After spending a couple of days frolicking in Seminyak and Canggu, I was ready to go to Ubud. I hired a private car to drive me from Seminyak (cost about 150,000 IDR). The drive wasn't bad; I got to see some parts of Bali as we drove through towns. The total drive took about one and a half hours.
The venue was off the main road, so it was a bit tricky to find, even with directions. If you're coming from the airport, the establishment offers a pick-up and drop-off for an additional cost. However, if you're coming from other areas of Bali, individuals are responsible for arranging their own transportation.
Once I arrived at Blooming Lotus, I was greeted by friendly staff. They presented me with a welcome packet, a 7-day schedule, and my room key. After I had reviewed some important information, I sat in the waiting/dining area to read my brochure, enjoy my refreshing coconut water, and eat some Dadar Gulung (Balinese Coconut Pancake).
Afterward, I was driven to my private villa. As I got off the trolley, immediately I noticed some charming details of my villa. By the entrance, there was a tree with this beautiful, green melon-looking fruit hanging from it. The gorgeous wood crafted doorway was adorned by a copper hand knob.
I followed my bellboy through a walkway, which led to a patio with an infinity pool, and I was in complete awe of my view. This marvelous place was going to be my home for the next seven days.
The villas are situated on a cliff, and below is an active river, creating soothing sounds of water flowing. All the villas look out to a temple, which is hidden by lush greenery. My villa had three bedrooms, with a private pool, and an open living/kitchen area.
I was the first to arrive, and I got myself situated in my room. At the time of booking, I had opted for a shared deluxe package, which meant that I would be sharing a room with another person. The other two rooms were booked as well, so there would be a total of 6 people in one villa. Later on, I found out that if you paid double the price, you get your private villa, without sharing any of the rooms.
One by one the guests started to arrive at Blooming Lotus. There were a total of 30 guests attending the week-long New Year's Eve yoga retreat. I spent most of the day relaxing and chit-chatting with my roomies until dinner time. Around 5 pm, we gathered in the dining area. The dinner was a 3-course vegan meal, which was very well prepared and delicious. After dinner, we all got some time to get ready for our first cultural event in Ubud town.
The retreat’s shuttle bus took us all into town. We arrived at an outdoor venue and entered into a courtyard with benches, so we all took a seat and waited patiently to see the Kecak Fire and Dance Show. The show was about an hour and a half and I did not know the storyline before watching it. There was a lot of chanting, movements, and whirls of colors. Everything was exciting to the eyes, but a bit confusing to the mind. Overall, watching the show was a great experience, but I highly suggest knowing the story before attending the show. Once the show was over, the bus took us back to our villas so that we could retire for the night.
The next morning a gong was heard throughout the retreat to wake us all up. The yoga and meditation session started at 7:30 am sharp and ran to 9:30 am every day. Afterward, we had breakfast and then had our workshop from 11 am to 12 pm. The workshop was held at the same time for three days, out of the seven days. The schedule at Blooming Lotus was not rigorous and gave guests a lot of time for themselves.
Every day there was a shuttle bus that provided transportation to Ubud town for 4 hours. This allowed the guest to grab lunch, explore, and shop.
Once back at the retreat, we had another yoga and meditation session from 5 pm to 7 pm. After that, we all had dinner together.
On the last day, we finished the retreat by going to the Sacred Water Temple, and Blooming Lotus provided sarongs for all of us. According to religious rules, women should be completely covered from shoulder to legs. The Sacred Water Temple was the most exhilarating experiences. It felt great for my mind and soul to be blessed by holy water, after an enlightening week.
We had a total of two instructors that led the yoga and meditation classes. One of the instructors was Emily, who was very nice. We only did two classes with her because her family was in town. She was very knowledgeable and helpful, but I didn't really get a chance to connect with her.
The other yoga instructor was Bindi; she had this amazing aura around her during all of our sessions. She was very soothing, warm and nice. She was really invested in everyone's well-being. She was very helpful and answered all our inquiries. In all her classes, I felt light, love and peacefulness.
During my meditations, I experienced some heaviness in my chest. I was a bit worried, but after a one on one consultation, I realized the reasons why I was feeling this way. During my time at the retreat, I discovered some things about myself as well as to let go of some personal baggage.
It was my first retreat and the overall experience was great! If you're looking for a place to get away, do some yoga, meditation or seeking enlightenment without hurting your wallet. Blooming Lotus is a great place to go for beginners and intermediates. I will definitely be back here, again!
Namaste!
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