Alternative Approaches to Traditional Beekeeping in Bali

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The traditional Balinese methods for harvesting honey are not larvae and hive growth supportive. While the general practice is to only harvest 40% or less of the hive, because of the fact that wild Balinese bees build their hives such that brood cells and honey cells are in the same area of the hive - generally the bottom two thirds are brood cells with larvae and the top third are the honey cells. This differs greatly from western honeybees that build their brood cells in a separate part of the hive from the honey storage cells. As such, the traditional Balinese methods to harvest honey simply include removing the entire section of honeycomb - both brood cells and honey cells - and processing all of it. The honey is extracted and the brood cells are boiled and the larvae are eaten. If new extraction methods can be achieved, hopefully honey harvesting can be done without destroying the larvae or the existing honeycomb, which will hopefully improve hive health and increase honey production.

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Inside the Earthship inspired build

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The run off rainwater is flowing through a net with gravel before entering the tanks. The wet cells in these are nearly finished and the wood structure as well. Follow us on Instagram to see the latest developments. 

Searching for the right wood for the Earthship inspired building

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Our Balinese architect  Dupon, and our Chilean woodcarver volunteer Ignacio as well as our american volunteer architect, went on the search for the right wooden beams into Singaraja on the North coast of Bali. As one can see form the pictures they found what they were looking for. It needs to be of the best quality, Teak or Coco palm, or Jackfruit wood. Now it has to be transported to our location. From there all by foot and motorbike down to the Awan Damai building. The road stops nearly 900m before reaching there.

Home of the dragon

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Awan Damai is located on 800m altitude. Often the clouds cover and move slowly from the sea over the hills and mountains.  Awan Damai is the home of the dragon. She resides, of course in a different dimension then the visible one.

Wood working at Awan Damai

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Here is our wood working shed at Awam Damai, the Earthship inspired build. Diana form Mauritius and Sophie from the Netherlands have put up their tent and are now giving the first varnish to the already cut wood, to be used in the building. In the background are our three carpenters, Ignacio form Chile and two local helpers, polishing away on the wood. Lebong our local architect is admiring the whole procedure.

A She-Soul Story

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A She-Soul Story

It was in those olden first days of earth, when dragon -beings were real, and had not yet turned into faint memories stored in the deep recesses of people’s hearts. Today they come alive only as paper dragons, depicted on drawings and patterns of silk fabrics.

Ohhhh… such an incredible beautiful being – the dragon. It could sleep floating in the skies, carried by the love of earth and its beings. The open loving hearts of the planet’s inhabitants created a gentle crystal clear sound field that the dragon could ride on. In order to ride a dragon, one needed a wide open heart and be able to emanate the love sound frequency on which the dragon was carried and could fly. It then could choose an earth being to be its companion.

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Awan Damai Earthship building work in progress

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May we introduce our glass bottle bricks? The bottles are cut in half and the two bottom half taped together. A beautiful way to later create a great glass wall in various colors to let the light come in. They will reflect the sunlight beautifully. At this stage we are cutting about 500 bottles and maybe more.

If you would like to join us as a volunteer, let us know at jiwadamaibali@gmail.com

Join our Earthship inspired build

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Kevin, our Project manager from Australia with Mattheo a young and enthusiastic architect from New Jersey, USA. Both are standing at Awan Damai in front of our makeshift kitchen. This is their 3rd day in the mountains and they feel that they are adjusting well. Since it is winter right now in the southern hemisphere, the nights are quite cool, even cold.

At this time until we have more volunteers arriving by next month, they are doing their own  cooking. Later on, one of our kitchen fairies from Jiwa Damai permaculture garden and retreat center will take care of their nourishment. Of course vegetarian and organic cooking.

If you would like to join them and the Earthship inspired build, read more details here!

Review of 2016 at Jiwa Damai

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Time seems to speed up and the intensity increase. So many different activities are taking and took place at Jiwa Damai and the Lagu Damai Foundation.

The garden, aside from going us our wonderful virgin coconut oil is now providing for our health the powerful Moringa leaves, dried and filled in capsules. The mushroom production is growing slowly and we held the first organic market in our village. 

We invited the whole village in the village meeting hall to share with us a health day, providing nourishment for body and mind in the prevention of diabetes and high blood pressure. Power point combined with healthy foods were welcome by old and young. During this year, three intensive long term Yoga teacher training were hosted by our team and all organic nutrition provided from our permaculture gardens were transmuted into wonderful, much reclaimed vegetarian dishes by our cheerful kitchen fairies. A  certification training (Permaculture through the Heart) was offered as well.

The sacred painting class with our local priest was another means of going into a deep meditative state while working.

Aside from hosting guests and retreats, the first small building will be erected at Awan Damai (peace of clouds) in the mountains at Gunung Sari. It will be simple, built partially with bottles and natural materials and provide the basis for our next adventure, the Earthship. Situated on a wonderful site, overlooking the sea from high above, sunrises from the east to the sunsets in the West. The access is only possible by motorbike. The land is of immense beauty and more land is available for sharing with like minded.

Margret, our founder, a transpersonal psychologist is offering now the HeartSelf-Intelligence meditation online on our website. Please sign up to unfold the qualities of the heart and learn how to love yourself on a deep level and live well in these turbulent times.

Building at Awan Damai

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On January 15 we will begin with the first small building in the mountains at Awan Damai which stands for piece in the clouds. It will be a hexagonal structure, the same as the trial project at Jiwa Damai with bottles as windows. This will be followed by an Earthship inspired building later this year. Award Damai is also the home of the dragon who resides there in another dimension.

Access is quite challenging since there is only a small path only accessible for motorcycles. All building material has to be transported via motorbike form the top down to the area. It is located about 600 m above sea level.

If you are interested to volunteer, send us an email at info@jiwadamai.net.