For The Love of Children

I love children. I love their innocence, their honesty and their resilience. My trip has been one of giving back, of sharing my time and heart with as many people as possible.

I was so happy and excited to begin my work with the children at the orphanage in Bali. I had emailed with Cecilia, the orphanage manager, prior to arriving and had offered to teach the children at Care for Kids Bali, Art, English and Yoga. She seemed so kind and loving throughout our communication and I knew intuitively that she and I would quickly become friends.

The morning after my first night in Bali, I met Cecilia at a Kindergarten that Allison Chester built for the local village (I am living with a modern Mother Theresa, more about her later) which is a few doors down from the family compound I am staying in. When I walk through the gates, I am overwhelmingly greeted by a large group of some of the cutest kids I have ever seen. They all rush to grab my hands and hug me with such delight. My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. They escort me into one of their bright and beautiful classrooms and begin to sing songs, play on drums and show off their hula hoop skills. Cecilia arrives and greets me with a warm hug. “I am so happy you are here. The kids at the orphanage are looking forward to meeting you.” she says.

Cecilia works for Allison and manages this kindergarten as well as the orphanage. She has lived in Bali her whole life and has never travelled anywhere else. Her smile could light up a room and her heart beams out of her chest. Her energy is infectious. As we make the drive towards the orphanage in Depensar, which takes about 45 minutes from Canggu, Cecilia tells me a little about the children and what I can expect. They speak very little English but are very willing and open to learning. The age range is 1 to 18. Most of the kids come from a poverty stricken island called Somba where their parents still live but are unable to provide for their children so living in an orphanage is their only hope for basics such as food, shelter and an education.

When we arrive at the orphanage, I am immediately struck by how clean it is. The space is not large but very open and rich in plant life. The walls are painted with a beautiful mural graced with animals and ocean scenery. Overall the energy feels happy here which surprises me. Cecilia takes me to the main courtyard where groups of kids begin to pour out with warm greetings of “Hello! How are you? What is your name? Where are you from?” They have been taught to say “thank you” and “please” and to say their names and age. Although the conversations pretty much stop there, I am very impressed with their willingness to communicate.

I ask a couple of the older girls to show me around their home. They take me to their rooms which house four bunk beds and 2 dressers for clothing. The laundry area is drowned in piles of clothes and stacks of shoes sit at the entranceways to their rooms. The bathrooms are in need of a makeover, a lot of the doors have come off the hinges and the “toilets” (basically holes in the ground) seem to be crumbling away. There are 2 main social areas, a computer room which is the most popular area for the older kids and a communal area with rattan chairs and couches. The kitchen and dining area are in an open space overlooking a small grass area. The kids excitedly show me a new stove that has been donated recently by a generous supporter.

Cecilia and I agree that the best way to begin would be to gather all the kids together so that we can introduce ourselves to each other. She begins the process and suddenly I am sitting on the grass with 42 beautiful Indonesian children staring back at me. We go around the circle, and one by one they tell me their name, age and what their favorite hobby is (football is a dominant favorite but I jokingly tell them that yoga is just as fun which is met with huge laughter). I then introduce myself and tell them why I am here and what I will be teaching them.

Over the next two weeks, I arrive at the orphanage at about 11 am five days per week. I make sure to teach English every day and cater to the various age ranges and abilities of the kids. The little ones like to learn colors, animals and parts of the body, the older ones prefer to learn basic communication skills. I find myself using a lot of the improvisation techniques that I learned in acting school many years ago. The classes are joyous and filled with laughter. I am impressed with how quickly they begin to learn and how excited they are every time I announce class time.

Teaching the children Yoga is a dream of mine and I feel so grateful to be able to share my passion with them. I ask Jogi (pronounced "Yogi", which is too beyond perfect), an 18 year old boy who lives at the orphanage, who has the sweetest disposition and speaks English pretty well, to help me translate my guidance into English which he does willingly and with graceful ease. I am overwhelmed at how focused the children are and how easily they take to the poses. It becomes clearer and clearer to me with each class that this is what I am meant to do: teach children yoga. I have never felt more satisfaction with any work I have ever done, I have never felt so fulfilled, I have never felt more in tune and in line with the Divine.

My personal Yoga practice only really began about 2 years ago and my life has been transformed since. I can’t even imagine how different my life experience would have been had I been given the tools that I have learned when I was young so to be able to share what I know now with other kids is really a tremendous blessing. I love coming up with new creative ways to teach them and engage their interest and attention. There is nothing quite like watching a group of children sit in meditation. How beautiful to be a small part of teaching consciousness and awareness of self.

I spent my birthday, June 11th, at the orphanage. When the kids sang “Happy Birthday” it felt as though my heart might leap out of my chest. Being with them was the absolute best birthday gift I have ever received.

Although I have committed to a yoga retreat in Ubud, I have promised the kids that I will be back to teach which they are excited about. I am committed to helping them and sharing my heart with as many children in Bali as possible. They have given me so much more than they will ever know. They are MY teachers.

To make a donation to the Jodie O’Shea Orphanage (a little goes a LONG way), please visit their website: http://www.careforkidsbali.com/

With gratitude, sending Love & Light.
xoxo

And Then There Was Bali

My last few days in India were perfect. I saturated myself in yoga and time with the babies at Rogpa then made a plan to visit Amritsar and the Sikh's Golden Temple before flying down to Singapore. Despite the heat, the experience at the Temple was beautiful and it was fascinating to experience yet another spiritual belief system in India and the commitment of the individual devotees.

Arriving in Singapore was a complete culture shock. The airport is immaculate, gorgeous orchid plants grace the path to the baggage claim and getting through immigration was smooth and effortless, the complete opposite of India on all levels. Linda Anderson, a dear friend of my parents, came to pick me up. After a round of hugs, her first question was "do you want a latte from Coffee Bean?" Surreal. I hadn't experienced a familiar food chain in over 2 months and didn't miss them at all. I ordered a vanilla latte and silently thought about how much I preferred the Chai tea I had been drinking from side road shacks in India.

While Linda and I drove back to her beautiful home, I was astounded by the cleanliness and sterility of Singapore. It is the most immaculate city I have ever been to and the complete opposite extreme of India. I oddly found myself missing the grittiness of my last residence. Although it was amazing spending time with the Andersons' for the week, I very quickly realized that Singapore was not for me. I had very little interest in the ample shopping and excessive lifestyle. It was lovely to be in a real "home" again but I missed my $5 a night room and all its simplicity. I thought about the "stuff" that was sitting in my Public Storage unit in Los Angeles and how I wished I had gotten rid of so much more of it. I no longer want to be weighed down by "things". I want all aspects of my life to be light so that I can easily pack and take off at a moment's notice. The highlight of my trip was a day trek inside Singapore's rainforest, away from cars and man made noise and deeply embraced by nature. Simple. Beautiful. Basic.

By the end of the week, I was excited to pack my bags again to fly off to my next destination: Bali, the enigmatic wonderland that has always been second on my list of "dream destinations".

I was invited to stay with my mother's friend, Glen Arthur, a South African fashion designer who she knew from the garment business. Glen lives on a family compound in Bali part of the year and is involved with an orphanage on the island. Although we have never met, he assured me via email that I would have a home in Bali if I needed it as well as ample volunteer opportunities with the orphans. Throughout my communication prior to coming, Glen kept "warning" me that the home was nothing fancy, just a very simple family home and he hoped that I would be okay with it. I assured him that I would be happy with a mat on the floor somewhere.


My flight to Bali was delayed by a few hours from Jakarta (which I flew into from Singapore) so I sat around in the airport and began to realize that my "learn the Indonesian language" lessons that I had been listening to on my IPod did me no good. I had been warned that most people do not speak English here but I was not expecting such a dramatic language barrier.

Glen and his friend Claudia picked me up at the airport and we made the journey to my new "home". The drive there was fascinating. Bali reminds me of India in a lot of ways. There are temples everywhere and beautiful flower offerings in front of every doorway. Locals travel mostly by motorcycle and stray dogs are abundant. Unique to Bali are the rice patties which are so beautiful and rich in color. Fields of green soaked in murky water. Seeing them never gets old, each one I pass is more beautiful then the next. We pull into a driveway and are greeted by two men in uniform. "Who are they?"I ask Glen. "Oh, they are the home's security.", he responds nonchalantly while pushing open a very large carved wood door whereupon my jaw literally dropped to the ground. I had been invited to stay in paradise. Lush gardens paved the way to one of the most beautiful homes I have ever been in. Beautiful Balinese beds, Buddha statues, amazing art, all poured onto a magnificent pool.

After being introduced to the cooks (Yes, you read correctly. They have cooks who have been pre informed that I am a vegetarian and who have already prepared menus for my arrival. Insane! Just a simple family home in Bali...), I am brought over to the pool to meet all of the compound family members. Allison Chester is the owner of this home and the founder of the orphanage I will be working in; Yanto is Allison's husband; Emma and Rachel are Allison's daughters and they each have separate homes on the property; Keilo is Rachel's son and Isabella is Emma's daughter; Mikala is Emma's husband; Tamar is a travelling nomad who has been living in Bali off and on for over 20 years and Rasmini is an Indonesian princess who has been friends with the family for ages (she is British and was somehow asked to be a princess in Bali for reasons I am still unclear on.)Everyone greets me warmly and Glen guides me to my bedroom which is in a bungalow above the pool. Again, my jaw drops and gratitude prevails. My bed is a four post beauty draped in mosquito netting and the room opens up onto a balcony overlooking the pool. Paradise found and I keep pinching myself that I am here.

Glen tells me to unpack and get changed because he wants to take me to a local Balinese healer nearby. As we drive through back allies, villages and rice patties I am reminded over and over how incredibly fortunate I am to be having this experience. It has become so clear over the past 2 months that the decision to make this journey was the best one I have ever made. The opportunities that have been afforded to me and the people who have come into my life are miraculous.

We arrive at the healer’s compound and are greeted by monkeys, roosters, dogs and children. Glen guides me into the waiting room and reminds me that my experience here will only work if I let go of any skepticism that may come up. The healer is dressed in head to toe white garb and asks my name, he then says “tell me about your heart.” “How did he know?” I think to myself since I have given him no additional information besides my name and I rarely speak about my heart condition. I have been suffering from chronic chest pains for the past two years and was finally diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse and a heart murmur after several months of tests. I had been told by my doctor back home that I would have to live with the pressure in my chest and that there really is nothing that can be done about it. The Balinese healer looked me the eyes and said “I will heal you.” He then took me by the hand and guided Glen and me into a temple on the compound. We are instructed to sit across from him and I am asked to put my attention on his Third Eye (located between his eyebrows) so that he can “see inside my body.” I am then asked to sit by him, with my knees touching his and to put my head on his chest with my eyes closed so that he can “take a look at my heart.” He laid me down on a mat and began to put pressure on the surrounding areas of my heart. The process is painful but despite the discomfort, I am consumed with deep faith that this man can help me. After about 20 minutes, I am brought up to seated position and he asks how I am feeling, to my astonishment the pressure in my chest is gone. He then says “you must come back twice more. I will give you some medicine to drink tonight and some medicine to put on your chest and then the pain will go away. No problem.” The session cost $15.

Afterwards, Glen and I sat with the healer as I drank my “medicine” which tasted very similar to what I imagine dirt would taste like and I began to ask this miracle man some questions about how he became a healer. He tells us that he was given this gift at a young age and that he does not do the work but channels the energy from a source greater than him. When patients look at his Third Eye, he literally can see energetic points in the body pulse and can determine what needs healing.

I leave the compound amazed, feeling healthy and grateful for yet another magical experience. When we arrive back home, a masseuse is awaiting me. I have arrived in Heaven and don’t want to ever leave. So now the plotting begins to extend my trip in Bali as long as possible.

Before going to bed, Allison lets me know that Cecilia, the orphanage manager, will be meeting me at 9 am the next morning at a nearby Kindergarten. I cannot wait to meet the kids and to begin the journey of giving back as much as possible to the wonderful Balinese people who have so graciously welcomed me to their home.

Sending love and light from Paradise. xoxo