Feeding Your Spirit: Bali Retreat
February 17, 2024 - February 23, 2024
$600.00
Connect, grow, and explore. Join us in February 2024 for the trip of a lifetime.
The dream…
In my earlier years, I was an avid traveler, spending time mostly in Asia. After some bopping around, a stint as a stay-at-home mother, and going through a national pandemic, the time feels right for exploration. Women particularly are starved for connection, adventure, and presence. My hope is to help those who may not take the leap on their own, to take a risk for this once-in-a-lifetime trip and have an experience that will translate to their lives at home.
I am thrilled by the prospect of going to Floating Leaf, to support an eco-resort that gives back to the community and offers cultural immersion and spiritual growth, while nourishing ourselves. My intention is to hold space for others to grow, support one another, and let go of the old stories that are no longer serving us. I hope this experience offers women a path back to themselves and opens them up to self-compassion, presence in their bodies, and connection with nature and one another.
I hope you join us on this incredible adventure together.
What’s Included…
- 6 nights/7 days of guided retreat experience at the Eco-Luxury Floating Leaf Retreat Centre in Bali
- 3 Organic Meals Daily
- Welcome (and farewell) dinner with traditional dancers & musicians
- Welcome drink and foot massage
- Yoga classes & meditation (x3)
- Introduction to Balinese culture
- Three rooftop terraces offering dramatic views of the Indian Ocean & Bali’s majestic volcanoes and the surrounding rice fields
- Fresh tropical fruits daily
- Art and culture shopping tour
- Free high-speed wireless internet & In-room safe/lock box
- Round-trip airport transfers
We will also be immersing ourselves into Balinese culture, nature, and spirituality with the following included activities:
Included Activity Details…
Secret Waterfall and Temple Tour
If you had just one day in Bali, this is the tour to take. You will start the day with a scenic drive up into Bali’s Central Highlands, which features epic viewpoints, lakes, and traditional villages. The first stop is one of the most iconic temples in all of Bali, the 11 tiered temple of Pura Ulun Danu, that seems to float on Lake Batur. We will then depart for Bali’s very best and most impressive waterfalls. Floating Leaf calls them the “Secret Falls”, as many other falls in Bali are well known and can be crowded, but these are the most majestic falls and guests usually have them all to themselves. These waterfalls also provide the ability to swim in the lagoons, get massaged by the falls, and even discover natural water slides.
Ricefield Walk and Ricefield Temples
Just 1 minute from Floating Leaf is a new and wonderful 2km track through beautiful and sacred rice fields. This guided tour will teach your guests about Bali’s Subak, a true marvel of engineering and human achievement. Learn how these island wide irrigation systems helped to develop the civilization and are a holy and integral part of Balinese life today. The water management is under the authority of the priests in water temples, who practice Tri Hita Karana Philosophy, a self-described relationship between humans, the earth and the gods.
You will also be guided through smaller, rice field temples. The temples are small but important structures to honor the Gods. These are not to be confused with the Sacred Water temples, which are massive architectural structures in which you enter and perform ceremonies.
Temple Purification Ceremony
A purification ceremony or Melukat ritual is a traditional spiritual cleansing ritual and part of the Manusa Yadnya (Balinese Hindu life event progression). Its purpose is to purify a human body and soul. It is said to wash away turmoil and sickness acquired from negative karma in both this life and past lives.
The purification ceremony is held at Tirta Empul Water Temple. After the Purification Ceremony, we will visit a coffee plantation to sample special teas and coffees, including the world’s most expensive coffee, Kopi Luwak, and a traditional painting village and Balinese compound. On the return trip, we will stop off in Ubud, one of the key cultural and artistic centers in Bali.
Muntigunung Charity Trek
One of our most rewarding excursions is a trek in the Muntigunung region of Bali. In cooperation with Floating Leaf’s favorite Balinese charity, Muntigunung Community Social Enterprise, we will go on a beautiful and enlightening trek through this remote area in northeast Bali.
On the trek, you will learn about how water-catchment buildings have helped empower the women and enable them to provide for their families. Instead of the dangerous daily water runs, the women and their families can gather under the water catchment building, benefit from education, spend time together, create beautiful crafts and ultimately have the time and energy to make a living and lift themselves out of poverty.
Balinese Healer
One of the most profound and rewarding activities is a visit to a Balian, a traditional Balinese healer. There are almost as many types of healers as there are reasons for seeking one’s services. Some healing modalities include medicinal herbs and elixirs while others study the body for tell tale signs of ‘dis-ease’. Others may read palms, use numerology or give deep tissue massage to determine the illness or problem. Sessions are almost always hands on/healing massage style treatments. The efficacy of a Bali healer is measured in his or her Taksu, or spiritual power and is evidenced in several ways.
Floating Leaf has been actively studying and documenting this unique and powerful method of healing for over a decade and have forged relationships with half a dozen healers who are among the best on the island and work very well with non-Balinese patients.
Purification Ceremony at Floating Leaf
A Balinese Hindu High Priest, locally known as a Pemangku, will come to Floating Leaf to preside over sacred and traditional rituals and ceremonies. This is a profound, private, and powerful ceremony and each guest receives a Balinese three colored protective bracelet to carry on the purifying aspects of these sacred rituals. Massive amounts of offerings are created for this event and they can be enjoyed in celebration after the ceremonies conclude (many contain edible components).
Meet Your Guides.
Lindsey Baldwin, is an LICSW, counselor, mindfulness/self-compassion coach and nature lover. She is on a radical body empowerment and self-compassion path and has enjoyed delving into somatic work. She loves scheming up new adventures, supporting those who are struggling, and does not do small talk very well. Her passion is creating unique experiences that bring people together and challenges their comfort zones.
Miss Martha is a gifted and talented naturalist, who runs a nature school in Massachusetts. She inspires and creates nature connections for all those who come in contact with her, if you are three years old or eighty. She is a backpacking extraordinaire and fierce defender of women in nature and male-dominated spaces. She is a lover of our world and has made it her intention to connect as many to it as she can, in hopes that others will care as much as she does.
The Incredible Location.
Recognized as one of the best yoga, spa and wellness retreats in the world by publishers such as Harpers Bazaar Weekly and Conde Nast Traveller, we invite you to experience Bali at its finest.
With only 12 rooms, the award-winning architecture of Floating Leaf combines both traditional Balinese cultural influences and modern comfort and stability. The grounds also feature an organic permaculture garden, two Balinese temples, numerous private meditation areas and koi ponds.
Floating Leaf is located in the traditional seaside village of Sukawati with incredible views of the rice fields and beyond to the Indian Ocean and Bali’s majestic volcanoes it is centrally located a short drive from Ubud, Sanur, the airport and a variety of beaches and attractions.
Payment schedule.
- Single-occupany room – $3,800 (per person)
- Double-occupancy room – $2,900 (per person)
To hold your reservation, we are requiring a $600 (non-refundable) deposit due at the time of booking. The remaining balance will be due in 2 equal payments on October 1st and December 1st.
Cost includes room & board, all meals, excursions, local transportation, and all activities. The cost of flights and personal travel insurance is not included.