Day Five, Friday, March 20
After teachings and breakfast, the rest of the day is devoted to learning about Sacred Sexuality and Sexual Healing led by Lisa and Laz.

We will have dinner together followed by a very special treat – the annual Ogoh-ogoh parade, Bali’s New Years Eve celebration.

Today is the day before Nyepi, the Balinese New Year and the focus is on the underworld and addressing demonic energies. During the day throughout Bali, households and businesses scare away the demons and evil spirits by banging pots and pans and making a huge racket. In the evening, giant, brightly painted, papier mache ogres, called Ogoh-ogoh, are paraded through the streets of each village accompanied by the loud percussive music of gongs and drums.

Ogoh-ogoh are meant to purify the natural environment of any spiritual pollutants. At each intersection the Ogoh-ogoh are rotated counter clockwise three times to further bewilder and confuse the evil spirits so that they will go away and cease interfering with the humans. At the end of the procession, the Ogoh-ogoh are burned in a further symbolic purification. In Ubud, it’s a huge, joyful celebration with dozens of Ogoh-ogoh made by different community organizations in competition to see who can create the scariest ogre. Everyone comes out to join in the fun.