Vegan Yoga Retreat Lombok: Balancing Mind, Body and Spirit

If you are interested in spending time at an incredible vegan yoga retreat, then look no further than Mana Eco Retreat in Lombok. Bali’s overlooked neighbour to the east of the island, in Indonesia.

Lombok offers a tranquil escape, blending modern tourism with authentic local experiences, yet remains somewhat overshadowed by its famous neighbour. Those who venture here are met with a tapestry of experiences ranging from untouched non-touristy beaches to majestic mountains and true culture in between.

I spent two wonderfully relaxing nights at Mana Eco Retreat and Yoga, in South Kuta, Lombok. This is not to be confused with Kuta, Bali – an overly crowded area known for having one too many drunk tourists. I spent a few nights in Kuta on my last trip to Bali in 2017 and let’s just say it was far from being my favourite place to stay. Kuta Lombok on the other hand is very different, and much more underrated.

If yoga is something you are interested in, I would add this vegan yoga retreat Lombok to your bucket list for Bali or Lombok – or both – now!

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What Is a Vegan Yoga Retreat?

A vegan yoga retreat is a wellness experience where holistic wellness, yoga and plant-based nourishment intertwine. Vegan yoga retreats typically include a variety of yoga sessions throughout the day, plant-based meals and a focus on health and mindfulness. These retreats usually occur in natural settings and they often offer activities promoting physical, spiritual and mental well-being.

Yoga is obviously at the centre of these retreats. With numerous daily yoga classes, including Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Yin and more. The goal is to promote flexibility, relaxation, strength and mindfulness. Veganism is also a core principle, with the emphasis being on whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Music to my ears!

The Best Yoga in Retreat Lombok: Mana Eco Retreat

We spent two nights at Mana Eco Retreat; a serene paradise in the heart of Kuta Lombok, consisting of cozy eco-bungalows and cabanas, a lush garden, two outdoor pools, two yoga studios and a small spa with 4 treatment rooms. 

The property boasts a variety of accommodation styles, from cabanas, garden view rooms, bungalows, a mixed dorm for up to 10 people and the luxurious Mana villa; complete with two bedrooms and a kitchen. 

The dorm is ideal for solo travellers or those on a budget who are happy to share with 9 others for around £17 per night. Meanwhile, we had booked a garden view room for ourselves which was perfect for a couple’s trip.

The retreat is the perfect blend of modern comfort and eco-friendly teak wood design in a tranquil setting.  

Personally, the only thing I didn’t like was the outdoor bathroom. I know this is a traditional Indonesian concept, but I have never been a fan of showering in ‘nature’ surrounded by greenery and creepy crawlies. In fact, it makes my skin crawl, just thinking about it now!

Mana also offer tailor made, individual yoga retreats for 3 nights, 6 nights or various yoga teacher training retreats at specific times of the year. These include a variety of things such as unlimited classes throughout the day. 

If you are a yoga aficionado or someone wanting to learn to teach, this would probably appeal to you. I am very much a beginner, so I enjoyed the flexibility of taking the pay-as-you-go classes. The yoga teachers were all really great too, and many of us there were beginners too which was lovely.

Yoga at Mana Eco Yoga Retreat Lombok

The retreat offers two spacious and well-equipped yoga rooms, perfect for those looking to practice their asanas and find inner peace. Boasting 5-6 daily yoga sessions for an additional cost of around 130k IDR per class. 

Yoga classes at Mana Eco Retreat are open to the public, though they don’t get busy which is great news for guests. You can pay per class, or buy a 3, 5 or 10 class pass for slightly discounted rates too. They also have a weekly and monthly pass available to purchase which seem to be popular as digital nomads appear to spend a long time in Kuta Lombok, making these a great option for them.

I attended 3 classes during my short stay here; Yin yoga, Hatha yoga and Meditation. 

Meditation at 7.20am was a relaxing way to start my day followed by a relatively intense Hatha yoga session. Though there are fans in the studio which is semi-enclosed and shielded from view with palm trees and banana trees, it can get pretty hot while holding the downward dog position for 3 minutes.

The Yin yoga class I did was an evening class at 6.30pm, which I usually really enjoy. The only negative I have to say is that there are so many more mosquitoes around at that time which is incredibly distracting and makes the class significantly less relaxing.

One unfortunate lady had a gecko drop onto her during the class from the high ceiling – she let out a small scream – it was not nearly as dramatic as I would have been in that situation, I have to say.

It was pretty traumatic as the gecko died on her. Between her moving across the studio to a different mat and the rest of us taking it in turns to spray ourselves with mosquito repellent, the class wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as it could have been.

There is a large variety of classes to choose from at this vegan yoga retreat:

Yin Yoga

A simple, slow and relaxed yoga practice, where you hold one posture for a minimum of 3 minutes. We let gravity do the work by sinking into the poses with or without the support of bolsters, blankets and blocks.

To embody Yin qualities means to be relaxed, passive, slow, still, quiet, introverted, intuitive and receptive.

Restorative Yoga

A calming practice to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for digestion, elimination, immunity, hormone regulation and more. Restorative yoga classes use different types of props to support the body in positions of comfort and ease to facilitate relaxation and health. It is very similar to Yin Yoga, where you hold the asana for a minimum of 3 minutes, but with less stretching and minimal or zero tension in the body.

The main goal of restorative yoga is to bring our body back to a homeostasis state, a point of balance that’s free from chaos.

Slow Flow

Slow Flow is a gentle variation of Vinyasa yoga, characterised by a relaxed pace with more time to explore each posture. You move slowly and mindfully through a series of creative sequences, focusing on deepening your breath, enhancing flexibility and fostering awareness of physical postures. This class is accessible to for all levels, offering a gentle yet enjoyable way to stretch, unwind and relax.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga classes focus on both the physical body but on the mental and energetic body. The asanas (physical postures) are held for a longer period of time and combined with different breathing techniques to create strength, stability and stillness both in the body and the mind. A traditional practice to purify and manage energy through Asana, Pranayama and meditation. This class is beneficial for increased physical strength and steadiness, improved mental clarity and focus, and a deep sense of inner calm and contentment.

Vinyasa

Vinyasa is an integrated practice that means ‘to place in a special way’. It combines breathing, asana and meditation to achieve a specific intention and goal. Students are guided through a series of poses, seamlessly transitioning in sync with their breath and a variety of poses are explored, ranging from standing postures to inversions.

Strong Vinyasa

Strong Vinyasa is a more invigorating and challenging variation of traditional Vinyasa. Dedicated to building strength, stamina and resilience – both physically and mentally. These classes often incorporate a variety of challenging asanas, including arm balances, inversions and deep backbends, designed to push practitioners beyond their comfort zones while fostering resilience and inner power.

Mysore Ashtanga

Mysore Ashtanga is the traditional way of learning Ashtanga where each person follows their own yoga sequence according to their own experience. The instructor will go around giving advice and making adjustments if necessary. They will suggest ways of working with the postures that are most beneficial to you. You’ll get advice on how far through the sequence to practice for optimal benefit as well as when it’s good for you to begin working on the next postures. I would say this is a much more advanced class.

Ashtanga Vinyasa

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a traditional and disciplined form of yoga. The class is more of a structured style of yoga that follows a specific sequence of postures linked together by a dynamic flow of breath and movement. Each sequence consists of a precise sequence of asanas (postures) that are performed in a continuous and flowing manner, connected by synchronised breath and movement, known as vinyasa.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is a powerful technique to manage stress and relaxation. Often translated as “enlightened sleep”, Yoga Nidra is a state between sleeping and waking. The mind and body are asleep, but consciousness is aware.

The body is completely relaxed and the practitioner turns the awareness inward by listening to a set of instructions; like a guided meditation to deepen self awareness.

Surf Stretch

A specific class that’s tailored to meet the physical demands of surfing; a slow-paced class offering a sequence of yoga poses. It focuses on releasing tensions and enhancing flexibility, balance, and stability – targeting muscles that are frequently used when surfing and all of which are essential for optimal performance on the waves.

Meditation

Meditation is a spiritual practice to still the fluctuation of the mind and to bring more clarity and focus in life. Pranayama breathing and meditation techniques will strengthen your respiratory system, mind and yoga practice. Meditating allows you to understand what is going on inside of you but also enables you to calm the mind, be more present and have a deeper spiritual connection.

Pilates

Pilates, a physical fitness system developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century is designed to improve strength, flexibility, posture and overall body awareness. The exercises in Pilates emphasise core strength and stability while also targeting other muscle groups.

Though the retreat is surrounded by lots of greenery, I have to say there aren’t nearly as many insects and mosquitoes in comparison to the rainforest retreat we stayed at in Langkawi, which made that environment particularly unpleasant (for me, anyway).

There is a nightly movie screening at 7.30pm in the main Yoga studio which is complementary for all guests, and you can choose to have your dinner in here too.

Food at the vegan yoga retreat Lombok

The plant-based menu at Mana Lombok is outstanding.

Breakfast is included as part of your stay and the (mostly) vegan menu has a variety of both Western and traditional Indonesian food on offer. The coffee served here is also some of the best I have had in SouthEast Asia, an Indonesian brand called Expat Roasters coffee.

My favourites included the dragon fruit smoothie bowls and poke bowl. The food was that great (and affordable), that we didn’t feel the need to venture out of the retreat for meals throughout the entirety of our stay.

Now I don’t really have a sweet tooth, so you have to believe me when I say the cookies are exceptionally great! They are huge; soft, gooey in the middle, rich and definitely hard to eat on your own – they are also the best vegan cookies I have ever tasted.

If you’re heading to Bali too, you might be interested in my ultimate guide to vegan friendly restaurants in Ubud; the vegan capital of Bali!

The spa at Mana Eco Retreat

The spa gets booked up fast here at Mana Eco Retreat as it is open to outside visitors as well as guests. There are four small treatment rooms and the prices are very affordable, so it’s easy to see why they are fully booked.

We had the traditional Lulur scrub each which was lovely – sadly they only had two 30 minute slots available, otherwise we would have gone for the full couples’ experience with a body scrub, massage and facial each. For around £6 per treatment each, you really cannot complain.

The pools at Mana Eco Retreat

Both pools at Mana Eco Retreat were quiet and tranquil too, which was a really pleasant experience in comparison to most resorts.

The location of Mana Lombok is really central making it easy to explore the centre of Kuta Lombok by foot too – though many guests here choose to rent a scooter. I could never – especially after hearing about all the crazy accidents that happen to almost every tourist!

The wifi around the retreat is very decent – more than sufficient for the average person, however, if you’re a content creator or somebody who uploads a lot of videos to social media, you will likely struggle with slow connectivity. I generally found this to be the case all over Lombok and Bali though.

Vegan yoga retreats offer a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, allowing wellness enthusiasts to recharge and reconnect with their inner selves. It was my first time experiencing anything like this and I can wholeheartedly recommend Mana Eco Retreat and Yoga, regardless of whether you are vegan or otherwise.

If you are looking for more unique things to do in Indonesia, I cannot recommend diving in Tulamben at the USAT Liberty Shipwreck enough. This is what I did two days before hopping on a fast boat from Bali to Lombok and relaxing at this vegan yoga retreat.

Related post: 15 Tourist Mistakes to Avoid in Bali

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