Sammy Rainbow Furnival
Bali Yoga Retreat
Bali, Indonesia
4th - 11th June 2022
In 2018 I ventured to Bali for the first time and it was simply magical.The culture, people, weather, sights and food all left me spell bound. I spent just over 5 incredible weeks there and came back utterly revitalized (as well as deliciously bronzed).
When we break free from routine, we open up the door to discover freedom, independence, connection and transformation within ourselves. It’s the time that we dedicate to putting ourselves first, that really allows us to grow and heal.
The moment I boarded the flight back to London, I decided that I needed to create something where I could share all of the wonder I experienced in Bali and combine it with the practice that has guided me, taught me and lengthened my semimembranosus.
Based on all of that, I have curated the dreamiest retreat, originally scheduled for June 2020, however due to a certain global pandemic, that you may or may not be aware of, it will now take place in June 2022 and with Bali now open for tourism once more and flights more affordable when they were to begin with it seems like a damn good time to make it happen. This empowering and dare I say it, life altering yoga retreat will provide the space to focus on both the practical and theoretical aspects of yoga and wellbeing as well as an opportunity to chill out, relax and unwind as you get to know fellow yogis from around the world and experience a taste of Balinese culture. So how about it? Fancy coming with me?
Our Home
Off the beaten track, our home for the week is a secluded sanctuary located just outside of a small village, abundant with all the community and spirituality of traditional Balinese life. This venue is 20 minutes north of Bali’s holistic hub, Ubud and rests amid luscious rice fields on the edge of a virgin jungle. Our peaceful and luxurious paradise reflects real conscious sustainability and permaculture principles.
Arrival is as authentic as it gets, through a working Balinese paddy field, which leads you to the breathtaking retreat centre that is split into two large houses and three guesthouses. The houses, which all beam with character, are traditional antique Javanese houses, each with rustic luxury running throughout.
In the middle of the garden lies a 13m salt-water swimming pool for your enjoyment, with a large comfortable seating area next to the pool, and an abundance of other comfortable seating areas located on the grounds, perfect for quiet time and reflection.
Your needs will be fully catered to with, three housekeepers and two gardeners, along with three permanent retreat guests John, Betty and Karen, the resident cats, effective and necessary monitors for keeping some wildlife out of the houses. Please bare this in mind if you have any animal allergies.
The rooms range from triple to double, so whether you’re coming on your own or with friends, sisters, brothers or lovers there will be something to suit. Each bedroom also has it’s own unique private en-suite bathroom.
Our Menu
If you know me well, you'll know I'm a massive foodie. Which means I couldn't possibly host a retreat that didn't make me massively excited just to turn up to eat! Looking through the menu gets me so turned on, my mouth salivating and my brain doing cartwheels. The food will be locally catered by one of my favourite restaurants in Bali that I ate at many, many times during my last visit. It's gourmet vegan food and it will very likely blow your mind.
Each day you will treated to a menu of delicious food that will combine tasty local Balinese and Indonesian recipes with raw and plant based, highly nutritious food. Each day enjoy a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, obviously!
(This excludes breakfast on the day we hike and dinner on the day we head into town)
Gluten free and wheat free can be catered to.
Giving Back
The fact that you've even got down this far means that you're either in a place of privilege for considering this retreat as an option or you're just a daydreamer doing a spot of window shopping/manifesting. I'm also incredibly privileged and to be honest, I always have been.
I think it's important when travelling somewhere to live a life of luxury for a week, to take a moment to acknowledge what the reality is for the commuinities living in that area. Bali was listed as the number one tourist destination in the world according to Tripadvisor reports in 2019 and 2020 and with the International lockdowns, tourism practically disappeared overnight. Millions lost their income and with many without sufficient saving they are now finding it difficult to impossible to provide for themselves let alone their families. Although the pandemic affects the nation wholly, the poor people have gotten hit in the most tremendous way. Many people lost their job, have no income, and cannot put food on their tables.
Therefore I think it's important, to take from the teachings of yoga and to have some form of positive impact on the place we're traveling to and perhaps create even just a tiny ripple in the ocean of inequality.
One day of the retreat will be dedicated to volunteering for IDEP Foundation, a non-profit foundation that delivers practical programs and public education activities to communities in need all over Indonesia. IDEP develops and delivers training, community programs and media about sustainable development through Permaculture, and community-based disaster management.
On top of this, (providing the retreat reaches ¾ capacity) a portion of your retreat payment will be donated to sponsor a Balinese child through a year of grade 12 of schooling, to enable them to graduate, via the YKIP Kembali scholarship programme. By sponsoring a child, this helps bring long-term changes to the life of the child and their family, reducing the number of children dropping out of school due to their family financial hardship, and providing the opportunity for the child to create a better life for themselves.
Should you book on to the retreat I will also share further ways that you can support these charities should you have a desire to do so.
The Plan
On your arrival in sunny Bali you will be met at the airport by a private driver and brought directly to the retreat for welcome drinks, to get to know your new yoga family and to get settled in to your home for the week, before the real juiciness begins.
Over the course of the week I will share the practices with you that have had the most profound effects on me, including yoga asana, breath work, meditation and writing exercises.
Each day will include two yoga sessions, a 90minute dynamic yoga practice in the morning and a combination of yin, meditation and writing in the evenings (with the exception of excursion day and volunteering day in which there will only be one practice).
While yoga asana (the physical practice of yoga on the mat) will be a large part of the retreat, we will dive much deeper into the practice through philosophy and theming, mantra, pranayama, meditation and journaling.
Mid-week we will head out on an INREDIBLE excursion, leaving in the early hours of the morning to Mount Batur, one of Bali’s renowned volcanoes. Armed with head torches, we will climb the volcano in the dark, arriving at the top, just in time to watch the sunrise while tucking in to breakfast. It is an ultimately breathtaking way to start the day, I can tell you from previous experience.
During your stay you will receive a complimentary one-hour traditional Balinese massage at our private, dedicated massage space by the pool. If you would like further treatments and massages this can be arranged. I once heard that a massage a day keeps the doctor away, or something like that.
You’ll also have time to explore the delights of Ubud at your leisure, the 20 minute drive to the centre, is breathtaking, as it winds through the jungle, rice fields, river valleys and several traditional villages. You’ll be met with a shopping haven if you’re interested in the islands unique handcrafts, bohemian textiles and local art, (luckily most long haul flights give you cabin AND hold luggage allowance, so you can go WILD) then you'll be in your element.
The rest of the retreat is yours for the making and can be decided each day that you wake up on. Whether it’s chilling by the pool, making new friends, snuggled in one of the many hidden spaces with your head buried in a novel, exploring the surrounding jungle and village, singing, dancing, manifesting, laughing, crying, connecting and allowing it to be a week that is entirely suited for your needs, I am sure you will not find yourself at a loose end at any point.
What’s included?
- 7 nights accommodation
- Full use of the gardens and pool
- A delicious daily menu of fresh vegetairian food (excluding one evening in which we will go out for dinner)
- 2 yoga classes a day, one dynamic and one restorative (only one class on excursion day and volunteering day)
- Sunrise Volcano Trek with private guide
- Travel, refreshments and food for the volunteering day
- One hour complimentary Balinese massage.
- Airport transfer to the retreat
- All the laughter, connection and smiles that you can handle
What’s not included?
- Flights to Bali
- Transfer to the airport after the retreat has ended (this gives you the flexibility to head off and explore Bali further should you want to)
Prices
Early Bird – First 4 bookings - SOLD OUT
Double Room
- £995 per person (based on two people sharing one double bed.)
- £1400 to have a private room to yourself.
Twin/Triple room – One Double and one single
- £950 per person if you are booking as three people together sharing
- £1095 for double bed in shared room
- £1045 for single bed in shared room
Regular Price
Double Room
- £1095 per person (based on two people sharing one double bed.
- £1500 to have a private room to yourself.
Twin/Triple room – One Double and one single
- £1050 per person if you are booking as three people together sharing
- £1195 for double bed in shared room
- £1145 for single bed in shared room
My goal is to make this retreat accessible, so you do not need to pay everything up front. I will require a deposit of £250 to secure your space and then the remaining balance can be paid through a payment plan.
In the instance that the retreat has to be postponed due to Covid-19 or travel restrictions, all new bookings will be entitled to a full refund or to carry your booking over to the postponed date.
Come join me on the trip of a lifetime, you know you want to...
Send me an e-mail to book your spot before it's too late.