4-Day Traditional Balinese Yoga & Culture Retreat in a Sacred Village Ashram

Day one you arrive at the ashram, get shown to your room and meet the facilitators, then take an easy afternoon yoga session to settle in before dinner. From there the days settle into a rhythm: yoga and meditation in the morning, breakfast, then an activity — one day rice farming in the surrounding paddies, another a trek through the countryside to a waterfall, another a coconut oil making session where you take home what you press. Chakra opening workshops run during the week, and one session is held on the beach instead of the ashram shala.

Your spa treatment is built into the schedule rather than treated as an upsell, and the therapists use local oils and techniques. Meals are cooked at the ashram and adapted to your dietary needs — you tell them in advance and they work around it. It's simple Balinese home cooking, not restaurant food.

What separates this from other Bali yoga retreats is the setting itself. The ashram is a functioning spiritual site run entirely by villagers, and the Watukaru yoga you'll practise is specific to this lineage — you won't find it taught in Canggu or Ubud studios. You'll be one of a small group, sharing the space with the people who live there.

The team is made up of Balinese practitioners who have grown up in the tradition. Details of exactly who will guide your specific dates are confirmed before you arrive. Rooms are split between standard and superior, and between shared twin and private — all four combinations are bookable, and prices differ accordingly.

The retreat suits total beginners as well as people who've practised for years. The yoga is taught at a level everyone in the group can follow, and the cultural activities don't require any fitness beyond being able to walk for an hour or two. Come solo and you'll be placed in a shared twin unless you book private.

What's included

- Traditional Watukaru Yoga sessions - Meditation sessions - Spa treatment - Chakra opening workshops - Village trekking excursion - Rice farming experience - Waterfall visit - Beach yoga session - Coconut oil making activity - Meals at the ashram (tailored to the group's dietary needs) - Accommodation at the ashram

What's not included

- International and domestic flights - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Optional upgrades and extra spa treatments - Meals outside the retreat schedule - Airport transfers (confirmed with the leader)