A family friend from Jakarta, Indonesia, that I had not seen in nearly 20 years found me on Facebook in January 2016, and realised I have cancer. The power of modern social media! After a few emails back and forwards with Nita, she had twisted my rubber arm and I was enrolled in a health meditation course. I have never meditated in my life and little did I know that we would be exhibiting ‘noble silence’. No talking or communicating for the whole week! ME not talking for a day, for a week!? Impossible!!
3 months later in April I was on a plane to Bali, up to the mountains of Ubud. A beautiful, relaxing and zen location. I met the other 24 participants and we were all so excited! We were run through what we going to do, the rules, and what we could expect. Most people would want to walk out of the course by day 3 or 4, it would be an emotional rollercoaster, we would experience thoughts we may not have experience, and other perceptions of life. A real life changing experience!
I found it very hard not being able to communicate with the others. But in doing so, you really concentrated all day from 4:30am to the end at 9:30pm. Of course, if you need to ask questions you can. The day I cracked on, not day 3 or 4, but day 5. The day does not mean anything, but the fact that I still cracked. I thought ‘what am I doing here? I’m just going to pack my bags, get on a bus and go surfing for the rest of the week!’. Knowing that I would feel like this, I spoke to Pak Michael, one of our teachers, and he guided me through what I can concentrate on. By that night’s meditation session I was back into the meditation mode!
By the end of the week we had learnt a lot about meditation, loving kindness, wisdom, mindfulness, positive and negative energies but most of all, we had learned a LOT about our selves! I would definitely go again and would also recommend it to others. You don’t need to be sick or ill, it just enhances your positive approach to life and loving life!
On the last day, we all could not stop talking. It was like 7 days of talking coming out in one day. Pak Merta and Pak Michael were full of wisdom and were our amazing and teachers for the week. I would recommend anybody and everybody try this life enhancing experience, even if you don’t think you could do it! After all, its when we push ourselves that we get to greater heights and improve ourselves and our lives!!!
Keep enjoying life
Mex
Pak Merta and Pak Michael, our teachers
Telling my story about living with cancer
The meditating room in Ubud, Bali
