The journey to One World’s Retreat’s home in Tegalalang winds through rice terraces and rainforests. You feel the world take a deep sigh. I have not signed up for the panchakarma retreat that is the focus of this resort, but after my 3-day stay, I kind of wish I had.
On the short walk to my suite, we wander past a beautiful pool that hangs over a precipice. “You won’t be swimming,” my hostess informs me. When I ask why, she tells me gently that bathing in cold water is not advised during a cleanse. This is just one of the many discoveries I’ll make on my brief journey.
Each piece of information gets me closer to wanting to sign up for the full program, but I’m not there yet. Ayurvedic medicine is a time-honoured tradition in India, but it’s practised all over the world. Panchakarma is about restoring balance through detoxification and a gentle rebuilding of the system, or the individual dosha – but more on that later.
One World’s beating Heart.
At the heart of One World retreat in tegalalang is it’s health centre – a kind of sanitarium that sits at the centre of the property. This is where the ayurvedic doctors and nurses have their rooms and home to the healing treatment rooms. The first people I encounter smile in a kind of other-worldly way and I’m shown a stunning terrace at the far end. It’s a quiet area where guests can relax and soak up the views, enjoy a tea, read or meditate. It’s a quiet area.
I finally get the sense that I’m not at a resort, this is
Forbidden Pools and Personal Journeys.
One thing I am told as I settle in is that there will be a lot of discussion about, well… bowel movements. It doesn’t take long before I know exactly what she meant, and I’m glad of the heads-up. As we all sit down at the communal table for dinner, overlooking the forbidden pool and the valley views, mysterious potions are passed around. They look every bit as awful as every herbal remedy I’ve ever had but I feel a bit as though I’m missing out.
FOMO kicks in but rather than upsetting me, it inspires me. The next few days is even more encouraging as I talk to lovely people dressed in everything from robes to monk-like pyjamas, who tell me their stories. Many come back every year, some twice yearly and tell me this is the best, and most affordable, ayurvedic retreat they’ve found anywhere in the world. They all have shining eyes and big smiles, they are young and old, and they are all lovely, interesting and smart. That says a lot to me.
I am also very surprised that the food we’re served, individually designed for each member of the group, is tasty and far more delicious than I’d expected. In fact I has anticipated starving myself! I enjoyed every bite including dessert – at dinner just 3 prunes, or dates, are served. Lunch is the main meal here.
About One World.
One World opened in Ubud as a yoga retreat centre with a hilltop spa that offered ayurvedic treatments. Running 50 retreats a year, a run down resort was re-purposed as a residential retreat offering vegetarian food, activities and spa treatments as part of each program. Pened by french canadian restaurateur Claude ( who created the famous bridges restaurant in Ubud) and his partner Yann, a quietly spoken Indonesian yoga master.
Building on the popularity of the original retreat, they researched ayurvedic programs and worked with qualified doctors and established One World Ayurvedic retreat in Tegalalang after closing Bridges post-Covid. Yoga is still an integral part of the One World experience. A soft bell wakes everyone early and at 8 am a class starts the day before breakfast is served.
The yoga studio is an open pavilion with the valley stretching out below us. The classes are more about flow than ability as part fo the Panchakarma detox. Everybody shows up. Another gentle yoga class is held in the late afternoon before an early dinner is served and everyone retires.
Sleep Comes Easily here.
There’s no alcohol served at the retreat centre, naturally, and the rhythym of the day means that everyone is in bed early and up early. The suites are quietly luxurious with beautiful bathroom and generous terraces. Sleep comes easily and deeply, everything is designed to relax the body and mind and restore harmony and that means sleeping well, gentle exercise and a diet designed specifically for you.
My Introduction to Ayurvedic Systems.
If I had to guess, and there is a lot of discussion about the doshas, that I was a Kapha, ruled by Eath and Water. Turns out a am primarily Pitta with a mix of Vata – wrong again. My initial consultation with the resident doctor involved a physical and emotional asessment and guidlines for brining myself back to balance. As I am here for a short yoga-based stay, I am lft to my own devises but given a list of do’s and don’t’s for my general health. There a few things that I should avoid that I love including some cheeses but overall it isn’t too bad.
The retreat guests are guided through each element of this and also given a program of treatments that include massage and body treatments that will bring them into balance. Firstly though a detox program rids them of the deep-seated toxins that are at the core of any health problems they are having or may have in the future. It all sounds a little woo woo at irst but when you meet the people who have booked for longer stays, you can see the light in their eyes, the clarity of their skin and the effects that their journey has had on their emotional state. Everyone seems happy and very calm.
Ayurveda is a whole-body (holistic) system of medicine that began in India more than 3,000 years ago. Ayurveda means the study of life. It takes a natural approach to all aspects of health and well-being.
The practice translates to “the science of life” and aims to promote health and prevent disease through a holistic approach that includes herbal medicine, diet, exercise, yoga, and massage. Ayurvedic theory is based on five elements (air, space, fire, water, and earth) that form three “doshas” (vata, kapha, and pitta), which are types of energy that circulate in the body
If you’re considering a Panchakarma retreat, you can explore One World Retreat’s programmes and availability here.
