Bali Silent Retreat

There came a phase when I found myself quite stressed at work. That was the time I actually realized I don’t want to this job anymore and I was in process of finding my other career path. And the company suddenly assigned me 5 days of vacation and I said to myself, as much as I would like to go home now, I should use the discounted tickets and go somewhere I have never been before.

I wanted to go and relax somewhere, I did not even feel like doing any sightseeing. So I got a recommendation from a friend for the place called Bali Silent Retreat. After some thinking, I booked my stay with them, packed some stuff and took the plane to Denpasar, Bali.

As soon as I stepped out of the aircraft I could feel the humidity mixed with that smell of too many people at the same place. I made my way through the immigration and at last I collected my tiny suitcase.

Their driver was waiting for me at the Arrivals hall. He took my luggage and we started our journey towards the inner part of the island. Our retreat was situated in the middle of the Unesco protected rice fields. There was no wifi, so I didn’t have too many distractions. I did buy a local sim card though, just in case something happened so I can book my ticket back. In the middle of the week my phone broke down so I was completely dependent on my tablet, being at the same time grateful that I brought it with me.

This was a Silent Retreat, which means no talking or chatting unless it is yoga or meditation related and you had some questions for your teacher.. If you wanted to chat, you could go to the chat zone close to the reception.

At first I had hard time. I impulsively wanted to interact and talk to someone, especially in the common room where we would eat or read. After 2 days I got used to it and I started to enjoy my time with myself. I was reading a lot, walking around and resting my eyes on that endless green that was surrounding the retreat.

The rooms were simple and minimalistic. I had everything I needed. A bed, nightstand, a mosquito net, two big plastic boxes to put my stuff in them (so the little animals don’t eat my luggage) and the en suite bathroom. The room only had 3 walls, fourth side was open and it was also a sort of a balcony. In the evening, I sometimes had visitors. Little lizards would come when they saw the lights lit. Some people may find it disgusting, so did I at first. What if I go to sleep and they crawl into my mouth? I pulled that mosquito net tightly and I tied it with a piece of elastic I had with me. I tried to avoid turning on lights for any reason at night so I don’t attract other little (or big) animals.

We had yoga and meditation twice daily. I would usually miss the morning one as I would never be bothered to wake up at 6 to stare in a candle flame, but I would usually go for the afternoon session. Yoga helped my body a lot, especially for my posture. My back felt flatter and in general, I felt better. I would never miss the meals as all the food was organic and vegan, so I didn’t struggle to eat as I am vegetarian and I don’t eat cheese. The fruits were delicious and juicy and soooo yummy.

They would organize daily trips to hot springs. I went only once and it really helped my skin as I struggled with acne and blemishes. It dried them out and my skin seemed to be really grateful. I also went for the guided tour of the rice fields which was impressive and definitely, one of the most beautiful things I have seen in my life. The locals we met on the way were extremely nice and kind greeting us with the little English they learned. I have also been to a butterfly park nearby which I loved a lot. There were all kinds of butterflies. A sad fact was that most butterflies only live for a day. They are born in the morning and they die at the end of the day.

When the time came to leave, I was quite sad. I really didn’t want to go. Plus I had to go a day earlier than I intended because I had to buy myself a new phone as I couldn’t turn on the old one. On the way back, the plane was quite full and this time I couldn’t enjoy with a row all to myself. I was squeezed on an aisle seat begging for the time to go by faster and trying to fall asleep. By the time I reached Dubai, this all seemed like a dream, 9 hours distant. If I had more holidays, I would definitely go back. Or you never know, I maybe will.