Ngaturang Sukur

Which is Balinese for Gratitude, and the topic of my post today! As I've just come back from a trip to one of my favourite places, I thought you might be interested to read a little about some of the beautiful things about Bali. I'm going to write about their rich textile history and the meaning behind it next week.

Everywhere you go in Bali, you will see these little baskets left on the sidewalk, on walls and in niches. They are outside home and shops, in the big hotels and resorts, and in tiny roadside dwellings and even on bicycles and scooters. By the end of the day, they have often been crushed underfoot, blown over by the wind or rained on. What are they?

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The vast majority of Balinese people - around 80% of the population - practise their own special brand of Hinduism, not found anywhere else in the world. It's called Agama Hindu Dharma. It's a beautiful blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, and ancient local traditions that focus on harmony, community, spiritual connectivity and gratitude. What makes Balinese Hinduism unique is how seamlessly spirituality flows into daily life. It’s not confined to temples; it lives in homes, rice fields, and even busy streets. 

Each morning, before the day begins, Balinese people take a quiet moment to prepare canang sari, small, handwoven palm-leaf trays filled with flowers, rice, and incense, and each is lovingly made, often by women, as an act of devotion and mindfulness. A tiny piece of craft, every morning, to connect yourself with the day.

Canang sari reflects the Balinese philosophy of gratitude and balance. Canang means tray, while sari means essence, together symbolizing a heartfelt offering of thanks to the gods for harmony and blessings. These offerings maintain balance between the seen (sekala) and unseen (niskala) worlds, reminding everyone that peace comes from living in harmony with people, nature, and the divine.

Balinese have a lot of festivals, and all have a different purpose. We were in Bali for Galungan, which marks the victory of good over evil, and reminds everyone to live with kindness and harmony. It is celebrated with temple offerings, decorated streets, and family gatherings. The resort was decorated with hand woven straw pieces, and as we drove through the streets coming from the airport there were stalls every few feet, full of people hand weaving these garlands and wreaths to be ready for the celebration. 

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Did you know that the Balinese spend 25% of every day in the practise of gratitude? In Balinese culture, gratitude is not a reaction to happiness, it is the source of it.

Just going to drop that again - 

Gratitude is not the reaction to happiness, it is the source of it.

What a beautiful thing to realise. If we spent the day being grateful for what we already have, what is right in front of us, it would make us happy. No wonder the Balinese are such a beautiful, gentle people. 

This wasn't meant to be a sermon :) I had started researching about Balinese fabrics for your post and started thinking about all the other things I love about Bali, and went down this rabbit hole!

And so today, I'm going to say that I'm grateful for you guys, Smites! I'm grateful that you pop in to read my ramblings. I'm grateful for the daily chance to create things with my hands, and I'm grateful that I am about to hop in the car and go on a quilting retreat for four days!! And I'm not even teaching at it either, I'm going to hang about and sew and chat with my friends. I will be working - I was SO hoping to have my work sewing done so I could play with something, but I tore my rotator cuff and I haven't been able to sew, so things are veeeeery slow - but I can still sew, and I'm grateful for that, and a torn shoulder muscle doesn't stop you chatting a drinking wine!!

I hope you enjoyed my little foray into Balinese kindness with a little crafting mixed in.... fabric and a retreat recap for you next week. Stitch happy everyone!

Sarah x