Yoga Aktuell: Shake and laugh!
Ratu Bagus in the spiritual heart of Indonesia offers an unusual and effective therapeutic experience, leaving a deep and lasting impression on his visitors.
TEXT © YANA LA FAE
Some hear the call late in life while others never hear it at all. One of those people to become aware of his destiny at a very early age was Indonesian Brahmin, Ratu Bagus. Even in his youth, the now 70+ year-old healer recognized, what is now known as one of his greatest teachings: Laughter is medicine and it needs to be spread. Since its creation in 1987, Ratu Bagus's ashram has attracted many tourists every year to the "Island of the Gods" also known as Bali. At the invitation of one of his students, I tried out this art of "Shaking Yoga" for myself.
Balinese ceremonies attract a wealth of tourists every year.
Field Report: Shaking Yoga by Ratu Bagus
DISARMINGLY WARM, THE OLD MAN EXUDED CONFIDENCE, LIGHTNESS AND POSITIVITY AND EITHER THROUGH RHYTHMIC PRESSURE OR SUBTLE ENERGY TRANSMISSION - THE SHAKING SEEMED TO FILL MY BODY AT ITS OWN ACCORD.
One late afternoon in Tampaksiring, I got into the car of my client, pleasantly surprised to find his family members and employees were also tagging along. We were a big group packed into three cars, all headed to Ratu Bagus's ashram for his evening shaking session. Endless rice paddy fields drifted past outside the window on that long ride to the island's east end, giving me a chance to calm my mind. A rooster crowed somewhere at a distance. I was excited and nervous. I didn't know much about this mysterious healer, who with a mixture of shakes and energy transfers, could supposedly free the sick from their suffering. My friend, Sophie Amat thought very highly of Katu and his Shaking Yoga. She had already been to his ashram thrice, each time staying several days and according to her, she returned home ''transformed each time'' from the ''refreshing mountains'. But on this matter, the opinions of my friends differed. "No one should claim that they can heal the sick", stated life-coach Björn Arstad-Seyffarth, who found the Shaking Ashram in Muncan very commercial. Björn has not only attended hundreds of yoga events and meditations in his lifetime but he has organized many himself.
Bio-energy shaking meditation in Ratu Bagus's ashram
The Shaking Ashram is located in the small village of Muncan, in the east of the beautiful island of Bali. There, Ratu Bagus teaches practical spirituality, with a self-developed yoga and meditation technique.
Arriving at the ashram, we were warmly welcomed. The ceremony began with a portion of tobacco being sprayed up our noses. Then, we were led into a large, pagoda-like room where the Gayathri mantra is already playing. We were a little late and as I looked around, I saw about thirty others already busy shaking. There were also some tourists. Made, our secretary, seemed to know the programme and within a truly short time went into a trance while shaking.
Taking small tramping steps on the cold floor, I started to move as well. An older woman stepped closer to me, showing me that I had to move my hands when I shake to feel the energy. Slowly, I got into the groove, my movements intensifying with each passing minute. Then, an older man, dressed in simple, traditional clothes with his long hair tied into a knot, entered the room. He was the Guru. Seemingly content, he moved through the room, greeting some of the Balinese men till he reached my business partner, who pointed at me. At this point, the guru approached me and placed one hand on my spine. Either through rhythmic pressure or subtle energy transfer - the shaking then seemed to fill my whole body on its own accord. In his disarming warmth, the old man exuded confidence, positivity, and lightness.
Hailed as one of Asia's most skilled energy healers, Ratu Bagus's has developed a technique, which is methodologically known as Bio-energetic Shaking Meditation. Its aim is to establish a connection to the divine through shaking, laughing, mantra-chanting and energy healing. In his courses, Ratu passes on his wisdom and knowledge, in turn training others to become spiritual healers.
“Where laughter and joy reign, pain has no place.”
"In the Shaking Ashram, people are cured of their illnesses. Because where laughter and joy reign, pain has no place," says of mine, who owns several companies in Tampaksiring. He speaks highly of the Balinese Guru, under whom he himself trained as an apprentice for some time. But the unique technique is not limited only to the Balinese. Not only thousands of spiritual tourists visit the "Island of the Gods" to learn from Ratu Bagus from all over the world but groups also regularly gather in other countries for his shaking meditations. In the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Australia in particular, the healer has a big following and programmes range from one-day "shakes" to week-long retreats.
AN INTENSE EXPERIENCE
Back in the ashram, we were still rhythmically chanting the Gayathri mantra and Made, the secretary was bouncing backwards through the room like a rubber ball. When against the wall, he rolled to the floor and remained there, twitching. Watching this, I must have had many questions written all over my face because my business partner simply answered, "He is very sensitive''. The shaking meditation lasted for about an hour and a half and when I finally rested, my limbs seemed to thank me. Little had I known that the continuous shaking would be almost as exhausting as a tango milonga!
Canang Sari are the Balinese prayer offerings. They are freshly made on a daily basis and supposed to remind us that everything passes
Afterwards, we even had an opportunity for a personal conversation with the guru. Ratu, whose nickname "Bagus" means "good" in Indonesian, answered my questions, imparting some good advice. He explained that shaking meditation made people more active, creative, and positive. "Shared joy helps us to banish illness," said the Balinese guru with his alert gaze. He also told me that people were so caught up in their daily lives that they forgot themselves, falling physically or mentally ill. Many of the people who came to Muncan would never otherwise spend time alone. They fulfilled family duties or were too focused on their work. Others took care of people in need. Shaking them for hours helped in detaching them from their recurring negative thought processes or simply returning to themselves. Therefore, the effect of a visit to the ashram was often very healing.
Yoga teacher Emma Öberg, who runs a yoga center in Sweden, remembers her first visit to Ratu: "At the beginning I was a bit skeptical because at that time you had to stay at least five days at the ashram on your first visit. Since I was in Bali with my family, I was reluctant to leave my husband alone with the children." But the recommendation of a good friend finally made her give shaking yoga a chance. This spiritual encounter with herself was more intense than she ever thought possible. She describes it as "pure joy and bliss", combined with extremely clear insights about life. Based on her own positive experience, she went on to bring several Swedish yoga tour groups to Ratu Bagus. "Shaking meditation is much more intense than other programmes. Within a short time, the thoughts go out, and after a few days you notice every muscle in your body." Meditation has repeatedly brought inner peace to her and the participants of her yoga trips, many of whom have turned their entire lives around after the transformative Bali trip.
Emma shared some photos, taken during her visits to Ratu’s Ashram:
Björn Arstad-Seyffarrh confirms: "Shaking can be quite healing, especially for trauma patients with deep-seated negative experiences. In the animal world, we find the same behavior in traumatized dogs, for example. In terms of content, the technique can be compared with Osho's active Kundalini Meditation. But the Shaking Meditation is much longer. It is intense to shake yourself meditatively for several days, six hours a day. But for some people it's a good way back to themselves". He has seen many years of Bali spiritual tourism go by and recounts an experience from 2013. "The first time I went to the ashram, they were still playing techno music and I found that more authentic than the Gayathri mantra, which is a spiritual standard now in many centers. The music supported the shaking and intensified it many times over." But times have changed.
“Shaking can be healing for trauma patients with deep-seated negative experiences.”
Alison Schmidt, who has lived in Bali for years, is drawn to Muncan because of the guru's love, which she describes as "god-like": "If it weren't so expensive, I would be there much more often," she says. Daily prices vary between 52 and 115 euros. For first time visitors, a stay of at least five days is planned.
Personal Conclusion
My ashram visit ended and we headed back. As palm trees and rice fields passed by again in the darkness of the night, I reflected on the encounter. Although, I did not think much of spiritual cults myself, I had found the guru with the positive charisma extremely likeable. Also, I had to admit that something changes as soon as the laughing guru entered the room.
Bio-energetic shaking meditation
… seems to be a promising method, especially when dealing with stuck patterns. Even today, Ratu Bagus brings healing to his local community and to people from other countries, who are attracted by his unique technique and warm nature. Courtesy of the Corona Virus, shaking meditations can now be experienced via Zoom and Skype. The ashram's website offers shakes from Belgium, England, and Germany. The "Zoom Shakes" are free of charge.
Yana la Fae is an independent communications consultant and yoga teacher. In her teaching, the Berlin native takes an either-and approach, because for her, yoga must be close to people and to be integrated into everyday life. Combining Yoga and Team Flow Theory, she creates a modern approach to elevate self awareness and team processes.
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This print article was published in Yoga Aktuell #4-2020