Fulfilment of the Soul
After a hectic year of working on a TV production that knocked her life off balance, Sherin Wong found herself again in Bhutan. Here, she details how she is realigning her life’s purpose
In january 2016, I started producing a 30-episode Chinese drama series. The pressure was immense to complete a high-quality production within tight deadlines. During the four months of shooting, I was sleeping and eating at irregular hours. On some nights when I came home at wee hours, even my own dogs started barking at me, as I haven’t been spending time with them! When we had completed the shooting for all 30 episodes, I would still jump up from my sleep on certain nights, worrying about what is happening on the set. This went on for about two weeks before I got back my regular sleep cycle. Even though I enjoyed the rush and challenges of being a producer, I felt I had lost touch with myself. I stopped doing what makes me happy, and what keeps me grounded. I lost focus as I stopped doing yoga, plus I began to get easily irritated and aggravated. I no longer had much patience and became a grumpy person, a version of myself that I couldn’t recognise. It was in November that year, that I then decided to make a trip back to Bhutan, since I recalled how happy I was the last time I was there. This time round, I devoted myself to spiritual experiences by offering my services at monasteries and nunneries. I cooked with the monks in the monasteries, and spent hours a day in temples. I visited farmhouses, ate and spent time with the locals, only to realise how much I have in comparison. I experienced the delight of being sustainable and I felt contented and happy—something that I’d forgotten what it feels like for a while. I then asked myself, “What is my purpose in life?” In the search for an answer, I took time off work and went back to Australia to disconnect from my routine life. I stayed there alone for one month and spent my days reading, focusing on prayers and meditating. I no longer woke up looking at my handphone browsing through social media sites, first thing in the morning. At the same time, during my retreat, I also received news of the passing of a friend. That made me ponder on the subject of death. At the brink of death, what would I regret the most? I was sure the answer is not to have made more money or to have worked harder. The level of contentment and happiness that the Bhutanese have within their daily life inspired me. With that in mind, Little Bhutan was conceived. It would be a little piece of Bhutan tucked in a small town in Victoria, about one hour and 30 minutes away from Melbourne city where people can check themselves in and experience the Bhutanese way of life. Bhutan is not a country that is accessible to everyone, so I am hoping with Little Bhutan, I can bring a slice of the level of happiness experienced in Bhutan to people. It is a place for us to experiment, for us to grow and use traditional herbs in our menu for overall wellbeing. With a mix of traditional farming practices and appropriate modern technology, I hope to cultivate in others, a respect for Mother Nature and the importance of nurturing ourselves as we nurture the land, as well as to be sustainable. As I’m writing this, I’ve just packed and shipped (with a heavy heart) all my belongings to Australia; and I sold most of my Louboutins, Choos, Manolos and dresses on a pre-loved platform, since I’ll be trading in gum boots for them. On the journey to Little Bhutan, I’ve also completed my RYT200 (yoga teaching training course), which was an intense one month of standing, bending, twisting and incorporating the right diet and consuming foods that are non-toxic. Little Bhutan will be ready to open its doors by year 2020. To follow our progress, follow us on instagram @littlebhutan.au.
Is there a parallel to your own story that you would like to share with us? Email your thoughts about Sherin’s expression to: priyanka.mohan@edipressemedia.com