Five days
Breath, Slowed
A short reset. Daily hatha and pranayama, two guided meditation sessions, an afternoon walk through the rice terraces, and an evening session by the river.
A small yoga retreat · Sidemen, East Bali
Vegan yoga and meditation retreats
Vegan yoga and meditation retreats
in Sidemen, East Bali.
Five and seven day retreats in the Sidemen valley, one hour east of Ubud. Twelve guests at a time.
Tri Hita Karana
The Balinese have a phrase, Tri Hita Karana, for the three relationships that hold well-being together: the one with the land, the one with the people you live alongside, and the one with what is above. It is taken seriously here as a working principle for how the household runs.
The retreat is built around making rest possible for people who have not had much of it lately. The schedule is steady, the kitchen is fed from the terraces around us, and the afternoons are deliberately unscheduled so the day can settle however it needs to.
Most guests arrive from cities. The week here runs on whatever the kitchen team brought up the hill that morning and a rhythm the household has used for years.
Programmes
Three small retreats, run six times a year.
Twelve guests per programme. We hold the rest of the year for rest, kitchen training, and the rice cycle.
Seven days · most chosen
Sekala & Niskala
Our main programme. Two daily practices, a longer meditation each day, a half-day in silence, one morning helping out in the kitchen with Bu Ayu, and a visit to the family temple.
Seven days · women only
Pertiwi
A women-only retreat held twice a year. Longer periods of silence, somatic work, and group conversation. Co-led with Ni Wayan, who teaches the Balinese dance lineage she learned from her mother.
A day at Niskala.
A sample day from the seven-day Sekala & Niskala retreat. The shape is steady; the content varies with the week and the weather.
Mornings are for the body and the breath, before the heat. Afternoons are unplanned, so you can sleep, walk, swim, cook, or sit with the kitchen team.
Phones are kept in a basket at the entrance to the yoga bale during practice. Wifi is available at all hours in the main pavilion.
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06:00
Tea in the kitchen
Hot ginger and lemongrass on the long wooden table.
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06:45
Walk to the river
A twenty minute walk through the terraces, optional, in silence if you prefer.
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08:00
Morning practice
Ninety minutes of hatha or vinyasa, depending on the day. Followed by twenty minutes of seated meditation.
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10:00
Brunch
The main meal of the day. Whatever Bu Ayu and the kitchen team brought up the hill that morning.
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11:30
Open afternoon
Rest, read, swim in the river pool, walk to the village, or join the kitchen for the evening prep. Nothing scheduled.
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16:30
Afternoon sit or restorative
Alternating days. A longer guided meditation, or a restorative yin class with bolsters and warm cloths.
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18:30
Supper, by lamplight
A lighter meal. Soup, rice, tempeh, fresh sambal at the table.
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21:00
Lights down
The valley shuts down early.
Bu Ayu has cooked for this family for thirty years.
The kitchen, Niskala
The kitchen is entirely vegan, and Bu Ayu runs it.
The week off animal products is a deliberate part of the programme. It works as a physical reset alongside the practice on the mat, and most guests notice the difference within a day or two.
Long-time vegans usually tell us afterwards that the kitchen took their food as seriously as everyone else's plate, which is unusual on a retreat. The bigger shift tends to come from guests who eat animal products at home: the contrast across seven days is often the source of the most meaningful change in how they feel during the week.
Bu Ayu learned from her mother in a village an hour north of here. Her sambal recipe is the one the whole road eats at temple days. Two younger cooks train alongside her in the open kitchen. Most of what reaches the table was picked or carried up from the lower terraces that morning.
- Tempeh, made in the village
- Rice from the next terrace
- Jackfruit, banana flower, papaya
- Lemongrass, turmeric, kaffir lime
- Coconut milk, pressed fresh
- Sambal, ground at the table
Where you stay.
Niskala sits on a rice terrace forty minutes off the main Sidemen road, with a river at the bottom of the property and Mount Agung visible from the bale on clear mornings.
The baleYoga and meditation space
River poolSpring-fed, year round
Guest roomsTwelve beds, six rooms
The people who hold the week.
Two facilitators per retreat. We do not bring in visiting teachers.
Mira Bos
Lead yoga · Co-founder
Mira has taught hatha and pranayama for fourteen years, the last six of them in Bali. She trained originally in Mysore and continues to study with Sharath family lineage teachers. Her classes are structural and unfashionable in a good way.
Ni Wayan Sukerti
Meditation · Balinese dance
Ni Wayan grew up in the village over the ridge. She holds the meditation sessions and the weekly temple visit, and co-leads Pertiwi. The Balinese dance lineage she practices is the one her mother taught her.
What it costs.
A single per-person figure that covers accommodation, every meal, and the full programme. Transfers and visas are not included.
Breath, Slowed
Five days · shared room
$1,180
per person, all in
- Five nights, shared twin room
- All meals, prepared in-house
- Two daily practices, guided sits
- One guided rice-terrace walk
- Airport transfer from Denpasar add $90
Sekala & Niskala
Seven days · shared or private
$1,540
shared · $1,940 private
- Seven nights, shared or private
- All meals, plus one kitchen morning
- Two daily practices, longer sits
- Half-day silence, family temple visit
- Airport transfer from Denpasar add $90
Pertiwi
Seven days · women only
$1,540
shared · $1,940 private
- Seven nights, shared or private
- All meals, prepared in-house
- Longer silences, somatic work
- Circle conversation, Balinese dance
- Airport transfer from Denpasar add $90
A 20 percent deposit secures your spot. The balance is due thirty days before arrival. We hold two scholarship places per year for guests for whom the full price is genuinely out of reach. Email us if that is you.
A few honest voices.
"I have been on retreats that felt like wellness theatre. This was not that. The cooking comes out of an actual household. The yoga is unflashy. I came home actually rested for the first time in about a year."Hanna LindqvistArchitect, Stockholm
"Bu Ayu's kitchen was the centre of the week for me. I am vegan at home and most retreats I have been to treat the food like something they need to apologise for. This one runs through the kitchen."Daniel OkonkwoPhysician, London
"I have done two Sekala & Niskala weeks now. The teachers do not put on a show, the schedule does not promise transformation, and the cooking is genuinely good. The week is what it says it is."Aoife BrennanWriter, Galway
Practical questions.
The honest answers to the things most people ask us before booking. Anything missing, write to us directly.
How do I get to Sidemen from the airport?
Denpasar Airport to Niskala is about two hours by car, traffic dependent. We arrange a private transfer with a driver we have worked with for years for an additional $90 each way. You can also use Grab or a private taxi if you prefer; we will send the location pin.
What about visas?
Most nationalities can buy a Visa on Arrival at Denpasar Airport for 500,000 IDR (about $33). It is good for thirty days and can be extended once. Check your specific nationality on the Indonesian immigration site before you fly.
I am not vegan. Will I be hungry?
Nobody has been so far. Bu Ayu cooks five to six dishes per meal, all plant-based, and the portions are generous. Most guests who eat meat at home tell us they did not miss it during the week. If you are uncertain, write to us; we can talk through what a typical day on the plate looks like.
Do I need yoga experience?
No. Mira teaches in a way that holds beginners and long-time practitioners in the same room. There are options at every posture. If you have an injury or a specific condition, mention it in the enquiry so we can prepare.
Is the water safe to drink?
Yes. We filter all drinking water on site and refill stainless bottles in your room daily. You will not need to buy bottled water during your stay.
What should I bring?
Light clothing for the daytime, something warmer for the early mornings, a swimsuit, sandals, and a long sleeve top for temple visits. We provide yoga mats, bolsters, a sarong, and a refillable water bottle. A torch is useful at night.
Cancellation policy?
Deposits are non-refundable but transferable to a future retreat within 18 months. Cancellations more than 30 days before the start date receive a full refund of the balance. Inside 30 days, we keep the balance unless we can fill the spot, in which case we refund. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.
Write to us. We will reply within a day.
Tell us a little about you, which retreat you are looking at, and which dates you are weighing. The dates we list as available really are available.