Ultimate Bali Spirit Festival Guide & Review (2025 Experience)

Nestled in the lush, verdant heart of Ubud, the Bali Spirit Festival is a unique experience beyond the boundaries of a typical wellness retreat. Bringing together a vibrant, diverse community of spiritual seekers, yogis, musicians, and artists from around the world, this annual event has earned a reputation for being a transformative journey for the mind, body, and soul. This comprehensive review and guide to the Bali Spirit Festival will explore the classes and activities offered. This was my seventh time attending the Bali Spirit Festival, and in this article, I share all my tips with you to make the most of the festival.

What is the Bali Spirit Festival?

The Bali Spirit Festival is an annual event in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. It celebrates yoga, music, dance, and other wellness and spiritual practices. The 2025 festival lasted four days and attracted thousands of participants from all over the world. The festival features a variety of activities and workshops, including yoga classes, meditation sessions, dance workshops, and healing sessions. There are also talks and discussions on various health, wellness, spirituality, and sustainability topics.

In addition to the workshops and activities, the Bali Spirit Festival features a vibrant marketplace where vendors sell handmade crafts, organic foods, and other sustainable products. Nightly musical performances feature a diverse range of world music, from traditional Balinese music to contemporary fusion.

The festival promotes health and wellness, cultural exchange, and environmental sustainability. It allows people from all walks of life to unite and celebrate their shared values and interests.

Why attend the Bali Spirit Festival?

Some of my key reasons to attend the festival (and why I keep going back 😊) include:

1. Discover new teachers and practices: The festival features a diverse range of workshops and activities, which means you’ll have the opportunity to try new things and learn from experts in their respective fields.
2. Relax and recharge: Bali is known for its beautiful beaches, lush jungles, and serene landscapes. Attending the Bali Spirit Festival is a great way to take a break from the stress and busyness of daily life and recharge your mind, body, and spirit.
3. Be hosted by friendly and beautiful Balinese people: The staff at the festival are incredibly friendly and professional. The number of smiles and nice gestures from them is mind-blowing.
4. Deepen your spiritual practice: The festival offers a wide variety of workshops and activities that can help you deepen your spiritual practice, whether you’re interested in yoga, meditation, or other forms of wellness and self-care.
5. Immerse yourself in Balinese culture: The festival provides an opportunity to experience Balinese culture’s unique traditions and customs, from music and dance to food and art.
6. Have fun and dance: The dance and music program is a significant part of the festival; if this is your thing, you can dance up to 10 hours a day!

Where does the Bali Spirit Festival take place?

The location of the Bali Spirit Festival tends to change occasionally, so check for updates for the 2026 festival. Since 2022, the festival has returned to the Yoga Barn, a large yoga complex situated in the heart of Ubud. While this location is smaller than the 2019 venue, it has the distinct advantage of being right in Ubud’s center. If you choose your accommodation wisely, returning to your room for a shower or rest between classes is easy.

Best Places to Stay Near The Yoga Barn

To help you secure the ideal base for the festival, here are two highly-rated accommodation choices located just minutes from the venue. You can easily compare prices across platforms to secure the best deal:

• Plataran Ubud Hotel & Spa (Top Pick for Luxury & Wellness)
  Check availability and compare rates on:
  Agoda |
  Booking.com
• Japa Suites & Villas (Top Pick for Modern Boutique Comfort)
  Check availability and compare rates on:
  Agoda |
  Booking.com

Festival Site and Facilities

The festival site spans several acres and offers a wide array of facilities, including yoga studios, meditation rooms, a healing center, and even two swimming pools, one of which is heated for WATSU classes. One significant advantage of holding the festival at the Yoga Barn is that it’s already equipped for yoga classes. Yoga mats and props are readily available in most studios.

Tip: The festival website tells you to bring your yoga mat but if the festival is held at the Yoga Barn, you don’t need it as all the studios are equipped with mats and props.

In addition to the well-equipped studios, the Yoga Barn also has proper toilet and shower facilities, offering more comfort than typical festival cubicles. However, the venue does have its drawbacks. Due to its smaller size and room capacity, classes can be full, so planning and early arrival for desired classes can be crucial for the most popular workshops. Capacity seemed to be better managed this year than last year, as only one of the classes I wanted to attend was full. Even the Breath of Bliss class, which is usually overbooked, was easy to get into.

Tip: For the popular classes, they start giving out numbers to guarantee class access about 30 minutes before the start of the class. So if there is a popular class you really want to attend, make sure to get your number 30 minutes before. You can then go and walk around and come back 5 minutes before the start of the class.

A Diverse Array of Classes

One of the best things about the Bali Spirit Festival is the incredible variety of classes offered each day. With six or seven classes happening simultaneously, deciding which ones to attend can feel overwhelming, especially since you can realistically only join four or five a day if you really push it. This year, I tried to choose sessions carefully, balancing my curiosity with the desire to deepen my yoga practice.

Yoga and Workshops

Central to the festival are yoga and workshops. My personal goal at the festival was to discover new instructors. To achieve this, I strived to attend classes led by teachers I didn’t know and ventured beyond my comfort zone. This year, I was in the mood to get back to the roots of yoga, so I attended a few fundamental classes on yoga anatomy and yoga philosophy. I also kept my curiosity alive by attending diverse classes like Amenti dancing, or Pawanmuktasana. My goal was to explore new teachers and different types of yoga. While I made sure to attend sessions on yoga philosophy and anatomy, I also stepped into classes that took me entirely by surprise.

I started the festival on a strong note with “Soft n’ Somatic” with Barbra Noh. This was a quiet and calming class focused on gentle, mindful movements. Instead of complicated poses, we practiced listening closely to our bodies and noticing small sensations. By the end, I felt more in tune with myself—calmer and clearer. To get my fill of Yoga and anatomy, I attended one more of her classes on hip opening and it was eye opening. This class blended biomechanics, alignment, and therapeutic yoga. Barbra used her background as a dancer who overcame hip injuries through yoga to demonstrate effective techniques. We explored practical anatomy, easy-to-follow alignment tips, and exercises that supported healthy hips and balanced the pelvis.

I always like attending a few yoga philosophy lectures, which help me feel more centered during the festival. It is also a good way to go back to the roots of yoga and the meaning of it (which is sometimes lost in some of the most commercial classes). This year, I joined Yogini Linda Madani for “Threads of Time.” She spoke about the history and philosophy of yoga in a simple, engaging way. The session ended beautifully with a reflection on dual vs. nondual approach and with chanting, creating a sense of peace and connection. It reminded me that yoga is much more than just physical poses.

After such a gentle practice, returning to the energy of the festival musical events almost felt like a shock!

I couldn’t resist returning to Black Metal Yoga with Melody Henry. Practicing yoga in a dark room with heavy metal music was intense but surprisingly powerful. Melody’s guidance turned the unusual experience into something meaningful, helping me feel lighter and more balanced afterward.

One of the highlights this year again was the Living Water Journey, which took place in a pool heated to 28 degrees Celsius. Those pool workshops are popular; you need to get there at least 30 minutes in advance if you want a spot. Although there was a significant waiting time, the experience was undoubtedly divine. You dance, float, and relax in warm water. If you miss it during the festival, there’s also an opportunity to catch a class with the Liquid Body team every week at the Yoga Barn.

Tip: Get to the festival early. Most people arrive around 10 or 11 am so at 8 am, the festival site is still very quiet and peaceful and you can attend any class you want. They also tend to schedule the most popular classes and teachers first thing in the morning.

With Pau Castellsague, I explored the fascinating role of the vagus nerve—the “wandering nerve” connecting our brain to many vital organs. This was more of an anatomy class than a yoga class. We also learned massage techniques to enhance our body’s natural healing systems.

This yoga session led by Janet Stone, Benny Holloway, Jim Beckwith, and Cellamano was beautifully introspective. They named the class LSD: Long, Slow, Deep. We held gentle, floor-based postures for extended periods, guided by calming breathwork and soft live music. It was a gorgeous class that ended up in chanting. Janet’s popularity preceded her, and it was one of the few classes that were fully booked well before the class starting time.

The workshop Fire- Layer of Power by Amenti is probably the most energetic I have attended through the 4 days festival. They explored self-expression through movement linked to the element of fire/ anger. This method encouraged us to embrace personal strength, recognize internal patterns, and step boldly into our power. It was transformative and empowering. They managed to get everyone dancing and screaming with an energy I have rarely seen—a true highlight.

Guided by Fareena Farid, the Pawanmuktasana class introduced the subtle, therapeutic practice of Pawanmuktasana. We learned sequences designed to relax muscles, open joints, and remove energetic blockages. This practice felt accessible and deeply soothing, leaving my body lighter and my mind clearer.

Healing Activities and Breathwork

Beyond yoga, the festival offers sound healing exercises, meditations, and breathing workshops for relaxation, concentration, and working with the body’s subtle energies. Various sound frequencies uniquely affect the mind, heart, and soul, taking the festival experience to another level.

Sound healing sessions provide an excellent relaxation opportunity during a busy day.

I attended a sound healing session with Suntara and was blown away by the experience. The music was magical, with ethereal vocals and healing instruments, including Shamanic Drums, Crystal Bowls, Djembe, Handpan, and Didgeridoo. The notes and rhythms of the music resonated deep within me and guided me on a musical healing journey into the depths of my soul.

Another relaxing class was “Relax into Awakening,” led by Cathy Pearson. This class felt gentle and comforting, perfect for releasing built-up tension. Cathy guided us through slow movements designed to help our bodies completely relax. The session ended beautifully with a peaceful Yoga Nidra meditation that left me feeling deeply rested and refreshed.

Breathwork sessions were some of the popular classes at the festival, but this year, they seemed to be better managed than last year. Last year, you had to queue for one hour to hope to get into some of the breathwork classes. This year, there seemed to be more of them, and it was therefore relatively easy to get in the class even at the last minute.

This year, I chose to attend only one breathwork session, and I attended “Breath of Bliss: Awaken God Consciousness”. It is one of the softer sessions. It was mystical, feminine, and deeply expansive. We began with ecstatic dance and soulful connection, then moved into an hour of powerful breathwork, accompanied by visionary music and hypnotic affirmations. The session was designed to activate intense states of bliss. By the end, I felt very, very relaxed.

A word of warnings about breathwork

While breathwork can have many positive effects on mental, emotional, and physical health, it also has potential adverse side effects. Not everyone will experience these, but it’s good to be aware of them and listen to your body during breathwork practices. I saw people being carried out of the breathwork classes as they could not walk anymore. I experienced negative effects during a breathwork session at the festival and was fortunate to have a friend attending with me who could ensure I was safe.

Here are some potentially harmful effects of breathwork that you should be aware of before starting a class:

• Overstimulation: Breathwork can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s “fight or flight” response. If this system is overactivated, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, stress, and restlessness.
• Hyperventilation: Some forms of breathwork involve rapid, deep breathing, which can cause hyperventilation. This can lead to light-headedness, dizziness, and even fainting.
• Emotional Distress: Breathwork can lead to the release of suppressed emotions, which can be overwhelming for some individuals, especially if they have a history of trauma or mental health issues. It can potentially cause feelings of panic, fear, or grief.
• Physical Discomfort: Some people may experience physical discomfort during or after breathwork, including tingling sensations, numbness, muscle cramps, or nausea.
• Altered State of Consciousness: Intense breathwork can potentially induce an altered state of consciousness. This may lead to disorientation, confusion, and hallucinations in some cases.

If you feel unwell during a breathwork session, don’t hesitate to stop and seek advice if necessary.