We invite you and your significant other to reignite the love between you and challenge your relationship in these unique, couple’s bonding experiences available on this island not only of the gods, but also of romance.

A night at the movies, a fancy dinner, perhaps coupled with gifts and flowers; these are certainly romantic gestures for any couple. But what if you’re looking for something new and exciting, deep and meaningful, a way to light a new spark, toke an old flame, create a stronger bond between you and your partner? An Italian dinner with wine probably won’t make that happen.

TRUST YOGA

Designed to bring two people closer together through an intimate, curated session of poses, touch and non-oral communication, the Trust Yoga at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran is unique experience for any curious, adventurous couple.

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Starting at the resort’s Healing Village Spa, you will be greeted with a welcome drink and warm smiles from the staff, as well as a key to the locker. Your designated buggy will then pick you up and drive you to the beachfront Nirvana Shanti Yoga shala where butterflies and birds marry in greenery, providing a sublime foreground to the ocean views beyond. A perfect setting for this Zen practice. Hailing from Rishikesh, the birthplace of yoga, Kenneth is the resident yogi who will be your second guide throughout this journey, the first guide being your partner. He will help you determine who will be the “guide” and the “flyer.” In this fully synchronised experience, you and your partner will depend on each others intuition and judgement.

Trust Yoga brings a deeper connection and glues two people together by creating an environment that makes you learn about one another, through poses and touches, which expands a further awareness of each other.

You will learn that you can enjoy and appreciate the other’s presence without even having to speak, or communicate orally, for a set period of time.

You may find it hard to focus at first, but you will both find your own rhythm and flow as you go along, as you match the different levels of flexibility and endurance in a nonverbal way. It involves practising prolonged eye contact, embracing each other’s touch and manifesting positive thoughts.

Instead of the usual shavasana(corpse pose), Kenneth ends the session with Tantric yoga, which is a spiritual and sensual way to get more deeply connected with your partner and is known to enhance soul attraction. You’ll surprise each other as to how being present together with no distractions can enhance your relationship.

Four Seasons guests are welcome to join a class every Sunday at 11 AM, whilst outside guests will need to book a private session, which makes the experience more intimate. The yoga classes are operated under the resort’s Healing Village Spa, hence all sessions are handled as treatments, namely, you be given some if not full access to the spa facilities.

Healing Village Spa at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay
Jalan Bukit Permai, Jimbaran
+62 361 701010
www.fourseasons.com/jimbaranbay

IN THE PALM OF YOUR HANDS

Ensconced within the famous hillside village of Ubud, Desa Visesa is a retreat to recover the mind, body, and soul. The luxury resort, owned by Ubud’s royal family, is known for their series of traditional holistic healing experiences designed to promote a life of beauty and wellness. The on-site Visesa Balinese Healing and Spa is a sanctuary fringed with working rice fields, palm trees, and shrines, equally embracing the luxuries of life and being in tune with the environment.

One of the unique experiences offered at Desa Visesa is Palm Reading, done by a traditional Balinese healer, or Pemangku. In fact, this is a private consultation where by the healer will read your palms and share insight into your characteristics, fortunes and decision making. What is equally phenomenal is their ability to read the energy of people and transmit energy to others to heal what ails them – even most sceptics would agree these healers are remarkable.

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Many come to find a good day to hold an event, such as their wedding day, who also believe in their prophecy of soulmates. What do your palms say about your relationship?

After the consultation, you and your partner are invited to experience the full healing treatments available at the spa. Treatments at Desa Visesa take place in natural caves, filled with the echoes of gamelan melodies that bounce through the crisp, fresh air. The treatments were designed based on a generations worth of traditional healing knowledge. It is known as an the authentic Bali Usada concept, an ancient way to cure physical and mental ailments using healing techniques based on the practical use of Taru Pramana medicinal plants, herbs, and spices. The Bali Usada ultimately aims to balance the embodied Sekala (seen) and the mental and spiritual Niskala (unseen), so the five elements; Fire (Teja), Earth (Pertiwi), Water (Apah), Air (Bayu), and Space (Akasha) can perform in harmony.

Desa Visesa
Jalan Suweta, Banjar Bentuyung Sakti, Ubud
+62 361 2091 788
www.desavisesa.com

ESCAPE THE ROOM

Dinner and a movie? Been there, done that. Whilst traditional date ideas can spark or strengthen a relationship, unconventional dates are guaranteed to add that extra oomph to the experience, especially for long-time couples looking for something new.

If you consider yourselves a power couple, ’Escape Rooms’ are an opportunity for you and your partner to put that to the test. Showcase your creativity and brainpower to a date, or create a stronger bond with a longterm lover by working together to navigate through each of this activities’ difficult challenges. Solving puzzles doesn’t always have to be stressful, especially if you have one another to depend on!

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Since the first escape game started in 2007 in Kyoto, the entertainment trend has firmly established a market in Asia, Europe, and the world. Totem Room Escape arrived in Jakarta in 2014 as the first and biggest reality room escape game in Indonesia and has branched out to Bali. If you’ve never heard of this wildly popular phenomenon, the immersive game has been defined as a physical adventure game where a couple or group of people are locked in a room, usually themed around fantasy or horror, and the players must solve puzzles and challenges in order to escape. Participants will be given clues to get out using available elements or tools in that particular room before moving to the next room with a new mystery to solve. Totem has six themes which vary in difficulty: Locked in Darkland, Egyptian Secret, Mission Impossible, Kidnapped, Jungle Book, and Chocolate Factory. You have 50 minutes to save yourselves… Test your cooperation and communication skills at Totem to bring that relationship to a new level!

Totem Room Escape Bali
Jl. Kayu Aya No.18C, Seminyak
+62 361 4740071
www.totemroomescape.com

A HOLY WATER BLESSING

A traditional cleansing ritual with a significant other is one experience that can bring you both closer. Embrace nature and the Balinese Hindu customs by cleansing mind, body and spirit to be the best version of yourself and for your partner.

Purification ceremonies or Melukat in Bali are the sacred acts of cleansing through water. This holy ritual falls into the category of spiritual healing, however, has proven popular among visitors seeking to subsume in the true Balinese Hindu experience. A Melukat ritual is said to rinse bad aura, turmoil, and sickness as a result of negative karma from both this life (prarabda karmaphala) and past lives (sancita karmaphala).

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The setting is harmonious. A cleansing ceremony takes place at a hallowed location where streams of water pour from a waterfall or natural spring.

Pilgrims waiting to be cleansed is a normal sight to see at Tirta Sudamala, found in the regency of Bangli. About an hours drive northwest from Ubud, Sudamala is one of the lesser-visited holy spring temples. Couples, visitors and even long-term residents come here for these ablutions as well. Many local Balinese stay to say prayers, whilst others are in for the sentiment. Dressed in traditional sarong, the Melukat ritual involves being blessed by a local priest before heading into a pool where holy water flows out of 8 pipes. One by one, you will move between each spring, praying as you move through, as the holy water will bless you and cleanse the negative elements.

Either way, people come out beaming with a refreshed body, spirit, and mind, as peace is believed to be achieved. Doing this alone is an experience, but going through this transformative journey with someone special is a something you will both remember.

Pura Tirta Sudamala
Bebalang, Bangli Regency, Bali

DANCING CHEEK-TO-CHEEK

Dance is one of history’s most classic romantic activities, a timeless way for couple’s to connect.

If you and your partner aren’t yet dancers, dance lessons are a fun, active experience you can both share. It’s exhilarating yet intimate, involving good music, great company, and an excellent amount of cheek-to-cheek interaction. These classes will surely make the two of you swing… or in this case, salsa!

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Ubud Studio offers various dance lessons taught in a light and relaxed environment for all abilities. They specialise in Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba (sensual dancing originating from Angola), and Balinese dance classes. The open and airy studio overlooks an amazing view of Ubud from high above, where you’ll be dancing the night away with your partner. The teachers are loved for their hospitality, enthusiasm, and reliability, to make sure you’re in for a good time. Ubud Studio is not just a dance studio but is also a community for Ubud’s dance scene. They hold events including the Afro-Latin dance workshops and boot camps, as well as private sessions for a more closed off one-on-one session! They have managed to harvest a creative space for its community with their Social Dancing agenda that is jam-packed with fun and flirty Salsa nights, complete with a live Latin band performance. Join in for a sultry post-date night pastime, perhaps?

Heading closer to the sea, The Canggu Studio offers more hip and energetic dance classes designed to break a sweat or tone your figure. Their class schedule includes Hip-hop Party Dance, Belly Dance, Cuban Salsa, but offers subtle movements as well, such as Classical Indian Odissi Dance and a variety of yoga classes. The studio embraces self-expression through movement, dance, and a hint of martial arts. Get down and dirty with your loved one this Valentine’s Day!

Ubud Studio
Jalan Made Lebah No.2, Peliatan, Ubud
+62 898 3534 866
www.ubudstudio.com
The Canggu Studio
Jl. Nelayan No.32, Canggu
+62 819 3622 5745
www.thecanggustudio.com