Tuesday, March 1, 2011

So Iris, what are you going to do…?

I get this question a lot and I guess I will have to answer it a lot more. What are you doing every day, the whole day? Aren’t you getting bored? Are you going to look for a new foundation or something?

No, I’m not going to look for something new, just looking what is coming on my path. This is the island of the flowing river, and I am trying to learn to be aware of my own river while I’m here.
No, I’m not getting bored and my days will be filled in some way until the day we leave Bali that is for sure. At this point I am very happy to have found the opportunity to use the second half of our period here just to- and for myself. Like mentioned before I am very happy to have been at Sjaki and learned to know different people, volunteers, locals, children and teenagers. It has given me and us a fantastic opportunity to come inside the culture differently than when you are a tourist. We both feel we are settled more here and that’s a good feeling. The days of excitement of that everything is new and interesting is replaced with excitement of feeling home. Knowing more people, our favourite beach boy giving us cheap sunbeds, knowing all the cheap, good eating-places in the area, good markets. We have some kind of routine in our adventure, which feels good! I read, walk on the beach and enjoy life.

Since we decided to go to Bali I knew I wanted to do yoga. I tried it a few times back home, but here is the perfect opportunity to take classes for less money, with great teachers and the perfect environment. Meditation has drawn my attention as well already for many years, but just like many things, I never had the discipline to really try to learn it. Now I do! It already interested me, it would be crazy to not explore this on THE island of spirituality! I am not only lucky to be here, but also lucky to have the opportunity to spend time only on myself and what I would like to do. I am well aware of my fortune and opportunities! And I AM STIFF, unbelievable! So that alone is a great reason to do yoga, to loosen up some muscles before they start getting too old!

I also found a centre for holistic care L’Ayurveda, I had already read books by the founder of the centre and I could relate very much to his thinking and ways of looking at life. His name is Anand Krishna, he has (luckily for me and other foreigners) also some books translated to English. I am doing some treatments at this centre, one of the things I learn is different meditation techniques. I was right…this is good for me!

In the truthful and authentic surroundings of Bali, were respect of nature and spirit is the most important, I am slowly able to find my own peace of mind. This is where I come from, this is what I learned as a child in school and from my parents and its what I always believed in. And on Bali I am finding back to these insights and giving it some focus. Together with yoga and spending afternoons and weekends with Rino this all makes my life complete.

Sometimes I feel like Elizabeth Gilbert from “Eat Pray Love”, if you didn’t read it yet, you should! The movie just came out, it is good and shows nice shots from Bali, but the book is 10 times better! The book inspired me absolutely, in many ways I don’t recognise myself in her at all. But on the way to find peace within herself and how she feels on Bali I can relate A LOT.

But here it’s easy. The challenge will be to come home and maintain and keep this state of mind and meditation back in the fast, western culture… But I will! I am also thinking of how I can take the holistic view into my work as a nurse. The view of course already is there and was already along time ago. But I more and more want to be able to really use holistic nursing in my work. A good goal and dream to stretch out to when I come home!

So this is what I do and why I don’t have the time to get bored, life is too wonderful to be bored at all.



5 comments:

  1. Det er så nydelig ziz, såå glad du gjør detta for deg sjøl!! <3

    <3 Indescribable proud of you my ziz! <3

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  2. goed zo Iris, superduper dat je het allemaal aanpakt, je tijd zo goed uitbuit. Je zal terugkijken straks op een fantastische tijd - dat is zeker !! liefs van mij

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  3. julia hoor, niet Fromeyn zei dit laatste kommentaar ........

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  4. Iris! Super! :D mag ik zeggen: ik benijd je;) geniet van je leven!
    en als je je tijd toch verdoet... dan doe je het op Bali! & daar hebben ze een mooie Engelse uitspraak voor:
    Time you enjoyed wasting, is not wasted time!
    Ben benieuwd hoe je yogalessen bevallen!

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  5. hej Iris!!
    Dat klinkt heerlijk! Knap dat je het ook kúnt. Sommige mensen kunnen helemaal niet tegen tijd voor zichzelf.. te veel tijd om na te denken..
    In Tanzania heb ik veel gehad een paar weken NIETS.. Toen m'n plan getrokken voor nu..
    Verder top foto!!! Ik volg nu een cursus fotografie.. zo leuk om te doen!! Verder ga ik met drie vrienden volgende week boeken voor... Indonesië!!! haha ja~!! ik mail je zo even..

    liefs Judith

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