Bali on a virtual budget :)

Ok, so it's grey and snow is falling here in CNY. Not Bali-like at all. It freaking SNOWED today.
And that's ok. How'ere, the last couple of days have brought me much personal pleasure even so!

Yesterday, I had the day to myself before work. I got up with Harry at 5:30am. I wished him well, I read, and I wrote, and den? I went back to bed at 9am. How awesome is THAT?  Fecking decadent.

Know what else I did?

Yoga every day. Been eating whole grains....Ok, I've had the side glass of alcohol. Watched "Trekking the World~ Bali", 2 versions of the "King & I" and "Anna & The King", also a Netflix on "Fierce Spirit" and gathered strength from the cold wind. I've also cooked Coconut Curry Shrimp with rice, eaten papaya and smoked salmon and  pampered myself with hot baths, oils and nail polish. I've taken my vitamins faithfully for 2 weeks. I've tanned. Used my Netti pot and had it surprise me hours later with a gush of saline from nowhere. (I didn't realize that your head is a fucking cavity with a lot of secret hiding places in there...)
I've read decadently in the evening swaddled in a blanket with my dog.  I've taken naps and gone to bed early and got up when I felt like it. Been working too, checking emails and raked a lot of leaves. Been loving my man, Harry, so much for letting me find and harness my voice. I also finished editing my memoir. Fucking A! How awesome is that? Hardest thing I've ever done besides push two babies out of my vagina. But surely I digress.

BTW~
During this "DIY~Bali Retreat", I've realized that:

1) Yul Brenner is one HOT fecking male.

2) But not nearly as hot as Yung-Fat Chow. Good God, but that man is sexy. 

 
3) That's a LOT of freaking satin in the Lady Leonowen's dresses in The King & I...
This dance scene is EPIC.

4) I feel that the actor that depicted her son in The King & I resembles a Civil War version of "Eddy Munster" only like a real boy.

5) I like the actor's portrayal of the son in "Anna & The King" way better.

6) While I like the musical (sucker for musicals, I am....) I actually prefer "Anna & the King" for the story line and yet both movies depict differing versions of the same story. However, after getting hooked on the story line and the historical basis of fact, and researching it a little, the real story of the King of Siam and Lady Leonowens' is much more tragic.
Check out this link for the REAL Story of the King of Siam and Lady Leonowens

7) as is the difference in the endings of Tuptim and her Buddhist monk's lives in both movies.

Other than that,
Bali is fine. Thai food all week, eating really awesome food, tackling projects like the hot tub, that Wayne is rebuilding (the parts came TODAY!!!) and finishing the memoir are reason for one more glass of wine.

Merlyn, somewhere in Bali, chanting and stretching and eating a lot of damn good curry.

Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera....

DIY~ Bali Retreat Staycation....Prepping for takeoff

Let me preface this by saying that overall, I take pretty good care of myself and my Mate.
But I hate taking vitamins.

I also am a big one for Self Help books, tapes and videos. I love learning new things. I read and cook and do...all the time.

But in advance preparation for my "DIY~ Bali Retreat Staycation" (done here at home) I've been ordering a lot of library books, DVDs, CDs and also gathering what I have here at home.

But first....
the vitamins. Dr. Andrew Weil, offers some amazingly honest and practical info on health and diet.
I like him. He looks like Santa and I trust him. He is also not rail thin, nor pumped with over the top muscles, but is a healthy fit man.
Dr. Weir says that everyday we should take:

~A multivitamin
~ C
~D
~E
~Fish Oil
~Calcium
I am also throwing in a supplement for my Adrenals.

And that's a LOT of pills when you look at them.

They also make me feel queasy when I take them...and fiddle farting around with them and all those containers makes me feel really peutrid.
So... what I did to alleviate this conundrum......I bought one of those compartmentalized pill/vitamin dispensers at the Dollar Store. Sat down last Sunday night for 5 minutes and made up a weeks worth of vitamins.
I take them with my breakfast meal....(or the dinner meal if I forget :)
So far so good....

 

I am also prepping my cupboards and larder for more "Whole Food" cooking once again.

Or "God's Food" as I call it....and less "Man's Food" (processed). 

I'm also taking this opportunity to learn about another culture, foreign to me. "Readiness to Learn" if you will. And I found out that the Balinese eat a diet heavy on grains, fruits and veggies. Meat is added TO something, not as a main dish. And I've been eating a diet much the same for the last year.

(ok, with some chips from time to time... :)

So, I took the time to shop, and cleaned out and organized my pantry....

Bought more real grains, beans, seeds to cook with. Will buy some tropical fruits next week, along with some more avocados and odd veggies. I haven't really ever had Thai food before...

but am willing to try new things. 

Like....I intend on trying this Peanut Sauce...and taking myself out for Thai or Balinese Food next week.
Who wants to go out to eat with me? Mike? Lynn? :)

 Also got a hell of a deal on Hummus at the grocery store....
buy 2 get 3 free! That will help with munchies and wraps...

Also, I'm planning on having some Detox Tea every morning...and Turmeric Milk in the evening.

Am fighting an earache, so am also going to cleanse with my Netti Pot daily, as well as Hot baths, Scrubs, Oils, Massage, Swimming and Tanning....

 So, for the rest of this week...

I'm finding my Yoga and Pilates DVDs, and CDs...

Also lining up some movies....

Like "The King & I" and "Anna and the King"...."Eat, Pray, Love"....

"South Pacific"....and setting aside some Yoga/Meditation/Chant sort of music for relaxation therapy.

And trying to get all the laundry and yard work done...

(I will still have to work, and practice Christmas music...and we are recording a Kids CD too...) in between times...

but am making the time for ME coming up and I'm excited!!

How are you doing out there??

DIY~ Bali Retreat : Acquiring the materials

Hey Ho my friends and fellow virtual travelers!

Have you been thinking on the Bali Retreat Idea?

I have. I posted the elements yesterday that I wanted to include in my personal week's Quest.

So, now, I'm thinking on how to acquire them for little or no money. Remember, we can do this and draw it to ourselves, and make it happen if we really want it!

Here are some ideas that I've been amassing and implementing (shown in Parenthesis)

Juicing for breakfast  (have juicer, not afraid to use it! :)

Healthy meals eaten with focus (will feature more Whole Foods. "God Food" (if it grows...eat it... if not...don't)

Yoga (DVDs/Videos that I own or am ordering thru my Netflix or County Library card)

Nature walks (will make an effort to get to Beaver Lake and Baltimore Woods for a lovely fall walk during that week)

Listening to relaxing sounds (rounding up some Meditative music and Gregorian chant CDs. Also considering signing up for a Kundalini Yoga experience and concert on Nov. 17th. Have to get ticket yet!)

Playing music or drumming (easily done as a musician for me, but making some time for fun and not just practice)


Cleansing and pampering body techniques  (surfing online for home spa remedies)

Cleansing and pampering Spirit techniques  (Guided meditations, grounding and also going to watch some favorite movies, such as "Eat, Pray, Love" and "South Pacific" to get me in the Bali Mood!)

Swimming in turquoise water  (my work out of the blue offered its employees a "free week" at the YMCA coupon! I'm saving it for the week of Nov. 10-17 and will be able to go swimming! Also a 9am yoga class on that Saturday. I will stop in before the week noted and find out what all they offer!)

Sunshine (I already have a tanning membership. I need sunshine or else I suffer from SAD -Seasonal Affective Disorder. This week, I will up my dose a bit to go to the Tropics and imagine myself lying on the beach!)

Dancing- Yoga Body Movement (have some DVDs but I am going to make a selection and put it on my Spotify and dance at home daily that week for a bit!)

Fiiiiyaaaah  (an evening bonfire for a bit each nite in my firepit!)

Reading books and/or watching/listening to Positive Empowering lectures(have ordered MANY from the library and on Netflix)

Meditation (planning on starting my morning every day with this first thing for 10 minutes)

Disconnect from media (easier said than done, granted, but am getting my work email and only posting these blogs and will get right OFF when done)

Connecting more deeply to Inner Spirit/Intuition

Prayer

Vision board and Journaling/ Creative Expression

Hydrate (will increase my water intake)

Cool clothes/wraps/different fashion(taking more care about what I wear, and if I haven't worn something in awhile, I'm going to wear stuff I don't normally wear and feature fun stuff! Especially bright colors of the Tropics this week! Hot pinks! Turquoise! Yellow!)

A glass of good red wine savored.(ONE, Merlyn. ONE.)

Herbal Supplements 
For myself, I need more B vitamin (who doesn't?) I am also low on D. Natural green if possible.

Adventure- go someplace new. I'm thinking of the Art Museum to see some new exhibits.

and

REST/Good Sleep (bedtime of 10pm after a hot bath nightly) And naps if I can get them!

Just wanted to give you some ideas on how to implement!

How is your list coming along? Found some ingenious ways to add some tropical rest to your upcoming Retreat week?

DIY~ Bali Retreat Elements

Hey ho!

Been busy and need some downtime?  Me too. Time to refuel.

So, as in my last blog here, I put forth the idea of a "Do It Yourself Bali Spiritual Virtual Retreat."
Which basically is me (or you) imagining self in Bali at a Holistic Spiritual retreat and taking some of those elements and making it happen.


SIGH



Bali!

I am aiming for the target date of Nov.10 -17 that I can set aside for myself to disconnect and plug in. Granted, I still have to go to work, but my Intention is for it to be:
 a stay at home, turn within, pamper self, learning, empowering, fit growing time.
For ME.

For you, at your own place if you like. I'm supplying ideas here on what I'm doing on this my next fun wild hair!

SO,

my next step was to envision what things I would want to focus on, in order to do something like this "Staycation" at home.

If I were to go to Bali on a Holistic Spiritual Retreat, I imagine that I would experience:

Juicing for breakfast
Healthy meals eaten with focus
Yoga
Nature walks
Listening to relaxing sounds
Playing music or drumming
Cleansing and pampering body techniques
Cleansing and pampering Spirit techniques 
Swimming in turquoise water
Sunshine
Dancing- Yoga Body Movement
Fiiiiyaaaah
Reading books and/or watching/listening to Positive Empowering lectures
Meditation
Disconnect from media 
Prayer
Vision board and Journaling/ Creative Expression
Hydrate
Cool clothes/wraps/different fashion
A glass of good red wine savored.
Herbal Supplements (in whatever way is necessary for you) 
For myself, I need more B vitamin (who doesn't?) I am also low on D, and I would also have some natural green. I mean, afterall, I'm in BALI.  It too is medicinal for me. 
Adventure- go someplace new
and
REST/Good Sleep.


Yah, so those are my Must Haves on my list!

Now the next step is to figure out how to get all those awesome things on my Wish List, while planted here in CNY during the oncoming winter season.

I am working on these ideas, and coming up with some awesome ideas!

Will share more next time!

How are you coming on your list? :)

Leave me a comment and let me know!

In the meantime......

A friend sent me this wee meditation.

Soak in this picture right NOW:

"Warm breezes fingering their way threw your hair. Hearing in the winds a soft melodious voice singing so, so soft and lifting - calling, calling us to enter in this harmonious joining of earth, sun, water, and sky-basking in its beauty. Salty air from the ocean wafting into the nostrils and helping us to breath in more deeply then ever before and slowly letting it out... tasting the salt in the mouth ever-so-slightly. Coconut tree's dancing, swaying with hot sand beneath your feet, until you walk into the water, and lay down at the waters edge letting the sand embrace you... and the water lap over you in gentle waves. While watching the water birds fly above and swoop down swiftly into the ocean getting their fish. Clouds drifting languorously, sleepy, like a dream that envelopes you gently and gives a gentle kiss to let you know no harm will be done. Being in the sweet harmony of nature, love, and light."

DIY Bali Retreat~

Ok, so I saw a website from a Healer that is offering a week of Healthful, Spiritual Retreats to Bali.

Think on that.  A WEEK in BALI.
Yoga, sunshine, turquoise waters, nature walks, healthful food, lectures, meditation, reading books and naps in the shade.

Yah, I would so love that. I think you would too? But Bali has to wait a bit longer for me at this point, yet there's no reason why we can't make this a bit of a reality!

I'm offering to you, at no cost, (just some of your own time invested in yourself in your own life) a

"Do It Yourself Whole-Y SelfFILLness Spiritual Healthy Retreat!"

We may not be able to actually board a plane for Bali, 

yet we can BLOOM WHERE WE ARE PLANTED!

I have picked a target week.  

Sunday November 10 through Sunday November 17, 2013

It's before the busy holidays for us to Ground and Center ourselves. 

It is the Changing of the Seasons. Always a good time for detox and taking some time to adjust.

Yes, I still have to work. I am trying to plan it ANYWAYS.

I will take you on this Journey Quest with me, if you want to read about it...

or you can actually pack your Spiritual bags, do the exercises as I do and go on your own Journey!

So to catch you up to date, I will let you know what I'm doing now to prep myself for it.

You can jump in anytime and join me (and anyone else who wants the adventure)

Exercise #1

Clear your plate.

The time is now, to start removing obstacles and clearing that week of anything but the absolute necessity. If you have to work, do so! I do too. How'ere, there's a lot of shite that I don't "have" to do, but end up doing. I'm using my time now till the November 10th date to get stuff done. Like clean my house, do the yard work, not schedule appointments for my target date and only commit to what is a "must do".

Exercise #2

Dream.

Imagine what a lovely Spiritual Healthy Retreat in Bali might mean to you, personally. Think of the elements that would: Inspire, Heal, Relax and Energize You. 

Make a List of all the things-whatever they are-and write them down. 

I will share my list with you tomorrow. 

Please feel free to share your list here as well.

In the meantime, I leave you with this song to get you started!

click this link to hear the song, "Bali Hai" from South Pacific!