Over 3000 years ago, an Indian monk by the name of Bodhi Dharma crossed the Himalayas to spread Buddhism to China.  When he arrived at the Taoist temples, he discovered that the monks could not sustain long hours of meditation, so he taught them the India yogic practices of Asana, Pranayama etc so they could sustain longer hours of meditation. Along with the Yogic practices he also taught the Chinese monks Buddhism so it also took root in China due to his teachings. Many prevalent political figures converted to Buddhism and made gracious offerings of gold statues to the temples so the faith could continue to grow in China.  

As the years passed, thieves began to come to the temples to steal gold relics so the monks developed exercise routines and fighting systems based on the movements they learned from animals. Over time these complex movement routines evolved into 100's of different fighting systems comprised of stretching, movement, strength training and conditioning. This is the basis of Chinese Martial Arts or Gong Fu (功夫) which literally means effort and dedication.  

Yogic practices combined with Buddhist teachings were the basis of Chinese Martial Arts. 

This retreat is a unique combination of the two disciplines.  Yogic practices have a wide variety of health benefits. Yoga can correct the alignment of the body, open the muscles and facilitate the release of emotions and energies inside the body. Yoga is great for getting in touch with one's self, developing a deeper level of self understanding and helping the body recover from mental/physical stress of our busy day to day lives.  

Traditionally, martial arts were a means of exercise, discipline and self mastery through movement. In this day and age, violent aspects of martials arts are glorified through combat sports such as MMA, boxing etc. In reality, there are also more aspects of martial arts that can be used for mastering the self, developing hand-eye coordination and mastering the potential of the body through dynamic movement.  

Here's a link to a video to give you a better idea of what we are talking about 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc6nPoyAd7Y

This retreat is a unique combination of the two disciplines.  Daily yoga classes will give you a deeper understanding of yourself, open your body and allow you to recover from the stress of your busy life.  The practice will also give you an increased sense of mental clarity, focus and the ability to cope with situations with more calmness, ease and self control. 

Martial Arts classes will give you cardio and resistance training through dynamic movement. This training will also cultivate divine masculine through allowing you to harness your inner warrior. Partner exercises and practical self defense training will also give you a basic knowledge of what to do in stressful situations where you may need to defend yourself and escape from danger. As much as we'd like to think the world is a safe place, the reality is that if we are faced with a situation where we don't know what to do, we end up succumbing to our fears and end up being a victim to people who seek of overpower, intimidate and take advantage of us. 

So this travel experience is much more than just a typical yoga retreat where everyone does yoga, eats vegetables and talks about their feelings. This retreat will give you a taste of two disciplines that will turn you into a switched-on, compassionate badass. 

We know that if you are going to travel across the world, you will also want a vacation and a chance to get away, relax and unwind.  Venue for this retreat is at: 

Gunung-An Luxury Boutique Hotel 

Located in the middle of the jungle near a rice field, this venue offers its own fully staffed spa, steam bath and swimming pool. Rooms are clean, contemporary and offer a standard of simple luxury in lush natural surroundings. 

"You are what you eat” is an old saying that we have all heard before. Choosing our food wisely is the key to health, vitality and living a long life. Our food contains more than just nutrients, vitamins and minerals; food is also our medicine. 

It has the power to heal disease, physical ailments and it has a direct effect on our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. During this retreat, you will learn about dietary changes that include: fasting, detox and cooking classes so you can continue a healthy lifestyle in your daily life.  Plant based nutrition is holistic, high vibrational and has the power to aid your transformation process from the inside out.

This retreat will also take you on a journey through some of Bali's natural wonders. Excursions include trips to: 

• Balinese Water Purification Ceremony Sebatu Holy Waterfall Tour
• Tegallalang Rice Terrace
• Campuhan Ridge 
• Tegenungan Waterfall