Western education and thinking tends to emphasize the rational mind, categorization, analyzing, splitting, and prominent elements in the foreground of our awareness. In contrast, Balinese tradition, as with many Asian societies, tends to emphasize feeling, intuition, relationship, sensitivity to background context, complexity, balance, and a capacity to embrace change, while maintaining its core, In Bali the arts, healing, spirituality, and community are interwoven in daily life in a way that is unique in the modern world.
“We will form a learning community with working agreements. This community will operate within the larger Balinese community which will allow students 1) to become more at ease with the intercultural and trans-cultural skills, 2) deepen their sense of community, and, 3) help them learn how to balance their own needs with the needs of others”, said David Osgood Ed.D, M.P.H accompanied with his beloved wife Carla Osgood as they lead the UVM students walk across the Balinese Culture through Professor Luh Ketut Suryani’s wise approach in the community.
“I want to share my experience combining both traditional and contemporary approaches to what I call bio-psycho-spirit-socio-cultural well being approach”, said Professor Suryani during her time at the Nirarta Centre in the rice fields and green hills of rural east Bali where the seminar sets the context for their journey, as they settle into the Balinese experience taking time for meditation and reflection recognizing the rural roots of the Balinese way while introducing the themes of the seminar.
