Balinese Yoga Teacher Training and Wellness Escape in the Village of Sesandan Megati

This retreat is built around a specific and fairly rare tradition: Balinese Watukaru Yoga, which traces its roots back to 13 Indian yogis who are said to have practiced on Mount Watukaru thousands of years ago. The teaching here is based on the Perguruan Seruling Dewata system, and your lead instructor, Gede Arya, is a ninth-generation disciple with 30 years of experience. He's a martial arts master as well as a yoga teacher, and he teaches the tradition in a way that emphasizes meditation, breathwork, and what the source calls 'chakra opening' alongside the physical postures. In the afternoons, you'll train with him and other teachers in small groups. In the mornings, you join a larger general yoga retreat class with guests who aren't doing the teacher training, so the energy is mixed and less intense if you're newer to yoga. The days are full but balanced: yoga sessions, meals, village activities, and then afternoons free for exploring or relaxing. You finish the week with a certificate from the Balinese Yoga Organisation—this is not an official Yoga Alliance certification, which is worth knowing if you plan to teach professionally. What makes this retreat special is the location. You're not in a tourist hub like Ubud. You're in Sesandan Megati, a working village with rice fields around you and locals going about their day. The retreat runs activities most mornings and afternoons that connect you with the culture—learning gamelan music or the Balinese language, making offerings, visiting waterfalls, and doing a beach yoga session a couple of times if the weather cooperates. This is a retreat for people who want yoga and culture together, and who are less concerned about luxury and more about genuine experience. The teachers, especially Gede Arya and Dewi, are notable. Dewi's story is quite something—she was a rice farmer working twelve-hour days before she learned English and yoga, and now she teaches both local women and Western guests. The atmosphere is family-like, and many reviews mention that guests and staff feel like family by the end. You stay at Balitrees Retreat, a property about two hours from the airport near Tabanan. It has a pool, a yoga shala, a spa, a restaurant, and free wifi and parking. The standard rooms are about a 3–5 minute walk from the dining and lobby area, which means you get quiet at night. The peace of the location is immediate—the source describes it as away from tourism, surrounded by rice paddies and within sight of Mount Watukaru. It's not a five-star setup, but it's comfortable, clean, and full of character.

What's included

- 6 nights accommodation - 3 daily delicious and nutritious meals - Daily yoga classes - Daily meditation classes - Specialized workshops - Course manual - Pre and post retreat support from our team - Certificate upon successful completion - Yoga mats, blocks, straps, and bolsters - Water, tea, coffee served throughout the day - Teacher training course and certification - Wifi connection - Arrival transfer from airport, Ubud Center, Sanur, Canggu, Tabanan area

What's not included

- Travel insurance - Flights costs - Visa fee - Additional treatments - Additional activities not included in the itinerary