Ketika Aku Menemukan Tuhan Di Jalan Katolik

Gereja Santa Theresia, Jakarta

Cerita ini adalah pengalaman pribadi dan perjalanan spiritual dan rohani penting didalam hidupku. Aku harap cerita ini dibaca dengan mata dan hati yang terbuka. Terima kasih banyak.

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Pada suatu hari di bulan Maret 2013, pada saat sebelum mengajar yoga di sebuah studio yoga, aku merasakan kekosongan jiwa yang begitu mendalam. Hati ini rasanya bergejolak terus mencari sesuatu yang tidak aku ketahui bentuknya. Pada waktu itu, aku mencoba menenangkan jiwa dengan doa yang pada waktu itu aku ucapkan sehari-hari dari agamaku yang dulu, namun tetap saja jiwa ini terasa hampa. Tiba-tiba terlintas dalam pikiranku untuk mengucapkan doa Bapa Kami, Salam Maria dan Kemuliaan di dalam hati. Doa-doa ini kupelajari pada saat aku bersekolah di sekolah Katolik. Ajaibnya, setelah selesai mengucapkan tiga doa tersebut, hati dan jiwa ini terasa nyaman, bahagia dan penuh. Tak ada lagi kekosongan batin yang meresahkan jiwa. Sepertinya ada sesuatu yang memenuhi jiwa ini yang membuat aku merasa tenang dan damai.

Dari kejadian ini, timbul keinginan dari diriku sendiri untuk pergi ke gereja dan mencoba beribadah di sana. Rencana ini harus kutunda karena pada akhir bulannya, aku harus ke Bali untuk menjadi sukarelawati di acara Bali Spirit Festival. Memasuki pertengahan bulan April, aku pun mulai pergi beribadah di gereja, tempat dimana aku menemukan kedamaian yang luar biasa. Bahkan perjalanan menuju ke gereja pun terasa penuh keajaiban dan kebaikan.

Gereja Kristus Raja, Jakarta

Pada saat mau berangkat ke gereja, semuanya terasa lancar, bahkan pada jam-jam mustahil dimana semua kendaraan keluar pada saat jam pulang kantor atau pada saat ketika cuaca tidak memungkinkan. Ada saat-saat dimana ada hujan datang, ada kemacetan di jalan raya, dan ada kesulitan mencari transportasi. Namun dengan selalu mengucapkan tiga doa yang kusebutkan diawal cerita ini, hujan berangsur-angsur berhenti, jalanan terasa lancar dan transportasi selalu ada di depan mata. Buatku, ini adalah keajaiban yang hendak ditunjukkan Tuhan padaku dan bukan kebetulan semata. Aku percaya bahwa tidak ada kata kebetulan didalam kamusnya Tuhan.

Pada saat memasuki lingkungan gereja, pada saat misa akan dimulai, akan terdengar bunyi lonceng kecil di gereja yang menandakan bahwa misa akan segera dimulai. Bunyi lonceng gereja ini begitu lembut dan pelan, dan hanya terdengar di dalam lingkungan gereja dan untuk jarak yang tidak terlalu jauh. Dari sini saja, aku sudah bisa merasakan bahwa panggilan untuk beribadah yang lembut ini bisa jadi merupakan simbol bahwa Tuhan di agama Katolik ini begitu lembutnya memanggil para umat-Nya.

Gereja Santa Theresia, Jakarta

Pada saat duduk di dalam gereja dan mengikuti ibadahnya, aku begitu mengenal bahasa yang dipakai didalam ibadahnya. Kadang-kadang, aku mengikuti misa dalam bahasa Indonesia. Kadang-kadang juga, aku mengikui misa dalam bahasa Inggris. Aku begitu mengenal dua bahasa ini, sehingga ketika doa diucapkan, doa tersebut begitu merasuk ke jiwaku dan dapat kumengerti dan kucerna dengan mudah. Doa-doa di misa ini begitu sederhana, pendek dan menyenangkan, karena para pastor dan para umatnya juga menyanyikan sebagian dari doa yang diucapkan. Semua doa yag diucapkan dan dinyanyikan oleh para pastor dan para umat dan semua firman yang dibagikan oleh para pastor berisi tentang cinta kasih, kebaikan, pengampunan dan keagungan Tuhan. Kadang-kadang, para pastor juga berbagi cerita tentang sikap gereja mengenai topik-topik dan permasalahan yang sedang populer di masyarakat, namun pembahasannya melalui pendekatan cinta kasih dan kebaikan. Bahkan ada salah satu pastor yang selalu meminta para umatnya untuk memegang hati kami sendiri sebelum mendengarkan firman Tuhan yang akan ia bagi dan berdoa agar hati kami dapat terbuka untuk menerima firman dari Tuhan. Biasanya, mendengar firman Tuhan dari pastor yang satu ini akan membuat mataku menitikkan air mata karena sangat terharu dengan caranya menyentuh hati para umat. Sungguh semua ibadah yang ada di gereja ini membuat hatiku menjadi lebih damai dan bahagia.

Di dalam ibadahnya, laki-laki dan perempuan diletakkan sejajar dan dapat duduk bersama saling berdampingan. Aku pun sebagai perempuan dapat beribadah kapan saja aku mau, bahkan ketika aku mendapatkan halangan yang datang sebulan sekali itu. Tuhan di agama Katolik ini memang begitu baik hati sekali mau menerima semua umat-Nya bersama dan berdampingan tanpa harus dipisah, dan dalam keadaan dan kondisi tubuh dan kesehatan apa pun.

Berpakaian dalam ibadah agama Katolik ini pun tidak terlalu sulit dan tidak banyak persyaratan. Cukup mengenakan pakaian yang sopan dan pantas, maka kami dapat mengikuti ibadah dengan nyaman. Ini semua memang karena hanya hati yang terbuka yang dibutuhkan ketika mengikuti ibadah di gereja. Aku pun sebagai perempuan tidak perlu mengenakan kostum khusus di dalam gereja maupun di luar gereja sebagai bentuk ketaatanku pada agama Katolik ini. Buatku, terasa sekali bahwa agama Katolik ini sederhana dan tidak sulit. Agama Katolik ini pun mengajarkan bahwa keimanan tumbuh dari hati yang terbuka dan tulus, bukan dengan mengenakan kostum tertentu.

Gereja Santa Theresia, Jakarta

Setelah selesai misa, aku pun masih terus menerima kebaikan Tuhan di dalam lingkungan gereja ini.

Para pastor biasanya akan berada dibelakang gereja setelah selesai misa untuk beramah tamah dan menyalami para umatnya satu per satu, baik laki-laki dan perempuan, dan memberikan berkat kepada umatnya bila diperlukan. Buatku, bersalaman dengan para pastor ini adalah suatu berkat tersendiri. Bila bersalaman adalah tanda dari sebuah perdamaian, maka bersalaman dengan pastor adalah berkat perdamaian dari Tuhan sendiri yang diberikan melalui perantaraan para pastor ini. Terasa sejuk sekali di hati ini. Semoga Tuhan selalu memberkati para pastorku tercinta!

Pada suatu waktu, aku bertemu dengan seorang wanita dari Filipina yang membagikan satu-satunya kertas doanya kepadaku setelah misa selesai. Waktu aku menolak karena merasa tidak enak menerima kertas doa tersebut yang mungkin saja masih diperlukan oleh sang ibu tersebut, dia menyarankan aku untuk tidak perlu kuatir karena dia akan selalu mendapatkan kertas doa yang lain dari gereja. Sungguh suatu kebaikan untuk berbagi yang tulus! Kertas doa yang diberikan ibu tersebut berisi doa Koronka kepada Kerahiman Ilahi dalam bahasa Inggris yang diambil dari buku harian Santa Maria Faustina, yang akhirnya nanti menjadi nama Krismaku.

Di dalam dan di luar gereja pun kami bisa menemukan kertas doa yang tersebar di segala sudut di lingkungan gereja, baik dalam bentuk buku, selebaran, brosur dan foto kopian. Biasanya, para umat sendiri yang meletakkan kertas-kertas doa ini sebagai tanda rasa bersyukur bahwa doa-doa mereka dikabulkan oleh Tuhan.

Menuju Altar untuk memulai Proses Pembaptisan di Gereja Santa Theresia

Di dalam diriku sendiri, aku menemukan kesembuhan setelah sering mengikuti ibadah misa di gereja dan berdoa dengan cara yang sesuai dengan ajaran agama Katolik ini. Ada banyak luka batin yang berada di dalam tubuhku dan ada sesuatu yang menempel di dalam tubuhku. Dulu, dua hal yang mengganggu ini tidak mau sembuh dan hilang dari tubuhku. Setelah sering ke gereja dan berdoa dengan cara yang sesuai dengan ajaran agama Katolik, luka batin itu pelan-pelan sembuh dan sesuatu yang menempel di tubuhku pun pelan-pelan lepas dan menghilang. Kini hidupku menjadi terasa lebih ringan dan bahagia, dan aku pun merasa lebih tentram dan damai. Aku percaya bahwa Tuhan memang mau menyembuhkan aku dengan cara-Nya yang sangat istimewa ini.

Dari kegiatan di gereja, aku juga belajar tentang indahnya berbagi. Semakin sering kami berbagi, maka kami pun akan mendapatkan balasan yang setimpal, bahkan mungkin lebih baik dan meluap, yang pada akhirnya kami harus bagikan kembali. Sebuah siklus yang mengagumkan! Di gereja, kami dilatih untuk berbagi mulai dari beramal dengan memasukkan uang ke kotak kolekte, kotak pemeliharaan gereja, kotak kebersihan, dan aktif dalam berbagai kegiatan lain diluar misa. Hal-hal ini begitu membekas di pikiranku, sehingga sekarang aku senang sekali berbagi apa pun kepada orang lain.

Proses Pembaptisan di Gereja Santa Theresia, Jakarta

Akhirnya, aku memutuskan untuk menjalani proses Katekumenat, yaitu pembelajaran bagi para calon baptis (Katekumen). Bersama dengan para katekumen yang lain, kami belajar bahwa agama Katolik adalah warta gembira bagi yang mencarinya dan bahwa Tuhan itu adalah cinta kasih yang hidup di hati dan perbuatan kami. Aku sendiri pun akhirnya mengambil kesimpulan sendiri bahwa Tuhan itu harus dicari oleh penganutnya sendiri dan agama harus dipelajari oleh orang yang mau menganutnya. Pada saat menjalani proses Katekumenat ini, aku mendapatkan sekali lagi keajaiban dari Tuhan, yaitu proses pembaptisanku dipercepat menjadi awal bulan Desember 2013 dari jadwal yang seharusnya, yaitu Maret 2014. Suatu keajaiban yang luar biasa istimewa bagiku! Dari kejadian ini, aku benar-benar merasakan cinta kasih Tuhan yang luar biasa. Dia tidak mau membiarkan aku terlalu lama menunggu di depan halaman rumah-Nya untuk betul-betul masuk ke rumah-Nya. Bahkan didalam bayanganku, Tuhan tidak saja membuka pintu rumah-Nya lebar-lebar, namun Dia juga memegang tanganku dan menariknya agar aku dapat segera masuk ke dalam rumah-Nya dan memeluk-Nya dengan erat.

Kerinduanku terhadap Tuhan benar-benar terjawab ketika aku masuk ke jalan-Nya yang bernama agama Katolik ini dan menemukan-Nya di jalan ini. Tidak hanya menemukan Tuhan, namun Tuhan pun datang sendiri kepadaku dan menemui aku secara istimewa melalui segala berkat, kemudahan, kebaikan, kesembuhan dan keajaiban yang Dia tunjukkan dan berikan kepadaku. Aku percaya bahwa Dia telah menyelamatkan aku dari jalan yang kurang tepat bagi diriku.

Tuhanku yang sekarang ini begitu baik. Aku mencintai-Nya. Terima kasih, Tuhanku yang baik.

Proses Pembaptisan di Gereja Santa Theresia, Jakarta

Jadi, dulu namaku adalah Astrid Amalia. Sekarang, namaku adalah Theresia Maria Faustina Astrid Amalia. Theresia adalah nama baptisku yang kuambil dari Santa Theresia Kanak-kanak Yesus, si Bunga Kecil dan Jalan Kecil yang juga merupakan Pelindung Misi dan Doktor Gereja. Maria Faustina adalah nama Krismaku yang kuambil dari Santa Maria Faustina yang menulis buku harian tentang Kerahiman Ilahi.

Wajah bahagiaku setelah menerima Sakramen Baptis dan Sakramen Krisma 

Setelah benar-benar memeluk agama Katolik secara resmi, aku benar-benar merasakan berkat Tuhan yang luar biasa indahnya. Aku sebagai manusia biasa boleh saja berusaha sekuat tenaga dengan kekuatanku sendiri, namun bila ditambah dengan doa langsung kepada Tuhan atau pun melalui perantaraan Yesus Kristus, Bunda Maria, Yosef, para Roh Kudus, para Malaikat dan para Santo dan Santa, maka hasilnya akan jauh lebih baik dan lebih dahsyat yang membuat aku kebanjiran berkat yang pada akhirnya harus dibagi kepada sesama. Sekali lagi, ini adalah sebuah siklus yang mengagumkan yang Tuhan tunjukkan padaku.

Bersama Mama dan Rekanku setelah Proses Pembaptisan di Gereja Santa Theresia

Selama menjalani proses spiritual dan rohani ini, diluar dari semua dukungan yang datang dari para sahabat-sahabatku dan sebagian kecil dari keluargaku yang mengerti aku, aku pun sempat mengalami perjalanan yang berliku yang datang dari luar diriku. Tentunya tidak ada jalan yang selalu mulus.  

Pada saat mengetahui bahwa aku sudah sering beribadah ke gereja, salah satu kerabat terdekat dari keluargaku mengatakan bahwa bila aku pindah agama, maka aku akan menambah dosa orang tuaku dan mengirimkan mereka ke neraka. Jawabanku saat itu adalah bahwa bila ada yang harus terkirim ke neraka, orang tersebut adalah aku, karena keputusan untuk pindah agama itu datang dari diriku sendiri. Orang tuaku malah akan masuk surga karena telah memberikan dasar pendidikan beragama yang lebih dari cukup, yaitu pendidikan agama yang dulu aku anut di rumah dan pendidikan agama Katolik di sekolah.

Setelah dibaptis, salah satu temanku mengatakan bahwa agama Katolik itu banyak kekurangannya, dan dia juga mengatakan sebuah kata yang menyiratkan bahwa aku adalah penganut agama Katolik kemarin sore sehingga tidak pantas berkomentar untuk menanggapi semakin tingginya serangan dari agama lain terhadap agama Katolik. Di dalam hati, aku hanya berucap bahwa biarlah agama Katolikku ini penuh dengan kekurangan sehingga kami umat-Nya semakin rendah hati dalam menjalankan ibadah kami, dan biarlah aku dicap sebagai penganut agama Katolik kemarin sore selamanya sehingga aku dapat terus belajar tentang indahnya mencintai Tuhanku dan sesama makhluk hidup lainnya dengan cara yang diajarkan oleh agama Katolik.

Bersama Romo Hani Rudi Hartoko setelah Proses Pembaptisan di Gereja Santa Theresia

Perjalanan spiritual dan rohaniku belum selesai. Aku percaya bahwa masih akan ada perjalanan spiritual dan rohani lain yang diberikan Tuhan yang tentunya akan tetap menarik dan berharga. Aku berterima kasih sekali bahwa Tuhanku yang sekarang ini mau menyediakan waktu-Nya yang berharga untuk mengetuk hatiku dan memanggilku dengan cara-Nya yang istimewa sekali melalui agama Katolik yang aku anut sekarang, dan pada akhirnya Dia pun tinggal di dalam diriku. Semoga Tuhan dan berkat-Nya ini selalu menetap didalam diriku selamanya.

Bersama para sahabat setelah Proses Pembaptisan di Gereja Santa Theresia

Sekali lagi, Tuhanku yang sekarang ini begitu baik. Aku mencintai-Nya. Terima kasih, Tuhanku yang baik.

Dei Gratia. Berkah Dalem. Semoga aku dan semua makhluk hidup di alam semesta ini selalu diberkati oleh kemuliaan dan keagungan Tuhanku yang baik hati sekarang dan selama-lamanya. Amin.

SunPride Fruitaholic Yoga Event

If you asked me about what I could think of SunPride, I would definitely say Banana. Yes, I was a fan of SunPride's Banana. But it was in the past. Now I know that SunPride is all about fruits! Woho! I am so happy, because fruits are my favorite food!

It starts from my yoga client that owns a public relation company called Kennedy Voice and Berliner that suggests that a media visit by its client, SunPride Indonesia, should be different from the ordinary media visit. As she loves yoga and yoga is always connected to a healthy lifestyles, then an idea of having a media visit with a yoga practice comes up! Just a brilliant idea! 

Both yoga and fruits are the doors to healthy lifestyle, and that there is a practice of eating raw food in yoga world where we only eat raw food like fruits for several days. Yoga and fruits are like body and soul! Perfect match! 

So, I have fun teaching yoga at the media visit by SunPride called SunPride Fruitaholic Yoga event to MRA Media Group, Female Daily Network and Femina Group. 

The first yoga event with MRA Media Group is about opening the Third Chakra (Solar Plexus or Manipura Chakra). It is all about abs and core practices. This practice is the soul of Forrest Yoga, the yoga style created by Ana Forrest and the yoga style I learned from my great teacher - Cat Kabira. The practice strengthens the stomach that stabilizes our emotion and self-confidence. The muscles in the stomach are also the tools to stabilize our yoga poses. It is a fun yoga event without the mat! I appreciate the enthusiasm of the participants for practicing the yoga practice on the floor without the yoga mat. This is fine for me as I believe that yoga practice can be done at any conditions, even without the mat ;-) 

The second yoga event with Female Daily Network is about opening both the Fourth Chakra (Anahata Chakra) and the Third Chakra (Solar Plexus or Manipura Chakra). At this yoga practice, I share the knowledge of loving the inner-self first before loving others and stabilizing the emotion of the inner-self to give us the confidence to choose which things in our life that deserve our loves more. Most of the participants are familiar with yoga, so it is easy for me to teach them the yoga I know. Again, it is a happy yoga event. 

The third yoga event with Femina Group is all about general yoga and stretching. This is good for beginners and those who are sick and stress. This is also good for those working people who sit all the time and have no time to move their body and exercise. It is a very relaxing yoga practice with all those happy and peaceful stretching. And everyone feels happy :-)  

At all yoga events, SunPride placed a desk of fruits where we can eat all the fruits they have! That is where I find out that SunPride is all about fruits, not just Banana. LOL! I can find apple, pear, guava, papaya, melon, pineapple, orange, kiwi, and many more! 

And what surprises me is that SunPride has their own plantations in some cities in Indonesia. So yes, most of the fruits by SunPride grow in the rich land of Indonesia. So proud to know that! 

While eating the all yummy healthy fruits, I read some of the fun facts about fruits that are shared by SunPride. So, let me share about them. 

Banana contains dopamin and serotonin that can lift up our mood and make us feel happy. Aha! That is why monkeys are the happiest creatures in the world ;-)) 

Don't worry if we see the black dots on the skin of a banana. It is a sign that the banana has sugar spots that can combat cancer and contains Tumor Necrosis Factor that can increase the blood system and rejuvenate our body. It can help those who want to stop smoking as it contains vitamin B and minerals that combat the stress caused by the stopping of consumption of niccotine.

Melon contains vitamin A, E, C, and K that can take away dead skin cell, enlighten skin and protect our skin from UV lights. It is just a great antioxidant! 

It is also good for curing cancer, increasing digestion, reducing heart disease & stroke, healing common cold. It also has mineral and calcium that support the growth of teeth and bones in the babies.

Papaya contains vitamin A, C, folat & pottasium. It is good for our skin, immune system, heart, fertility, digestion and can reduce the risk of cancer. It is good for those who are on a diet as it almost has no calories, fat and cholesterol. It is an anti inflammation to reduce the pain in our joints, to heal the wounds and good for our blood. By applying it on our skin, it can reduce acnes and wrinkles. 

Apple is good for combating cholesterol, asthma and diabetes. It can be used as a face mask to reduce wrinkles. 

Orange contains vitamin C that can enlighten our skin, increase our immune system, reduce the risk of lung cancer, heal irritation on our mouth and influenza. Its potassium can help to lower down the cholesterol and blood pressure. It is a stress reliever too. 

Kiwi is good for our digestion, healing the diabetes, and increase the growth of good cells in our body. 

In my own personal opinion, I love fruits as they help me to stabilize my weight and control my hunger. Fruits also perfect for me as I don't have to cook them and their taste is so nice as  they are naturally sweet! The latest experience I get is that fruits are good for increasing my stamina and endurance when I practice running.

Thank you, SunPride Indonesia and Kennedy Voice and Berliner for giving me the chance to share the goodness and the love of yoga to your partners and sharing the sweetness of the fruits from your plantation. The fruits are totally the gifts from heaven! 

Namaste! 

My Testimonial on Craniosacral Therapy

The testimonial was made after I apply Craniosacral Therapy that I learned from Cat Kabira & James Newman to my clients.

The link can be found here: http://www.catkabira.com/review-module/astrid-amalia?position=290 

Here comes the testimonial:

[Cat and James are] “a Dynamic Duo. So perfect! The Craniosacral Therapy that I learned from Cat Kabira and James Newman is one of the most beautiful practices I have ever learned. It is a mind and body treatment with a very light touch but has a deeper joy and a meaningful message. I always end my yoga session with a short Craniosacral Therapy and none of my clients want to miss the therapy. Some of them even prefer to have a quick Yoga session and a longer Craniosacral Therapy session. One of my clients even admires Craniosacral Therapy as a different style of healing and releasing therapy from what she knows in the market. And that is the difference between the general yoga in the market and the one I give to my clients….

In my experience, Craniosacral Therapy has stopped the seizures in an epileptic client, has detected the blockages in the abdomen that caused a client not to get pregnant, has released stress and headache in many clients’ bodies, and has cured a client that has insomnia….

I am very happy to know that I can facilitate my client's bodies to heal themselves and send them to a deeper relaxation that can give them happiness and peace in their sleep.

The Blind Man

Today, after I left the church, I saw a blind man who was waiting for something on the side of the road.

I approached him and started the conversation:

Me: Hi, Sir, may I know what are you waiting for? 

The man: I am waiting for the bus. 

Me: Do you want me to help you to see the bus? 

The man: No need. I can do it by myself. Anyway, thanks for your offering. 

Me: Ok, please take care, Sir. 

The man: Thank you. 

He amazes me! And I pray that may God always bless and protect him. Amen! 

Namaste! 

Lessons from the Sunday School

Some of the beautiful lessons I get from the Sunday School that I attend as the process to get the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Please open your heart and have no judgement when reading this. 

This is updated each time I attend the school. And the most updated one is placed at the bottom of the article. 

May God bless us & be with us all the times, so our life is safe and secure in peace. Amen! 

--------------------

Keep learning and studying as long as we live. 

God gives power to humans to build and take care of the earth, not to destroy the nature and kill animals without fair reason. 

God lives in anything, especially in our breath. Breathe out our thoughts and worries to Him, He'll breathe in to work them out. 

God creates everything, while human only modify things He creates. 

Open our heart and mind, so God can work on our life. True and sincere love happens when God exists in our heart and mind. 

We don't have to be afraid of anything if we rely on God in our life. When the storm hits us, always believe God is with us.

Whatever your religion is, as long as you love all beings, conduct your actions based on love and believe in the love of God and His forgiveness, then heaven is surely your last destination. 

Love is the sign that God exists. Love is the foundation of our relationship with God and other all beings. Without love, the world will be damaged. 

Let the words you say and type be the tools to share love and blessing. 

Faith without good intentions in thoughts, actions and words is useless. We need to execute our loves for God by always being good & doing good for us and all beings, so everyone can be happy. The happy hearts are the great drugs, the wounded hearts dries the bones. 

The law of tender loving care is to pray for those who hurt and dislike us. 

Kartu Kredit

Berbagi hal-hal mengenai kartu kredit: 

1. Carilah bank yg mengeluarkan kartu kredit yang menggratiskan iuran seumur hidup. Biar tidak usah susah payah lagi membayar iuran bulanan atau tahunannya ;-))

2. Kemudian ajukan pengajuan kartu kredit sekalian dengan tabungannya. Kalau sudah mempunyai tabungan di bank yang sama dengan bank tempat mengajukan kartu kredit, maka tak perlu lagi mengajukan pembukaan rekening tabungan.

3. Setelah itu, bayarlah kartu kreditnya secara penuh setiap kali ditagih pada saat jatuh tempo. Jangan mengutang atau menyicil ya. Bunganya kartu kredit itu besar dan merugikan kita ;-)

4. Pembayaran lebih baik langsung auto debet dari rekening tabungan. Makanya tadi ada arahan membuat rekening tabungan juga. Ini agar tidak lupa membayar dan tidak menunggak.

5. Agar pembayaran dapat terkontrol, simpanlah semua bukti pembayaran dari pembelanjaan dengan menggunakan kartu kredit, sehingga dapat diperiksa kembali apakah tagihan kartu kredit sudah benar atau ada yang salah. 

6. Jangan berhutang ya! Ingat: bayarlah tagihan secara penuh ketika ditagih pada saat jatuh tempo! Kartu kredit itu hanya untuk mempermudah pembayaran agar kita tidak terlalu banyak membawa uang. Tapi jangan digunakan sebagai alat untuk berkredit atau berhutang ya!

Demikian. Semoga membantu ;-) 

Raw Food Membuat Hidup Kita Lebih Baik

Saya dulunya adalah pecinta berbagai macam makanan yang ada di muka bumi ini. Namun belakangan, terutama sejak mengikuti sekolah Yoga dan Terapi CranioSacral di Bali, saya lebih banyak mengkonsumsi sayuran dan buah-buahan. 

Sayuran dan buah-buahan yang saya konsumsi ini kebanyakan mentah dan tidak dimasak. 

Kebiasaan baru saya ini menarik perhatian Soylution, bagian dari SoyJoy, untuk membahasnya dalam satu artikel khusus. 

Ini adalah link dari artikelnya: http://www.soylution.co.id/index.php?/your_story/soy_story/247/Astrid_Amalia_Raw_Food_Membuat_Hidup_Kita_Lebih_Baik

Di bawah ini adalah isi dari artikelnya. Selamat membaca! 

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RAW FOOD MEMBUAT HIDUP KITA LEBIH BAIK

Kita sudah sering mengetahui fakta tentang makanan raw food yang sangat sehat dan bisa melangsingkan tubuh dalam waktu singkat. Namun, belum banyak yang menyadari bahwa raw food juga bisa membentuk perilaku manusia yang lebih baik.

Kebanyakan dari mereka yang telah rutin mengonsumsi raw food, keegoisannya akan turun, sifat pemarah akan hilang, dan menjadi pribadi yang lebih tenang. Saya membuktikan sendiri  bahwa makanan yang bersifat hewani itu benar-benar mempengaruhi perilaku manusia.

Di dalam dunia spiritual, kalau kita makan sayuran dan buah-buahan yang belum diproses, kita akan mendapatkan tambahan zat, vitamin, serta oksigen, karena tanaman dan buah tersebut masih hidup. Bahkan, salah satu ajaran mengatakan kalau kita sering mengonsumsi makanan yang sudah dimasak, terutama daging, perut kita diibaratkan seperti kuburan. Oleh karena itu, raw food sangat dianjurkan di dunia yoga.

Pada dasarnya, raw food itu adalah makanan mentah yang tidak dimasak. Tapi perlu diingat, makanan mentah bukan berarti sembarang makanan, pilihlah sayur dan buah yang sudah matang secara alami (di pohonnya). Bahan makanan yang tergolong kategori raw itu terdiri dari sayur, buah, dan kacang-kacangan. Biasanya para raw foodist (sebutan bagi para penggemar raw food) memiliki alat pemanas untuk sekedar menghilangkan bakteri jahat yang masih melekat pada makanan tesebut. Nah, batasan suhu saat memanaskan makanan tidak lebih dari 46 derajat celcius.

Tapi, yang saya lakukan selama ini dalam mengonsumsi raw food hanya dengan mencuci dan mengeringkannya saja. Bakterinya gimana? Selama ini saya belum pernah merasakan efek dari bakteri ya. Makanya saya berusaha untuk memilih makanan yang kualitasnya baik dan tentu saja bersifat organik. Satu tips bagi Anda yang khawatir dengan pestisida, pilihlah buah atau sayur yang sudah dikupas, seperti semangka, pepaya, dan melon.

Efeknya Bagi Kesehatan

Banyak sekali manfaat yang didapat dari raw food. Pertama, karena raw food tidak mengandung zat tambahan seperti garam dan gula, maka bisa mengembalikan cita rasa di lidah. Karena penyedap rasa dan zat tambahan tersebut justru membuat lidah kita menjadi kebal. Raw food membuat lidah kita kembali ke titik nol.

Kedua, vitamin di dalam makanan raw food masih penuh. Vitamin di sayuran dan buah-buahan itu paling cepat diserap tubuh kita. Tidak hanya itu, proses pengolahan di lambung lebih cepat dicerna daripada bahan makanan lainnya.

Ketiga, detoksifikasi. Makanan yang bersih itu bisa berfungsi membersihkan usus dan organ tubuh lainnya. Lemak adalah bagian tubuh yang paling banyak hilang saat mengonsumsi raw food. Tidak ada batasan waktu dalam mengonsumsi raw food untuk detoks, namun biasanya dilakukan selama 3-7 hari. Tapi, kalau dalam 3 hari sudah terasa lemas, sebaiknya dihentikan saja.

Perlu diakui, raw food itu tidak cukup memenuhi kebutuhan gizi manusia. Jadi, Anda perlu mengonsumsi suplemen dan vitamin tambahan, terutama yang tidak terdapat di sayuran dan buah. Makan kacang-kacangan juga bisa Anda pilih seperti kedelai. Tempe dan tahu rebus boleh menjadi pendamping saat mengonsumsi raw food.

Apakah Raw Food Bisa Menjadi Tren di Indonesia?

Di luar negeri, tren raw food lagi tinggi banget terutama di Amerika. Di sana kan banyak sekali orang obesitas. Dulu, warga Amerika lebih memilih liposuction sebagai jalan pintas untuk membuang lemak dari tubuh mereka. Tapi tindakan ini justru berbahaya buat jantung, akhirnya mereka mulai meninggalkan cara ini dan memilih pengobatan natural seperti yoga dan raw food.

Nah, kalau di Indonesia saya pikir belum bisa menjadi tren. Karena yang saya tahu, beberapa restoran di Jakarta yang menyajikan raw food justru tutup. Uniknya, di Bali khususnya Ubud, banyak sekali restoran yang memiliki menu raw food. Mungkin karena di sana banyak orang asing dan komunitas yoga, jadi marketnya luas.

Terakhir, saya tidak pernah memaksa orang untuk menjadi penganut raw food. Kebiasaan makan raw food tidak harus dilakukan sepanjang hidup kita. Anda bisa saja mengatur strategi makan sesuai kemampuan tubuh. Anda bisa memilih metode ‘setengah raw food’, seperti yang saya lakukan sekarang. Jadi kombinasinya adalah makan buah dan sayur pada saat pagi dan malam hari, dan makan biasa dengan menu lengkap pada siang hari. Prinsip yang paling penting adalah, jangan sampai mengganggu kenyamanan tubuh kita.

Salam,

Astrid Amalia


Yoga Teacher & CranioSacral Therapist

Kelas Yoga Online Pertama di Indonesia

Pada suatu hari, saya ditawari sebuah perusahaan periklanan digital di Jakarta untuk mengisi topik kesehatan di bulan puasa. Yang mau mereka angkat adalah Yoga. Tentu saja saya sangat tidak keberatan. Buat saya, ini adalah pengalaman baru yang sangat menarik. 

Saya sudah terbiasa mengajar Yoga untuk publik di kelas di sebuah studio dan di tempat para klien saya bila sang klien menginginkan latihan Yoga sendiri secara tertutup. Tentu saja karena ini adalah pekerjaan utama saya selama kira-kira setahun lebih ini. Tapi kalau kelas Yoganya di siarkan langsung dan dibahas langsung di Twitter dan Facebook pada saat itu juga, nah itu luar biasa dong! Dan ternyata, menurut mereka, ini adalah kelas Yoga online pertama di Indonesia! Wah! Keren sekali! 

Kelas Yoga online ini pun dilengkapi dengan kedatangan seorang bintang tamu, yaitu Tya Subiakto, seorang penata musik terkenal di Indonesia, yang ternyata suka berlatih Yoga juga di rumahnya bersama Ibunya sebanyak paling sedikit seminggu sekali. Dan dari cerita yang saya dengar, salah satu rahasia Tya untuk bisa menurunkan berat badannya, selain diet, adalah dengan berlatih Yoga. Wah keren! Saya yang berprofesi sebagai guru Yoga pun jadi makin semangat nih! 

Pada saat pertama kali bertemu dengan Tya, saya bisa merasakan aura positif yang cantik darinya. Setuju atau tidak, biasanya orang- orang yang sudah rajin berlatih Yoga akan memancarkan enerji positif ke sekelilingnya. Dan itu yang saya rasakan dari Tya.

Kelas Yoga online yang diadakan di Etoile Dance Center di Serpong ini, selain dihadiri oleh Tya Subiakto, juga dihadiri oleh para murid saya di EDC yang setia mengikuti kelas Yoga saya di EDC. Selain itu, beberapa staff dari perusahaan periklanan digital tersebut juga ikut serta mencoba latihan Yoga kali ini. Dari formasi pesertanya, ada percampuran antara peserta yang sudah biasa berlatih Yoga dan ada yang benar-benar baru mencoba latihan Yoga. Buat saya, hal ini bukan masalah, karena kelas Yoga saya terbuka untuk siapa saja, baik pemula maupun yang sudah mahir dan sering berlatih Yoga, baik perempuan maupun laki-laki, baik yang masih muda maupun yang sudah tua, baik yang masih sehat maupun yang sedang menderita sakit. Pokoknya, semua orang bisa berlatih Yoga bersama saya, karena Yoga itu adalah latihan untuk semua orang tanpa terkecuali. 

Nah, bagaimanakah jalannya kelas Yoga online ini? Silahkan baca di: Soyjoy Lounge: Kelas Yoga Online Pertama di Indonesia

Dan di bawah ini adalah isi dari link yang saya cantumkan diatas. Selamat membaca! 

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KELAS YOGA ONLINE PERTAMA DI INDONESIA

Menjadi tantangan tersendiri bagi SOYJOY untuk mengadakan #SOYChat bersama pelatih yoga saat bulan puasa seperti sekarang. Menurut orang awam, yoga adalah olahraga yang ringan dan tidak terlalu menyita banyak energi. Jujur saja, mimin juga mengira seperti itu :D, tapi ternyata itu salah. Namun, jelas tidak ada penyesalan, yang ada malah ketagihan untuk latihan yoga sekarang. 

Yuk simak liputan #SOYChat kali ini saat latihan yoga bareng pelatih yoga Astrid Amalia.

Mengambil tempat di Etoile Dance Center, kelas yoga dimulai pada pukul 13:00WIB. Setiap kali memulai yoga, sebaiknya diawali dengan meditasi terlebih dahulu. Diiringi ilustrasi musik yang menenangkan, kita mengembalikan jiwa dan diri kita sendiri ke titik yang paling tenang. Baru mulai aja, mimin udah ngerasa tenang banget, efektif bagi kita yang sangat sibuk setiap harinya.

Diawali dengan pose-pose ringan seperti “Child Pose,” pose duduk sambil merebahkan tubuh ke depan sejajar dengan lantai. Pose ini dilakukan sebagai persiapan diri untuk memasuki sesi stretching. Sesi ini pun dibagi dalam setiap rotasi sendi. Child Pose, juga merupakan basic pose, karena dilakukan di setiap rehat sebagai relaksasi tubuh sejenak.

Latihan dilanjutkan dengan beberapa pose seperti Salabhasana, Three Legs Dog, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Apanasana, Rocking Sukhasana, dan masih banyak lainnya. Nama posenya unik-unik ya? Yah begitulah bahasa Sansekerta. Ada fakta menarik dari pose Apanasana, yaitu pose memeluk tubuh sendiri dalam posisi telentang dan kaki ditekuk. Menurut Mbak Astrid (pelatih yoga), tubuh kita perlu dipeluk sebanyak 1.000 kali setiap harinya. Jadi gak perlu sedih ya, kalo SOYJOY lovers gak punya orang yang bisa diajak berpelukan, bisa meluk diri sendiri juga kok :D

Akhirnya, sesi latihan tiba pada puncaknya. Mbak Astrid menunjukkan pose final untuk latihan kali ini, namanya Bakhasana. Pose ini kurang lebih seperti mengangkat tubuh dalam posisi jongkok yang bertumpu pada kedua lengan kita. Pose ini termasuk ke dalam level advanced, gak sembarangan orang yang bisa lho. Pose Bakhasana berfungsi menguatkan tiga otot sekaligus, yaitu otot perut, bahu, dan selangkangan. Idealnya, pose ini dilakukan dalam waktu 5-10 kali hela nafas. Mimin sempet coba-coba, tapi gak bisa-bisa juga, ya udahlah ya :’(

Yoga Untuk Patah Hati

Oia, yoga juga bisa mengobati kamu yang sedang patah hati lho. Bagaimana caranya? Selain untuk kesehatan fisik, yoga juga bisa menyembuhkan dari sisi psikis. Banyak gerakan-gerakan dalam yoga yang mengeksplorasi bagian dada sehingga memiliki efek keterbukaan diri dan melepaskan masalah. 

Nah, sesi latihan yoga udah selesai. Sekarang giliran SOYJOY lovers yang mau bertanya via social media dengan hashtag langganan yaitu #SOYChat.

Rupanya, puluhan pertanyaan udah masukke linimasa @soyjoyID. Topik yang paling banyak ditanyakan adalah, bagaimana hubungannya yoga bisa mengobati ke-patah hatian seseorang, hehe. Seperti yang udah dijelaskan sebelumnya, banyak gerakan yoga yang memberikan efek relaksasi dan ketenangan hati. Yoga bisa meredakan emosi amarah maupun emosi sedih (patah hati).

Puluhan pertanyaan yang sudah masuk dari SOYJOY Lovers, kami rangkum di antaranya sebagai berikut:

- Apakah yoga juga bisa mengecilkan perut? Bisa sekali, beberapa gerakannya adalah Upword facing dog, plank, bridge post dan lain lain.

- Apakah yoga bisa untuk semua umur? Yoga itu adalah latihan untuk semua umur, semua jenis kelamin dan segala jenis kondisi kesehatan.

- Yoga baikkah untuk jantung? Sangat baik untuk jantung, karena aliran darah terpompa dengan baik ke jantung.

- Adakah yoga untuk diabetes? Bedakah yoga diabetes dengan yoga yang lain? Yoga dapat dikondisikan khusus untuk suatu penyakit, jadi Yoga untuk diabetes akan berbeda dengan yoga untuk umum.

- Biasanya untuk yoga yang baiknya jam berapa ya? Pagi sekali atau malam sebelum makan malam

- Apa manfaat Yoga untuk ibu hamil? Di kehamilan usia berapa yang tepat melakukan Yoga? Kehamilan setelah usia 3 bulan, gunanya untuk membuka panggul, merilekskan tulang punggung dan pikiran. 

- Apakah ada yoga untuk anak-anak dan apakah yoga bisa diterapkan sebagai terapi untuk anak berkebutuhan khusus? Bisa sekali, memang ada latihan yoga yang dikhususkan untuk anak-anak yang berkebutuhan khusus.

- Ada gak kriteria tertentu yang memang tidak disarankan untuk Yoga? Kelihatan tidak ada, karena yoga bila dilakukan dengan tepat akan aman untuk semua orang.

Nah, kalau masih penasaran ingin tau pertanyaan apa aja yang udah masuk kemarin. Langsung aja search di twitter dengan hashtag #SOYChat. Hmm jadi pengen latihan yoga lagi. 

Sebagai penutup, Mbak Astrid memberikan tips buat kamu yang baru memulai latihan yoga dan ingin mendapatkan pelatih yoga yang baik. Intinya, ikuti berbagai macam kelas yoga yang bisa ditemui di tempat-tempat fitness atau pusat kebugaran, pasti kamu akan menemukan guru yang cocok setelahnya. 

Namaste :)

Benefits of Coconut Water

1. Coconut water is very sterile and natural.
2. Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage.
3. Coconut water contains more potassium than other sports or energy drinks.
4. Coconut water contains less salt content than other energy or sports drinks.
5. Coconut water contains natural sugar.
6. Coconut water can help to slow down the aging process.
7. Coconut water helps to boost immunity.
8. Coconut water is very good for kidney and bladder function.
9. Coconut water contains more nutrients than cow's milk and infant formula milk because it contains lauric acid as found in human breast milk, and contains less fat and cholesterol.
10. In some places in the third world, Coconut Water is still used as an emergency intravenous fluids.

(From: many sources)

Manfaat dan Khasiat dari Air Kelapa

1. Air Kelapa sangat steril dan alami.
2. Air Kelapa adalah minuman Isotonik alami.
3. Air Kelapa mengandung lebih banyak potasium daripada minuman energi atau sport lainnya.
4. Air Kelapa mengandung kadar garam yang lebih sedikit daripada minuman energi atau sport lainnya.
5. Air Kelapa mengandung gula alami.
6. Air Kelapa dapat membantu memperlambat penuaan.
7. Air Kelapa membantu meningkatkan kekebalan tubuh.
8. Air Kelapa sangat baik untuk fungsi ginjal dan kantung kemih.
9. Air Kelapa mengandung lebih banyak nutrisi dibandingkan susu sapi dan susu formula bayi karena memiliki kandungan asam lauric seperti yang terdapat di ASI, dan mengandung lebih sedikit lemak dan kolesterol.
10. Di beberapa tempat di belahan dunia ketiga, Air Kelapa masih dipakai sebagai cairan infus darurat.

(Dari: berbagai sumber)

BALI SPIRIT FESTIVAL 2013

Astrid Amalia at Bali Spirit Festival 2013

This is my own personal opinion about Bali Spirit Festival 2013 and other things that come with it. My interpretation on the event might be different from others' interpretation. So, just open your heart and mind when you read this, and enjoy the story as much as I enjoy the festival :-)

Astrid Amalia is practicing yoga at BSF 2013  

Bali Spirit Festival is a vibrant and uplifting festival of yoga, dance and music which awakens and nourishes each individual's potential for positive change within, leading to positive change in our homes, our communities and around the world.

Bali Spirit Festival 2013

Bali Spirit Festival 2013

This was the third Bali Spirit Festival that I attended (http://astridamalia.blogspot.com/2012/04/bali-spirit-festival-2011-2012.html)

But this time was a bit different, because I didn't just attend, but I also participated as a volunteer in the Bali Spirit Festival 2013.

A month before the festival began, I suddenly signed up as a volunteer in the festival. After that, the great journey began! Yeay!

Astrid Amalia as Spirit Team at BSF 2013

I arrived in Ubud two days before the festival started to join the orientation day for the volunteers. This also gave me time to reconnect myself with the Ubud I knew when I stayed there for almost 2 months for my Yoga Teacher Training in 2012. (http://astridamalia.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-journey-at-yoga-energetics-teacher.html)

Ubud is still Ubud, a nice place for some people to contemplate and rearrange their life. I always love Ubud, as I find many secret discovery there.

Orientation Day at Bali Spirit Festival 2013

When the orientation day came, I just realized that I was the only Indonesian person in the group that day. Amazing! As a volunteer, my job was to check the wristband of the people who attended the Music Festival at the ARMA. The job sounded OK until I really did it! Was it fun or something? I will tell you the story later on. Be patient, okay :-))

YOGA, LOVE & COMPASSION!

First of all, let's talk about the yoga classes in Bali Spirit Festival 2013. As always, there were too many great yoga teachers in the BSF. The BSF team placed so many great yoga teachers at the same time. It was just hard to choose! Aaarrrggghhh! So I could only attend two to four yoga classes from around 35 yoga classes scheduled in a day. And how I wish I could separate my body in five or six parts so I could attend all of the classes. LOL!

Bali Dance at Bali Spirit Festival 2013

Beautiful flower arrangement at Bali Spirit Festival 2013

On the stories below, I try to digest the philosophy and lessons from the yoga teachers and I might receive them not in so right way. So, just like what I said before, please, have an open mind and enjoy the stories.

Simon Park (Prana Flow Yoga – USA / Korea)

Astrid Amalia with Simon Park

Simon Park is practicing yoga with a friend at BSF 2013

Simon Park is the student of Shiva Rea. His class is focusing on energetic alignment and fluid movement.

I heard about Simon Park from Meghan Pappenheim when I met her in Jakarta. So I tried to look for more information about him by browsing at the internet. His pictures that I found were so cool. So that was why I was so curious to come to his class.

I joined his Prana Flow – Surfing the Vinyasa Wave class. So I expected many Vinyasa in this class! A perfect way to start the Festival! Yeah! Simon Park arranged the class in circle and he was in the centre of the circle, so everyone could see him at almost the same distance from every corner of the room. His class was amazingly a challenged one. The class was flowing like our breath. Inhale and exhale as our body moved around. One breath and one pose at a time. Yep, that is what Vinyasa is all about. And when we were ready, we could jump and do handstand or any other inversion poses. What amazed me was that Simon Park could do those inversion poses in such a light way. His movements were so fluid like water in the ocean that ran so peacefully. Hhhmmm!

One thing I can learn from Simon Park in this class is that if we warm up our body properly, we can do those inversion poses lightly. Get the heat and fly! Thanks, Simon Park, for the lesson!

Simon Park also helped me to do the backbend from standing position by holding my hips! Yes, he is such a great helper, because I often met him outside of his class during the festival when he helped other people and some yoga teachers, like Les Leventhal, to get a deeper stretch in their yoga poses. He didn't only teach yoga, but also shared the kindness of his hands through yoga! What a kind heart! Thank you, Simon Park, for such a great fluid class and for being a good example about being a good yoga teacher inside and outside of the yoga class! The inner happy side of mine is happy to meet the cheer up side inside your soul.

Denise Payne (Power Hatha / Yin Yoga – USA)

www.onesongyoga.com   

Astrid Amalia with Denise Payne, her son and Robert Wolf Petersen

Denise Payne is a yoga teacher who lives in Ubud and teaches yoga classes at the Yoga Barn.

I knew her from the previous BSF when I attended her Yin Yoga Class. This time, her class was about Inversion and Arm Balances. This was not just a yoga class! Denise made this class just like a workshop. Great! She shared many techniques and secrets about doing the right Bakasana (Bird Pose), Pincha Mayurasana, and any other inversions and arm balances. One thing Denise said that I agree with was when she said there were many yoga poses that looked good for photography purpose only, but actually they were not the right yoga poses. This really opened my eyes! One of my favorite yoga poses is Koundinyasana, and I always lift up my back leg when practicing the pose. For Denise, it might be better if the back leg is in line with the floor, so we can keep the prana inside. As I tried it, it was harder than my usual Koundinyasana, but yes, I felt so stable! Wow! Thanks, Denise, for the sharing! You are always awesome!

For me, Denise is like a combination of water and fire. At her Yin Yoga class, she can be an angel that blows the nice wind to calm you down. At her more powerful class, she can be a candle that fires up the room smoothly. I just love this kind of personality!

Other interesting one in this class was the assistance of Denise, Robert Wolf. He helped me to do the Pincha Mayurasana with my elbows down and my palms facing up. For the first time, I felt the opening on my shoulder. This was good! Thanks, Robert, for a brand new sight on that yoga pose!

Simon Low (Yin and Yang Yoga – UK) 

www.simonlow.com 

Astrid Amalia with Simon Low

Simon Low is the Principal of the Yoga Academy in UK. His class is focusing on principles of Chinese medicine, energy work and a complete and balance yin and yang yoga practice.

I had seen his name a lot at the previous BSF. But in those times, I still didn't have the call to come to his class. In the BSF 2013, the calls to come to his class were so strong that I attended three classes of Simon Low. Wow! I learn that everything will come in its beautiful moment. Yes, this was my right beautiful time with Simon Low! Yeay!

As I danced in my Yoga movements with Simon Low, I discovered that the slow Yoga movements could really calm me down. Slowly and mindfully!

The yoga practices with Simon Low were all about Yin and Yang, how you activated the feminin lines in you and how you calmed down the Yang lines in you through the Yoga movements that felt like a dance. I felt that the Yoga with Simon Low was a mix of Tai Chi and Yoga. Of course, he didn't say these words. These were only my own personal interpretation about his yoga style. I felt that his yoga style really centered myself slowly and deeply. Each time I finished his yoga class, I felt the calmness ran to my blood and my muscles.

And I guess, the personality of Simon Low is not that far from the soul that he brings into the class. I had some times to have a chit chat with him, and I felt that Simon was like a deep ocean that calmed my soul as I dived in to his pacifying ocean. Such a calm personality!

There was one time at his Yin Yoga class that I stopped moving because of the pain on my hamstrings, and I sat down to take a deep breath before I returned to the next poses. Simon Low came to me and asked if I was fine. That attention was so special, as I sat at the very back of the class and he walked to my direction from the front side of the class. That far! Thank you, Simon Low, for your kind attention and the dance at your classes. I hope that I will be able to dive again into your deep mysterious blue ocean at the next BSF :-)

Gwyn Williams (Zen Shiatsu & Traditional Thai Massage – Australia)

www.zenthaishiatsu.com 

Astrid Amalia with Gwyn Williams 

Gwyn Williams is teaching his class at BSF 2013

Astrid Amalia in the middle of Andrew Wilson and Gwyn Williams

Gwyn Williams, Astrid Amalia, Eoin Finn at BSF 2013

Gwyn Williams is an oriental physiotherapist who explores the traditional healing arts of Zen Shiatsu and Traditional Thai Massage. He is the author of The Zen of Touch.

I knew Gwyn from the Yoga 108 Mala class at BSF 2012, when he ended the class with his lovely Thai Massage. But long before that, I had heard about his name from a friend of mine who recommended him. That time, I was just fine with his class, not too much interested in it. But this time in BSF 2013, my feet kept walking to his classes. For how many? Three times! Oh wow!

Yes, he is an amazing motivator and philosopher. And the massage at his class was always awesome!

He always started his class with the conversation and preaching about love and life. Uuuhhhmmm.... This was really interesting. A bit of sexy ones :-))

He then continued his class with some yoga warm ups without any yoga mats. So, our feet touched the grass on the ground. It felt so fresh as we felt the nature on our feet. The yoga warm up was always about togetherness as we practiced the yoga movements together with the other participants by toucing each others' hands, shoulder blades and thighs. Gwyn said that the light touch could be special if we did it mindfully. Hhhhmmmm..... Sounds a bit arousing, right? Okay, I am getting warmer now :-))

The rest of the classes were amazing as he asked us to practice Zen Thai Massage to each other after he demonstrated it first. Yes, we needed to find a partner to do the massage. On his classes, I had many partners that really taught me a lot about life.

The first partner was a Malaysian woman who massaged my body so well that I almost fell asleep when she did it to me. With her, I found trust as she massaged me gently and mindfully. It was a nice lesson of the exchange of giving and taking.

The second one was a foreign woman who could not speak English very well that she didn't even understand what Gwyn said. I guess she was a France woman. So she asked me to translate what Gwyn said, and we talked to each other with our body languages. Interesting one! At least, I learn that language should not be the barrier to communicate with others, especially if we still have our body. LOL! Yeah, so fun to do this!

The third one was a big guy who turned to be a best buddy during my BSF 2013 time. His name is Willo and his weight was two times of my body weight. But as he laid down on my back with the right technique from Gwyn, back to back, I just felt so nice. I still could breath while he was on top of me. Another good lesson for me about the beauty of life that no matter how heavy the pressure is, if we know how to manage it properly, then we can enjoy the pressure. Yeah! Awesome!

During the classes, Gwyn was preaching about so many wonderful philosophies. All of them were so good that I felt like having a retreat with Gwyn. One of the messages I received from Gwyn was all about the art of giving and receiving. Between giving and receiving, there is a grey area that we can put our trust, love and compassion about life itself. As always, the more we give, the more we receive. And.... Three classes with Gwyn were definitely not enough. I want more and more and more :-))

So I had so much fun in Gwyn's classses, with Gwyn himself and all the partners in the classes.

Big thank you, Gwyn Williams, for being such a deeply touching preacher of life and a warm teacher with the smile that never leaves your face. Thanks for teaching me those great tricks on the body massage and all the philosophy about life. After I finished this BSF 2013, I use the massage techniques that you shared in your classes for my yoga sessions with my clients. And they love it! Oh yes, I am deeply grateful to learn it from you. Namaste!

Cat Kabira (Yoga Energetics – USA) 

www.catkabira.com 

Astrid Amalia with Claudia and Cat Kabira

Cat Kabira is teaching her class at BSF 2013

Cat Kabira is a practicing CranioSacral Therapist, a graduate of the Open Doors School of Energy, Reiki II Certified and has studied firewalking and Shamanism.

Attending her Yoga Energetics Asana Flow class was the reunion for me after those fun moment with her at her Yoga Energetics Teacher Training in 2012. Yes, everyone, let me introduce you to my Leading Yoga Instructor, the one who built my teaching ability and the one who brought up the best in me, so I could teach the yoga classes and face the world with joy.

As always, she started her class with the core exercise that made our belly go crazy. Yep, her exercise was all about the power in the core. Cat also demonstrated the dancing hips when she turned around her hips while making some movements at her belly. This was not my first time to see this, but still, it was still amazing to see her doing that!

As usual, Cat likes to share the magic of her hand's work at her class. Yes, she is also a Reiki Master. She approaches people who need extra healing in their body with the touch of her hand. Sometimes, she doesn't even touch the body. Her hands are just being near to the body to send the warmness of love from her hand. And.... How can you say no to the friendly healing hands? Definitely not :-))

There was one moment outside of the class when I massaged her head and shoulder together with Murni from the Yoga Barn. I guess this was the moment when she deserved a hand work after she gave her magic hand work so much to other people. I just hope that she enjoyed my hand work, eventhough mine is not the healing one yet :-))

Thank you, Cat, for such a great class that I am familiar with! Yes, I miss you and your class a lot! I miss you as my great teacher and my great mentor. Thank you for the healing works too that you always do in the class. Like teacher, like student! So that is what I do too in the yoga class that I teach. Teach yoga, share the healing works and spread the love. Yeah! The same like when you demonstrated the work of your healing hands at our YETT, I still can feel the vibration of your healing work from far away. This little dragon puts her head down on the ground and shut down the fire in her to sense the love vibration on your hands. Dear Cat, I love you and honor the soul in you. Namaste :-)

Simon Borg Olivier (Yoga Synergy – Australia) 

www.yogasynergy.com.au 

Simon Borg Olivier

Simon Borg Olivier is teaching his class at BSF 2013

Simon Borg Olivier is the Co-Director of Yoga Synergy in Australia. The Yoga Synergy style is based on deep understanding of yoga anatomy, yoga physiology and traditional Hatha Yoga.

I came to the class of Simon Borg Olivier about How to Use Your Legs in Yoga. I felt that I needed to go to this class as I needed to strengthen my legs. And it turned out that I came to the right class as he opened the class with some sharings about the techniques in his yoga that really solved some legs problems in my yoga practice. His techniques were really different from the ones that I knew. And amazingly, the techniques that he discussed were so easy to be applied in our everyday yoga. It is all because the techniques were existed in our body normally.

One technique that I remembered so well was about sitting down properly. Simon Borg Olivier said that the right technique was to rest the tailbone down nicely and let the spine to round normally, almost like when we do cat pose. Turns out that it was the nicest sitting position that I have ever had! When I tried it, I felt the core works in my belly even when I sat down. Wow!

Simon Borg Olivier closed down his so called workshop with some nice yoga movements that felt like doing a ballet. We dance together with him in his movements without any instructions from his mouth. There were only his yoga dance, the yoga music and our dance following his dance. Nice one!

Thank you, Simon Borg Olivier, for the rare and crazy yoga techniques that you shared!

Les Leventhal (Vinyasa Flow Yoga – USA) 

www.yogawithles.com 

Astrid Amalia with Les Leventhal

Les Leventhal is practicing yoga with Simon Park

Les Leventhal is a student of Ana Forrest and Tias Little. His vinyasa flow classes and workshops are steeped in the Forrest tradition and filled with basic technique and alignment cues for all level.

This was not my first yoga class with Les Leventhal, but his class was always like a hidden gift. There were many surprises in the class. Not just ordinary ones, they were crazy ones! Yeah, that is the Les Leventhal I know. If I hear the sound of pop, rock and R n' B music at a yoga class, then I can assume it is his yoga class. Yes, Les Leventhal and the loud music are like a twin. They can not be separated. LOL! From here, then you know that there is always a craziness going on in Les' yoga class. Watch out, people! You will be addicted to it ;-))

His class that I attended was about Arm Balancing and Inversions. He opened the class with some powerful yoga poses that truly brought up our energy. Heat was on and our sweat dropped like rain! His yoga techniques and the hotness of the sun in Ubud were a perfect couple! Oh yeah!

He continued his class with some inversion poses that taught us to face the fear inside ourselves. No matter how afraid we are, just do it! If we can handle our fear, then we will not have any problems with the inversions that we do. Sounds easy to say, but it was so hard to do it. I didn't know how many times I fell off to the floor while my head and nose were kissing the ground. Ah, those sweetest pain in my life only happened in Les' yoga class :-))  

After his class, my body was wet, my muscles were tired and stretched, but my heart was happy. Crazy feeling was all I had :-))

Thank you, Om Les, for such a great class that really challenged my fear, so I could be brave for myself and the others. That was also a good training for the strength and endurance. My muscles were happy and my body felt great. It is always nice to attend your crazy class, Om Les :-)

Louisa Sear (Yoga Arts / Vinyasa Yoga – Australia) 

www.yogarts.com.au 

Astrid Amalia in the middle of Louisa Sears and Daphne Tse 

Louisa Sear teaches the principles of Tantric Advaita Philosophy and specializes in Yoga Teacher Trainings.

One morning when I didn't know what to practice, so I went to her class. Her yoga class was about Slow Vinyasa – Freedom through Practice. Oh yes, it was the right morning yoga class as we moved so slowly in our yoga practice to wake up our body in the morning. I felt like practicing a gentle vinyasa yoga. One breath at a time and hold the pose for some more breaths. Nice!

Outside of the class, it was a hot morning! The sun was really happy to shine so hotly that morning and I placed my yoga mat right above the hot light of the sun. As we moved so slowly in our yoga practice, I could feel my sweat showered my body. It was nice to feel it. Such a sexy feeling I had! It was just like a nice relief after holding back something for such a long time.

Thank you, Louisa, for the nicest practice in the morning. The slow one sometimes is a good one :-)

Lynn Yeo & Sumei Shum (Anusara – Singapore) 

www.spaceandlightyoga.com 

Sumei Shum, Lynn Yeo and Astrid Amalia

Lynn Yeo and Sumei Shum are both Anusara-Inspired yoga teachers. They are meticulous teachers of alignment-based Hatha yoga, specifically in the style of Anusara yoga.

The class of Lynn & Sumei that I attended was Anusara – Explore, Expand, Evolve Back Bends.

At the beginning, I didn't plan to go this class and wanted to go to other class. But one day before the class started, Nick Heng, the Malysian based Master Yoga Trainer for the Fitness First, told me that they were great yoga teachers. So, okay, I tried this class. And.... Nick Heng was right!

The class was a detail practice about back bend. With the right alignments, the back bend practice felt so right.

Lynn and Sumei also taught us that we needed to move our shoulder forward a little bit at our side plank pose and really turn around our shoulders to achieve a perfect back bend. When I did it, it was marvelous! Yes, with the right technique, we could do the back bend poses easily. And, we had so much laughs in this class. Lynn and Sumei could be such funny teachers :-))

Thank you, Lynn Yeo and Sumei Shum, for such a detail practice and such an opener practice for our hearts. Now my heart is so opened to receive the kindness that the Universe offers :-)

Bridget Woods Kramer (Anusara Yoga – UK) 

www.omshop.com

Bridget Woods and Astrid Amalia

Bridget Woods Kramer teaches regular Anusara classes in UK. She is a student of John Friend and also the author of numerous articles and books.

In her Joy to Your Core Breath and Asana class, Bridget was very detail in the core practice. Not so hard, but it hit the right spot. And the class was slowly intensed. There were a lot of Plank pose and Caturanga. And we needed to hold the pose for some million breaths. LOL! Bridget slowly turned on the heat in our body, so we were able to do the peak pose which was Handstand. Oh yeah :-))

The class also became a group session as three or four people gathered to help each others for the handstand pose. This was a very good session for those people who were afraid to fly. From here, I learn that there is always a safe way to fly. And if we are afraid, there is always a helping hand to support you that will make you go stronger and braver.

Thank you, Bridget, for the nice yoga practice. Om! Om! Om!    

Twee Merigan (Prana Flow – USA)

www.tweeyoga.com

Astrid Amalia with Twee Merigan

Twee Merigan is teaching her class at BSF 2013

Twee Merigan is a senior trainer of Prana Flow yoga. She is a student of Shiva Rea.

I knew Twee Merigan from the BSF 2011. That time, she was pregnant. Right now at the BSF 2013, I met her again and she was pregnant again. Yeay! A sexy yoga Mama with her sexy belly :-)

She is always beautiful. I guess her yoga truly keep the beauty in her.

I came to her Returning H-OM to Your Inner Peace class. Her yoga practice was slowly moving from one breath to another breath. There were a lot of of three legged dog and pigeon poses. Such a great hip opening sequences!

There were some inversions too in this class, but I didn't do it. This was the last class I attended at BSF 2013 before leaving to ARMA for the volunteer job at night. I felt a little bit tired, so I skipped some challenging poses and tried to enjoy the class with the remaining power that I had :-)

At the end of the class, when it was the time for us to do the relaxation or Savasana, I saw Twee approached one lady, grabbed her ankles and placed her feet on Twee's upper thighs. After that, Twee moved her hips one side to another like a slow dancing to give a relaxation sensation to the hips of the lady. Before putting down the legs, Twee grabbed the ankles again and made a circle to the left and to the right. Such a beautiful healing work done by Twee Merigan! Sadly, the lady was not me. Oh yeah, how I wanted to be that lucky lady. LOL! But yes, I could feel the healing sensation, especially to the hips part. That is what I call the beauty of yoga. How a simple movement can release and heal the body. And this is the reason why I love Yoga so much!

Thank you, Twee Merigan, for the nice last practice for me at this BSF 2013. Such a nice closing by a beautiful pregnant Mama! Bless you and the baby! And thank you for sharing the “healing hips” technique. I now use it for my yoga clients and they love it so much. Release and heal! Yeay!

Daphne Tse

www.daphnetse.com 

Daphne is a soulful artist originally from Texas. She studied Kirtan with Jai Uttal in Guatemala.

Daphne is a great singer and guitar player. We could see her at almost all the yoga class in the BSF to sing the yoga songs for the class.

Her voice is like the voice of the Angels that caresses and tickles our ears :-))

She can sing softly and nicely without stretching her face. I remember my Dad used to say that a great singer can sing without screaming and change the line of the face. Oh well, how I want to tell my Dad that I just found one singer that matches his describtions :-)

Thank you, Daphne, for all the nice songs you sang at the BSF event. You make all the yoga poses, even the hardest ones, feel so beautiful. Doing the yoga practice with grace sounds so nice with your music at the background. Your voice is a great yoga exercise for our ears :-))

Eric D. Vaughan

Astrid Amalia with Eric Vaughan

Eric is a flute player. He mostly play the Japanese Shakuhachi. His works involves music for meditation and yoga classes.

I think, Eric blows anything that he can grab :-))

I met Eric for the first time at the yoga class with Simon Low. He played the flute softly that some of the people who attended Simon Low's class thought that it was a music from a CD. Woho!

Yes, his music was so peacefully great. It didn't sound like a live music. Very soft and tender, like the wind that blows to our skin and gives a fresh sensation.

I also met him at other yoga classes. And he always brings three instruments with him. What I remember is one instrument from America, and the other one is from Japanese.

Thank you, Eric, for such a soothing music you play. Please, don't stop blowing the goodness of your music...

Bex Tyrer & Carlos 

Bex Tyler and Astrid Amalia

Astrid Amalia with Carlos Romero

Acro Yoga Class for Volunteers at Bali Spirit Festival 2013

Acro Yoga Class for Volunteers at Bali Spirit Festival 2013

As an appreciation for the volunteers, we deserved a free Acro Yoga class. Yeay! This time, some of the teachers in the class were Bex Tyrer and Carlos Romero. I knew them from my YETT. Yeap, another reunion with my teachers! They were the Dynamic Duo for Acro Yoga. As always, their Acro Yoga was fantastic. There were someone who became the base, the second person as the flyer and the third person as the watcher or guard to keep it safe. We learned about supporting each other using our body. It looked hard. But if you had the right alignment and balance, everything would be okay.

After the Acro Yoga session was over, we learned about Thai Massage. Wow! Another free massage for me. LOL!

Thank you, Bex and Carlos, for the nice Acro Yoga. Let's fly and let's support each others!

THE FOUNDERS! 

I am not going to talk about how close I am with these founders. It is too much if I say I know them so well. Of course, everybody knows them. They are so famous :-))

All I want to tell here is about how these founders left very good memories in my head. How I am touched by the kindest personalities that they have.

Robert Webber, Astrid Amalia, Kadek Gunarta and Meghan Pappenheim 

Meghan Pappenheim (Director of the BaliSpirit Group & Executive Producer of the BaliSpirit Festival) 

I met Meghan when I attended the my Yoga Energetics Teacher Training at her Yoga Barn in Ubud. I met her again when she visited a yoga studio in Jakarta where I taught regularly.

She owns many business in Ubud, starting from yoga studio, cafe, foundations, etc. With so many things on her head and on her mind, if she offered me a help on the night before the festival began, I took it as something special and nice. Thank you, Meghan. It was such a lovely help.

Besides that, Meghan is such a loving person for her friends and a loving Mom for her kids. You can find her among her friends and, some many times, with her kids around her :-))

At the Appreciation Night for Volunteers, I held Meghan so tight for just a few second. There was a feeling that I didn't want the BSF to end. And I could feel the warmness there when I held her. Very very very warm!

Again and again... Thank you, Meghan, for creating the BSF that has been a place for me to learn about yoga, love, compassion and life. Honestly, if I didn't attend the BSF, then I wouldn't become a yoga teacher. Yes, I had practiced my yoga for some times, but attending the BSF event was the trigger for me to find a yoga school with Cat Kabira that made who I am today. Love you so, Meghan! Namaste!

Kadek Gunarta (Festival Co-Founder & Cultural Liaison) 

The same like when I met Meghan, I met Kadek when I atended the YETT at his Yoga Barn in Ubud. Mostly, we met at the parking lot right in front of the Barn. During those times, we talked about many things, especially about spiritual things that enriched my knowledge, like fasting, meditation, etc. It was nice to gain spiritual knowledge from this guy.

At the BSF 2013, something funny took place and I am still lauging about it. I was walking inside Purnati Art Center, where the yoga practice at the BSF 2013 took place. When I walked that day, suddenly a big guy gave me a brochure and offered me to take a massage service. I am trained to say no to that kind of services and walk away. That was what I did. As I walked away from the big guy, suddenly I stopped, because I thought I knew who the guy was. As I returned to the guy, yeah I knew who he was! He was Kadek himself! Dang, he fooled me. LOL! Ah yeah! He got me this time :-))

Behind the cool he uses to show people, now I know that he can be both a wise spiritual guy and a clown. I appreciate both of the personalities.

Thank you, Kadek, for all of our conversation about spiritual matters. I miss them so much!

And thanks the jokes. Again, you really got me there :-))

Robert Weber (Co-Founder & Musical Director) 

Most of the time, I saw Robert's face at the guide book of BSF. Even when he passed the gate where I worked at ARMA at night as BSF Volunteer, I still didn't know who he was until a friend told me that he is a founder of BSF. Uuupppsss.... LOL!

When the Appreciation Night for Volunteers was held, I heard Meghan asked Charley Patton from the Yoga Barn to take pictures of the BSF Founders. There I saw Meghan, Kadek, Charley and Robert. So I approached them and asked if I could take a picture with them. The wish was granted. Yeay! So I was standing besides Meghan at the very left side. Suddenly, Robert said: “Hey, let's put her in the middle!”

Aaawww! He said that in a very friendly voice. That was sooo sweet. So, the picture looked so nice as I was in the middle of Robert and Kadek :-))

I had not the chance to thank Robert for the kindness that he offered me. So here in this blog, I would like to thank Robert Weber for being so sweet that night. I was a stranger to you, and I am still, but you brought me into your circle just like an old friend. That is, again, so sweet. Thank you very much, Robert Weber!

THE WORK!

Astrid Amalia as Wristband Checker at BSF 2013

Astrid Amalia as Wristband Checker at BSF 2013

Astrid Amalia and friends as Wristband Checkers at BSF 2013

So here it is! The story about my work at the BSF 2013. My job here was as a Wristband Checker. So my responsibility was to check if the guests that wanted to enter ARMA for the Night Concert had wristband with the right colors for that day. The job was interesting. I felt like a boss who can decide who could enter the venue and who can not. Woho ;-))

I found many interesting facts that I found there, like how some people would do anything to get into the concert. Yes, ANYTHING! Started from giving me sweet faces, forcing me to let them in, etc. Never mind! I am tougher than them :-))

Above of all, the joy to work there was that I worked together with such great people there.

I had fun with Filipe, the other wristband checkers, as we were the front officers at the gate to welcome people with the right wristband and to let people with the wrong wristband to check in at other “payment gate”. LOL! We also had fun listening to the cool music from the stage inside the whole night! Yeah!

I also had a very nice back up from the securities who were behind us. They were easily cooperated and did the favor when the “order” changed in the middle. Thank you, big guys. Somehow, I think all of you are crazy guys :-))

A nice help came from Rino Sudibyo when there was a fact that some people created their own wristband to go inside the venue. LOL! He helped us to stand in front of the gate and watched over those who had that kind of wristband. Thank you, Rino! I miss the jokes we used to throw at each other there. I hope I can work together with you again someday!

Overall, the work I did was fantastic. I did a small thing for the BSF, but hey, I was so happy to do it. Will I do it again next time? Yes, definitely I will! For sure :-))

THE FRIENDSHIP!

Last but not least, this journey would not be the joy one if I didn't have my friends around me. They contributed some laughs and smiles too at this journey!

Chester Tan, Nick Heng, Iveta Ratarova Filipov, Riyo Fukunaga, Astrid Amalia, Valerie Ho

Astrid Amalia, Yingkai Chen, Chester Tan, Riyo Fukunaga, Nick Heng

Nick Heng (Master Yoga Trainer for Fitness First – based in Malaysia), Riyo Fukunaga (Fitness First Instructor in Malaysia), Chester Tan (a Fitness First Instructor in Malaysia), Valerie Ho, Iveta Ratarova and Yingkai Chen 

I knew Nick Heng from his Yoga Master Class at Fitness First in Jakarta. I knew Riyo and Chester when I met them at the last BSF. And I knew the rest of the buddies at this BSF 2013.

Eventhough I met Nick, Riyo and Chester at the previous BSF, but we hadn't spent time together that time. In this BSF 2013, I could feel that I spend almost everyday with them. Yeay!

They journeys with them were so fun. Laugh, laugh, and laugh were all we did! The days with them were full with orgasmic conversations. Some kinda things that felt so uuuhhhmmm... No, trust me, I wasn't the one who started it :-))

We had Moji-licious night at Cinta Grill, did “kuda putih” at our hotel rooms, had piggy lunch at Ibu Oka Restaurant and had a caffeinated late afternoon moment at Anomali Coffee. These hot activities were orgasmically aroused our lips to laugh until we had numb cheeks :-))

But most of all, I appreciate all the discussion that we had. We discussed about many things, especially about yoga practice, yoga philosophy, yoga classes and yoga teachers. I received so many new knowledge about yoga, friendship and life from them.

These buddies also had brought up the best in me. How they accepted who I really was and how we enjoyed every moments with joy.

Thank you, guys, for taking me into your circle. Now I missed every moment of laughters that we did. I hope we can do this again at the next BSF!

Jen DiJulio & Bucky O'Neill 

Astrid Amalia in the middle of Jen DiJulio and Bucky O'Neill

I met Jen and Bucky during the work at Concert Night in ARMA. This couple is sweet and romantic. I just had the joy to watch the things between this two romantic souls. A couple days before I left Ubud, Jen offered me to stay at her house for awhile. It turned to be a nice closing at this journey.  

Jen and Bucky's home is a nice place to stay. A big house with many rooms that has large space in every room. It is a large one that I told Jen that she could open her own yoga studio :-))

The house is located between the rice fields and the monkey forrest. So, in the morning, there is a choice to enjoy the big green rice field or get the “good morning” kisses by the monkeys :-))

Jen & Bucky have two cats living inside the house. It is just sweet and cute to see how they talk to the cats and cuddle them. As the ones that really live in the house are the cats, somehow I think that the real owners of the house are the cats :-))

Thank you, Jen & Bucky, for the offering to stay at your house. I enjoyed the moments when I visited each rooms there and stayed there just to feel the warmness of the house. Just like what they say, home sweet home!

Okay, that is all my journey at the Bali Spirit Festival 2013. I realize there is always brand new exciting experience that I get each time I go to the Bali Spirit Festival. That is what my life is all about.

Astrid Amalia, Gwyn Williams and friend 

Don't stop the journey. Keep walking and exploring. There is always a great discovery in every journeys.

Namaste!

Astrid Amalia with Eoin Finn at BSF 2013

Astrid Amalia with Charley Patton at BSF 2013

Astrid Amalia with Maria Ivanova at BSF 2013

Bali Dance at BSF 2013

Bali Spirit Festival 2013

Astrid Amalia at Bali Spirit Festival 2013