From April 15 to April 29, 2016, the sixth rally was held, the venue for which was the tiny island of Gili Air in Indonesia. And this choice was not made by chance.
Firstly, it is not so easy to get to Gili Air Island. If you start from Russia (and most sunsurfers are Russian), then first you need to fly to the islands of Bali or Lombok with a transfer, then get to the port, and from there take a ferry or speedboat. Thus, the participants of the rally trained their skills of independent travel. Secondly, there are no mechanical transport on Gili Air, only bicycles and horse-drawn carts, thanks to which there is the cleanest air and water, as well as a quiet and calm atmosphere, so the island is great for spiritual and physical practices.
This time, more than 100 people from 15 countries of the world gathered at the rally. What made all these people fly thousands of kilometers to a corner of the Earth remote from their homes, and what did they do there for 15 whole days?
Sunset began with the opening evening, where the founder of the movement, Marat Khasanov, greeted all the participants and spoke about the program of events, after which each glider made a short speech about himself, about how he got here, what he does and how he can be useful.
Every morning at exactly 6 o’clock, sunsurfers gathered on one of the beaches for a joint meditation on the Anapanasati technique, which is based on observing one’s own breathing. The practice of meditation was aimed at calming the mind, ridding it of obsessive thoughts and focusing on the present moment. After meditation in complete silence, the participants of the rally went to a pleasant green lawn for hatha yoga classes under the guidance of experienced teachers Marat and Alena. Thanks to early rises, meditation and yoga, sunsurfers found peace and harmony, as well as a good mood for the next day.
Most of the fliers had fruit for breakfast – on Gili Air you can find fresh papaya, bananas, pineapples, mangosteens, dragon fruit, salak and many other tropical delicacies.
Daytime on the Sunslut is the time for outings and trips. All participants were divided into 5 groups led by the most experienced sunsurfers and went to explore the neighboring islands – Gili Meno, Gili Trawangan and Lombok, as well as try their hand at snorkeling and surfing.
It is worth noting that, for example, for a trip to the waterfalls of Lombok Island, different groups chose completely different ways of moving. Some rented a whole bus, others rented cars, others used the most popular mode of transport in Southeast Asia – motorbikes (scooters). As a result, each group received a completely different experience and different impressions from visiting the same places.
Since the island of Gili Air is quite small – its length from north to south is about 1,5 kilometers – all the participants of the rally lived within walking distance from each other and could visit each other without any problems, gather for a joint pastime and interesting communication. Many united, renting rooms or houses together, which brought them closer to each other.
In those days when there were no sorties-travels, the fliers arranged various master classes. Sunsurfers were lucky enough to learn how to quickly memorize a large number of foreign words, practice acting and oratory, delve into Vedic wisdom, practice dynamic kundalini meditation, learn all about the durian fruit king and even try tantra yoga!
Sunslet evenings are the time for educational lectures. Due to the fact that Gili Air brought together people of completely different backgrounds, from completely different fields of activity, it was possible to find a lecture for every taste and learn something new even for the most sophisticated and experienced listeners. Sunsurfers talked about their travels, spiritual practices, healthy lifestyles, ways to earn money remotely and build a business. There were lectures on how and why you need to starve, how to eat right according to Ayurveda, what is human design and how it helps in life, how to survive in the Indian jungle, what to take with you on a hitchhiking trip, which volcanoes are worth visiting in Indonesia, how traveling alone in India, how to open your own online store, how to promote your services through online marketing and much, much more. This is only a small part of the topics, it is simply impossible to list everything. An incredible storehouse of useful information, new ideas and inspiration!
During the weekend, which was in the middle of the rally, the most daring and courageous sunsurfers even managed to climb the Rinjani volcano, which is located on the island of Lombok, and its height is as much as 3726 meters!
At the end of the rally, the traditional marathon of good deeds from sunsurfers took place. This is such a flash mob when the participants of the rally come together to benefit everyone around them together. This time the good deeds were done in groups, the same ones that gathered for joint travels.
Some of the guys helped the wildlife of Gili Air Island – they collected several large bags of garbage from the beaches and fed all the animals they could find – horses, chickens with roosters, goats, cows and cats. Another group made pleasant surprises for the inhabitants of the island – they gave them white birds made of paper with warm messages in the local language of Bahasa. The third team of sunsurfers, armed with sweets, fruits and balloons, delighted the kids. The fourth group cheered up tourists and guests of the island, making gifts in the form of necklaces of flowers, treating them with bananas and water, and also helping to carry backpacks and suitcases. And finally, a fifth of the flyers worked as genies for the rest of the sunsurfers – fulfilling their wishes, lowered into a special box. Both local residents, and small children, and tourists, and sunsurfers, and even animals were pleasantly surprised by such an event, they accepted help and gifts with joy and gratitude. And the flashmob participants themselves were happy to benefit other creatures!
On the evening of April 29, a farewell party was held, at which the results of the rally were summed up, and there was also a concert of “non-talents”, where anyone could perform with poems, songs, dances, mantras, playing musical instruments and any other creative work. The sunsurfers chatted merrily, recalled the bright moments of the rally, which were more than enough, and, as always, hugged a lot and warmly.
The sixth sunslet ended, all participants got a lot of new invaluable experience, practiced spiritual and physical practices, made new friends, got acquainted with the beautiful islands and rich culture of Indonesia. Many sunsurfers will continue their travels after the rally to meet again in other parts of the Earth, because for the majority these people have become family, one big family! And the seventh rally is planned to be held in Nepal in autumn 2016…