“A deep immersion in silence and stillness ”
7 Day Silent Zen Meditation and Yin Yoga Retreat in Bali, Indonesia
The Yogi's Garden Retreat Bali, Jalan Ganduh No 2, Banjar Marga Tengah, Desa Kerta, Panyangan, Gianayar, Bali 80572
Meditation Retreat in Indonesia
A week of silent meditation and Yin yoga in the jungles of Bali. This will be a deep period of both individual and group practice. A week dedicated to the practice of silent meditation, Yin yoga, and mindful walks in serene hills is a rare moment to connect at a deep level with your own heart and mind without dispersion and distraction. You find many of the answers you seek within yourself, in the depth of the living, and feel the experience of who you are. This week offers the possibility of taking inward steps to reconnect with the source of what is healing and nourishing in all of you. That is the gift of silence and stillness.
Meet the instructors
Hamid
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Highlights
- Meditation and Yin yoga
- Water purification ceremony with a Balinese priest in a nearby waterfall
- Dharma talks and meditative walks in nature
- 3 vegetarian and vegan meals per day
- Gathering by a bonfire every evening
- Group meeting on the last day
- 6 nights accommodation
- Fire purification ceremony with a Balinese priest to end the retreat
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
7 days with instruction
Group size: 8-35 participants
Airport transfer available:
Ngurah Rai International Airport (US$ 41 per person)
Ngurah Rai International Airport (US$ 41 per person)
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
14:00
Check-out Time:
14:00
Let your eyes soak in the views of Bali's farmland, jungle, and mountains – especially the great Mt. Agung. When the sky is clear, this holy mountain is visible from the yoga shala, dining area, and the main guest residence, as well as many special lookout spots, tucked around the property.
Program
Zazen (seated meditation in Zen) is at once a bare-bones form of meditation and at the same time, it is not one. Historically it’s a twice-millennial practice passed on through generations by the Buddha as the unique gateway to liberating us humans from the rounds of birth and death and the suffering that comes from being trapped in Samsara, the world of delusion and ignorance. But also it is not meditation in the sense we ordinarily understand it to be.
This practice has no object and is not meant to be a means towards some end, it is not meant to take you from here to anywhere in particular. If anything it is meant to help you realize that ultimately there is no getting from here and going there for there is no coming and going. Or if there is, there is no one doing the coming and going.
Clearly, there is a paradox at the heart of Zen practice and Zen meditation. The sitting that is nothing other than the sitting is what this practice is about. The Japanese name for it is Shikantaza: just sitting.
The emphasis here is on the word just. Just being wholeheartedly in full awareness of body, mind, and breath, presents to the unfolding of this practice of moment to moment of just sitting.
Encountering the resistances and discomforts that inevitably arise as we sit in the openness of just this moment, just this sitting, just this being. Slowly becoming intimate with the resistance. Noticing the arising of our cravings and aversions and the tensions they create inside. Then the next moment, in the next awareness of body-mind-breath presence to this moment returning to just sitting. Returning to the release and ease of this just sitting.
Zazen is the practice of paying one’s full attention to just this moment in its arising and falling as silence and stillness come upon you. When there is justness in the just of sitting, being simply here present to this moment, time and space collapse, and all mental categories collapse. In the absence of mental constructs, one faces the timeless and the boundless in the sheer openness of this moment, which is nothing other than the moment of here and now, fully present and showing up completely for one's life.
Meditation is the art of simply sitting, beyond the projections of the mind, or not being disturbed by them. When one can just sit, just breathe, just be the being they are, they return effortlessly to a simplicity where whatever is encountered is just the being or thing that it is. What Hamid finds compelling in the Zen perspective is how, as one moves into experiences of immediacy, interest in long-term projects—however noble, such as enlightenment or self-realization—gradually fades. In this state, there is a deeper sense of intimacy, felt through every pore. Intimacy, in this sense, is the letting go of goals, drives, and strivings.
Intimacy with yourself, intimacy with others, intimacy with the world: the flesh of the world is part of the silence that opens us to intimacy, resonance, and co-responding with all phenomena and beings. If you are coming, then be an expression of the intimacy of the moment: here I am, hineni, my voice, I am just coming. I am the coming, the sitting, the breathing, the breath, the just, the thus. He or she who realizes justness, thusness—the understanding that things are as they are, just as they are—is called in Sanskrit a Tathagata. Tathagata is one of the names of the Buddha.
There is hardly any place for silence in your lives as you feel even more compelled to fill all spaces with words and activity thus losing touch with what is most intimate and close to you; silence and stillness. Through meditation, you will slowly learn to settle here where at times you receive this formidable and unlike any other mind-blowing revelation: silence is the answer you have always been searching for.
Silence is the source of all the teachings, but even more so, silence is the ultimate teaching itself, the ultimate religion. Once it deeply touches your heart and mind you know you are liberated and at home, free from searching and seeking, free from paths, free from teachers and teachings.
Program
The six days will be spent in silence and the schedule will include four daily sessions of Zazen (seated meditation), Kinhin (walking meditation), meditative walks in the surrounding nature, Yin yoga, and dharma talks by Hamid. Each of these four blocks is comprised of three periods of 25 minutes of sitting and two periods of walking meditation of ten minutes each.
The program is structured in such a way as to allow guests of different levels of meditation practice to participate. Of the 4 daily blocks of meditation in the daily program participation in three sits is required, the fourth session, the one in the afternoon is optional.
Traditionally, at the end of a silent retreat, the participants all leave with a little time to discuss the thoughts and feelings that came to them during the silence. However, at this retreat, you will have a group meeting on the last day, during which you can share and open up with regard to whatever you have processed during the meditation sessions. You can explore further different aspects of the teachings to offer a framework to help you make better sense of your experience, so as to support incorporating it into your daily lives.
How to prepare for the retreat
Entering into a week of intense silent meditation is a demanding, but very rewarding experience. You will get the most from the retreat if you prepare in advance. If you don’t have time to prepare, don’t worry - these are just some tips to help you adjust more easily to the week:
Start meditating
You will be meditating together for 6-8 hours a day. It is therefore highly recommended you begin a daily practice as soon as you can so that your body can adapt to the posture.
Read some books on meditation
These books are highly recommended; Zen Mind Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki and Opening the Hand of Thought by Kosho Uchiyama.
Make space to be offline during the retreat
Telephones will not be taken upon arrival. However, it is highly recommended that phones be kept off or on flight mode throughout the retreat to maintain noble silence and deepen the practice. Reading news and messages during the retreat can be very disruptive to meditation.
It is suggested that participants inform their work, family, and friends that they will be offline for the week, taking full advantage of this rare opportunity to be free from the usual distractions of daily life.
A note on silence
This is a silence meditation retreat meaning you will be meditating a lot and maintaining silence throughout the week together. It is important that everyone understands and commits to this non-negotiable and essential part of the time of practice: maintaining what Buddha called Noble Silence. So please bear in mind, that observance of silence will be required of everyone.
If you need something during the retreat, such as an extra blanket or toilet paper, or have any problems with your room, there will be a place available to write notes to the retreat host Ana.
If you are having emotional difficulties and need to speak to the retreat facilitator, you can write a note to them and they can arrange a time to speak to you.
What to expect
Meditation
Zazen is practiced as a meditative practice in the Zen Buddhist tradition. During zazen, participants sit on their cushions, facing a wall, and focus their attention on posture and breathing. There are 5 hours of meditation per day, divided into three sessions, each lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes. Attendance at all sessions is strongly encouraged to deepen the experience and maintain harmony within the group.
Each block of meditation includes three periods of seated meditation and takes place as follows:
- 25 minutes of seated meditation (zazen),
- Followed by 10 minutes of walking meditation (kinhin),
- Followed by 25 minutes of seated meditation (zazen),
- Followed by 10 minutes of walking meditation (kinhin),
- Ending with 25 minutes of seated meditation (zazen).
The meditation is in silence and is not guided. You will receive a full instruction on the technique for seated and walking meditation on the first day of the retreat.
Yoga
The yoga is Yin yoga which is a gentle and slow practice in which postures are held for up to several minutes at a time. Yoga will be led by a qualified and experienced yoga teacher. You will receive a form from the yoga teacher ahead of the retreat which you can use to let them know about any injuries you have.
Yoga mats and props will be provided, but you are also welcome to use your own.
Mindful walks
Each day there will be a silent mindful walk in the village and nature near the retreat center that will last approximately an hour. If you wish to, you may meditate during the mindful walk instead.
Balinese cultural activities
The aim is to allow the participants to get a feel of Balinese culture and spirituality through the initial introduction, the daily walks in a traditional Balinese village, and, the two purification ceremonies.
Free time
There are periods of free time throughout the retreat that you can use to relax, do yoga, walk in nature, write, read, or simply be in the beautiful landscape. Writing notes and reading are allowed during the retreat, but we encourage you to only read material relating to meditation.
Daily schedule
Day 1
- 13:00 - Arrival
- 15:00 - 16:30 - Water purification ceremony with a Balinese priest at a nearby waterfall
- 17:00 - 19:00 - Opening ceremony and orientation
- 19:00 - Dinner
- 20:00 - 21:45 - Zazen (meditation)
- 22:00 - Sleep
Days 2 - 5
- 06:00 - Wake up
- 06:30 - 08:15 - Zazen
- 08:15 - Breakfast
- 09:00 - 10:30 - Yin yoga
- 11:00 - 12:45 - Zazen
- 12:45 - 15:00 - Lunch and rest
- 15:30 - 16:30 - Walk in nearby village and nature
- 17:00 - Tea and snack
- 17:30 - Talk given by the retreat facilitator
- 18:30 - Gathering around the bonfire
- 19:00 - Dinner
- 20:00 - 21:45 - Zazen
- 22:00 - Sleep
Day 6
- 06:00 - Wake up
- 06:30 - 08:15 - Zazen
- 08:15 - Breakfast
- 09:00 - 10:30 - Yin yoga
- 11:00 - 12:45 - Group council
- 12:45 - 15:00 - Lunch and rest
- 15:30 - 16:30 - Walk in nature
- 17:00 - Tea and snack
- 17:30 - Talk given by the retreat facilitator
- 18:30 - Gathering around the bonfire
- 19:00 - 20:00 - Dinner
- 20:00 - 21:45 - Zazen
- 22:00 - Sleep
Day 7
- 06:00 - Wake up
- 06:30 - 08:15 - Zazen
- 08:15 - Breakfast
- 09:30 - 10:30 - Zazen
- 10:30 - 12:00 - Closing ceremony and break silence
- 12:00 - Fire purification ceremony with a Balinese priest
- 13:00 - Lunch
- 15:00 - Leave the retreat center
Included excursions
During the week, Maitri Retreats will organize a trip to a waterfall situated close to the retreat center. Throughout the excursion and throughout the retreat silence will be maintained.
Instructors
Hamid Ebadi
Drawn to meditation in the 1990’s, Hamid encountered Japanese Zen Master Ryotan Tokuda in 1998, was ordained as a monk at Ei Tai-Ji Monastery in the South of France in 2000 and, in 2011, was authorized by his master to pass on these ancient teachings. Hamid is also a qualified psychotherapist and has continued his personal and professional development by sharing his experience conducting lectures, meditation retreats, and personal therapy sessions. Hamid firmly believes that giving unconditional support and guidance is fundamental to a joyful existence.
Location
The Yogi’s Garden offers a unique experience of “the real Bali” at their private retreat, wellness, and educational center set within a working farm less than an hour from bustling Ubud.
Food
All the meals served at the retreat from vegetables sourced from their own organic farm.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Gluten Free
- Raw food
- Paleo diet
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
One hour and a half hour full body massage at 30 USD to be booked in advance.
What's included
- Instruction on meditation technique
- Meditation and yoga each day
- Dharma talks each day
- Yoga mats and props
- Meditation cushion (if you have a preferred cushion for meditation, it is recommended to bring your own)
- All meals from dinner on the first day of the retreat to lunch on the final day
- 6 nights accommodation and bedding
What's not included
- Travel costs to the retreat center
- Flights
- Insurance
- Transfer from the airport to the venue
- Massage treatments
How to get there
Recommended Airports
DPS
Ngurah Rai International Airport
48 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 41 per person
Airport: Ngurah Rai International Airport
Airport transfer available:
Ngurah Rai International Airport (US$ 41 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 16.94% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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