Undoubtedly, Ubud, Bali, is one of the most spiritual places I have ever visited.  I arrived there during a period of deep transition.  I was healing from a karmic breakup and stepping into another year of my life.  Everything was shifting, and I felt called to Bali in a way I couldn’t ignore. 

This trip marked my first solo journey from beginning to end.  While I  had traveled alone before, those experiences followed time spent with friends or group trips.  This time was different.  I planned every detail myself, with no intention of meeting up with anyone I knew,  I was completely on my own.  The experience felt empowering and courageous, yet also unfamiliar.  Waves of excitement, fear and loneliness moving through me all at once.  

One of the most lasting gifts I took from Bali is its devotion to ritual.  I was there during a full moon, a time deeply honored in Balinese culture.  Offerings were placed for luck and prosperity, incense filled the air, and prayer was woven into everyday life.  Being immersed in such intentional spirituality left a profound impression on me. 

During my stay, I participated in a water purification ceremony.  I didn’t have a guide, but I researched the tradition and approached it with reverence.  Spirituality has always been a part of my life. I pray daily and this ceremony felt especially meaningful as I entered a new year around the sun.  It became a moment of conscious release: letting go of what no longer served me, particularly the karmic relationship I was healing from and the beliefs of self-worth that kept me returning to lessons I had already outgrown.  

The ceremony itself was invigorating.  Cool, fresh water poured over the crown of my head as I prayed and repeated mantras of release.  I imagined the water washing away old thoughts, emotional residue, and deeply ingrained patterns- making space for clarity and renewal.

Although I am now far from Bali, I continue to carry this ritual with me.  I recreate the water purification ceremony in my own shower.  After a long day, or whenever I feel the need to release, I stand beneath the water, let it flow over my head, and breathe deeply.  I repeat my mantras, allowing whatever no longer belongs to me to wash away.  

It is a simple practice, yet deeply powerful.  A way to honor a sacred moment, to return to myself, and to remember that I am in control of my life.  That intention matters.  And that thoughts, when held with care and belief, truly do become things.