Heaven Om Earth; Om Ham Retreat in Ubud, Bali

Here I sit, perched above a lush field of rice paddies in Bali, enjoying a delectable mocha coffee. The breeze is rejuvenating, the music is calming, the scenery is spectacular and I...well, I am simply beside myself with contentment. I'm the only person currently in this lofted lounge and I'm sitting in my favorite seat. A staff member just came up the spiral staircase to pick green fruits from the wall of vines cascading down from above this structure. I asked him what they were and he excitedly reponded, "passionfruit, do you want?" Of course I do! He cut one open and handed me a fork; sweet, juicy and as fresh as it gets! This is just one example of the special experience here at this retreat.

It's my last day here in Ubud at Om Ham Retreat; actual Heaven "Om" Earth. From the moment I stepped foot onto this property, I felt lighter. They offer a number of different retreat options here. Mine was a 4 day/3 night Relaxing Retreat, which included my accomodations in a lovely room with a rice paddy field view and a porch, a welcome gift and flower foot bath, a rejuvenating spa treatment each day, a 1 1/2 hour yoga class each morning, a shuttle into Ubud, a healthy and delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner, afternoon tea daily, a beautiful in-room flower bath and a motivational life coaching session with Master Asana, the Kundalini Tantra yoga guru, healer and owner of Om Ham.

Some of the friends I met at the retreat booked their stay only and added meals and activites as they went. I liked the package because I made it to yoga every morning instead of wasting my mornings sleeping in, leaving me the rest of the day to explore or relax by the pool. During my 4 day stay, I booked 2 extra massages and a guided meditation. The prices were so reasonable! Some of the other retreats I looked into before traveling to Bali had set dates, but I chose Om Ham because of the flexibility it provided. People were coming and going throughout my stay, I could eat whenever I wanted and I could make changes to my "schedule" whenever I wanted.

The food was gourmet, fresh and mostly organic. Breakfast included fruit juice, an item off the menu, hot tea and fruit. Lunch included an item off the starters menu and a lunch menu item. Dinner included a starter, a dinner item and a delightful dessert! Each plate that I tried was so tasty, I wanted to try them all! They also had juices, coffees and smoothies for purchase. I loved the second floor of the dining area and often found myself there in solitude. It was perfect for enjoying breakfast and coffee while writing, reading or journaling.

All of my spa visits started with a cold tea and ended with a hot tea. The treatments were calming and enjoyable; the masseuses were kind and accomodating; the scents, sounds and feelings made me feel at ease. The yoga was very authentic and I especially loved the tantric breathing exercises. We had a different teacher each day and all of them were knowledgeable and calming. The guided meditation was across the street on sacred, quiet grounds, where we received blessings and cleared our minds to the sounds of nature and an accordian/keyboard instrument.

Om Ham Retreat offered a shuttle service to see the sights and to and from the airport(for an extra charge). One day I took the shuttle to the beautiful Tegallalang rice terraces. Another day I took the daily free service to Ubud, where I strolled the streets shopping and then posted up in a caf´é. I would highly recommend this retreat to anyone who needs an escape from reality and time to focus on their personal development and spirituality. Simply spending time on the peaceful grounds was enough to change the mindset for the better. The ponds boasted turtles, plants and coy fish. The pool and decór was other-worldy. I loved my stay and, with any luck, I will return again(and again!)

Thank you for a life-changing stay, Om Ham Retreat!

  

~Grateful Travels!~