Located in Uluwatu on the Island of the Gods, The Asa Maia in Bali is perfectly positioned for holistic wellbeing retreats, just a stone’s throw from Thomas Beach. Offering unpretentious luxury that combines cultural influences, a peaceful ambiance, and unobtrusive service with effective activities and carefully honed knowledge, the property gives guests the chance to tap into their full potential and inherent capabilities. All without the pressures and judgments that can block real progress. At the heart of each retreat here are time-honored practices that are known for their efficacy, including breathwork.
“The Asa Maia started as a vision in a deep breathwork session, but my commitment to the project solidified in a hospital bed just after a lifesaving emergency surgery,” says Martha Booke, Founder of The Asa Maia. “The basic concepts are based on the tools that have changed my life and freed me of pharmaceutical medications. They are simple but effective lifestyle practices that anyone can do. The secret is consistency and remembering that you never need to start over if you stray, only start again. Little could I have imagined the relevance of a bespoke wellness retreat when the project began. Our dream is that our clients take the experience and apply it to their lives not because they have to but because they want to be reinspired.”
While the property emphasizes Indonesian culture, it draws on cultures and wellness traditions from around the world to create a holistic experience. This approach extends to its name, too. “Asa” translates to “wings” in Portuguese and “hope” in Bahasa, while “Maia” has Sanskrit roots that signify “wisdom and extraordinary power.” Together, “Asa Maia” highlights the retreat’s mission to transform and ascend through connecting with an individual’s spirituality.
Curated Comfort
The Asa Maia is an intimate property where every aspect is designed to enhance each guest’s wellness journey. Throughout, Indonesian aesthetics are paired with antiques, original artwork, and reclaimed Belgian Bluestone, teakwood, and ironwood to create a sustainable design framework that pays homage to Indonesia’s design heritage while remaining thoroughly contemporary.
Guests stay in 10 freestanding suites, all of which are 100-year-old hand-hewn wooden Javanese homes called gladaks that were sourced in East Java and painstakingly transported and reassembled onsite to offer an authentic Indonesian experience. These century-old homes have been modernized with more windows to let in more natural light, and high-end bath fixtures, air-con, and hardwood flooring for a more modern look.
The centerpiece of The Asa Maia is the central pavilion, which houses the main aspects of the property, including its library and lounge, the spa and gym, and a yoga shala on the upper level. The pavilion also serves as an art gallery where guests can explore a curated collection of modern Indonesian art and traditional tribal works.
Synergistic Wellness
At The Asa Maia, wellness journeys are a 360-degree affair that touches on every aspect of mental, physical, and social wellbeing. There are therapies and activities that relax and rebalance, environmental immersions that rejuvenate with nature, nourishing meals that heal from within, and a humanist approach that offers flexible programs that accommodate each guest’s personal goals.
At the heart of its wellbeing program is conscious cuisine – that is, food that has great nutritional value and can create wellness from the inside out. The property’s outdoor restaurant specializes in Indonesian and Western cuisine presented in vegan and pescatarian dishes. All meals here are created with mostly organic vegetables and herbs from local suppliers with sustainable practices and are designed for specific nutritional purposes such as boosting concentration and energy and stabilizing blood sugar levels.
See also: Customizable Wellness Programs at The Asa Maia
Guests are encouraged to balance the focus on nutrition with movement and mindfulness practices through a weekly schedule of holistic activities. All types of activities and practices are on offer, from yoga and meditation to Pilates, Indonesian martial arts, and Qi Gong; the specialty, though, is SOMA breathwork, which underpins all journeys at The Asa Maia. To encourage a bit of lighthearted fun and mingling between guests, the property also hosts daily sunset walks and biweekly movie nights.
To round out the experience, The Asa Maia Spa offers a thoughtfully curated menu of rituals that are designed to promote relaxation and emotional and spiritual healing. Under the guidance of Resident Wellness Specialists, guests can create bespoke wellness immersions that include everything from massages and body treatments to meditation and breathwork. Enhancing the rituals is a selection of heat and water facilities, including a 17-meter infinity edge saltwater pool, two stunningly designed sunken cold and hot pools, and a Himalayan Infrared sauna.
With a focus on wellbeing in every aspect, The Asa Maia offers uniquely transformative journeys that encourage healing on every plane – the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. By embarking on a wellness retreat here, guests can find balance and relaxation while also developing the tools they need to continue their wellness journey in their daily lives.
