Perfect for all curious seekers
Dates
July 25 – August 4, 2026
Love travel and adventure? This unprecedented, transformational experience is carefully designed to intimately engage us with the exquisite land, culture, traditions, and people of Bali. Whether you are a solo traveler looking for uncharted discoveries, or wanting to plant seeds of mindfulness with a partner, colleague or family members, see if this captivating educational and cultural immersion is for you – created to awaken a deeper sense of inquiry and imagination.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
Expect to spark playfulness and elevate well-being in body, mind, and spirit. Highlights include:
- Enjoy daily contemplative practices (meditation, breathing, yoga classes) and/or inquiry circles focused on translating new insights and inspirations into a personalized practice.
- Energize, repair, and rejuvenate body and mind in personalized sessions designed to elevate well-being at the cellular level.
- Experience Balinese culture from a personalized, insider perspective, including indigenous communities, beautiful ancestral land, and sacred connections to one another.
- Visit local schools to meet with students and educators engaged in sustainable, innovative ways of learning and teaching.
- Meet the founder of ARMA Museum and hear him talk about the philosophy of Balinese culture and traditions as he guides you on a private tour.
- Join members of the Royal Family for a private tour & dinner at the Royal Palace. This is a special opportunity to ask the family members questions about Bali’s traditional culture as well as modern-day challenges.
- Explore Bali’s most sacred purification temple.
- Embark on a beautiful multi-sensory herbal medicine walk and learn how nature nourishes and heals the body.
- Take a boat ride and snorkel in crystal clear water over one of the world’s most biodiverse array of coral reefs and marine life.
- Enjoy magnificent Balinese cuisine, scenery, culture, art, and history, as well as rich, indigenous knowledge, energy, and traditions that Bali is widely known for.
Here is what our 2025 participants had to say:
“Was perfect in every possible way”
“phenomenal experience from beginning to end thanks to the expertise and warmth of our 24/7 local guides from the Bali Institute as well as the rest of their extraordinary team for their meticulous attention to every detail.”
“…it was the best retreat for body, mind and soul. And the snorkeling was out of this world!”
“It exceeded my expectations in every way”
Program Overview
Spend 11 days living in harmony with nature and fully immersed in ancient wisdom. The Mindfulness and Education Retreat will deliver the perfect balance of sacred spaces for quiet reflection, with enchanting adventures and sustainable solutions for living. Here we will find concentrated time to explore a deeper sense of knowing while situated within the magical, exotic land and culture of Bali. During these 11 days of tranquility and discovery, plan on being nourished – inside and out – with organic, delicious and locally sourced cuisine, beautifully designed and eco-sustainable accommodations, insider tours of local schools and communities including thought-provoking conversations with leaders and educators, and the profound appreciation of another day in Paradise. This beautiful 11 day journey can be thought of as simply a Playground for the Soul.
You’ll dig deep into Balinese culture during your first six days near Ubud, the cultural arts capital and hub of “global transformation.” Witness this extraordinary culture and its honoring of ancient traditions at its best. You’ll visit remote temples with private guides, meet with visionary Balinese, experience healers first-hand, and enjoy a private meeting with of one of the Royal Family princes and visit his palace. You will also have the opportunity to connect with students and educators from local schools and learn more about their unique approaches to education.
Your journey continues to the northwest remote ocean village of Pemuteran where you will spend 3 nights staying right on the beach in a gorgeous villa resort. Considered one of the best eco-tourist sites of Bali, experiences will include visiting one of the most unique temples of Bali for an evening visit and blessing ceremony, snorkeling in some of the best spots on Bali including the coral reef restoration area and Menjangan Island, optional divine spa treatments, dining on fresh organic tropical foods and more. Attend local ceremonies as available.
A final night of renewal brings you to Sanur, a seaside town in southeast Bali made up a long stretch of gorgeous beach with calm, shallow waters. Colorful jukung fishing boats rest on the sand and a paved path snakes along the beach for several kilometers. Sanur is home to excellent restaurants, a wide variety of shops and a relaxed atmosphere. After an amazing tour of The Green School which teaches a progressive curriculum focused on environmental sustainability and creativity, these last moments will be spent preparing for your journey home, enjoying delicious meals and wrapping up your Inquiry Group sessions as you reflect on the treasured memories you have created!
About the Program Leader:
Dr. Elizabeth Joy Erwin is Professor of Education at Montclair State University where she prepares graduate and doctoral students to think critically, reflect deeply and teach inclusively. Elizabeth is well known for her work on well-being, mindfulness, early childhood and inclusive education. A solid commitment to shifting paradigms to advance equity, justice and joy in education (with a particular emphasis on disability), has been at the heart of her teaching and research over the past 30 years.
In pursuit of social justice – locally and globally – Elizabeth has published widely in prestigious academic journals, and has authored multiple books and chapters. Her most recent book, The Power of Presence: A Guide to Mindfulness Practices in Early Childhood, offers educators new understandings and tools to transform their teaching practice and explore a deeper sense of inquiry. Even though the focus of this book is on partnering with young children to promote justice in the world and peace within, everyone who cares about humanity and the planet will discover timeless wisdom and contemporary perspectives threaded across these pages.
Elizabeth brings to this Balinese adventure 20 years of study as a devoted yoga practitioner, as well as her scholarly work and university teaching which embeds practices such as mindful breathing, reflective inquiry and critical thinking.
Elizabeth currently lives in New York City where she practices yoga and meditation every day.
To be fully immersed in the Balinese way of life is the perfect gift to give oneself - living in harmony with the natural world, with humanity and with spirit (Tri Hita Karana).
Thank you Bali institute for a priceless gift that will last a lifetime!~ Elizabeth, Program Leader
Pricing & Registration
Program Price:
- Program Fee per Participant – $3,650 (shared room)*
Early Bird Discount $400 – Register by January 31, 2026, and pay only $3,250!
- Single-Occupancy Fee – $750 (added onto the program fee if you would like to be placed in a private room without a roommate)
* If you are not traveling with someone you would like to share a room with, we will pair you with another solo traveler, if no one is available, single room occupancy fee may apply. Each traveler will have their own bed unless you have indicated otherwise.
Payment Schedule:
- Deposit of $500 is due upon registration.
- Balance of program fee is due no later than 90 days before the program.
FEE INCLUDES:
- 10 nights, double occupancy at Balinese boutique accommodations
- All breakfasts, 8 lunches, 5 dinners
- All transportation in air-conditioned buses and vans throughout the program for activities listed on the itinerary
- Airport transfer on the start and end date of the program
- English speaking tour guide(s) and coordination team
- All activities listed on final program itinerary are included in the per person ground costs, including entrance fees, lectures and donations
- Gratuities for local guides and drivers
- Customized program booklet for all participants with itinerary, program descriptions and other useful information
- 24/7 Medical and emergency staff support for the entire duration of the program
- Special gifts including sarong, sash and journal
- MORE!
NOT INCLUDED:
- Visa costs (if applicable)
- Tourist Levy
- Airfare
- Trip cancellation, lost baggage, or medical insurance
- Laundry and personal items
- Meals not listed on itinerary
- Gratuities for local guides
- Optional activities outside of the program itinerary
- International phone calls
Reserve your Spot Today — Spaces are Limited!
Early Bird Discount
Register by January 31, 2026, to receive the Early Bird Discount of $400 and pay only $3,250!
–> A nonrefundable deposit of $500 is due upon registration with the balance due no later than 90 days before your program session’s start date.
–> Register with peace of mind: if the program must be cancelled or postponed for any reason, program fees are refundable less the initial deposit of $500. If the program is postponed to a later date, participants have the option to use deposit and program fees as credit for the rescheduled program.
