Rezeki

Some years ago I began to be sensitive to the idea of ‘energy’. Perhaps Lyall Watson’s book ‘Gift of Unknown Things’ started it all rolling way back in 1986. My flatmate (well actually landlord though we seemed more to be flatmates than anything) had a copy of the book and I devoured it.

Then also ‘Supernature’ the book which really launched Lyall’s literary career while just about killing off his scientific one. I guess scientists who set out to find the link between mythology or superstition and science don’t get greeted too warmly in those academic circles.

One story in ‘Gift’ sticks in my mind till today. Well, a few do actually, but this one I have told and retold many times. If I remember correctly, Lyall spent a year in a small community in Indonesia, getting to know the people, their customs and so on. One festival - was it a harvest festival? - he gathered with the villagers in a rice field late one evening, waiting for the signal from the village headman to begin the festivities. The headman in turn waited for a signal from the ‘Ketua Adat’ or head of customs and traditions, who seemed to be listening to the heavens. Lyall concentrated hard and thought he eventually could hear the wash of the stars in that brilliant twinkling night.


Then, the Ketua Adat heard something, waved his arm and a big drum was sounded, signaling the start of the celebration. All through the night and for the next 24 hours, there was music and dancing and merriment. And that big drum. It sounded out its own rhythm, completely out of time from the music, yet consistent and regular. Lyall took a note of how many times the drum was sounded in an hour or so and thought no more of it until some years later when he was doing some reading on Resonance.

It seems the Earth has a heartbeat - every so often, there is a peak in all the vibrations and the Earth, as a complete entity, lets out a heartbeat as it were.

What was startling was that the frequency of that beat was exactly the same as the frequency of that big drum in the middle of that rice field in Indonesia.

Somehow, these simple folk could tap in to the rhythm of the Earth. It was that which the Ketua Adat was listening to that night.

I have never been sensitive to that beat, but in the last decade or so I have realised I am indeed sensitive to other things. I am completely uneducated in this area - despite the fact I once owned a holistic business which offered yoga classes, tarot and angel card readings sold ‘new age’ books and where I practiced as a hypnotherapist.

In the last few years though I have become more attuned to the ‘feel’ of a person or a place. Acting completely on instinct, I’ve become sensitised towards the energy of someone or someplace. People and places give off signals which I interpret in my own way - some people give off good ‘vibes’ and other don’t. Some places are great to work in, others to relax in and so on.

When Mei and I got married and moved to the flat we now occupy, it felt to be a great place to live. There was, and continues to have, a great sense of calm and warmth. Certainly I have never felt more loved or loving in any other place.

And yet, that energy changes - it is affected by people and things. Not long after we moved in, I felt a slight negativity I the air. I put up with it for some time as it really wasn’t a big deal. But eventually I figured it was time to develop other skills so we chose and bought a Singing Bowl - one we chose after testing quite a few. This one sounded just right - completely on instinct of course.

We made it peal and sing and did our own instinctive ‘space clearing’ and the flat felt so different after that.

More recently, I had a friend come over who just about swims in negativity - to her, everything had a ‘no’ or ‘but’ or ‘cannot’. Even with my positivity, I made no dent in that aura she insisted on carrying about her person.

The next day, I could feel remnants of it hanging about the place and so for the first time in months took the singing bowl off the shelf, walked around the flat and cleared the space.

And how that bowl sang that day! It was almost as if it was rising to the challenge with gusto.

‘Energy’ is an interesting idea. I’ve walked into flats and offices which have just felt so ‘dead’. And invariably these places are associated with problems, illness and so on. And yet, it can be so easy to make incremental changes.

One good way is to do what the Malay kampung folk have done for generations. Their kampung houses are closed up at night to prevent animals and other unwelcome guests from coming in. In the morning - and those are very early mornings indeed as people prepare for the Azan Subuh or early morning prayers - the wooden shutters are flung open to let in Rezeki or Good Fortune.

It isn’t just the quality of air in a kampung, for I get the same effect living in a flat in Singapore. You should try it too - fling open the windows of your flat early in the morning and stand there for a minute or two, breathing deeply. Make sure it’s early. Close your eyes if you want to. There’s a freshness in the air, the smell of grass or morning dew perhaps, which invigorates. And energises. It clears the head and sets the tone for a great day ahead.