How I found my Soul sitting in Bali
My Journey 16,000 miles away from home! I traveled to the Pacific Ring of Fire to descend down into the Island of the Gods. 14 hours into the future, 6 Planes, 4 areas of the world, and a lifetime of memories.
You ever feel called to go to a place but you don’t know why?
My story begins 2 years ago in late 2021. That is when the planning process slowly started to begin for our First International Theraexpressions Retreat. In the beginning of the planning process I had to determine where we were going to go for our first international retreat. It didn’t take much time to decide as I was being called to go to Bali Indonesia. It was almost as the Island of the Gods had told me this is where I would end up. I had never been to Asia prior so it wasn’t like I had prior knowledge or experience of traveling to Asia.
So, I listened to the Island of the Gods and started the process of planning the Retreat. I let my TheraCommunity know where we would be going in 2023 and crossed my fingers that folks would want to embark on this adventure with me. To be honest I didn’t know if anyone would be wild enough to travel 16,000 miles away from home with me but I knew the people who were supposed to be there would show up.
To my surprise 10 people had committed right away and another 5 were a maybe. My initial thought was “This is exciting to think that folks were as excited as I was”. With bright eyed excited folks RSVP for the retreat and the planning process in full swing we were off to getting one step closer to the Island of the Gods.
The planning process came with a lot of bumps, communication challenges, navigating currency exchanges, vaccine requirements, payment plans, Bali seminars, plane tickets, lodging, and the list goes on and on. This was the biggest retreat I had ever planned for but at the end of the day it was still a retreat. I knew that world well.
My biggest concern was not the retreat itself or navigating the bumps. It was actually the heat. Bali is a lot warmer than where Im from so I was trying to determine the best ways to keep myself together in that tropical weather. It was definitely a foreign concept for me. Bali weather is 100% different weather than the midwest USA.
We were three months out from Bali and I was starting to experience that pulling sensation again. I was supposed to see Elephants and I was supposed to climb Mount Batur at Sunrise. Elephants in a spiritual place evoke Abundance, Good Luck, and Prosperity. Those things are wonderful but they were not the reason I was called to do that. It was much much bigger than me. I could feel that and as I stood in front of the Elephants I understood why I was called to them. They were a beacon, a symbol, a reminder of why I do what I do. My time with the Shaman told me that I would be pulled towards a symbol. Trees have always been my primary symbol but it would appear in this next phase of my life it will be elephants as well. The shaman told me I would be pulled towards everything I need in this life as long as worry does not get into my way and create obstacles for me.
Mount Batur at Sunrise. The single most beautiful thing I have witnessed with my bare eyes. Imagine being drawn to do this but not knowing if it’s possible. Mount Batur is an active volcano and the top two majestic things I have witnessed in my life have been on active volcanoes. There is a sense of impermanence mixed in with no control, mixed in with liberation all at once.
At the very last moment on the retreat myself and three others decided we were going to wake up at 2am and climb Mount Batur. The experience was something from outside of this world and is still hard for me to describe. Making our way up the active volcano in the dark with nothing but our headlamps and the person in front of us and behind us. When we started the trek up the Volcano I had one focus in mind. I had to get up that mountain. I was supposed to experience something very specific up there. Something that wouldn’t be able to be described but rather felt immensely.
I could feel that feeling burrowing inside of me up the volcano in the dark. Nothing was getting in my way of myself and my friends getting up that volcano. Fifteen minutes before we reached summit I could see the sun starting to come up. A pit in my chest wall started to rise deeply and asking myself “Am I going to make it”? I felt like my heart was going to give out, i would take breaks for 30 seconds than start up the volcano again. I kept telling myself. I have to make it. I have to make it to summit by Sunrise. Im supposed to witness something truly marvelous. As we approached Summit with 15 minutes to spare I could feel an unearthing, a rebirth, a shift in my body and my soul. I could feel emotion rushing over me. All I could do was cry, and smile, and breathe. We all cried, and smiled, and took in mother natures beauty. The feeling rushed over me in a 1,000 waves. I had made it home. I had felt that feeling before long ago. I could feel it within me now.
Going from a Volcano to a water temple within 24 hours was Mother Natures gift to me. Fire meeting Water and myself meeting my home once again. We arrived at the Tirta Empul Temple where 1,000’s of people come every year to be blessed in the holy waters of Bali. A true gift was experiencing this with people I truly care for. We had our sarongs placed on us and we made our way to the offerings. One must have two to four offerings before going inside every area of the temple. Our Balinese guide informed us how we needed to proceed forward so that we would not create imbalance in our lives. We stood quietly before entering the water as our guide helped us to understand what we needed to do at each water crest. Three times over the face, three times at the mouth, three times over the head, submerge yourself under the water crest all the while speaking your intentions and manifestations into existence. We had several water crests to go down. Each time we would redo the ritual and re focus our intentions. After walking out of the water it was though all the worry that we may have gone into the water with was somehow released from us.
As I sat there on my final days of Bali I would become quiet, I would become settled, I would become truthful with myself once again. I sat in silence remembering why I started this path all those years ago.
I found my soul in the quiet, in the middle of the Island of the Gods, In the Pacific Ring of Fire, 16,000 miles away from home. The interesting thing is I was home there.
Cheers to everyone who believed in me to take them 16,000 miles away!
Candace Machado
theraexpressions.com
Photos by Macahhdew Studios 307-258-5288
