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Meditation in north Bali starts at Brahmavihara Arama, the Theravada monastery in the hills above Banjar, where a small circle first sat together beside the hot springs in 1958. Around it are a handful of retreats that teach meditation in their own way: an Ayurvedic resort with a forest sanctuary, a Balinese healing centre in Lovina, two long-running retreats on the east coast, and a local centre in Singaraja where classes run in Indonesian. This page covers the north only; for the whole island, see our guide to meditation retreats in Bali.
In Brief
For meditation inside a living Buddhist tradition, go to Brahmavihara Arama above Banjar, which is open to visitors daily and hosts half-day meditation gatherings on set dates. For a residential retreat where meditation sits alongside Ayurveda and yoga, Zen Resort at Ume Anyar. For meditation mixed with Balinese healing and ceremony, Santhika in Lovina. For a week of yoga, meditation and silence by the sea, Prana Veda at Bondalem, or the Abasan mountain retreat at Gaia Oasis in Tejakula. None of the places below advertises a multi-day silent course, and each links to its own page for current dates.
Meditation in North Bali at a Glance
- The anchor: Brahmavihara Arama, Bali's largest Buddhist monastery, in the hills at Banjar Tegeha
- Residential retreats: Zen Resort (Ume Anyar), Santhika (Lovina), Prana Veda (Bondalem), Gaia Oasis (Tejakula)
- Also on offer: meditation within yoga programmes at Alamanda and Puri Bagus in Lovina, and at Sanak in the Munduk hills
- Balinese practice alongside: water blessings at springs, full and new moon rituals, and visits to healers
- Dates and costs: on each place's own page; we do not print them because they change
The miniature Borobudur at Brahmavihara Arama, above Banjar. Photo: AnnieGreenSprings / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
The Monastery
Brahmavihara Arama
Setting: A Theravada Buddhist monastery on a hillside at Banjar Tegeha, in the hills above Banjar, west of Lovina. The grounds rise through three terraced courtyards with views of the sea and mountains. Balinese stonework sits alongside Buddhist stupas, and at the highest point is a miniature Borobudur, built in 1999 in honour of the founder.
Its history, as the monastery tells it: In 1958 a small circle of practitioners began meditating together beside the hot springs at Banjar, on borrowed land, led by Ida Bagus Giri, a Balinese man from a Brahmin family in Banjar. He was ordained in Bangkok in 1966 as Bhikkhu Girirakkhito, "guardian of the mountain". As the crowds around the springs grew, the community moved to quieter ground in the hills. Construction began in November 1970 and the monastery opened on 21 May 1971. An earthquake damaged it in 1976 and it was rebuilt. The monastery states its mission as a sacred space for Vipassana meditation and the study of Dharma, and it is cared for by a foundation named for its founder.
For meditators: The monastery says retreats have long been taught in English as well as Indonesian and that visitors of all faiths are welcome. Its events page lists half-day retreats that run through the afternoon: two meditation sessions, gentle yoga, meditation with a monk, candle lighting and a loving-kindness meditation at sunset. These are organised with the Bali Meditation Center, a donation-based centre whose home is in Sukawati, near Ubud. Participants are asked to wear white clothing covering shoulders and knees and to bring their own mat, cushion or towel, and retreat registration is required at least seven days ahead. Group sittings also take place before the miniature Borobudur.
What to know: Outside the retreat dates you can visit, sit quietly and walk the courtyards. Dress modestly (sarongs are lent at the entrance), keep silence in the meditation areas and the upper courtyards, and be respectful with a camera. The current event dates and opening hours are on the monastery's events page and about page. Our Brahma Vihara Arama guide covers a visit in more detail.
Contact: brahmaviharaarama.org · Map
Best for: Sitting in a Buddhist setting for an afternoon, or joining a half-day retreat with a monk.
A gilded Buddha in a shrine hall at Brahmavihara Arama. Photo: Eric Bajart / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Banjar hot springs, where the community first sat, are close by in Banjar village, and a soak after an afternoon at the monastery is a natural pairing.
Residential Retreats
Zen Resort Bali
Setting: A hillside resort in the village of Ume Anyar, near Seririt, bordered by forest and fed by natural springs.
What they offer: Meditation is part of every Zen retreat, taught together with yoga and pranayama by a yoga teacher and the resident Ayurvedic doctor. The day opens with Zen Chi, a 45-minute ritual of stretching, breathwork and meditation, and the team lists Yoga Nidra among its practices. A meditation sanctuary is open to guests at any time. Beside it stands an old pandan tree that Zen says local healers and visiting Buddhist monks both regard as a place of strong energy, and guided meditation at the tree can be arranged. In the forest there is a pavilion for silent meditation and mindful walking, which Zen calls forest bathing, and natural spring pools where water purification ceremonies are held. The yoga hall has pyramid structures built for individual meditation. Guests can join the resort's rituals at the full moon (Purnama) and new moon (Tilem), with water blessings and the red, white and black tridatu wrist cord.
What to know: Programmes are personalised in a consultation during your first two days. See Zen's retreats for the current formats.
Contact: zenresortbali.com · Map · Zen Resort Bali on Instagram
Best for: A gentle introduction to meditation within an Ayurvedic stay.
Santhika Retreat Center
Setting: Based at Jl. Kamboja, Kaliasem, in Lovina, with its main retreat house, Dream Hill, on a hillside looking over the sea, rice fields and Kaliasem village.
What they offer: Year-round retreats focused on emotional healing, combining meditation courses, sound healing and yoga with private sessions with Balinese healers, energy work, fire ceremonies, temple meditations guided by Balinese teachers and purification at a private waterfall, Santhipala. Its other sessions include self-awareness work, numerology and what it calls aroma psychology.
What to know: Each programme is adapted to the guest. The how our retreats work page sets out the formats and start days.
Contact: santhikaretreatcenter.com · Map · Santhika Retreat Center on Instagram
Best for: Meditation as part of a guided healing process with Balinese ceremony.
Prana Veda Bali Sanctuary
Setting: A small sanctuary on a quiet lava-sand beach at Bondalem, on the east coast, opened in 2010. It describes itself as a place in the midst of nature, community and silence.
What they offer: Weekly retreats of gentle yoga, meditation, massage and Ayurveda, with sound healing and, in the fullest week, a session of aqua healing, bodywork in warm water. The retreat leader combines yoga, meditation, aquatic bodywork and sound healing in her work.
What to know: Retreats usually start on Saturdays. See the retreats page for current weeks.
Contact: pranavedabali.com · Map · Prana Veda Bali on Instagram
Best for: A week of stillness by the sea, in a small group.
Gaia Oasis, Abasan Mountain Retreat
Setting: Abasan is Gaia Oasis's mountain retreat above Tejakula, which Gaia calls its spiritual core. It sits between a small hamlet and a protected community forest, on four hectares of grounds with walking trails down to the Yeh Lalang river. Gaia also runs a beach resort, Pantai, and a non-profit foundation.
What they offer: Yoga, meditation and healing sessions in the Mountain Lotus Room, which opens on one side onto a lotus-filled pond. Sessions, paid or by donation, depend on which practitioners are in residence, and visiting seminar leaders run their own courses. The library offers free Dharma texts. Food at Abasan is vegetarian, and the site describes a soundscape of nature and deep stillness, broken now and then by village music.
What to know: Check the seminars and events calendar and contact course leaders directly. Gaia notes that Abasan's hilly, remote site may not suit less mobile guests.
Contact: gaia-oasis.com · Map · Gaia Oasis Bali on Instagram
Best for: A long, simple stay with space for your own practice.
Meditation Inside Yoga Programmes
A Buddha beneath the replica Bodhi tree at Brahmavihara Arama. Photo: AnnieGreenSprings / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Several places teach meditation as part of a yoga stay. They are listed in full in yoga retreats in north Bali.
- Alamanda Lovina Resort, Kayu Putih, Lovina: a Yin Yang and meditation class in its open-sided shala, and gong and bowl sound sessions after sunset.
- Puri Bagus Lovina, Pemaron: Hatha classes that include pranayama and meditation, and a group-retreat programme that hosts meditation retreats and meditation teacher training courses.
- Sanak Retreat Bali, near Munduk: an energy healing session followed by meditation, and village walks to a holy spring where a Balinese healer gives water blessings.
Balinese Practice Alongside
Meditation retreats here often borrow from Balinese Hindu practice. A melukat water purification at a spring is the most common, and several retreats above build one in. For a consultation with a traditional healer, read traditional healers in north Bali first, and for sound baths, sound healing in north Bali. If you want to know what sits behind the rituals, Balinese Hinduism explained is the place to start.
How to Fit It In
A half-day retreat at Brahmavihara Arama fits into any stay on the Lovina coast. A residential retreat means staying where you practise, so pick the setting first: forest and springs at Ume Anyar, the town and sea at Lovina, or the quiet east coast at Bondalem and Tejakula, about 45 minutes to an hour from Lovina.
If you plan to come and go from your own base, Palm Living's villas are around Lovina, about 20 to 30 minutes from the monastery and close to Santhika. Bondalem and Tejakula are too far for a daily run. For more on the area, see wellness in north Bali and our Lovina guide.
Practical Notes
- At the monastery: cover shoulders and knees, borrow a sarong at the gate if you need one, keep silence in the meditation areas, and register for retreats at least a week ahead.
- Book direct. Every retreat above has its own site; ask what a day looks like and who teaches.
- Silence and screens: ask whether a retreat keeps silence or asks you to hand in your phone before you arrive.
- Ceremonies: wear a sarong and sash for water blessings and temple visits. Temple etiquette in Bali covers the basics.
- Getting here: see getting to north Bali.
FAQ
Can you meditate at Brahmavihara Arama? Yes. The monastery is open to visitors of all faiths, asks for silence in its meditation areas, and hosts group sittings and half-day meditation retreats on set dates. Registration for retreats is required at least seven days ahead.
Are there silent retreats in north Bali? None of the places on this page advertises a multi-day silent course. Brahmavihara Arama, whose stated mission is Vipassana practice, lists half-day retreats on its events page, and Prana Veda and Gaia Oasis offer quiet residential weeks.
When was Brahmavihara Arama founded? Its community began meditating beside the Banjar hot springs in 1958. The present monastery in the hills at Banjar Tegeha opened on 21 May 1971.
Where can I learn meditation near Lovina? Brahmavihara Arama above Banjar, Santhika in Kaliasem, and the yoga shalas at Alamanda and Puri Bagus, which include meditation in their classes.
Is there a meditation retreat with Ayurveda in north Bali? Zen Resort Bali at Ume Anyar combines meditation, yoga and pranayama with Ayurvedic treatment under a resident doctor.
Do I need experience to join? The monastery's half-day retreats say they are open to all, and Zen Resort says its daily sessions suit everyone from first-time meditators up.
Sources
- Brahmavihara Arama, home page, about page (history, founder, mission, visitor rules) and events page (half-day retreat format, dress, registration), read September 2026
- Bali Meditation Center, meditation retreats (location in Sukawati), September 2026
- Zen Resort Bali, Yoga, Meditation & Pranayama and Wellness Retreats, September 2026
- Santhika Retreat Center, home page, how our retreats work and accommodation, September 2026
- Prana Veda Bali Sanctuary, home page and about us, September 2026
- Gaia Oasis, Abasan Mountain Retreat, Our Story and seminars calendar, September 2026
- Alamanda Lovina Resort, home page; Puri Bagus Lovina, Yoga & Meditation and Group Retreat; Sanak Retreat Bali, Spa & Yoga and We Care, September 2026
Read next: Brahma Vihara Arama, yoga retreats in north Bali, meditation retreats across Bali.
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