Relax and rejuvenate on a spiritual getaway in Ubud, Bali

EXPLORE the mystical and spiritual side to this popular tourist destination and you might gain a new insight into yourself, writes Catherine Lambert.

Replenish the soul on an Ubud spiritual escape

THE Bali of surf and shops may be its most popular face to Australian tourists but a closer look inside offers a place of deep discovery.

Author Elizabeth Gilbert prompted a lot of younger Americans to visit the luscious land but actually Europeans have long appreciated the allure of Bali as a place to explore the soul, even if by accident.

Accompanying a friend who gravitates to adventures of any kind opened up a world of wonders near Ubud, about an hour from Denpasar.

Expecting to visit the same healer mentioned in the novel Eat Pray Love, we were deterred by a friend who has lived in Bali for 25 years. She said that healer has apparently been so overwhelmed by interest that visitors are now given a number to wait in a queue that often winds beyond the gate onto the street.

Instead, we visit Cokorda Rai without knowing anything about him. I trust her recommendation. Weaving past the small temples around his home we find him under a pagoda with about 20 people watching him. Some are Balinese, some are American, there is a Russian couple, a young Japanese family and a doctor from Europe who visits every year to watch and study.

What then passes would be labelled miraculous in the west. He is modest, chats on his mobile phone, occasionally smokes pure tobacco. Each person approaches the tall elegant man, known as the Cokorda. Sometimes he asks what he can do for them or suggests they sit at his feet, facing away from him.

He touches various points on their head and, having had this treatment myself, I admit it hurts. Then he either finds something from his garden to give you or taps his stick all over your body in a rhythmical sweep and has a quiet chat.

When he next prods the same point on the toe, there is no pain. Everyone can see it is in exactly the same place that was pressed just moments earlier.

People's problems range from a sore shoulder, a broken heart, a sore bladder, and digestive problems. Watching a diverse range of people being treated is part of the amazing experience and payment is by donation, which he does not request. We just understand the process.

As the European doctor mentions to me quietly, it is a privilege to see these people in pain and then apparently heal.

We return a few days later for a cleansing that includes a Hindu priest in an elaborate ceremony. We dress in traditional Balinese kabaya and sarong for the experience.

The next day, still feeling lighter and brighter from the experience, we head to the ashram of Ratu Bagus, about an hour's drive from Ubud on the island's east.

My friend has visited several times for the recommended length of five or 10 days for the wonders of shaking the body to release energy blockages. The theory is that the body is filled with electricity and, at times of illness or general depletion, these electrical currents are blocked and can be released by shaking, three times a day.

We walk around the grounds, near Mount Agung where Ratu Bagus said he became filled with powerful energy.

We stand under a waterfall of fresh water and instantly feel rejuvenated. It's time to enter the large hall, known as the Taman, where dance music is playing loudly. I am briefly taught the best way to start though it doesn't really matter and we're off shaking. It's hot, it's intense, it feels fantastic.

Lunch, served daily at 3pm to people staying at the ashram for a minimum of five nights, is outstanding. It is local Balinese food that is nutritionally balanced, clean and nurturing. There are villas or dormitories that sleep four to a room and is not expensive with the cost including three meals a day.

The spiritual life offered in Bali is rich and rewarding to anyone game to shake and show their toes in public.

GO2 - BALI

Getting there

Jetstar and Garuda are among the carriers flying to Denpasar in Bali.

Staying there

Villa Anahati is a boutique hotel of two, two-bedroomed villas that share a Balinese style lounge and kitchen, about 20-minute walk from Ubud or 10 minutes on a bike. $175 a night, per two-roomed villa includes full kitchen, cleaning staff, 24-hour security, air conditioning, luxury outdoor bathroom in each bedroom, 15.5m salt water pool, DVD player in each room, WIFI. airport transfers extra $25 each way. Email: [e-mail]

Eating there

Lada Warung in Ubud was our favourite cafe for lunch or an easy dinner of Indonesian home cooking while Dolce Arancia also serves more formal, Italian food in the evening.

More

Ratu Bagus; [e-mail]