each Bhakti member by name we invite them to vote on who they think has the ‘winning outfit’ and rate their response on the clapometer. It is a foolish undertaking on the mens behalf because the audience is heavily populated by women 3 to 1. The clapometer reading for them is 8.5 whilst the men only get a 6.2. So the women earn the point on offer and the spoils are shared. (2.5 points each). Could it have possibly ended any other way? Matthew threatens to get the guys a uniform for the plane trip home, but the women don’t fall for it 🙂
After the concert small groups once again assemble to talk more about the evening and further experience Sahaja Yoga Meditation. A group of 4 young women express interest in having a group meditation with some of the yogini’s the next day, so arrangements are made. In the corners of each room participants are enjoying the vibrations. It’s a pleasing sight, particularly after the odd start to proceedings, where it was hard to get connection with the constant movement.
Jai Shri Mataji.