How Can a Soulful Water Blessing Experience Enhance Your Spiritual Connection?
- Ness Clare
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
๐๐๐ฆ๐๐งย ๐๐๐ฃ๐ขย ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฒ๐ย ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ
Baliโs Hindus are often referred to as "Agama Tirta," meaning "the religion of holy water," as Tirta (holy water) plays a central role in their spiritual practices. Water holds deep symbolic significance, representing cleansing, healing, and protection from negative energies. Its presence is essential in religious ceremonies, whether performed in private homes or grand public temples. Holy water is drawn from sacred sources and blessed by priests, imbuing it with spiritual energies.
Arrival and Welcome
As I arrived at Taman Beji Griya, I was greeted and welcomed personally to the space. The serenity of the environment immediately enveloped me as it is nestled amidst lush Balinese tropical greenery. The site feels like stepping into a spiritual sanctuary. The soothing sound of the waterfalls in the distance and the hum of nature creates a sense of peace in the proceedings to come.
I made my way to the front reception desk where I was given the menu of choices for the experience. You may select the water blessings experience only or one of the other options such as hypnotherapy, palmistry, aura and chakra activation and your life path and story.
Your Guide
A local guide is provided for a one-on-one, guided experience where they lead you through the process every step of the way. My host was very knowledgeable, patient and supportive of my newness to this experience. Each host has a warm and loving Balinese demeanour and deep respect for the traditions they uphold. This creates an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect for the process. They provide you with insights into the rituals, the gods and goddesses being honoured, and the importance of each step in the process.
The Process
Before beginning the ritual, my guide invited me to cleanse my mind and heart, leaving behind the worries of daily life. A sarong and sash were provided for me, which I wore over my bathers. Wearing a sarong and sash is a sign of respect for the sacred space and the gods. Offerings of flowers, incense, and fruit were prepared and placed on a traditional woven tray as a gesture of gratitude to the divine. My offering basket held around 20 offerings in preparation for each of the individual blessings I was to give and receive throughout the ritual.
My guide lead prayers in the Balinese language, inviting blessings of purification and renewal. He then coached me to go through the prayers in English, stating my intentions to myself and the Gods. As I moved around the sacred space, other participants were also moving around to the various waterfalls and waterholes each having their individual experience. Most of the visitors were Balinese, however there were various yoga groups and intrepid spiritual travellers of men and women from Europe, Australia, the US and many other countries.
I was guided to the first waterfall, where the ceremonial water flows abundantly, ready to cleanse my body, mind, and spirit. I placed my offerings and asked for blessings for my family, relationships, career, finances, home and all things pertinent to my lifestyle.
The Deities Honoured During the Process
The blessings at Taman Beji Griya honour various Hindu deities, with an emphasis on Melukat โ a ritualistic bath that cleanses not only the body but also the mind and the soul. There were many deities represented with these blessings. Their energies are believed to flow through the water, infusing it with divine power.
Dewi Ganggaย โ The goddess of sacred rivers and purification, Dewi Gangga is believed to cleanse sins and bring spiritual renewal. Her flowing waters symbolise the continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth, making her an essential figure in purification rituals and temple ceremonies.
Lord Vishnuย โ The preserver of the universe, Vishnu is one of the principal deities in Hinduism, ensuring cosmic balance and harmony. He is often depicted with four arms, holding a conch, discus, mace, and lotus, representing his divine power and duty to protect and sustain the world.
Dewi Saraswatiย โ The goddess of knowledge, wisdom, and the arts, Saraswati is revered for bestowing learning, creativity, and insight. She is often depicted with a veena (a musical instrument), symbolising the harmony of knowledge and expression, and she is particularly honoured by students, teachers, and artists.
Dewa Brahmaย โ The creator and administrator of knowledge, Brahma is part of the Hindu trinity and is responsible for bringing the universe into existence. He is often shown with four faces, each representing one of the Vedas, the sacred texts of Hinduism, emphasising his role in the foundation of wisdom and learning.
Dewa Vishnuย โ As the preserver of life, Vishnu upholds righteousness (dharma) and intervenes whenever the balance of good and evil is threatened. His ten avatars, including Rama and Krishna, demonstrate his commitment to restoring order and guiding humanity toward spiritual evolution. (Pictured left)
Dewa Shivaย โ The destroyer and purifier, Shiva is both a force of destruction and renewal. He represents the necessary transformation of existence, clearing away the old to make way for the new. Often depicted in deep meditation or performing the cosmic dance (Tandava), he embodies both stillness and dynamic change.
Dewi Durgaย โ Sometimes feared as a fierce warrior goddess, Dewi Durga embodies divine power and protection. While she is sometimes depicted in darker myths as a terrifying force, her true nature is as a destroyer of evil and protector of the righteous, wielding multiple weapons and riding a lion into battle.
Bhomaย โ A powerful protector and judge, Bhoma is often seen as a guardian spirit of nature, particularly forests and fields. He is a figure of justice and balance, ensuring that both the physical and spiritual realms remain in harmony.
Dewa Ganeshaย โ The elephant-headed deity of wisdom, intellect, and new beginnings, Ganesha is honoured as the remover of obstacles and the patron of success. With his large ears symbolising keen listening and his trunk representing adaptability, he is revered by students, entrepreneurs, and anyone embarking on a new journey.
Dewi Danuย โ The goddess of lakes and water sources, Dewi Danu is associated with fertility, agriculture, and nourishment. She is deeply connected to Baliโs subak irrigation system, ensuring the prosperity of rice fields and sustaining life through the sacred waters she governs.
The Water Source
The waterfallโs source is considered a holy spring, emerging from the heart of the earth. Its purity is both physical and spiritual, believed to cleanse the soul of negative energy and restore balance. The water is revered as "tirtha" - sacred water with the power to heal and bless.
How to Do the Blessing
Dress in your bathers, sarong and sash. Your guide will provide your offerings of flowers and incense.
I spent a few momentsย in quiet reflection, setting my intentions for the blessing. My guide lead me in prayer evoking the deities for purification. As I stood under the waterfalls, I let the water cascade over me, imagining it washing away negativity and filling me with divine light. When you do a blessing under a small water fountain or pool, gently scoop the holy water and allow the flow over your face and head three times, each with a specific intention:
First scoopย โ Over the faceย to cleanse the physical body
Second scoopย โ Over the head/crownย to purify the mind and thoughts.
Third scoopย โ Over the heart/chestย to cleanse the soul and spirit.
After following this process, I opted to drink the water three times and pour it over the top of my head for full purification. The ritual is to wash away negativity and bring renewal. I then offered my gratitude, giving prayers of thanks to the deities, expressing deep gratitude and appreciation for their blessings.
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One of the most powerful moments of the water blessing came when I stood beneath the largest waterfall, its force roaring down over me like a stream of pure, unrelenting energy. The pressure of the water was immense, yet it felt purposeful, as though it was washing through every layer of my being, stripping away the energies which no longer belonged to me.
As I stood barefoot and grounded beneath the flow, I was gently guided through a release ritual. My guide counted downโ1... 2... 3โand invited to scream. Not once, but three times. Each scream carried with it something old, something heavy, something I no longer needed. The waterfall held space for it all. There was no judgment, only release. Wow! So very powerful!
Then, another countdownโ1... 2... 3, this time, to laugh. A full, open, heart-led laugh. In Balinese tradition, laughter is seen as a sacred release, an energetic shift that clears stagnant emotion and invites joy back into the body. It was unexpected, and so deeply freeing. Laughing with the water pouring over me, I felt layers of tension melt away. It was wild, raw, and beautifully human. More Wow!
This moment, caught somewhere between surrender and awakening, reminded me that healing doesnโt always need to be quiet. Sometimes, itโs loud and messy and joyful too.
Coconut Purification by the Priest
The last stage of the Bali purification ceremony is to be cleansed in the waters of young and yellow coconuts. This is done with the guidance of a priest who splashes the water over your head before you drink and then spreads the water over your face. This ritual is done in threes, where the priest pours holy water over the head, pours the water into your hands for drinking and then washing your face with it.
In Balinese culture, coconut water is a symbol of purity and renewal making it the perfect source to end the ceremony. The priestโs presence adds a spiritual dimension, infusing the ceremony with blessings and intention.
My Experience
Emerging from these holy waterfalls, I felt an undeniable sense of renewal, as if I had been gently unravelled and woven back together with pure light. The cool water cascaded over me, awakening every sense, while the spiritual energy embraced my soul in a way that words can barely capture. It was as though the weight of the past had been lovingly washed away, leaving only clarity, peace, and a heart wide open to new beginnings.
The experience was both humbling and empowering, a moment of surrender and rebirth. I felt lighter, deeply connected, and profoundly at peace.
Afterward, I felt a deep and undeniable pull to document my journey, yet even now, words still seem to fall short. This experience took place in November 2024, and Iโve returned to this blog many times since, revisiting and rewording my reflections. At some point, I realised it was time to let go of the need for perfect wording and simply trust that my expression of this healing experience is enough, just as it is.
As youโll see in the video, I was truly at a loss, overwhelmed by the depth of what had just happened. Even as I write this, I still struggle to explain the profound shift within me, the release of all that no longer serves, the opening to something greater.
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I feel incredibly grateful to have witnessed such beauty and transformation and I know this is only the beginning. At the end of 2025, I will be travelling to Bali once again to participate in these extraordinary water blessing ceremonies, to reconnect with the energy that has touched me so deeply, and to continue this journey of spiritual renewal.
Thank you for allowing me to share a glimpse of this sacred experience with you. May it inspire you to honour your own path of release, healing, and awakening.
In light and stillness,
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