Dear Friend,
When my client from Denmark told me she had just returned from a month in Bali and was there to enjoy Nyepi, also known as Day of Silence, I immediately wanted to book a trip for the next time that came around.
The island comes to a standstill for 24 hours. There are no lights, music, or noise. Restaurants and shops close, all transport ceases (even the airport shuts down), and people stay home and refrain from cooking, talking, and turning on the lights. It is a time for reflection, meditation, and self-purification.
What happens if you go out on Nyepi? You will be stopped by the local guards called pecalang. It might seem harsh, but isn’t it true we often have to be coaxed to take time for ourselves, to rid ourselves of distractions so we can hear our inner voice, to simply be?
On Nyepi, four main prohibitions, known as Catur Brata Penyepian, are observed: no lighting fires or using electricity, no working, no traveling, and no entertainment. Tourists are expected to minimize the use of lights and noise, respecting the silence maintained by the local community. This sounds like heaven to me. One day. Alone, but in harmony with everyone in the community in the same energy. How powerful that must be!
How does the thought of this observance make you feel? Anxious? Angry? Peaceful? While you won’t be forced to go along with a day like that in your community unless you live in Bali (but do take a moment to imagine how it would be with no violence, traffic noise, arguments, etc.), you do have the ability to create your own Nyepi. If you live alone, it’s a bit easier. If you live with others, imagine the power of everyone reflecting and meditating in silence for 24 hours. Imagine the power that might result from that experience. You don’t have to only imagine, and you don’t have to start with a complete day. You can choose one hour and go completely dark, silent, and still. Even visualizing yourself doing that in the future can bring an immediate sense of peace. If you are one who reacts with stress or anxiety thinking of that, maybe meditate on why that is. What are you fearing: being alone, hearing what you don’t want to hear, or maybe disrupting your constant need for distraction? I’m well aware that many who have suffered certain traumatic events fear the scary place complete where non-doing may take them. There are active meditations that wouldn’t break the “laws” of Nyepi, and would prevent that black hole of flashbacks. Find what works for you before deciding this isn’t for you.
Ask yourself, “What harm can it do?” If your answer is none, pick an hour, or a half day, or a 24-hour period, and get lost in your beautiful, bold, deserving self.
With gratitude,
Amy
Amy Ayoub
President, The Zen Speaker