Discover Asa Maia, a soothing wellness retreat in Bali

One of the world’s leading wellness destinations, Bali is full of getaways that will uplift and inspire travelers. But often, what sets a hotel apart in a crowded space is not just its service or great location, but its heart and soul. Zaasamaia, his 10-room family-run boutique hotel in Uluwatu, has plenty of that. Infused with Indonesian culture and design, the hotel combines holistic healing techniques, local art and organic food to nourish and transform guests’ lives.

Launched in 2021 by Martha Book, an American who immigrated to Bali by way of North Carolina and Brazil, The Asa Maia is an intimate hotel born from a very personal mission. A designer and avid surfer, Martha has always been interested in healthy living, but wellness took on new meaning when she first developed cancer. Her treatment led to her second bout of cancer at the same time that her son Sidhartha, who suffered severe head and neck injuries while skateboarding, was hospitalized, and her recovery was delayed. .

The challenge was humbling and life-changing. “I remember lying in the hospital bed thinking, When I leave here, I plan to open a wellness center in Bali.” Martha remembers. And that’s exactly what she did.

power of breathing

Asa Maia, which means “hope beyond illusion” in Indonesian and Sanskrit, incorporates many of the practices Martha and her son Sidhartha (Sy) used to overcome their respective illnesses and injuries. “Everything we offer is techniques that I know and love. What changed my life and helped me recover was primarily breathing techniques and cold exposure, but also Pilates. , hypnotherapy, bodygasha, and yoga too,” says Martha.

Breathwork is the resort’s anchor tenant. Breathing, known in yoga as “pranayama” (prana means “life force” and ayama means “to bring out”), is the basis of our lives. Humans unconsciously take about 25,000 breaths every day, so it goes without saying that learning how to master breathing can work wonders. Breathwork practice involves regulating the mind, body, and spirit through a consciously controlled series of inhalations and exhalations, from strengthening the immune system and fighting pathogens to reducing stress and managing pain. , has many advantages.

“Life changed for me when I discovered breathwork,” says Martha. “It indirectly saved my life and helped me and Sy get off the medication and get back to normal life.”

Contrast therapy

Each morning, Sy leads guests through a guided breathing session, followed by contrast therapy in The Asa Mire’s two in-ground pools. One she has a cold pool set at 45°F and the other at 100°F.

Contrast therapy, the ancient practice of alternating high and low temperatures, is another treatment that supports immunity, reduces inflammation, and improves mental and cognitive health. The shock factor of contrast therapy also increases endorphins and lifts your mood. From personal experience, enduring the discomfort of a two-minute plunge into the cold is an intensified exercise that provides a rare sense of accomplishment and proves you are capable of more than you think. I can prove that there is.

For Sy, breathwork and contrast therapy are deeply healing tools that can spark deep self-transformation by “practicing your most basic instincts for survival.” Tailored to your individual needs and goals, his sessions are deeply meditative, cathartic, and approachable. As with all practices offered at Zaasa His Maia, it is expected that guests will continue to incorporate the practices after their stay and improve their quality of life.

“Asa Maia is not a boot camp. We want to make wellness approachable,” says Axel Jehangir, the facility’s general manager. “When a customer takes one of her exercises home and starts incorporating it into their daily life, our mission is accomplished.”

In addition to breathwork and contrast therapy, we also offer daily yoga and Pilates classes and weekly sessions of hypnotherapy, meditation and emotional freedom techniques in our spacious shala, tiled with Himalayan salt. It boasts an infrared and chromolite thermal room.

Conscious organic cuisine

Bali is a renowned paradise for foodies, and The Asa Maia’s extensive pescatarian cuisine and plant-based menu make it easy to heal your gut with nutritious food. Trust me when I say it’s hard to imagine eating anywhere else during your stay. Everything is sensational here. From jackfruit veggie wraps and beetroot burgers with charcoal buns to seafood bowls, creamy (lactose-free) pastas and vegan desserts, there’s an extensive menu to suit every appetite. The hardest part is the decision fatigue you face every time you open the menu.

The Asa Maia avoids feelings of guilt and deprivation with a holistic approach to health. In addition to a carefully selected selection of international wines, spirits and local beers, we also offer tempting carbonated kombuchas, blended elixirs and Bali’s ubiquitous smoothies.

spotlight local culture

In addition to focusing on health and healing, The Asa Maia also highlights Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage through art and design. Martha, who owned a clothing line during her career in the fashion industry, always had an eye for aesthetics and took a thoughtful approach when coming up with the idea for Asa Her Maia. She says, “My design background helped me pay attention to detail. I started gathering materials for the hotel even before I knew what I was going to do with it.”

The process took years and involved traveling throughout Indonesia to source local arts and crafts, reclaimed wood, and other materials. “Indonesia is made up of her 14,000 islands, so the culture is very diverse, and we wanted the hotel to reflect that,” she says. “The more you learn, the richer your experience will be.”

One of the main features that distinguishes The Asa Maia from other hotels is the carefully relocated and rebuilt 10 reclaimed and freestanding Javanese gradaks (traditional houses) on the cliffs of Uluwatu. That’s what I assembled. “We made several trips to eastern Java to find where the houses were in their original locations,” Martha explains. “We wanted to maintain the integrity of the original building and acknowledge where it was originally built.”

Because Indonesia is rural and has limited infrastructure, it took a year to disassemble the wooden panels and transport them to Bali. Gradac can accommodate 2 to 4 people and is named after the town where it was discovered. Featuring luxurious linens, rare double ikat fabrics, a private porch, and an outdoor shower with organic products from Sensatia Botanicals.

Expanding to Sumba Island

Sumba, a remote and wild island in eastern Indonesia, is the country’s next hot destination and Martha’s next adventure. “I’ve always wanted to build her second hotel in Sumba. This island has it all: beaches, jungle, surfing and beautiful traditions,” she says. “The land is raw and untouched. There are no minimarts on the island, and in some of the remote villages locals still barter without using currency. They still use swords. It’s very tribal. It’s really attractive compared to the overdevelopment of Bali.”

The new property is located along a stretch of beach and boasts a hot spring-fed waterfall. While Uluwatu’s Asa His Maia draws inspiration from western Indonesia and Javanese culture, the new hotel draws inspiration from eastern Indonesia’s islands.

“I still have many years ahead of me, so I’m looking forward to the future,” says Martha. “So I can be grateful for what happened to me because it was such a labor of love to create Asa Her Maia and now expand the project. I found a part of myself that was hidden in