Magic happened in Bali. We went as a group to Tirta Empul to participate in a water purification ritual. I immediately felt the sacredness of the temple + locals were quick to tell us when we sat our bags in the wrong spot. There was an air of seriousness + a bit of confusion on doing the ritual the right way.
The water is spring fed. I was covered in goosebumps as I made my way to the first few water spouts. I did the best I could to follow the instructions + hold my intention for healing. Honestly I was mostly going through the motions.
I got about 1/3 of the way through and a local women entered the pool carried by two men w/ a third staying close by. She howled with such volume + intensity it was impossible not to notice her. The lines of people waiting at each spout parted to let her go ahead. The men would carry her to the water and let it flow over her head as best they could.
She thrashed her body + threw intense fits all while screaming out while the men sweetly + safely wrangled her and kept moving forward. I was struck by their calm determination to see her all the way through the pools. It felt like a metaphor for how we must feel + experience our emotions completely + also keep going, keep choosing life.
Her cries grew more + more intense and something started to happen inside of me. My chest hurt and then felt like it was cracking open. I placed one hand on top of the other over my heart to steady myself. An intense amount of emotion welled up inside, I began to cry. All of a sudden I wasn't afraid of her anymore, I was her. She was giving me the permission I didn't know I needed to move massive amounts of stagnated + trapped energy in my body.
Her cries infused with my intention for healing and my emotion continued to rise as I splashed the sacred water on my throat over + over again. I was fully awake in the present moment.
The moment I began to cry my eyes met with my Aunt Mary who was at the other end of the pools. We looked at each other for a long while + went back to what we were doing. I felt so seen by her, so held. I now know it was a pivotal moment + foreshadowing of all that would unfold next.
