Pinch me! I can hardly contain my joy. For four months Lama D and I have been asking and praying for for a place to live and hold our retreats in Bali. Well, we finally found it and we moved in yesterday. From left to right is the team of heroes: Ketut is the owner and soul of Keramas Sacred River Village, me Sri Jana, the friend who introduced us is Yoga Wastra, and Lama D on the right.
Keramas Sacred River Village is on the Southeast coast of Bali, near the ocean, an hour from the airport in Denpasar.
Borrow a guest bicycle and take a 3-minute ride to the black sand beaches.
Nearby the black sand beaches glisten and sparkle in the sun.
Imagine a retreat center that has all the amenities, but feels so natural. It just invites you to relax and be yourself.
Our room is on the 2nd floor overlooking the pool and a circle of other little houses.
Imagine a pool surrounded by a collection of traditional houses, each one unique. Nearby is a dining room and meeting space.
The large open space can be used for meetings, lectures, Qigong, and Yoga.
We sipped coconut water from their many coconut trees. Of course someone had to climb up into the tree to get the coconut!
The staff is friendly and organized. They operate the center in a way that is harmonious, surrounded and guided by nature. They offer Balinese cooking classes and they show us how to do the daily blessings.
Everywhere I look are images that harmonize the body, mind and spirit. They invite one to remember past centuries when perhaps Buddhism and Hinduism were unified as a single tradition here in Indonesia.
The owner, Ketut, shows us his rice fields and offers us bitter gourd from his garden. Yummy sautéed with garlic!
A vanilla vine climbs up a coconut palm. Soon it will sprout long vanilla seeds. Keramas Sacred River Village is also a farm that raises rice, fruits and vegetables.
A huge sculpture of Ganesha represents the wisdom and strength of an elephant, the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the god of intellect and wisdom.
The property includes sacred bathing waters for healing and rejuvenation.
We even saw ducks, geese, chickens, roosters, goats, cows, and 2 horses.
The entrance to the 7th century temple is flanked by two guardian deities, whose job is to frighten away malevolent energies. Hope I never run into these guys in my dreams! Every morning at 6am prayers are performed, with offerings to the temple deities. I do believe this place is protected and blessed.
Our hostess’s name is Putu (Pronounced POO-tu) which means first child. I am a second child, therefore my name is Maday (Pr. MAH-day). Both “Putu” and “Maday” are very common names. The word for lady or Mrs. is “Ibu” (Pr. EE-bu). So the staff here calls me “Ibu Maday” with a little giggle.
The male-female guardians at the inner entry of the temple are slightly more benevolent. Putu brought some incense and helped me make an offering to the female deity.
In the corner of the temple is the lingam and yoni, an ancient stone image representing the male staff of life and the mother goddess receptacle. It symbolizes creation, male-female, Yin Yang, beginnings, birth, impermanence, and all of life.
Every walkway is adorned with harmonious ancient symbols basking in Nature.
Lama D is in the dining room, furnished with huge wooden tables cut from entire trees.
The dining room is very large, supported by three huge tree pillars. However the whole village is very quiet now due to current events.
Ketut (owner), Lama D, Sri Jana, and Dewa (manager) of Keramas Sacred River Village.
We’re so grateful to meet these people.
Just wondering – what shall we do in the big meeting room? Your ideas are welcome!
We are creating the most affordable, relaxing, transformational retreat of your dreams.
Our first retreat is tentatively planned for December 27, 2020 to January 8, 2021, pending clarification and available flights. We will have room for a maximum of 15 people. During the next few weeks, Lama D and I will be planning our theme and itinerary. Please stay tuned for details and meanwhile check out the Keramas Sacred River Village website.
Thanks for stopping by! Love and blessings! Sri Jana and Lama D.