Every time we go to Bali, one of the highlights for me is a visit to Bumi Sehat.  It is such a wonderful little place - and busy too - carefully giving new born babies and their families a healthy loving start in life.
Last trip, I finally got to meet Robin Lim.  She such an inspiring lady - the founder of the Birthing Centre, a midwife and mother.  We should never underestimate what one good little woman can do!  You can read more about her on their webpage:  bumisehatfoundation.org
Each time we go to Bali we collect small bits and pieces to take to the Birthing Centre - soaps and shampoos for the new mums and little clothes for the newborn babes.  It is often touch and go when checking in our luggage, but we haven't had to leave anything behind yet!  Last time we called there, two babies came into the world, and one was immediately wrapped in a cuddly blanket we had just given.  It was very humbling to see how much your donations are appreciated.
So a huge thank you too all our yogis in the Central West!!!  All your hard earned one and two dollar coins do add up - and we have been able to send $4000 to Bumi Sehat for the year.
It has been such a huge year for me, with the Yoga Teacher Training Program happening in Dubbo, and also teaching in Warren during the second half of the year.  I am so grateful to Al and Jenny, for stepping up onto their teaching mats!  So proud of both of you, and so happy that we can all share the teaching between us.
Thanks again and looking forward to lots more yoga with you next year.

We were advised that we needed two temple outfits to visit Tirta Empul:  so it was  off to the markets to be outfitted in a long sarong, a shirt to cover the  shoulders and a sash, worn over the shirt.  Times this by
two.
We looked  like school girls going off on a picnic, some of us with our sarongs tied  much to
tightly - showing off the figure, but barely allowing movement, let  alone walking.....
We were  keen - arriving at the temple well ahead of the continual casual crowd  of tourists that would visit throughout the day.  Already there were  some serious local visitors - they had come to purify, sanctify and  heal.  The waters are believed to have magical, curative powers and the  Balinese travel from all over the island, just as they have for over a  thousand years, to be cleansed.

We began  the bathing ritual - twelve spouts flowing with Holy water under which  to douse oneself in prayer.  Each spout has a separate purpose - to cure an illness, to give prosperity, and to assist with pregnancy.  
I skipped that one, but the rest of the group should be pregnant in no time.  I also skipped the last two spouts as they are strictly reserved for local ceremonies and cremations.  I am not sure how they bathe the dead - do they bring the body to the water or take the water  to the body?  There is a sense that anything is a possibility.
Later, dressed in our second and most  auspicious temple outfits, we were granted a wonderful tour of the  temple.  It was a place of tranquility and peace. 

I gingerly  touched the stone - many  hundreds of years old -  that the Hindu God Indra had struck with his  sword.  Water gushed forth - the Spring of amritta - the elixir of  immortality - with which he revived his forces who had been  poisoned.  I like to touch places that have been touched by  God........and they exist more abundantly than we realise!

The main  temple courtyard is beautiful, with many shrines and pavilions, one for Brahma,  Siva and Krishna, one for Mt. Batur, and one for Indra (Dewi Indra) which is  for us all to pray at.  We made our offerings - 
and the  priest offered our prayers for us, and then it was out into the madness of the  market stalls
that line the road leading from the temple back to the car park....