BALI: THE ULTIMATE ROMANCE
WORKSHOP
March 2009
Tirtagangga Water Palace
Karangasem, Bali
INDONESIA
• Live in a water palace on this ancient magical Island.
• Experience a culture that is mythic in its very essence.
• Uncover the hidden reserves of masculine and feminine power within you.
• Become aware of how you limit and sabotage this power.
• Find the inner resource which can free up and unify your full capacity.
• Experience all of this as your own personal myth.
• Discover how to use this to improve your life immeasurably.
• Have a fabulous time.
• About $3600
Information Details
While Indonesia is going through some troubles now, life goes on peacefully in Bali, whose economy is largely dependent upon craft exports as well as tourism. The ORIGINS Workshops in Bali have been among the most exciting and richest experiences I have ever had. Many who have participated in these expeditions have felt their lives change by the powerful transformative work, the pure religiousness and vitality of the culture, the individuals encountered in this paradise on the other side of the planet, and the sweet inspiration of the Island. The experience is real quality.
When I am in Bali, I thrill to a truly enchanted reality. If you can escape the tourist world, it is like being with the last unicorn on earth. Each building, field or car has a reigning deity to which carefully and lovingly prepared sacrifices are daily offered, while demons and monsters are seen as the true enemies of the good. There is a psychological sophistication to this ancient animism that is awesome to experience. It is not just preserved for the tourists -- it still LIVES!
BALINESE NEW YEAR RITUAL OF TRANSFORMATION
In March, the Balinese celebrate their New Year, called Nyepi. Colorful processions, with musicians and devotees dressed in their finest, bear the icons of the reigning deities from their temples to the seashore in order to recharge their divine power out of the depths of the ocean. At the same time, in each village a monster begins to appear, exquisitely wrought: first a frame, then a papier mache covering, and finally paint: whereupon the demon masterpiece emerges larger than life, brilliantly expressing the evil that lurks in the heart of the community. On New Year's Eve, these monsters are taken in a riotous procession to be ceremonially burned. On New Year's Day, the island falls silent. No one is abroad, no fires or lights are to be seen. All know that the evil spirits released from the monsters are flying over the island and must not under any circumstances be attracted to any place where humans reside. This is no quaint ritual resuscitated from the past. This is the real thing; a true drama of regeneration played out every year on this magical island.
This ritual has profoundly enhanced my understanding of the nature of transformation. Over the years it has influenced all of my work, helping me to understand the Balinese blending of Light and Dark that creates the sacred, and inspiring me to recreate a sense of primal connection through psychodrama and ritual theater. The workshop will be initiated by the events of this dynamic island ritual, so that in consonance with the New Years Rituals, Western participants can evoke their own deep transformation – a parallel purgation of the inner shadow and the rebirth of the powers of transcendence within..
THE ORIGINS INTENSIVES:
TRANSFORMATION THROUGH INTEGRATION
The two ORIGINS workshops, each done in alternating years, are about transformation into a greater and more powerful wholeness, psychologically and spiritually. They employ special methods, which I have developed over years of studying archetypes, doing therapy, practicing spiritual work, and training performers, and which I call gestalt archetypal psychodrama. It is very deep and penetrating work in which you have the chance to discover within the context of your personal life and issues, the archetypes which make up your whole psyche and to enter into the systemic patterns of transformation they represent.
In the AMAZING JOURNEY (March, 2009) you will discover your Heroic self, your ego-Monster, your Magic Helper, and then you will create and act out the adventure by which they come to resolution. With the personal power gained from the resulting synthesis, you confront and overcome deep inhibiting fears in a Supreme Ordeal. As you act out your archetypal sub-personalities and their adventures, you experience the unfolding drama of your own deep transformation and enter the archetypal structure of all Hero's journeys.
In the ULTIMATE ROMANCE (March, 2009) you will discover your Masculine self, your Feminine self, your ego-Monster who usurps their essential power, and the Nature Spirit who frees and reunites them. Then you will create and act out their story of togetherness, separation and divine reunion. As you embody and act out this ultimate love story, you come to understand your deep psychological androgyny and transformation into a greater whole as a reflection of the basic form of all romantic stories..
This new integration will illuminate hidden inner meanings in your life and greatly enhance your personal growth process. The work frees suppressed and repressed aspects into a more powerful wholeness. In practical terms, this means you can come to a deeper contact with your own life process and energies and free up your capacity to love and to experience the essential bliss of life.
Many who have been through this process have been powerfully transformed. There is the potential for great healing through deep emotional expression and humor. There is a great deal of playfulness leading to new levels of self-acceptance as you come to see life as a whole Self instead of fragmentary selves. You have the opportunity to deal with fears that cripple your authenticity and vitality and to free up the energies behind them into greater personal power. If you are a performer, you will be challenged to go beyond your acquired skills to your performing instinct. As a person, you will find it very powerful as you deal with stifled and ignored parts of your Self and access them as the knowing of your heart and body. The workshop is a striking and relevant way to create and enter your own personal myth and real-life drama, all of which is being constantly reflected in the living mythology and ritual of Bali where these aspects of human nature are revered and respected.
Our group will be based in the Tirtagangga Water Palace, a beautiful home in the midst of a Water Palace built by the Last King of Karangasem. From this base we will travel out to participate in the rituals and celebrations of Nyepi. It will be possible in your free time to make excursions to places of interest, important temples and holy places, and the beaches of the island.
The workshop dates have been condensed into a ten day period to accommodate those who cannot stay for a long time. But you should plan to stay as long as you can. You will have the opportunity to observe many performances of theater and dance and to study Balinese dancing, mask-making, wood-carving, painting, and music with some of the island's most inspired performers. Shopping is absolutely terrific.
For more on the ORIGINS PROCESS, click on The Training
For more on the WORKSHOPS, click on Workshops
THE LOCATION
Tirtagangga Water Palace
Amlapura 80811
Karangasem, east Bali
Tirtagangga, meaning “holy water of the Ganges” in Balinese, is one of the world's most romantic and timeless gardens. Gushing springs flowing from beneath an ancient Banyan tree and holy temple fill the myriad reflecting and swimming pools that grace the Water Palace. The prominent 11-tiered lotus fountain has become the symbol for Tirtagangga since its creation by the late Raja of Karangasem in 1948.
After a tour of the Versailles Palace in France, the Raja was inspired to create this, his second Water Palace in the mountains overlooking his kingdom. The waters of the holy spring have been praised by island healers for their healing and youth giving powers. Thus the Raja named them after the holy river Ganges in India which is famous for these qualities. It is said that if one bathes in the waters of Tirtagangga on the full moon one is blessed with lasting youth and all illnesses will be healed. Tirtagangga is the "Fountain of Youth" of Bali.
For more on the accommodations at Tirtagangga (Villa Djamrud and Villa Tirta Ayu) see the website: http://www.tirtagangga-villas.com/
You may communicate directly:
E-mail: tgangga@indo.net.id
or by Tel./ Fax # +62-363-21383
Other, budget accommodations are available close-by.
COST AND ARRANGEMENTS:
Indonesia is very cheap now. This is not your standard all arrangements made tour. It is a group of adventurers gathering together at the Water Palace to share this luxuriantly creative opportunity in Bali. Everything, including travel arrangements, ALL accommodations, food, sightseeing, etc. must be individually arranged and paid for. Workshop accommodations can be reserved online at www.aaabalivillas.com.
When you register, I will send you information on Bali in general, advice on possibilities, and my own personal recommendations.
Minimal expenses for the entire trip, including travel, all expenses, and workshop fee, can be as low as $2500 for one month or $4000 for two months. But be prepared. There are incredible and delightful buys in Bali!
The fee for the workshop is $1400. This covers deposit and Workshop fee only. The same fee applies whether you are present for all of the workshop or only part. This is non-negotiable.
TRAVEL:
Airline travel is available for about $1000 roundtrip from Europe or California. Generally, people report that from Europe, it is cheapest to fly by Garuda. From the US JAL includes a free night in a transit hotel, which breaks the trip into two segments, making it a lot easier. Look in your Sunday Travel Section for best deals in reduced fares.
OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS IN BALI:
Hotels are cheap and extensive all over the island.
In Ubud, the Champuan Hotel is about $50 per night. It is my favorite hotel in Bali and an excellent place to land there. After the first night, you can stay where you wish.
Elsewhere, you can live adequately in Bali for $35 per day.
Luxury accommodations can be as low as $50 per day, and often less. Lavish accommodations at outrageous prices are also available.
TO BRING:
Participants should bring clothing appropriate to warm weather. Just bring bare essential clothing, as there is beautiful and appropriate clothing for sale all over the island. One sweater and light jacket for cold evenings, trousers for workshop, plastic bags large and small to protect clothing from mildew, a good flashlight, and a full supply of caffeine-free beverages if you like them. Bring soap, a towel, a pocket knife and a good First Aid Kit with insect repellent, medication for digestive and respiratory problems as well as for wounds. You will need a good notebook for the workshop, preferably loose-leaf, colored pens or crayons, some drawing paper, a small portable tape recorder with at least two 90 minute tapes for recording sections important to you.
VISA:
Citizens of the US and some EU Countries may purchase a one month tourist visa upon arrival in Indonesia. Regulations fluctuate, so you should check with your travel agent or your nearest Indonesian Consulate to find out what visa requirements there are for your passport.
YOUR PASSPORT MUST BE VALID FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF YOUR ARRIVAL. IF IT ISN’T YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY SOME RIDICULOUS FEE AS SOON AS YOU GET OFF THE AIRPLANE.
COMMUNICATION:
Telephone calls are somewhat inconvenient to make, and I would suggest that you arrange your affairs so that telephoning is kept to a minimum. E-mail connections were also iffy last year, but this is improving all the time.
TO REGISTER:
1. Send $500 made out to William Pennell Rock before 15 January to reserve your place. Full payment of $1400 is due on March 1.
PLEASE NOTE: From Outside US, send payment either by:
-- Send an International Money Order in US Dollars
-- Send a check in US Dollars drawn on a bank with a corresponding bank in the US
-- Wire the money from your bank to my account: Bank of America, Savings Acct #0106401711, Routing #026009593, Swiss code BofA US3N , final credit to William Pennell Rock, tel. 1-415-488-9258.
MAKE SURE YOUR BANK HAS THESE NUMBERS CORRECTLY AND NOTIFY ME BY FAX OR E-MAIL IF YOU HAVE WIRED THE MONEY IN THIS WAY.
2. Send photo, one page bio, address and phone of nearest relative back home.
3. I will send you an additional information sheet at that time. with exact schedule, accommodation choices, and information about travel arrangements, etc.
READ:
Miguel Covarrubias, The Island of Bali, London, Faber and Faber Limited, 1936
This is Bali's classic. May be difficult to buy, but you can get it at a Library or probably on Amazon. A wonderfully written book giving many insights into the Balinese, their outlook on life, and their fascinating society.
Hans Hoeffer, Bali, Insight Guides, Prentice Hall
The very best guide to Bali. Get it, bring it with you, and read the texts before coming to Bali.
Lonely Planet Guide to Bali and Lombok, a good cheap guide to Bali
Joseph Campbell, Hero with 1000 Faces, Bollingen Press
William Pennell Rock, Performing Inside Out,
Available from ORIGINS, Box 564, Woodacre, CA 94973 (send check for $20.00)
The Project Director:
WILLIAM PENNELL ROCK, M.Litt. (Cantabs), PhD was educated in the behavioral sciences, philosophy, and comparative religion at Yale, Harvard, the Sorbonne, and King's College, Cambridge. Subsequently he has had academic appointments at Banaras Hindu University, the Jung Institute in Zurich, the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in Santa Barbara and the University of California at Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. He has taught workshops and classes all over the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has spent twelve long periods in Bali, and has traveled all over Asia. He is founder and artistic director of ORIGINS (formerly Bodhisattva Arts) and has created over thirty productions throughout the world. His book Performing Inside Out describes his experiences with ORIGINS.
For more on William Pennell Rock Click here
ORIGINS
Box 756
Woodacre, CA 94973
fax 415-488-9258
e-mail: williamrock@sacredperformance.com
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
William Pennell Rock
Box 756
Woodacre, CA, 94973, USA
fax: 1-415-488-9258
www.sacredperformance.com
Email: williamrock@sacredperformance.com
