A life in Jandals (kiwi for flip flops)

5 things surfing has taught me about life

2012-01-29T21:39:00.000-08:00

Today after a reviving early morning surf session I am grateful for the lessons in life that riding the waves has taught me.

Everyone has their peaceful place. For me, its sitting on my board, in the ocean – legs dangling, salt water on my skin, huge smile on my face. It’s where I feel truly alive and at peace. I’ve often thought about how surfing relates to life so thought this Monday, I'd share 5 of the biggest lessons/insights into life that the ocean has given me.

1. To let go of control. Being a typical type A women, this is a big one for me! The ocean is a mighty natural force that has a mind of her own to win you must surrender. It has taught me humility and to put things in perspective. Its funny how things that seemed so important, no longer do after a great surf session.

2.To be patient, when you are waiting in the line up some days it may be 5 minutes some times 45 minutes. The ocean is setting the schedule so you wait patiently and revel in the thrill of anticipation of the wave to come.

3. To flow with life– being connected and being in the now can be a challenge. For once when I am surfing, like yoga, my monkey mind stops and all the churn and things I think are important, cease to be. Riding the waves has taught me flow, to live in that moment, as when you drop into that wave your mind goes blank and all you think about is that ride, that thrill. Its amazing what an empty mind free of all the chatter can do, I’ve had some of my biggest aha moments and most creative ideas after a surf session. It gives me such clarity like a haze lifting.

4. We all have our unique Sense of Style
After learning the basics, everyone develops their unique surfing style. I liken it to dancing and love seeing how our guests dance on the waves. We can’t control what we look like surfing – some days, especially when we are learning we are going to feel more like a drowned rat than Bethney Hamilton, however when we understand that the best surfer isn’t the one who looks the best but the one having the most fun, we get it. Every surfer’s style is unique.

5.Life is a series of waves. Somedays are great with perfect conditions and surfing comes with ease, some days are challenging and test my patience, my will. What I’ve come to realize is like life, the wave conditions are less important than the attitude you choose to ride them with. That’s what makes all the difference in the end.

Happy surfing!

Janine (Jen) Hall

Surf Haven Bali

www.surfhavenbali.com

New Rejuvenation weeks

2011-11-30T16:33:00.000-08:00

We've just launched our new luxe yoga, food and spa weeks for women who don't wish to ride the waves but want a health reviving yoga, food and spa getaway with all the trimmings. Come join us for beach sunrise yoga sessions, cooking workshops, food, fitness and culture tours and lots of pampering!

http://www.surfhavenbali.com/New-Rejuvenation-weeks.aspx

Christmas but not as we know it....

2011-07-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Christmas Balinese style, or should I say Galungan. It marks the beginning of the most important festival in Balinese tradition, Galungan, meaning “when the Dharma is winning.” During the holiday, the Balinese gods visit the earth and leave on Kuningan, the last day of Galungan.

On the Wednesday (this event falls only on a Wednesday), locals often return to the house they grew up in to make offerings to the gods and to their family ancestors who are believed to return to the family temple during the holiday. It is therefore no surprise that the whole of Bali comes to a complete standstill as families take part in the colorful festivities.

It’s a very exciting time to visit Bali, as the streets are decorated with traditional penjors and vibrant cloths, and there is a special something in the air as families busily prepare for the celebration. The festival occurs every 210 days, and its closest western parallel is Christmas. You’d be forgiven for thinking the Balinese, like us, may leave a mince pie and note for Santa and stuff down rum-drenched puddings, wearing paper hats and play scrabble over left-overs. Quite the opposite is true of Galungan, the day starts early in the morning, and instead of pudding, a sacrificial pig is set alight. The day ends with prayer and offerings to the gods and deceased ancestors; hardly reminiscent of our Western traditions.

Surf Haven Bali decided to get involved and have some fun with the ancient tradition, and took our guests to spend a morning immersed in Balinese culture at a local celebration at the biggest temple on the beach in Seminyak.

The result was stunning as guests sported traditional Balinese costume, and were blessed with hundreds of colourful petals and holy water, by Illuh, a local Balinese priestess. Windchimes sounded as the balmy sea breeze whispered through palm trees overhead, and Balinese families walked proud in their Sunday best, with incense and offerings for the gods.

Don’t worry if you missed out this time, the Balinese social calendar is overflowing with amazing excuses to drop everything and dive into a foreign culture for the day, for more information on the Balinese festival calendar, click here: http://www.balicalendar.com

The Bali files - A lesson in patience

2011-06-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

It’s taken two years of residing in Bali to experience my first eat, pray, love moment, and no, it didn’t involve a sexy Brazilian (sadly), but provided a refreshing change of perspective.

One unsuspecting Sunday morning, while executing a harmless backbend in yoga - crack - my neck felt like it had given way from the rest of my body, and for the next few days I felt like an Adams family monster, and had to turn my entire body to speak to anyone. Luckily I didn’t have to meet any guests that day; otherwise their first impression would’ve been somewhat unfortunate!

I regularly visit an amazing healer on the island, Yanto, who does a lot of work with our retreat guests, however he is quickly becoming somewhat of a local celebrity, and increasingly difficult to secure for last minute fixes; so desperate and in need, I visited my friend Emma who manages our spa , Bodyworks.

Being the archetypal courteous Brit; my friend Emma managed to abstain from any heckling at my expense, although I could tell she was stuffing down a smile. When I explained my predicament, there was only one answer, “you just have to visit Pak Circus”, he’s a local legend. I love making new connections and testing them on behalf of our guests, so I was eager to see him ASAP.

“Hang on”, said Emma, I’ll ask the girls the best way of getting there. The directions that followed were as follows:

“Go right at the fork in the road, past a huge tree on the right, and stay on a straight road for another kilometer or so, past a field of chickens. Just ask anyone where Pak Circus is, they will know.”

Feeling dubious about leaving with no exact address, I went in search of a savior, Mr. Circus. Sure enough, I pulled over and everyone knew just he was, and I found the man in question settled next to a large chicken gathering.

Pak Circus was reigning supreme in his little courtyard, a patient dutifully laying at his fingertips on a make- shift ‘bed’ while Pak was treating her with a healing hand, smoking a gudang (clove cigarette) in the other. Given the rustic atmosphere, it wasn’t quite the serene healing scene I was hoping, although I was truly relieved to finally be there awaiting some much needed healing.

Seeing as he was temporarily engaged, I thought I would cross off a few other things on the to do list and come back when he was finished – he told me ‘about ½ hour’ so off I set to be ‘organised and resourceful’ and came back in the half hour to find a whole room full of people watching the same girl get healed. I made eye contact and gave him the knowing grin that ‘hey I’m back now’ and here for the ‘call’ when he was finished, assuming that I would resume my initial place at the top of the queue. I felt a little bit funny that there would now be spectators but hey I could cope with the crowd if it put me out of my lock neck agony. I was confused and a bit perplexed when the girl finished and another person hopped in, and again until 1 hour later, still confused, I was wondering if I would have to wait until the 20 odd people who had miraculously appeared out of the rabbit hat when I was away ‘being productive’, would all go before me. I asked the only foreigner present, Robby a tired surfer in a wheel chair, if this was the case – he did a full belly laugh and said ‘honey, this is Bali’…..ahhh of course, I caught myself. That familiar feeling came back and I scolded myself, there I go again using my western thinking and applying it to my newly found eastern life.

When would I ever learn? In my Eastern life I am only 2 years old, so I guess I can be forgiven for slipping back into my western thinking – in my bid to rush off and be productive in that ½ hour, it had ended up costing me 3 hours yet provided me with a valuable lesson – patience IS a virtue– it’s a lesson that both Bali and surfing have taught me but one that I struggle to remember sometimes!

Another lesson learnt in my Bali files and in case your wondering, Pak Circus lived up to his superstar credentials, 3 hours later I was ready to face the world again, lock neck free.

Jen

Surf Haven Bali

www.surfhavenbali.com

Celebrating our flaws - the cracked pot

2010-04-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

The Cracked Pot – April 8th, 2010

A dear guest sent us this which we loved and wanted to celebrate the message by sharing with you.

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfectly made and never leaked. The other pot had a crack in it and by the time the water bearer reached his master’s house it had leaked much of its water and was only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.” “Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?” “I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the universe will use our flaws to grace its table. In the universe’s great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don’t be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.

- Author Unknown

Silence is golden

2010-03-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

Bali is known as island of the gods as the Balinese are very spiritual people, and as such, spend a lot of time participating in various ceremonies. One of the things I have come to love and respect living on this beautiful island is learning all about the different sides to these various eastern religions and how they express them through their regular, colorful and intoxicating ceremonies.

This year will be my first time being on the island for a Hindu one called Nyepi (Balinese New Year) and while it’s great to be here for it, in truth, I’m a little bit worried! Worried because Nyepi is an entire day of silence, fasting and self reflection. I enjoy self reflection, don't get me wrong, but an entire day?? Also for a girl whose two biggest passions involve food and talking, it’s all a little bit concerning!

This day of silence and fasting is observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, and is a day reserved for self-reflection and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. Although Nyepi is primarily a Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents of Bali observe the day of silence as well, out of respect for their fellow citizens. Even tourists are not exempt; no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, no lights or electronic equipment may be used, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles carrying those with life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.

As I do not qualify for either exception, I better clear the schedule and hope for bad surf that day and some good reflection time!

Janine

Surf Haven Bali

http://www.surfhavenbali.com/

The art of now

2010-03-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

Living in the moment……aaah that old chestnut – sounds easy but in reality….?

How familiar is this scene for you - one minute you’re in your car on the way home from work, you're coasting down the freeway immersed in your thoughts. Next minute, before you know it, you’re parked in your driveway thinking, home already - how did that happen? Automatic pilot becomes the norm.

One day in my previous corporate life the big cheese decided the team was too overworked and too stressed and we needed to do something about it! Enter Uncle Derek, a Stress Psychologist. Uncle Derek believed that the source of rumination (none of us knew what that word meant then - stress) was due to the fact that most of us spent our time in a waking sleep, that is awake, but not consciously. He believed the key to rumination freedom lay in the ability to awaken ourselves from this slumber and practice the art of being present.

To me, living in the moment means you are totally emersed in an experience which is why when I thought back then about the times that really released my mind of its constant chatter – not surprisingly, yoga and surfing topped the list.

One of the reasons I think surfing feels so good is that we are truly in the moment while we are doing it. We are present, and for that moment in time when we are out on the ocean soaking it all in, our problems and worries just dissipate. All that important mind chatter - the project that is not going to plan, gone – the shopping that needs to get done – nope not there either, the possible reasons he hasn’t called – don’t care, the diet that we’re about to embark on or the mounting number of to do’s on the list – gone, gone!

Surfing connects us to mother nature – its just you, your board and the ocean beneath you. For me surfing equates to living in the very moment of 'now'. When you ride a wave you leave behind all those worries - important and unimportant, the purity of the moment is upon you.

This living in the now, or Mindfulness as its known, is a universal quest. Its at the root of Buddhism, Taoism, and many other traditions, not to mention a key foundation of yoga.

It's also what Emerson and Whitman wrote about in their essays and poems.

I will always think fondly of those sessions with Uncle Derek and how he made something so wonderfully simple. Stop, detach and be present. Enjoy the now. Stop projecting a better future, which implies that there is something wrong with now. To realize that right here, right now is great has been tremendously freeing. It is this lesson that has led me to gratitude, and a surge of energy and strength - as well as alot more time dedicated to surfing and practicing yoga!

Here's to the now and living in it!

Janine
Surf Haven Bali

http://www.surfhavenbali.com/

Finding your passion

2010-01-31T00:38:00.000-08:00

As Howard Hughes once famously said, 'Passion can make you crazy but is there any other way to live?'

Following your passion….I think it’s not so much following but finding your passion that can be the struggle. I mean how many people know what they are truly passionate about? There is nothing more satisfying than realizing a passion and following it. When you are young there are so many firsts – the first steps, first time you swam, first kiss, first time you stayed up all night and watched the sunrise.

It was easy to know then what you loved doing and to just go and do it. We are born knowing what we want at our deepest core. After a while, many of use begin to settle for what we think we are 'allowed' to have. Its easy to become complacent and do what we've always done. I’m not sure why age holds us back, maybe it’s fear, so called responsibilities that we feel shackled by that cull our adventurous side and quest for experiencing ‘the new’.

I discovered later in life a passion I would never have predicted ‘wakeboarding’. A girlfriend managed to convince me at the breakable age of 30 to try wakeboarding camp. Thinking it was for teenage boys I had already made up my mind not to do it, but after persistence relented.

I will never forget the first time I got up on the board only to promptly face plant – the pain didn’t mask the complete elation I felt and immediately I was addicted – madly, truly, deeply.

Being a women who loves a challenge, I bought a boat the next week (having never driven one before) and from then on spent all my free time pursuing my passion – who would have known if I hadn’t tried something new and stepped outside my comfort zone.

Now water sports are such an integral piece of my life, whether its surfing, wakeboarding, kitesurfing or diving. If I’m on or in the water, I am at my happiest and feel blessed to understand what truly makes me content.

This passion is what has carved my path towards creating Surf Haven Bali (http://www.surfhavenbali.com) and my life, now on the island of Bali.

I’m not sure I am crazy but I agree with Mr Hughes – ‘is there any other way to live life than without passion?’ here’s to a lifetime of and plenty more ‘firsts’.

Janine