An Educational and Cultural Immersion in Bali
Dates
July 23 – August 2, 2025
Are you ready to reflect deeply about teaching, learning and well-being from a unique educational, cultural and historical perspective? Join us for this unprecedented mindfulness and education experience, carefully designed to intimately engage us with the exquisite land, culture, traditions, and people of Bali.
Created with educators in mind, seekers, health and wellness practitioners, therapists, school leaders and those ready to awaken a deeper sense of inquiry and imagination are a perfect match for this educational and cultural immersion. The lasting effects of this captivating adventure are sure to transform our own reflective practice and also touch the lives of those we care deeply about.
Expect to spark playfulness and elevate well-being in body, mind and spirit.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Daily contemplative practices (meditation, deep breathing, yoga classes) and/or inquiry circles focused on exploring our personalized practices through a lens of reflection, replenishment, and connection.
- Individual sessions to energize, repair and rejuvenate both body and mind at the cellular level.
- Visits to local schools to connect with students and educators engaged with holistic, 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. 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.
- 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 in the world.
- Magnificent Balinese cuisine, scenery, culture, art, and history as well as rich, indigenous knowledge, energy, and traditions that Bali is widely known for.
Program Overview
Spend 11 days living in harmony with nature and fully immersed in ancient wisdom. This The Path of Mindfulness Retreat will deliver the perfect balance of sacred spaces for personal, quiet reflection, with enchanting adventures and profound connections to one another, ancestral land, local educators, and indigenous Balinese communities. Here we will find concentrated time to deepen our own personal practice and inner knowing while situated within the magical, exotic backdrop of Balinese culture. 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, several tours of local schools including thought-provoking conversations with 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 Study 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 challenging injustice (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.
Gina M. Miele is a professor of Italian, program coordinator of the MAT in Italian, and founding director of the Coccia Institute for the Italian Experience in America, at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She specializes in Italian and Italian-American literature, folklore and fairytales, and has published in Italica, Marvels and Tales, Fabula, Italian Quarterly, The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales, Marvelous Transformations: An Anthology of Tales and Contemporary Critical Perspectives and Teaching Fairy Tales. Most recently, she authored The Italian Mystics, Visionaries & Saints and is currently working on an annotated translation of the complete collection of fairy tales by Luigi Capuana. She teaches and writes about traditional Italian healing modalities, plant medicine, and folk wisdom, subjects that she began learning as a young child from the women in her family. Gina is deeply invested in the theory and practice of early childhood educational approaches, including Reggio Emilia and Waldorf. From her home near the Jersey shore, she practices yoga and qigong, often outdoors because nature is her sanctuary. Indoors, she can frequently be found with her hands in dough, baking sourdough bread with her children.
About the Program Co-Leader:
Pricing & Registration
Program Price:
- Program Fee per Participant – $2,850 (shared room)*
Reserve your spot today and receive our Early Bird Discount of $200 – only until January 31, 2025 and pay only $2,650!
- 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.
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 and receive our Early Bird Discount of $200 – only until January 31, 2025!
–> 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.