Fivelements Bali – A Sustainable Wellness Retreat on the Ayung River in Ubud

There we stood in front of a slab, surrounded by a lush green lawn. A colorful ribbon made of three different colors was wrapped around my left index finger. My childhood ring dangled at the bottom. According to our priest, there is a holy place of prayer where special energies flow, exactly where we were standing. The ring swung, suddenly becoming a pendulum. Whether by wind, my pulse or whatever forces. The closeness to people and nature put a smile on our faces. Welcome to Fivelements Retreat in Bali!

In friendly cooperation with Fivelements Bali

The Law of Attraction

"Nothing changes until you change yourself."
Unknown

Where we focus our attention, our energy flows. And what we consciously engage with, we gradually attract more of into our lives. Since I've regained my trust in life , so much has changed in my daily routine – for the better! I experienced further proof of this at the Fivelements Retreat in Ubud, Bali. That the retreat is breathtakingly beautiful was already beyond question for me after seeing the pictures online. But just how special this place truly is only became fully apparent during my two-day stay.

Hotel philosophy & values ​​at Fivelements in Bali: Life Transformation and Love in Action

As soon as we arrived we noticed that the Fivelements is no ordinary hotel. It is a retreat with real values ​​that are valued and lived by every employee:

Sathya: truth
Dharma: justice and virtue
Premium: of Love
Shanthi: Peace
Ahimsa:nonviolence
K'shma: Pardon

As the name suggests, the five elements are also of particular importance here. These are ether, fire, water, air and earth. The Hindu concept describes the connection between the inside, the microcosm, and the outside, the macrocosm. For a long time I have wanted to relax in such a special retreat and just let my soul dangle in a tropical environment, do yoga and meditate. And now it was suddenly time. But my expectations were even exceeded. My heart immediately filled with joy as I learned about the ceremonies and rituals offered at Fivelements. All the topics that had occupied me more and more intensely over the past few months were suddenly spread out right in front of me.

The Retreat: Bamboo Villas, Spa and Restaurant

At the resort, every employee lives and works according to traditional Balinese philosophy. Guests experience this from the warm welcome and the thoughtful room service. Upon arrival, we were shown to the Waterfall Villa. This traditional bamboo villa overlooks the Ayung River and a small waterfall. Inside the villa, shoes are removed and left on the terrace. Exploring barefoot is definitely the best way to experience the area! A particular highlight is the enormous freestanding stone bathtub with a direct view of the waterfall. The outdoor bathroom behind the villa is also quite impressive. For those needing a refreshing dip, there's a lovely pool nestled in the jungle, perfect for relaxing and listening to the river.

Spa & Wellness Rituals at Fivelements Bali

At Fivelements Bali, I had the best spa experience of my life. And no, I'm not exaggerating! I've never experienced a spa treatment with such dedication and sensitivity as at Fivelements. Before the massage, there's a soothing foot bath, followed by a blessing. The massages take place against the breathtaking backdrop of the jungle. During the massage, you can hear the rushing river. It was so calming that I drifted off to sleep almost immediately. After the massage, the Sakti bath was prepared. The Sakti bath is a fragrant aromatic bath made with lemongrass, Balinese orange, lime, pandan leaves, ginger, and Sakti bath oil. All the ingredients are fresh and organically grown. As each ingredient slowly sank into the bathwater, the ritual reminded me a bit of a cooking recipe. But don't worry: we weren't cooked! ;) During the bath, we enjoyed delicious ginger tea with honey.

The next day, a traditional flower bath awaited me. I wholeheartedly recommend that anyone traveling to Bali try a flower bath at least once. Flower baths are said to have healing and purifying effects on body and mind. The red flowers represent life energy, the pink blossoms love, the yellow ones hope, and the purple blossoms spirituality. It truly is an experience to bathe in such a vibrant array of colors.

Restaurant and cuisine: The Sakti Dining Restaurant

Do you know that feeling of sadness when you're already full but would love to keep eating because it tastes so incredibly good? That's exactly how I felt at the Sakti Dining Room. The Sakti Dining Restaurant offers exclusively vegan, raw, plant-based dishes. Anyone expecting unhealthy soft drinks or alcohol will be disappointed. Every dish is a small work of art, beautifully presented with meticulous attention to detail. Here, even eating becomes a ritual with healing powers. Taking the time to eat is, in my opinion, an essential part of a happy life. Simply being mindful, letting the moment and the flavors truly sink in, and savoring them. Because sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we forget to treat our own bodies and minds with care. Here, we finally had the opportunity to do just that, and we are incredibly grateful for it.

Ceremonies and rituals: fire ritual Agnihotra

"Svaha!" we shout, hypnotized, in a light chant, while I toss a small handful of lentils into the fire to the rhythm of the chant. Some lenses miss the flames, some land on my sarong. Then more lentils follow and finally even a coconut. Sweat runs down my forehead, the flames seem to be getting closer. Menacing, powerful and captivating. I have to say: There is something fascinating, even hypnotic, about sitting in broad daylight with temperatures above 30 degrees in an open pavilion around a fire.

Procedure of the Fire Blessing Ceremony

We had the honor of participating in the so-called Agnihotra ritual . This ritual is an ancient fire ceremony in which sacred Vedic Hindu prayers are recited. Agni means fire and Hotra means healing. The ritual is performed by a specially trained priest. It begins with a group meditation in which the priest recites Sanskrit mantras and rings a bell to invoke blessings for health and abundance.

Our ceremony at Fivelements Retreat

Once the fire is lit, participants are asked to place food offerings such as lentils, grains, rice or coconuts on the fire. In our case, it was lentils. With each offering one should consider a specific wish. The ritual went quite long and the offerings were thrown into the fire in a very fast rhythm. I almost ran out of wishes, but I just took that as a good sign, because I felt completely fulfilled at the moment. When the bowls with the lentils were empty, we were supposed to break a coconut. The coconut represents a person's ego. The easier it is to crack, the smaller the ego should be. My husband got it right the first time, but I needed a second try. Maybe because I wasn't used to smashing something with full force. But my ego is probably speaking here too :D.

The priest I Nyoman Sudanta comes from the neighboring village and regularly performs such rituals on the hotel premises. We immediately felt comfortable with him because he exudes an incredible amount of calm and serenity. Finally, he blessed us with holy water and stuck some grains of rice on our foreheads. After that we received a thin bracelet braided from 3 threads of black, red, white colors. The black thread represents the Hindu god Shiva, the white thread for Vishnu and the red for Brahma. The colors symbolize birth, life and death. Happy, curious and so thankful for this exciting experience, we were definitely very excited about the ceremony.

Water Blessing Ceremony

Alongside the fire ritual, there's also a contrasting program: the so-called Water Blessing Ritual, a water ritual designed to cleanse oneself of all negativity from the past. Bali is known as the island of sacred springs, so holy water is often an important element during the ceremonies. It's a purification ritual to free oneself from old burdens. The retreat also offers many other ceremonies. At Fivelements, guests can get an overview of which ritual might be of particular interest to them. Yoga and meditation are also available at the resort.

Our stay at Fivelements Retreat in Bali

Our time at Fivelements Retreat couldn't have been nicer and I didn't want to leave. For those seeking rest, healing and inspiration, it is a fantastic and truly unique place run by loving people. The special concept is certainly not for everyone, but if you are enthusiastic about sustainability, meditation, nature, raw food, yoga, wellness and philosophy, it is definitely an interesting address for you.

Address, arrival and contact – how do you get there?

The retreat is tucked away about half an hour from Ubud and offers a free shuttle to Ubud. The best way to get there is by scooter or a driver. On our trip, we almost exclusively booked drivers via the Grab app, which always worked great. When leaving, however, I would advise you to either arrange for a driver in good time, hail a taxi or take the shuttle to Ubud and travel on from there. 

five elements,
Puri Ahimsa Banjar Baturning,
Mambal, Bali, Indonesia 80352

Website: https://fivelements.org/en/

Rooms: The hotel has 9 suites, two of which have their own pools
Transfer: About 90 minutes from Denpasar Airport, 30 minutes from Ubud Center
Best travel time: In the dry season from May to October or also in the rainy season, since it usually only rains briefly and heavily in Bali. During this time there are often cheaper offers.
Flight time from Germany: With a change approx. 16-20 hours (depending on the selected airline and connection)
Ideal for: Couples, nature lovers, vegans, artists, honeymooners, eco-tourists, romantics.
It is the ideal hotel for people who value sustainability and the environment, but also value luxury and comfort.
Time shift: +8 hours (CEST)