Enjoy a Balinese Staycation at Home

By Nicola Bridges

Do you dream of attending a meditative retreat in a faraway Zen destination such as Bali or Costa Rica but can't afford the cost or time off? Then do what I did and create your very own home staycation retreat that you can go to again and again and forever -- and for a fraction of the cost. All it takes is a quiet space or even just a dedicated corner of a room.

I've had the good fortune to experience some wonderful yoga and meditation retreats over the decades, from the simple offerings of a silent Buddhist retreat in the Mojave Desert to some of the world's top-ranked health and wellness retreats, including the Asian ambience of the sybaritic Golden Door health and wellness spa in Escondido, California, and luxurious retreats in Europe, South America and Asia.

I'm drawn to them as a yogi who practices mindfulness and meditation not only to focus my intentions and stay Zen on my travels with my well-worn pack-and-go yoga mat but also to start each day with a sense of calm and end it by helping my chattering monkey brain sleep.

(Bonus tip: I literally cannot fall asleep without having my Insight Timer app playing Patrick Lynen's relaxing soundscape on a loop that, for me, delivers the promise of its title: "The Most Relaxing Music in the World.")

The initial lockdown years of COVID-19 necessitated rethinking how to satisfy my Zen retreat cravings in a world where travel had become risky and destinations were shut down. A previously booked Bali retreat trip was canceled. So I decided if I couldn't go to Bali, then I'd bring Bali to me.

I looked around our home and decided a rarely used office that had basically become a storage room would make a perfect permanent staycation yoga and meditation space. If you don't have an available room, with a little creativity, a small corner of a room big enough for a yoga or meditation mat works great, too, or even a patio.

After emptying and repainting our room a calming blue, I hit the web on a hunt for authentic Bali decor and Zen accessories that would re-create the ambience of my favorite retreats without breaking the bank.

Thanks to my well-traveled partner, who has visited Asia more than I have, we already had some wonderful pieces from Bali and Thailand. First, we rehomed a beautiful lotus flower-themed teak wall carving from another room as a centerpiece around which to decorate our Bali studio.

Next, a couple of Buddha statues -- one tall, one small -- were mandatory for me. Bowing to Buddha with namaste hands in gratitude helps keep me centered. Then, a low-lying floor altar to display my crystals, chakra stones and meditation beads (yes, my life journey in search of Zen goes mystically deep).

Every meditation retreat needs incense, and a wonderfully calming ceramic waterfall incense burner that flows the smoke mist curving down its center seemed perfect. We also wanted to bring in the natural tropical beauty of Bali's outdoors. I struggle to keep living plants alive, so we opted for a few tall fake plants in woven baskets and a cascading heart leaf vine that you can't believe aren't real.

Sheer cream curtains flowingly swathed around and framing an internal glass door gently waft when the studio's external patio door is open brought a feel of simple and serene luxury to the space. We intentionally kept it fairly sparse because busy does not beget Bali or Zen.

We opted for black rubber puzzle-lock floor tiles with white speckles for a cushioned floor feel (supremely easy to install ourselves) and a large sea-grass rug, where I roll out my yoga mat and sit cross-legged on my meditation cushions, centering and contemplating my upcoming travels.

Total cost? Less than $1,000. And it's almost as good as being in Bali.

WHEN YOU GO

Here are a few of my favorite things that now welcome me to relax in my beautiful Bali-themed staycation retreat room.

Waterfall Backflow Incense Burner, ceramic, Mindful Souls, $39.97, www.mindfulsouls.com.

Reed Diffuser, hand-blended No.7 Butterfly Beach scent in amber glass bottle with seven rattan reeds, Santa Barbara Apothecary Co., $45, www.sbapothecary.com.

Enlightened Buddha, green bronze finish, 40 inches tall, indoor-outdoor, Design Toscano, $215, www.amazon.com.

Meditation Cushion, 100% natural buckwheat hulls filling, Florensi, $54.99, www.florensi.com.

Sea Salt & Orchid Aromatherapy Candle, 100% soy, nontoxic, Arctic Wicks, $20, www.arcticwicks.com.

Yakushi Nyorai Healing Buddha, seated, 10 inches tall, Enso Sensory, $33.75, www.amazon.com.

Fiddle Leaf Artificial Tree in White Ceramic Planter, 3.5 feet tall, Nearly Natural, $115.99, www.nearlynatural.com.

Prayer and Meditation Altar, hand-carved, solid wood, Tribe Azure Fair Trade, $105, www.amazon.com.

Junkie Jute Handwoven Sisal Rug, 5 feet by 5 feet, Rugs.com, $119, www.rugs.com.

Interlocking Rubber Floor Tiles, 2 feet by 2 feet, Great Mats, $13.38 per tile, www.greatmats.com.

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Nicola Bridges is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.