SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, bali, meditation, mantra, beads, mala, wear, balinese, called, meditate, india, beautiful, nice, world, feel, bit, long, podcast, gayatri mantra, grateful
SPEAKERS
Martin O'Toole, Soma Temple, Julia Malcolmson
Soma Temple 00:37
Aum
Martin O'Toole 00:56
beautiful,
Julia Malcolmson 00:57
what a nice way to start the podcast?
Soma Temple 00:59
Yeah.
Martin O'Toole 01:01
We should leave that in as well. Yeah, definitely.
Soma Temple 01:04
Definitely brings us all here
Martin O'Toole 01:06
present after all the technological issues. So thank you so much for having us at your home today.
Soma Temple 01:12
It's a pleasure to have you here
Julia Malcolmson 01:14
was so peaceful isn't
Martin O'Toole 01:15
very grateful, Super peaceful to explain where we are broadly for our listeners slash watchers. So we're in the countryside, outside the town of Uber, which is kind of in the centre of Bali, for those of you that are familiar, but we're kind of on a valley side. Is it safe to say that along valley that goes that way then?
Soma Temple 01:35
Yeah, it's a river that runs along here, um, further to the north. It's one of the most sacred rivers of Bali actually. Putana. Amman. Putana.
Martin O'Toole 01:45
Nice. Well, one thing's for sure. It's a Super what's it called
Soma Temple 01:50
Tucad patano
Julia Malcolmson 01:52
What does that mean?
Soma Temple 01:54
To cut them into River and Balinese and Putana is just the name of it. But it has a big legend to it that I don't know very well. But it's similar to the legend of the Ganga, actually, where a lot of people were killed and they asked and did penance for it all to be cleared. And this wiped away all the sins and the people that were had been killed on here. So it's a this quite an interesting story.
Martin O'Toole 02:21
It's now incredibly peaceful. I don't know you've been in Bali a long time. But I've heard many stories from people about spirits particularly around the waterways of Bali. And I've known we've had a few people tell us stories, aren't we? who live by the waterside in some places having visitations from I guess dead people? Have you? Have you had any interactions with it? When are you with no not
Soma Temple 02:49
really dead people? They're just people not in the body, or the spirits and not in the body?
Martin O'Toole 02:54
Body free
Soma Temple 02:55
Yeah. Well, actually, on this river, I have had a few experiences. When I first moved here, there was a lot of mining going on on the side of the river because it has PATA switches are one of the stones that they used to build here. And they were mining you can see it over here on the side. super noisy, super annoying, super invasive for the river. And it did a lot of does a lot of damage to the river itself. Because a lot of silt goes into there and did changes the waterway, the watercourse and things. And I had the spirit of the river come to me and ask for help. And she was crying. And so we've kind of worked to help at least move it away from where we are. And she actually came we see the spirit of light when we do ceremonies here. And she comes in she said, thank you. And yeah, Bali is full of spirits. I mean, everywhere is it's just Balinese, they they recognise them and they're taught to see them. So they're more visible here. A little bit more obvious than in other places.
Julia Malcolmson 03:59
Yeah, you can definitely feel it. in Bali,
Martin O'Toole 04:02
you can I tend to think, in a place as holy as barley where, where people are so devoted to prayer and meditation, it makes perfect sense to me that the veil would be thinner for those people, right. And of course, they're significantly more open to what some might say, called paranormal some might call metaphysical. I guess a regular person would just say things that you that some of us can't see or hear. Because they're not on the traditional spectrum. That doesn't mean that it's not their hair, does it?
Soma Temple 04:36
No. And I think that they're taught from a very young age to see it and recognise it. So it's part of their conditioning as part of their education, where in the Western countries, we're not taught that we don't mean a lot of people would question if it even exists. So I think here, there is no question for them that it exists and is part of their daily life actually. In our and worshipping the ancestors those who came before us. And yeah,
Julia Malcolmson 05:06
I think it's a really lovely connection to have. Because often, you notice in the West like children, they do see things but from a very young age, they're told that they duck they can't see it. It's very quickly sort of it's put to bed isn't that
Martin O'Toole 05:19
that's true? Well, I we talked about this on another episode of the podcast. But when I was a kid, I was astral travelling and seeing ghosts speaking to ghosts, all sorts of things. And it was a regular occurrence. Probably even into my 30s I had a conversation with a former partners dead empty, which was quite surprising to my partner because we were in a beach shack in Goa at the time and the woman was Italians didn't quite make sense geographically. But as I tried to explain, there's no time or space in the astral so. But yeah, we are we were trained in the West to believe that we're not all we're making it up all the same things, aren't we? So it's one of the things we do talk about it on the podcast quite a lot. And I think is because we are over here talking to so many people who are significantly more open to such things. So anyway, that's not why we're here. What I mean?
Soma Temple 06:16
So connected, so
Martin O'Toole 06:18
I'm sure we could work out some tenuous or less than tenuous, Link. So we're here to talk to you so much today, I think about a number of things. So if I can explain briefly for our listeners, slash viewers, we did an incredible workshop last week, didn't we? Yes, last week, with your organiser, your company on the fracture. And we made we made these mala beads for one another, didn't we? I'll sort of we'll wave it over here at the camera, in case you're watching a video, but if not, you're just gonna have to
Soma Temple 06:50
I didn't make these last week, but they're still
Martin O'Toole 06:56
beautiful Marla's
Soma Temple 06:57
I always wear them.
Martin O'Toole 06:58
So if you don't know what Amala is, and you just listened to this in audio, then feel free to check it out. Ma L. A, but we're going to talk about Marla's today. And I suppose because you've got an incredible story coming here before you even began the Marla journey. So I'd love to talk to you today about how you got to Bali, how you got into creating Marla's. What's the redirection? And also I'd love to talk about meditation because I think meditation and mantras are what? bring this all together? And yeah, hopefully we've got some some information and utilities for our listeners, wherever they are. So yeah, should we talk about you coming to Bali in the first place? I was thinking about that. We were talking about that in the car. You've been here 28 years.
Soma Temple 07:47
38 years.
Martin O'Toole 07:49
Wow. So you must have seen all manner of change on this island. Like crazy amount of change?
Soma Temple 07:58
Yeah, it's amazing. Because I just felt called here. I saw, I was raised born again, Christian. And in the church there, they would have missionaries that were in different places of the world. Come and speak at the church. And so they should have a slideshow of this amazingly beautiful place. And I remember looking at the rice fields, and it was a slideshow of Bali in Indonesia. And there were some missionaries that were here. And I remember seeing this and I was like, wow. One day I'm gonna live there.
Martin O'Toole 08:37
Nice manifestation. And it is somehow
Soma Temple 08:39
you know, then when I was a little bit older in my 20s I did one of my first workshops, I've always been interested in more phys esoteric metaphysical things, having the background that I had, but I always questioned why, like, there's more to it than what they were teaching me and I kept night. You mean all the Indians are going to hell? And so that meant the brother needs to somehow you know what, I didn't really realise that then. Then I was told that I had a past life in a place called solar in Indonesia. And I was like, 19, and I was like, where's anyway, long story short. I was living as a hippie and had two kids living off the grid. And in the middle of nowhere, which country in United States in California. And I just told us, and they were three and five years old, and I was like, Oh, I have to buy the whole American dream the two car garage and send my kids to public school and get bank accounts and all this kind of thing. And I was like, Oh, before we do that, let's travel around Southeast Asia. So we flew first. into Bangkok and then travelled overland all the way into Indonesia. And we were on our way to Nepal. But when I got to Bali for me, the minute I stepped off the plane was I'm home. That was it. This is it, and I did it better someone would have told me then I would still be living here. 38 years later, I was gone or that what, you know, just happened and I felt very at home here immediately. And Bali really embraced me which I think is Bali has that way where it either embraces your kicks you out, you know, I watch it over and over and over. people either love it or hate it, you know, or have had really bad experiences. Also. It's a quite black and white kind of country. A lot of grey area here.
Martin O'Toole 10:44
Yeah, it's interesting to use the word embrace, I often often use the same word. And I don't know what it was like. I don't know what it's been like, since you moved 38 years ago. But my limited experience. I've only been here since 2019. But but I've seen many, many, many people, broken people, for want of a better word come to Bali gravitate toward the place and I don't think it's necessarily right. I'm going to go I'm going to Bali because there's a healing centre or this. They just gravitate and I was one of those people I gravitated. I'm a recovered addict and alcoholic as I told you pray. And I gravitated and, and did some significant healing. The island just gave me a great big cuddle.
Julia Malcolmson 11:25
The island does call you doesn't it because I I'd been to Bali a couple of times. And then I was kind of mid. Obviously, I've always been quite nomadic and I didn't really know where I wanted to go. And I was also recovering from a breakup and wanting to heal my heart. I kept getting the message go to Bali. And I kept saying I don't want to go to Bali. I've been to Bali. Like it wasn't where I wanted to be. And I kept I kept ignoring it. And then eventually I was like, Okay, I get the message. I came back to Bali. And you know, I've now been here ever since. So we met here. This is where we met as well. Oh, wow. That's amazing. And not long after was it like you know, I came to Bali? I spent some time here and then we met in Ubud over coconut. No Yeah. Then we decided to stay definitely calls you
Martin O'Toole 12:10
she did and well, I suppose she called you but then she didn't let you go either or at least didn't because you were kind of stuck here. And that's not why you chose to move in with me though.
Soma Temple 12:23
But I love those stories of those people that got locked down here came here for a short time and then they got stuck here and now they this is a home for them. And it's amazing. Yeah,
Martin O'Toole 12:31
an interesting I'm from our perspective, we we just we moved in together incredibly quickly. But and through a time where I know a lot of people in the West, for example, read their relationships really struggled during lockdown for obvious reasons. You know, it makes a lot of sense when you when you're trapped into a smart contract in a small space. But we thrived. Doesn't mean not to gloat. But I think if there's a if there's a good test of whether a relationship works, it's called the lockdown. Sure. Everybody can approve
Julia Malcolmson 13:04
we were very lucky to be locked down in Bali.
Martin O'Toole 13:06
We were locked down in a in a quite a spacious villa on the beach. Yeah, so it wasn't that bad. I can't really draw comparisons to people in a small apartment in New York or London or Copenhagen or whatever. Okay, so 38 years ago, you moved to Bali. And so how did you how did you happen upon the mala bead, the Mala? Mala mala beads, what they called mala beads, but particularly the rudraksha Yeah,
Soma Temple 13:37
well, I didn't start when I came here. I was actually when I first came here, I started well, I've always worked with beads on my life. So when I first came here, I started doing little things like with beads and made a bunch of clothes. The Balinese there I was always a craftsperson. It's always working with beads, working with leather, making bags, different things like this. So when I came here at the beginning, obviously, I still felt them have to go back to the west. So I started making collections of things to take back and sell. And when a Reese's ran out, we went back to the United States and our money ran out, went back to the United States with two children. And within a week, I sold everything and I was like, Okay, there's a lot of really creative people on this island that can make things for me, I don't have to make it all by myself. And so that's kind of how it started but making beaded shoes, doing different things like this and then in 1992, I had a very strong calling to India. And it was during a massage where I had like a really a way on awakening. And during the massage the person said to me, he didn't say one word an hour and a half. But at one point in the massage every cell in my being woke up and it was like, everything became super clear. And it was like being given all this information. And he said, This is who you really are. And then he went on massaging me at the end. I'm like, she wasn't me. But what was that?
Martin O'Toole 15:17
body work on
Soma Temple 15:19
steroids. And he said, Well, I've just been with this teacher in India named Papaji. And I recognise that you're seeing your true self in this moment. Wow. And I had heard of him. But I never wanted to Gu in my life, I actually ran away from it. I was around a lot of people with different rules and different things. And I was like, no, no, no, no, I don't want that. And this one just says, like, I gotta go. So week later, I was on a plane to India and ashram. It wasn't an ashram. He didn't have an ashram. He didn't want one because he always felt once he was an ashram, there's always corruption. And so his was had no money, there was no fees, there was no business, nothing like this whatsoever. So I went, I keep telling my story. So, so I went there, I stayed for days, and just knew my life was never going to be the same. And then I went back, because I have children and husband and I had three children. I'm at this point. And I went back and the minute my husband looked at me to his, like, what happened to you? Who are you? And exactly, and many other people, I had other friends coming in, they're just like, oh, we have to go. So then I would go on and off as much as possible. Take my kids without my kids, my husband went, we all had very profound experiences and immediately recognised him. And Sam, it was just this instantaneous. There was no questions on my part, no doubts, no, nothing. The minute I met him, I knew this man is like no one I've ever met in His presence. And I just really, I think, surrendered in that moment. And at one point, a few years down the road. He called me he had someone in his house, look for me, find some or find some. Finally, they find me and they said, poverty is looking everywhere for you. That's so strange. You know, like the 1000s of people go to see him and like that he's asking for me. And then he said, Oh, I can never find you. You're never here. And I'm like, I eat dinner with you every night. I didn't say this to Him. But I'm like thinking like, this. Amazing. I was always felt so privileged that I was invited to eat dinner at his house. So he sat me down. And he started talking to me a lot about my life and things in my life, and things related to my husband and my children and everything. And he said, it's really, really important that you make reduction models and spread them to the world. He said, The world is in total chaos. And if everyone in the world was wearing reduction beats, the world would be at peace. And he said, you live close to the best Rudraksha beats in the world. And the most people don't know this. They actually they come from Java, from the ancient period of the Mangiapane, which is back in the 1400s in Indonesia, prior to Bali, actually. And so these trees were there, I came back and I'm looking at him thinking, Oh, well, I have three kids in private school, my international lifestyle, somehow we travel because here you can only stay so long with a visa at that time. But he told me to do it. Okay, so I'm going to start and then I remembered that when I was 18 years old, I'd found a mala and some street fair and had bought it not knowing any idea what it was, but I was attracted to it because it was made out of a sustainable material. It was looked like wood to me, I didn't know what it was, but it's it was it's a seed. So I took that Mala, and I kept taking it apart and mixing it with gemstones. And I still have it. And then I remembered I said, Aha, I know how I can get all these people in the world to wherever drugs should be just mixing with stones and you know, a little bit of bling bling. is everyone's attracted to bling. So that's kind of how it started. And honestly, when it first I started doing it, I did it as a hobby and because I was told to and I never ever, ever intended to make a brand out of it or a business. I wanted to start a mission. And I did that. And now we see malas everywhere in the world. So I feel like my mission is kind of completed in a way, even though I'm still involved in the business and still really enjoy it, but that's how it started and really out of innocence centre. A little questioning actually do because I'm like the Saudis bees, I gotta sell them to the world like, wow, okay.
Martin O'Toole 20:16
There was no sales and marketing either it's just you've got to sell them. Yeah, yeah, I can relate to that a message from the Ayahuasca to do something, which is another podcast, but I just did it. And it's happening.
Julia Malcolmson 20:31
I had no idea these beads were from Java.
Martin O'Toole 20:34
No, it didn't.
Soma Temple 20:35
Yeah, they're originally from Java, they grow on trees, so they're very sustainable. Inside of each. Well, it's a fruit. It's a bright cobalt blue fruit. And inside each fruit is one beat. So they grow as they look like grapes and the trees and their trees get quite big. I've seen huge reduction trees. They have come in many different places in the world. Also in Australia, the quondam tree is a form of reduction different jenis. So they don't have as much prana in them as these. And some of them. Like in India and Nepal. They also have a lot of Rudraksha beads come from there. But in India, they really treasure the ones that come from Indonesia. Oh, wow. Yeah. Okay.
Martin O'Toole 21:26
Why? Why do they treasure the ones from Indonesia in particular?
Soma Temple 21:29
They say that they have more prana in them more lifeforce. Yeah, and they're stronger. And they're also smaller. Okay. Like I don't have these aren't super small the ones I'm wearing but we they come even smaller than this. This is like six seven Millie. And they come all the way to formally three mil even. Which is really really tiny ones. Yeah, like this bracelet is 3 million. So it's just really tiny. So drilling holes in these are real patients. These guys love this. This is kind of the glasses even magnifying glasses. For me. I would be drilling holes in my fingers for sure.
Julia Malcolmson 22:12
Because also they come really big, don't they? You can get really big one. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, I've got one that well. Here's one
Martin O'Toole 22:20
on this new necklace that someone made me last week, actually. Very nice. Thanks. For the absence of doubt, this is the one that Jules made for me. And she thinks it's really nice. I think it's really nice, too. So
Soma Temple 22:33
it was really beautiful seeing the two of you in Milan making workshop. Because we love for people to make their own. There's something about it. When they string their own. They choose their own stones. And I'm always amazed at the different combinations that people come up with. It's very unique to themselves. And you guys are amazing, because you kind of designed your own I think you designed each other's Yeah, so
Julia Malcolmson 22:58
I designed and made Martin's one
Soma Temple 23:00
I knew you made it but you designed yeah, love. Yeah, that's fantastic.
Martin O'Toole 23:04
Yeah, it was a good. Well, you can see actually from the from the dress that yeah, Jules is wearing and the tattoo as well. You green sort of turquoise, the light blue is your jam out there. And like in yellow is actually one of my favourite colour colour combinations. So imagine if a relationship there was like a relationship test where everyone had to fail. It's not going to last, you've just saved yourself 20 years of misery onto the next.
Julia Malcolmson 23:32
But it was a really beautiful thing to do together. But I also want to come back and make my own as well. You can never have too many.
Martin O'Toole 23:38
No, I agree. I think especially women. I have a lot. I'm into them too. So I'm gonna do the same thing. So just explain to those listening. Obviously, you can you can buy these things in the shops, but we I can't remember how I happened upon it. But I have I learned that you guys were doing these workshops. And I think this is the first time you've done the post post pandemic. Is that right?
24:02
Yes. Well, we've done a few private ones. During the pandemic. This
Martin O'Toole 24:06
was a group session at the yoga barn in Ubud and I understand you do them elsewhere as well. You do them in your workshop. In Uluwatu,
Soma Temple 24:13
we do matter workshop. We also people that are doing like yoga retreats or teacher trainings, they also often included as one day into their or half a day into their workshops. You know, they have like long workshops. They'll ask us to come even a week long a weekend. We do many sometimes even baby showers I mean, Mary I mean all kinds of events a birthday party, they all the girls want to get together and do that with their girlfriend so we do it wherever they we ask, you know are asked if there's you know up to five participants, we will do it anywhere.
Martin O'Toole 24:47
So wonderful. I found a wonderful meditation as much as it was fairly hectic because I actually delayed the whole process. I'd made everybody late.
Julia Malcolmson 24:57
Let's go back a little bit because it started off As a I'm taking you on a romantic date, which was like, Oh, I can't believe he's actually this. You know, what a beautiful surprise.
Martin O'Toole 25:08
I am romantic occasionally.
Julia Malcolmson 25:11
We've had this conversation. I'm so surprised, and it was really beautiful. And then he went actually, do you mind if we make it a podcast? Yeah. Guilty. Yeah, he actually owes me another date. So
Martin O'Toole 25:23
we'll organise something separate. But it was a wonderful podcast opportunity. Because obviously, for all the reasons we're having this conversation, it struck me that we could tell people about a whole other perspective of, of devotion and meditation that people may not understand in the West. I didn't know what these things were. I had no idea. Yeah. Probably appropriate for me to tell my mother the other day but so I'm wearing a two Mala necklaces right now. One that I made, the jewels made and the other ones, I think quite an old one. In the looks of it. I think this is made out of wood, isn't it Sun Sandalwood perhaps. And long story short, I had been in a in an event in Ebert. And somebody was wearing one just like this dark brown, wood and red tassel. And I really just resonated resonated with me. So I decided I wanted one and I came back to Uber. And as you can attest, every shop down the Monkey Forest Road sells mala beads, right? So I went into every shop looking for this for these maladies every shop, and I couldn't find the ones I wanted. So I thought, Well, fair enough. It's It's not meant to be. And a couple of days later, I did this gratitude meditation that I often do in the morning. And it's actually a guided meditation by Dr. Joe Dispenza. And in the meditation he invites you is if you feel as though you connected with the Divine, during this meditation, ask for assigned. And I'd never thought to do so. But I did on this occasion. And then, I don't know, couple of hours later, my dog and I are walking along the beach. And this is a deserted stretch of beach, north of Qatar Well, on the east coast. And I'm in the water, you know, kind of Shin deep in the water. And I felt something hit me on the leg. And I looked down. And it's these beads. And they're exactly the beads that I wanted to have. So I just picked them out of the sea, put them on my foot them over my head, looked up to the sky said thanks. And just kept walking. I mean, it's a pretty incredible story. And every time it leaves you go, No, you're just making that up. It just sounds like a great story. But yeah, so that was my introduction to mother beats. And the funny thing is, I'd never thought to, to understand more about them is as good as 2019 when I did that, but then I always think that these lessons come to us when we're ready, right? And I think we have to be open to learning stuff. And even though the universe gives you the opportunity to learn a lesson, you're not ready, you're not ready, you just move on. But it always comes back, isn't it? And then funnily enough, it came back to the extent where we're talking to you, the founder of of a company that makes these, and it's cool, and you've spread the message. So what do you do these, these all yours? Your beads all over the world? Now?
Soma Temple 28:14
Yes, we have distributors in many countries, obviously, the United States, Australia, Brazil, South America, France, and Mexico. And whenever anyone has an interest, we're always very happy to support them, because we really want them to be spread to other parts of the world. And so yeah, we're our company, we have 22 people that work there. And we've managed to keep every single employee all through the pandemic. And yeah, I was just like, No, these people, we have to make this happen. And it just did. And it was really beautiful. So just finally, now that you know, things are going back to normal, it's like, oh, yeah, we did it. We took care of all those people in all their families to you know, when you have so many people, depending on you and all the suppliers of the Rudraksha beads in the plantations and things also, you know, so just as support for all of them. And they're all we also do, our company is quite unique in that I really believe in giving back. So we give 30% of our profits back to the employees
Martin O'Toole 29:24
nice and cooperative shareholding.
Soma Temple 29:28
So during the pandemic, we didn't have a lot of profit. Actually none we just had, the company was strong. So we did make it through. But we do it all the way even to the farmers that helped grow the trees collect the beets. So we want everyone to win in this. We want to empower everybody that comes into our business or our across our paths to empower them and to help them to live in that one consciousness that runs through all of us and just we have such an amazing family. Our team is fabulous As we don't lose employees, they've all been, I don't think, a single employee this quit other than one person who got married to a Westerner and move back to France. still selling them in France. So we didn't really lose an agent. Exactly. So it's a, it's a beautiful team of people. And we really all believe in the power of the Rudraksha beads, because Rudraksha beads themselves have a really strong a power. And you can see it, there's a lot of things that are correlated with it, like, around a really newborn baby, they're too strong for them. And there's certain things that you know, just to pay attention to sometimes with it, that they just they're, they regulate your heart, they regulate your blood pressure, they quiet your mind, they're one of we believe that they're really one of the tools to raise your consciousness and to the one of the best tools to just quiet your mind and to resonate in that field of oneness.
Julia Malcolmson 31:05
It's interesting, because I've been working with mala beads for quite a long time. But for me, I always put them in a bag and put them on my altar. And then I take them out when I want to practice. And it wasn't actually I mean, I used to occasionally wear them, but it was always more for a practice or a class. Or if I was going to, you know, listen to a teacher speak, I take them to kind of get some of the energy. But it wasn't until we did the workshop with you. And he talked a lot about the power of the bead. And actually the benefit of wearing it all the time. And actually, so since then I found myself really wanting to wear it. And I kind of you know, I'm always grabbing for it or just been really lovely. And it's kind of it's making me so I've got a few sets at home and it's thinking yeah, I'm gonna get them out. I mean, I know it's good also to keep them in the bag and keep the energy contained. But yeah, I'm definitely committed to wearing them more and especially now I've got a nice jazzed up one. Yes, my other ones are very plain. They're just the beads. So it's nice to have a pretty one
Soma Temple 32:05
will also you know, there's traditionally if you practice with them and do japa like you do monitors on each bead. You generally don't wear those. Yeah. The one thing Papaji said to me is there's so many rules about Rudraksha beads and malas. It's not the time anymore. break all the rules, spread them to the west, it doesn't matter if you eat meat, it doesn't matter if you drink alcohol, it doesn't matter if you can still wear them. Like in some countries. I mean, some of the states in India, they believe women shouldn't wear them until they've gone through menopause. He's like, no, no, this is not the time anymore. We need all the help we can get. And they protect you. Yeah, and I've seen this I can tell you many, many stories about where I've seen that they've actually protected people that are wearing them where the motorbike is completely destroyed. The mala beads have been broken, and they get up and they walk away just one piece. Yeah, everything but the mother beats are and I've seen it in my own case. So many times certain things you know, where a relationship broke up at one point is a long term relationship. And I remember closing the door of my car. And in the moment I did that the beads on my I was wearing just exploded and went all over the ground for no reason for no reason. It was just like it literally it was like someone had just like rip them apart and they just went everywhere and there were knotted in between each bead too. So it was like kind of broke into many pieces. And I just like okay, that relationship is really finished the message I know I got that message. You know, just many many stories and just how it's empowered all of our employees also, I've watched them come in really like some of them you know, in bad situations. The one manager was really looking for a husband getting older and older one thing children, she found that their problems in their family disappeared I watched them all become happier and happier and happier. All the people that work for us and that's been really amazing to watch also.
Martin O'Toole 34:18
I notice even the people working for you at the house are all wearing them as well which is beautiful.
Soma Temple 34:23
I give them to everybody has my favourite thing I prefer to give them away and sell them. My staff every once in a while goes on Soma anymore where they still need to make money you know how to share it. Especially at the Bali Spirit festival I tend to give lots of way to all the yoga teachers and those that are spreading you know, the truth and freedom around the world. You know, I like to support them because they they need some anchoring sometimes and they need some support to help them through those difficult moments that everyone has especially if you're spreading the light you Yeah, in this kind of dark times Yeah, exactly.
Martin O'Toole 35:03
Yeah. I mean, we, I'm happy to talk about as being in a, in a global phase of darkness, we've had that conversation. There's a lot, there's a lot of madness in the world. And I think now more than ever, I hope anyway, that people are people who aren't at all or haven't been at all open to any of these conversations that we have on this podcast is now more than ever, that I hope that people might open their minds to, to new opportunities, and new practices, you know, because that's, ultimately what we're trying to do with with how to die happy is to share stories like yours and about practical utilities. Right. You know, and I think I mentioned to you that is the, the podcast was inspired originally by The Tibetan Book of the Dead, and all the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. And it's really all about the Buddha's perspective on how we need to reframe the way we live our lives so that we can die a good death. Of course, the concept of death is is as as a very skewed perspective, from one side of the planet to the other, doesn't it? I think we're fortunate in this part of the world that death is, is expected planned for and celebrated, or rather, the life aspect of it is celebrated. Whereas in the West, and not to sweet make sweeping generalisations there are across lots of people who are whoever an enlightened perspective on death, but then of course, we treat death as the enemy more often than not in the West. And we're told we are morbid. If we if we want to talk about death. Strange, you know, yeah, the definition of the word essentially being an unusual fascination whatsoever, what's the usual fascination? You know, I'm kinda like, I want to be unusually fascinated with Dane, because it's an absolute part of of living. So it's, we have a strange perspective shifter, to tweak. Anyway digress, as I often do in these cases. So let's talk about the, the use the practical use of Marla. And I suppose, we can talk about mantras, or we can talk about meditation, or we can talk about both. What do you think?
Soma Temple 37:22
Well, my main thing is, I feel that, um, molars should just be worn. Especially right now, you know, that, that's what I tried to get people to do is just wear them, you don't need to do any meditation practice you don't need to do, which is they're great. But to reach the masses, just wear them, feel the power, help them protect you. Because in this day and age, we really need something to protect us in this we're being bombarded with, you know, all kinds of, you know, the mainstream media or whatever it is, you want to call it, you know, they just, there's just a lot of chaos going on in the wings of noise, right? Yeah. And so, first up, just wear them. No need any preliminaries. You don't need anything. You don't need to be of any religion, you don't need to be have any sex, you don't need to be any of that. Just wear them. And then, you know, I find that and I think you guys are experiencing this also that once you wear them when there's a new shoe, or there's a problem, you tend to hold them. Yeah, I do. Yeah, he just kind of felt her I was like your safety blanket. And I just really, I find myself all through the day, I actually wear often quite a bit longer one. So I didn't have to reach up so much it just like it's right here. Because it's a daily, daily incident. I mean, I end up sometimes forgetting how many I'm wearing, you know, I end up like a Christmas tree. But obviously, to wear them while you're meditating, it actually increases your meditation and increases your ability to quiet your mind, you know, which I think is what one of the goals of meditation is to have so much chatter and so much going on in our heads, and to just drop down into our heart and in that silence and I think they help to create that silence within us. And so I think just wearing them it actually does quiet the mind and so it's really good for people that are anxious. I've seen a lot of really anxious people start to wear them I mean, they tend to break them more than other people it's really interesting to watch working on them. They're tugging on him or they're anxious and I don't know if they're anxious movements or pulling on it or what it is or maybe it breaks through we always say in for us we believe that when they break it's protected you against something bad that was going to happen either an incident and emotion as feeling of accident. Many things in so we add at Roxy, we decided to just repair any Mala for free. Oh, no, just to have people because people are attached to them and they break and then say, Oh, we don't need to make, let's just do a service, you know. So we try to do as much as possible and service and still pay the bills and pay our stuff. And, you know, that's nice. So that's one thing. And the other is that I really feel that which I do often when myself is I don't do it very much anymore. But I used to take that SUV and get this off with headphones headphones on forgot to have them on. Good is a take one bead, and each bead, I say something I'm grateful on. Nice practice. And so by the time you get Amala traditionally has 108 beats. So by the time you said 108 things you're grateful for. You're usually in a pretty good, that's good. So you don't need any special mantras. You don't need any special,
Martin O'Toole 41:07
beautiful piece of advice. Just start to use them. No, no, you
Julia Malcolmson 41:13
know, I was gonna ask if you could explain to our listeners why there's 108 beads
Soma Temple 41:21
108 You guys can all Google it later, because I could stay here all day long and speak about 108 It's one of the auspicious numbers. And it's there's so many things related to 108, it's nine times 12 There's nine planets, there's the distance between the Sun and the Moon is all related to it's nine times 12 is it's all connected with the mathematics, the mathematics, and many, many things like the the length of the Ganga, the holy river in India. And there's just so many things. It's also hard shot number, which if you take the number and you add it up, and then divide it by itself. So 108 One plus eight is nine, nine goes into 108 12 times. It's all of these kinds of things. It's there's many, many aspects of 108. It's a very auspicious number and and also in many, many cultures.
Martin O'Toole 42:20
I wonder there's a frequency around 108 as well, it does something special.
Soma Temple 42:25
Oh, that's a cool thing to check out.
Martin O'Toole 42:28
Yeah, to check out. So you've 108 beads, and I just I was just thinking back to what you said about the advice for people. I was having a conversation with somebody, I think it was actually on it was on Facebook, I mean a few of these groups where I tried to throw a little bit of light and a little bit of love here in there for people who are suicidal, for example. And somebody I posted something to do with the podcast and somebody says I've got absolutely nothing to be grateful for. Yeah, and I and that, obviously that's the truth. So I totally respect it. But I tried to talk to them about okay, let's lower the bar, you know, Okay, fair enough. Maybe you haven't got a great job or you haven't got a great car or, or the all the family's dead, I don't know, you know, it could be all manner of things that mean you feel you know, grateful for anything. So let's start with the basics. Let's go for the breath in the lungs. You know, if we've got nothing else have we got breath in the lungs and I ended up having that conversation and actually the conversation became more of a positive one because they started to obviously it's not a conversation you can fix on a Facebook group in you know, in a thread but they have had this conversation with many people. I felt like that myself, I was suicidal once I had a loaded shotgun in my to my face one particular time, but my dogs stopped me from doing it. So I know what it is to feel rock bottom with with no sense of gratitude. But on the flip side of that, I know what it what a beautiful feeling it is to practice gratitude on a daily basis now. So I think the idea of challenging oneself with with the mala bees, okay, maybe you can't list 180 things in the first place.
Soma Temple 44:09
There's a lot of things like grass,
Julia Malcolmson 44:11
right? I think you'd be surprised like when you kind of lose sky. The sun?
Martin O'Toole 44:15
Yeah. No,
Soma Temple 44:17
I mean, you know, whatever it is that you like yeah, there's birds. I mean, there's something like the food that your favourite food I mean, you know, like coffee.
Julia Malcolmson 44:25
Starting with I have a roof over my head to
Martin O'Toole 44:30
clothes my favourite podcast how today could go on there, couldn't it? Yeah, but that's a wonderful, that's a wonderful way to to introduce people I think. But so let's but let's advance that then let's talk about mantras because I think that's, that's, that's something I wanted to talk about in this podcast because for many folks who aren't spiritual and I'm using air quotes and or and or religious folks from the west for example, you know, They might see these beads and they might think, very woowoo. That's not a word I use into that the I'm just repeating that I've heard. They might see us doing kirtan, for example, where we're doing the call and response singing, they might see people chanting and think, What on earth are you doing? So I thought I would ask and you can feel free to chime in, as well, Jules with, with Selma to Eve, I said, What, When you chant, what are you doing? And obviously, I know, because I do chant. But perhaps we could talk about chanting and mantras, and what, what they are.
Julia Malcolmson 45:41
Over to you, Soma
Soma Temple 45:46
for me, my own personal experience with mantras is that again, it quiets the mind, it gives the mind something to do, and it's invoking a higher force, that to be with us to help us through this, these difficult lifetimes that we have as humans, you know, and it's not easy, you know, even if we have everything supposedly that you know, you want and money in this, you still have problems everybody does. And so I just feel mantras kind of helped bring us back to who we really are the essence of who we are, and to invoke the higher force wouldn't be, as you want to call it, God, do you want to call it spirit, you want to call it divine mother you want to, you know, whatever it is, that resonates with you, is, I think monitors do that. And somehow by repeating something over and over, and over and over the same mantra, or it can be a long mantra, I mean, obviously, there's different monsters that have different qualities that bring in different forces that are for healing, some mantras are for healing, some are for just being grateful to the gods for creating this planet in this earth. And so there's many different things, there's very simple ones, where you can just, you know, say one word, or you can just say, many words, you know, and but you repeat it over and over and over. And in that repeating something shifts within you, that helps you. I mean, it definitely helps for meditation to quiet the mind. And I think just in general, to help you cope a little bit with life. And that's what I see is that a lot of people that do mantras every day that their lives have become more and more peaceful and more and more easy that it does help move you through these obstacles a little faster. And I think it's like the divine, helping you to move through these obstacles that are placed in front of you, or these difficulties, these challenging moments, that it just helps you to move through them.
Julia Malcolmson 47:55
That's a really beautiful answer.
Martin O'Toole 47:56
Can you top that Julia?
Julia Malcolmson 47:57
I don't think I can top that
Soma Temple 48:00
you can add something to that it's not a competition here. all in this together, we're all human hearts connected. Everything
Martin O'Toole 48:08
we can throw into the champions neatly
Julia Malcolmson 48:10
and everything you just said is really, really resonates. And I know like, you know, when I was teaching this morning, obviously, when I'm teaching Kundalini, we really work a lot with mantra. And to begin with, yes, it's that it's that finding that point of focus to help quieten the mind. And also because we're often really challenging the body. The mantra kind of helps you to come out of the body. So that, you know, say, my arms are like this for however long. Yes, of course, it's going to ache, I start telling myself I can't do that. But as soon as you tune into the mantra, it kind of takes you beyond that physical realm and takes you more into the realm that's bigger than ourselves, you know, and it helps almost brings in support as well. So we focus the mind then, some support comes through to let us hold the body for longer, and that I find really, really special.
Soma Temple 49:00
Good example.
Julia Malcolmson 49:00
Yeah. So then and then that I think the magical you know, I notice, it's almost we were talking about this a while ago, almost I feel like a mantra is a portal, you know, and in it, you can feel it working you know, when you've got into that space, you've been repeating, repeating repeating you the minds become quiet, the bodies become still. And it's like you're just transported to that the other side of that veil like everything's a bit thinner, you've taken somewhere new.
Martin O'Toole 49:30
Yeah, well, I Okay. Let's put them past the mantra. My addition to that, yeah, would be the expansion of the portal conversation. I, I believe words are spells and with the right intention behind them, even on a basic level, when we communicate in third density to one another in the right way, then we can we can interact and get the other to do something right. So but I believe that words is a very much more offloading mantras are very powerful spells. And I've had very I've had personal experience this mantra on my tattooed on my arm is the Guru Rinpoche mantra, which is on our home Benza guru Pema city hyung as the Tibetan pronunciation for those of you going to pull me up for getting it wrong. Maybe. And that's an incredibly powerful mantra. And it's actually my my brother, who described it as the Swiss Army mantra the multi tool mantra that does everything and, and I learned that and, and this mantra and the Gayatri mantra. The two mantras I've I've actually used while working with plant medicine. So working with psilocybin, for example, doing it quite a lot work with psychedelics. And and how do I how can I possibly explain this? Suffice to say that Patil is correct. And those mantras, and I think this is the same for Master meditators, but I'm not a master meditator. We're not are we? I think the same effect or something similar, could be had, for a master meditator using mantras, I suspect, as someone working with plant medicine, plant medicines, you know, kind of like the, the shortcut, you know, it's like the laser cut key to get there. But I've had some profound experiences working with mantras in particular and plant medicine, which is either brought forth certain entities kicked out certain entities section, yeah, certain Guru, the Guru Rinpoche mantra was some very dark entities, one in particular, and I was working with you at that time, wasn't it? And this thing, couldn't get anywhere near as because of this mantra. And the Gayatri mantra or recall opening a portal to home. I've always confused when I try and talk about this stuff on the podcast is you totally bloody nuts. Are you kind of interested? I don't know. But, but I'm not the only one who has these has these experiences. I think that's the fundamental point. And I legitimately believe that obviously, mantras are came from the British right originally from from India, from the Hindus originally from the Hindus, my bad sorry, Hindus, from India. And of course, Buddhism came from India originally. So I think both parties were utilising their own mantra is very similar. In fact, obviously, Tibetan and Sanskrit are different, but there are a lot of similar pronunciations. And I believe they've been around
Soma Temple 52:44
Buddha was born a Hindu.
Martin O'Toole 52:45
Yeah. Newsflash, but it wasn't brought above all the Buddhists. That would be strange would
Soma Temple 52:55
He created Buddhism,
Martin O'Toole 52:56
let's get into that. But it wasn't born. But
Soma Temple 52:59
actually they say that the Gayatri mantra is the oldest mantra on the planet.
Julia Malcolmson 53:03
Doesn't it just for me, it's almost a bit like a snake charmer and a cobra Yeah, soon as the Gayatri Mantra comes on. I am I've gone aironet Yeah with it.
Martin O'Toole 53:16
The better way to pronounce it.
Soma Temple 53:18
And here in Bali, which is really beautiful. They say the Gayatri Mantra every morning at school for all the classes. Yeah, the Balinese schools. All the children's had every morning before they started.
Martin O'Toole 53:30
It's we haven't had anywhere near enough interaction with with the manku priests to have we but we have had some on we've we've been off to hike mountains and do temple blessings and so on and so forth. But there's a I just, I never, never cease to be grateful for the devotion and the the higher vibrational energy of these people.
Julia Malcolmson 53:52
Actually, when we made the mala, we had a Manku blessing. Explain that. Yes. So as soon as we've made the Marlins and they were finished, we took them over to the monkeys, Barney's priest, Hindu priest, and he
Soma Temple 54:06
and also our graphic artist.
Julia Malcolmson 54:10
It was so powerful. So we sat with him and he blesses you and blesses the Marler, but he used the Gayatri mantra, as well. And obviously, the way in which he chancer is I mean, I hadn't actually I'd love to learn a bit more about that. But it felt incredibly powerful. And it wasn't just the sound because I was seeing the visuals coming into the space as he was chanting was incredibly powerful. And I could feel it, I could feel the energy on the mala could feel the energy on me and then wow,
Martin O'Toole 54:39
yeah, well, I will. Is this worth talking about for a moment? Actually, this is a Balinese monk who priests has a certain type of guttural chant, though they I don't know. Is there a name for it? Or is it just
Soma Temple 54:50
I think it's just because they don't have it like that in India. I spend a lot of time in India also. But they don't have that in that way. It's just to think something that they've developed lugged within themselves, like they're all their mentors who have this and they're chanting as that in it,
Martin O'Toole 55:06
who's going to try and duplicate it but the audience knew him and knew him it's not like that or is that more a bit like the Buddhists
Julia Malcolmson 55:15
I think will find a recording and player will do
Martin O'Toole 55:17
that or maybe you should all give it I probably did it a disservice. But it's it's a very unique sound. And I similarly to you had a really beautiful energetic exchange when he when he blessed my miles and gave them to me as well really felt it got very kind eyes as an aside as your monkey
Soma Temple 55:36
is a beautiful man. So one of the things that we do in our company is that we we give for free to any monk who in Bali, and we also support all the pretenders. So the burden is or a higher cast a higher level of priests here in Bali. Most foreigners here don't even run into them don't even know that they exist or that they are here. They do the really high level ceremonies here. And they do a lot of different work to keep Bali safe, the world safe. And they have very specific jobs and responsibilities here for major ceremonies at the BIG MOTHER temples and things it's always put on visitor leading him. And they were unbelievable amount of Rudraksha beads. And we have had the privilege and honour to make many, many, many of their sets of modellers. We started with one and then people somewhere did you get those models and then we started and we make them for free. It's one of our gifts that we like to give back. And they're incredible. And we also have sponsored them and taking them on many pilgrimages to India. So my son exchange Yeah, my son and I have taken the last few trips, we had 15 Madonna's one was 15 one was 16 per Dundas and 45 people in total, we've gone to Tibet, we've gone to many different holy places in India and just get them to experience. It's the root of their religion, as come from India. And so they all want to go back and experience it there. And so we've been to the modellers, we've actually been able to help support them and take them there and help them experience a little bit of where their whole religion came from. Even though the original Balinese religion is actually a gamma theta, which is the religion of water, they understand Holy Water, and it's one of the responsibilities of the pedometers is to make holy water. And then people come to them and get the holy water to use in their own ceremonies in their temples and different things with it's one of the and it was only in the 1950s where Bali became Bali Hindu.
Martin O'Toole 57:56
Is that right? No, I loved you. Yeah, one of the things I love about doing this podcast is I'm learning as well.
Julia Malcolmson 58:03
Yeah, and it always gives me something else. I want to go and research. Yeah.
Soma Temple 58:07
Well, and that's something as I've stepped more away from the business feeling that I personally have created my mission. I've spread them to the world. They're in every country in the world now. I don't know any country is there in the Middle East there and other everywhere, Jeddah there, Saudi Arabia, we have them Iraqi rent. Yeah. And I spend a lot of time with the high priest and doing different things with them. And then with the Balinese,
Martin O'Toole 58:35
so you're safe to say you're fully immersed in the culture, they haven't been here that long as well. And I,
Soma Temple 58:42
which is rare. Yeah, they keep kind of, it's why they're able to keep their cultures so intact, in the midst of all of that goes on here, that they keep it very much to them. So she stepped a little bit away from the tourist areas, even in downtown Kuta, where there's so many people are Chongo, whatever. You step, 10 metres inside and it's Bali. Yeah. But they're amazing and remaining invisible, and keeping their culture intact without it's not that they don't like you to come. No, because you're always welcome. Anytime you go. They're always very welcoming, very open, but they don't let their secrets out very easily.
Martin O'Toole 59:24
And rightfully so good reason, right? I mean, otherwise,
Soma Temple 59:27
they would be absorbed here and it lose the essence of it.
Martin O'Toole 59:31
I think so. And I think there's something very special about the connection between the between the people of barley and their connection with the land and with their religion that that creates that beautiful cycle of energy.
Soma Temple 59:45
Well, there's poetry here to Karna and it means to be in harmony with nature, in harmony with God in harmony with each other and yourself.
Martin O'Toole 59:53
Yeah, we heard that from Made Yasser as well, didn't we?
Soma Temple 59:57
Yeah, that's the very basis of their love. Have you seen it in their culture? If you really pay attention, and are involved with them in their own world, they very much get that.
Martin O'Toole 1:00:09
And I'd imagined so for these high priests, going to India would not have been in any way possible, were it not? Because obviously a lot of people in college don't make don't have much money. So international travel would be off the radar, wouldn't it?
Soma Temple 1:00:24
Well, some of the high priests were actually gyms or five star hotels and things in the past, and then they've become high priest, when they've retired, it generally was something they did as they're older, but a lot of people nowadays, there's a lot of ones that are being called to be pretenders. You much younger, and it's a caste system here. So generally pretenders are in the Brahmin caste who is in the high caste. Okay, and so it's not a lineage, but yet it is, in a way, you know, they're not forced to become a panda, if they're come from a family that would put down this, you'd have to be called. And if they're called, they generally followed if they don't, they tend to get really sick. Until they kind of go okay. Like, no, no, no, I want to cry. And then finally they go, Yeah, okay. Okay. But yeah, it's really a fascinating, they're, and they're, I mean, in India, so a lot of them do have money. Some of them have sponsors that also take them because there's a lot of protocol around the Dundas in particular. And so it's a big deal. The first time I think when we left the first time was so many pedometers is the first time that many bananas had actually left barley. Big deal. All at once.
Julia Malcolmson 1:01:45
Imagine that was a big deal for Bali as well,
Martin O'Toole 1:01:47
somebody's taken all up and down this
Soma Temple 1:01:50
is wild western woman, like what's she doing with her? Dying to go again, but I'm like, let's wait until we don't have to do PCR test anywhere. Because, you know, I've won, you know, we have a bad test or whatever, you know, they're stuck there. And it's just just too big of a deal. So I'm like not, that's not going to happen to
Martin O'Toole 1:02:13
too many false positives. Yeah. And factors involved that, you
Soma Temple 1:02:18
know, we just deal with at the moment. Yeah,
Martin O'Toole 1:02:21
I think well, actually, we've really enjoyed just because we were You were you were you were country hopping anyway, prior to meeting me and coming to Bali, I, I didn't really know where I was gonna go. I didn't, I wasn't really sure I was gonna settle in Bali. I'm still not at this stage. But, but what's been nice is just to be to actually to know that you're not going anywhere. The last couple of years here and, and actually, we've been so lucky. Obviously, I'm talking about when you came here. 38 years ago, there were no silly tourists all over the place. But But during the pandemic, though, they weren't either. Were there for several. So it was it was it was phenomenal. We got to ride all around the island and go to all the waterfalls, and there was nobody there. An influencer in sight. So we had a great time. Exactly.
Soma Temple 1:03:14
No, I know, it was hard for me to allow, feel grateful that they can open back up. I was grateful for the economy. But actually a lot of the Balinese too because I am connected to them. They were so grateful. During that time. In the beginning, it kind of freaked them out. And then they were like, You know what, it's so much nicer to go and catch a big huge fish that feeds my family for a week then driving, you know, complaining tourists around. Yeah, you know, it's like there. And then now that they're all back, everyone's kind of like, oh, wow, we're really running on a fast pace, you know? Yeah, like they're very practical. And they really look a little bit deeper than I find. I mean, I'm in love with the Balinese, the longer I'm here the more I love these people
Martin O'Toole 1:03:59
were very resourceful and not to get too political, but they didn't get a lot of support during the during the lockdown
Julia Malcolmson 1:04:05
a lot of them Balinese, we spoke to that, you know, we said how are things you know, you really struggling and actually a lot of people said, I have, I have bali, you know, I can find what I need in the land that I have. And I have my home and I have my family. My community is so community base, which I love. Yeah, they just support each other.
Martin O'Toole 1:04:23
Exactly. So everyone just knuckle down and got on with it. And I guess to a great extent. We were talking that we did a track to the top of batukaru Not too long ago with some guys or Balinese guys, we've got a little tour company because it couldn't do any tour stuff for a couple of years. So what we're doing now and all sorts of random jobs. One of them was a chicken farm it became a chicken farmer. The other one was was a fisherman I can't remember the guy was doing but well suffice to say that I don't think there was
Soma Temple 1:04:54
and they grew gardens. Exactly. Everyone I knew every Balinese I knew was planting food growing
Julia Malcolmson 1:04:59
there's . A guest house and urban that I used to stay out all the time absolutely loved the family. And I went to visit them at one point during the pandemic and stayed. And he said, Yeah, we've been really quiet. It's I've turned my garden into a food garden. And I was just
Martin O'Toole 1:05:14
ground. I've got food in my garden. Okay, I still gotta pay for my electricity. But you know, stuff could be worse. Yeah, what's a beautiful place like that? Just shifting gears a second summer, what would you say to anybody who said I haven't got time to meditate?
Soma Temple 1:05:35
Wear rudraksha beads
Martin O'Toole 1:05:36
Pretty quiet in your mind a little bit? Okay, well, let's see if that was a fair answer.
Soma Temple 1:05:53
Let them do it for you. And then it catches on you find the time? Yeah, I know, I used to feel that way. about meditation. And now I realise how inefficient I am in the day if I don't do my morning meditation. And so I get way more done. I'm way more focused. And way more. I didn't know. I mean, maybe it's also my age, too. You know, as you get older, you become I don't know if you can become more focused or not. But I don't know. It's just become something that for me, I look forward to waking up in the morning to my cup of coffee and my meditation everyone laughs so you drink a cup of coffee before you meditating from like, what I don't want to fall back. Alert.
Julia Malcolmson 1:06:38
To be honest, and that reminded me of the my teacher a long time ago was checking in with me. This is when I lived in Cambodia. And he said, you know, how are you doing with your practice? How's your daily meditation? And I kind of looked at him? And I said, Well, it is what it is I have, you know, it's part of my practice, I have to do it. And he was like, no, no, no, no, no, no. He said, You've got to love it. He's a think about it. As every time you know, you're gonna meditate. Think of it as you're taking yourself on a date, you know, celebrate it, get yourself ready for it, like make it a beautiful part of your day, rather than something I have to do obligation. And it became that very, very quickly. And I looked forward to getting up, you know, setting my alarm a little bit earlier. And then actually eventually thinking, you know, I'm not even just going to roll out a bed and meditate, I'm actually going to get up and brush my hair. And I'm going to really make it a part of my morning. And it changed everything
Soma Temple 1:07:27
is true. It's beautiful.
Martin O'Toole 1:07:29
I think it's nice, because we all have I think we all have different ways, or different approaches to meditation, don't we? I'm I do like to meditate in bed before I go to sleep. So I'll just do that while she's trying to get to sleep. I'm meditating, which ironically, actually keeps you awake doesn't even know. I'm meditating. So
Julia Malcolmson 1:07:47
I'm often meditating. But lying down. I'm not always I don't feel the need to sit and meditate. I can. There's so many Yeah, yeah. And
Martin O'Toole 1:07:55
I don't do that. I tend to I prefer to sit up, right. There's something I don't know. Perhaps it's just that I do. I do fall asleep very easily. I can be asleep in minutes. So if I'm, if I decided I'm gonna lay down meditation, I may well be asleep. So I prefer to sit up. But it's, it's to me it feels like a gift as well. It's, it's something. I mean, when I first started, it was a hardship. I didn't understand it. And I would get annoyed with myself because it couldn't quiet my mind that everybody meditates will know how ironic that is. And, and I, and I felt like I was failing at it. Because thoughts were still in my in my head. Well, I can't meditate, because thoughts keep popping into my head, which is an objection I've heard from other people as well. And I totally feel that pain. But it is a process learning how to do it is a process. And in part, it's, I think it's probably hardship when you first start doing it. But then the moment that one, that first moment you find peace. Literal peace is when you for one of the better words you become addicted to it.
Julia Malcolmson 1:09:04
I think it's a good reminder that it's a practice. You know, people often say to me, oh, yeah, I can't meditate. So I don't meditate. But you didn't, you couldn't walk you couldn't, you know, we've had to learn everything and everything took time, you know, you can't just suddenly speak another language and meditation is a very strong practice and you have to dedicate some time to it.
Martin O'Toole 1:09:26
Yeah, that's a good point. I was talking to some people on a call this morning about some some something related and it did occur to me that we don't talk about meditation enough on this show. And I really want I want to normalise meditation. And I want I would love for people to to embrace it. It to for everyone to embrace it, embrace it as a daily practice. I fundamentally believe that it is in order being a daily practice for all of us. And however you do that is however you want to do it right because we've got different ways of doing it. You haven't you can have a Wachuma session you can have an eating meditation. As Jules has identified you can have a lie down meditation, but don't do what Martin doesn't fall asleep. Or sama. Coma not so much.
Soma Temple 1:10:16
She lays down and meditate since she last, not even a minute
Julia Malcolmson 1:10:21
worth making, you know, like making these mala beads is a meditation
Martin O'Toole 1:10:24
where it is and and I think that I think the point is we can make anything in meditation if we just become fully present. And that's what meditation is, and I am sure it was Eckhart Tolle that said, One conscious breath is a meditation. So if you feel like you can't meditate, start with that one breath,
Julia Malcolmson 1:10:43
and get some beads
Martin O'Toole 1:10:47
through my meditation, but get some beats too. But yeah, just just the just the process is that one in breath, and that one out breath, you just meditated, you know, and I think if you can start there, I often say this, start there and then do two, and then do three, and the four.
Soma Temple 1:11:05
And then just incorporate it into every moment of your day. and everything you do. That's the real key, I think, as opposed to it being a place where you sit down, you sit cross legged, you get holy, you get quiet and which is beautiful. But I think ideally, the goal is for it to be a part of every moment of your day and everything that you do.
Martin O'Toole 1:11:29
Great point. And that's just being present, being present. And ultimately, that's the goal. Which, ironically, is sound super simple. isn't super simple, but I can assure you become super simple. So that's a there is a light at the end of the tunnel. What else are we talking about?
Julia Malcolmson 1:11:49
I actually want to give a quick aside because I don't think the viewers can see this. But we have got a very lovely cat lying right next to us. So we've been looking down and tickling a cat a lot during this. You can't see the cat
Martin O'Toole 1:12:01
pointed out that the cat has been locked in a room twice. And somehow it keeps getting out a nerd just just lay out lay right next to me at one point. Well, one point a minute ago. What's the cat called? Simba Simba, Simba. Simba Simba had sent hers his his his paws up like this. And I was just stroking inside of his pie. And he was just looking at me. Yes, yeah. It's in. That's the spot he's
Soma Temple 1:12:27
meditating.
Martin O'Toole 1:12:31
Now, have you ever wanted an animal that was a meditator? I think I think cats are definitely class that they're out there for being animals. Well, either that or they're just asleep all the time. Well, I think we could probably, we could probably let Summer Go now. Since we're in sohmas. House, and we've been here since 1982. Because I fortunately messed around with some of the technology as per usual,
Julia Malcolmson 1:12:56
but we got there in the end.
Martin O'Toole 1:12:58
We did I just like to say thank you so much for your time, and your attention and energy. It's been a beautiful,
Soma Temple 1:13:03
thank you. It's been beautiful. Thank you
Julia Malcolmson 1:13:05
so much. I really loved it so much. Me too.
Martin O'Toole 1:13:09
Before we go well, let's we need to drop the some of your web addresses and social media handles and junonia that people who do all of that for you.
Soma Temple 1:13:17
Well, yes, I do know. So the company is called Aum Rudraksha very difficult to Google spell and Google its own aum Rudraksha .com Brilliant. And if you also Google which might be easier to remember barley malas is a distributor in the United States and it all we all have links to each other we're not in competition. We're all a big family and so you can google barley malas also Mala spirit in Europe, those are easier to remember will come up anywhere you'll find them on Instagram is the same Facebook it's the same home reduction
Martin O'Toole 1:14:04
right and for anybody in Bali or visit in Bali seriously do recommend you that you book in one of these workshops It was a beautiful couple of hours and he was despite me making it all late
Soma Temple 1:14:15
it wasn't we actually was a perfectly on time.
Martin O'Toole 1:14:18
You always say that
Soma Temple 1:14:21
right on time as we were supposed to and everything we were going to do the podcast with that didn't happen but instead we did it here in this beautiful environment and
Martin O'Toole 1:14:31
but I've not known you long so I'll say that someone always says everything's perfect, which is a beautiful thing in itself. You are perfect. So thank you very much for your time.
Soma Temple 1:14:40
Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.
Martin O'Toole 1:14:43
Yeah, like should we go out with a with an Aum Shanti Okay, who's in charge.
Julia Malcolmson 1:14:49
Let Soma lead this
Soma Temple 1:14:54
Aum, Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti that there be peace and love amongst all beings of the universe. Let there be peace. Let there be peace Aum Shanti Shanti
Martin O'Toole 1:15:40
Thank you
