Spring is a time for fresh new beginnings and the perfect season to stretch out and relax at Peppers Salt Resort & Spa.

The Spring Retreat is designed for all ability levels from beginners through to experienced.  Based on Ryoho yoga therapy combining traditional Indian Hatha poses with the meridian based healing arts of China and Japan, the Spring Retreat will address specific issues including detoxification, flexibility, joint problems and eyesight.

The aim of the retreat is to be a relaxed weekend away in beautiful surrounds with the opportunity to enjoy yoga classes, an indulgent spa treatment and wholesome food. It’s not a ‘hard core’ yoga boot camp’.

Priced from $474* per person twin share, the all-inclusive escape includes accommodation at Peppers Salt Resort & Spa, six yoga classes with me, yoga mat, Golden Door Spa treatment, wholesome meals inspired by The Golden Door cook book and prepared by Roughies Restaurant & Bar, full use of resort leisure facilities and more.

Non-residential packages are available from $340* per person including all yoga classes, mat, Golden Door Spa treatment, two dinners and two lunches.

Featuring all the luxuries you would expect of one of Australia’s leading resorts, Peppers Salt Resort & Spa offers multiple pools including a large tropical beach lagoon, a network of walking and bicycle tracks, an unspoilt surf beach patrolled 365 days a year at its doorstep, the indulgent Golden Door Spa and award-winning Roughie’s Restaurant & Bar.

Providing the ultimate beach break on South East Queensland’s doorstep, SALT is located just 20 minutes from Gold Coast Airport, 60 minutes from Ballina Airport and less than 90 minutes drive from Brisbane through the new Tugun Bypass.

For bookings or further information phone 02 6674 7777. For more information visit Peppers Retreats & Resorts.*Conditions apply. Subject to availability.

Spring foods
Spring is the time of the year when your body naturally wants to cleanse itself. So it is a good time to allow your body to let go of all the stuff that it doesn’t want including toxins, bad habits and old aches and pains. It is a good time to allow the body to cleanse by eliminating toxins including dairy, sugar, bread, fats and oils, alcohol, coffee, tea and other stimulants including spices. Ten days is enough time to allow the liver to cleanse and rejuvenate.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Liver and Gall Bladder meridians are most prominent at this time of the year. The best foods to support the Liver and Gall Bladder are leafy greens and lightly cooked foods (steaming, light frying and par-boiling).

 Have lots of:                                                                                                            

• Leafy greens and sprouts
• Asian greens – Bok Choy, Chinese Cabbage                                                     
• Spring veges – broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, parsley, daikon (white raddish)
• Barley, quinoa, wheat, rye
• Wakame (seaweed), umeboshi, lemon, sauerkraut (occasionally)

Try to avoid:

• Overeating – especially eggs, meat, cheese and icecream
• Alcohol and drugs
• Chemicalized foods (preservatives, additives)
• Coffee and chocolate
• Sugar and honey

I asked Zen Shiatsu practitioner and fabulous macrobiotic cook, Linden Brooks to offer some of is favourite Spring recipes. Here’s three yummy Spring side dishes to serve up with grains or vegetables. Enjoy!

Soybean sprouts – Boil sprouts in salted water for 2-3 minutes, then rinse & drain.
Slice a young leek thinly.
Heat a wok or pan and add a little vegetable oil.
Sauté sprouts and leek for 30 seconds.
Serve with a drizzle of dark sesame oil. 

Spinach (or greens) – destalk a bunch of spinach and blanch for 30 seconds in hot water, drain and rinse in cold water.
Mix some soy sauce and sesame oil with a dash of mirin (3:2:1/2) and coat the spinach leaves in the mixture.
Heat a wok or pan and add a little oil, sauté spinach for 20 – 30 seconds on high, then serve. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds.

Daikon / Radish – slice a small young daikon into matchsticks and blanch in hot water for 30 seconds.
Finely slice a young leek and mix with a little sesame oil and pinch of salt, just enough to lightly coat.
Heat a wok or pan and add a little oil, sauté radish 1 minute, add leek and sauté 2 more minutes. Serve with a drizzle of dark sesame oil.

The Welcome
I have never experienced anything quite like the COMO Shambhala welcome at Denpasar Airport. I’m barely off the gangplank and find myself greeted by a Balinese man wielding a big smile and a sign with my name on it. He guides me past the immigration queues, secures my visa, collects my baggage and escorts me to my driver for the one-hour trip past bustling traffic, peaceful temples, lush rice-paddies and a cremation ceremony to Ubud. This ‘rock star’ welcome turns out to be an apt introduction to a place that hinges its service around absolute care, consideration and being one step ahead of guest needs.  

My Personal Assistant
I’m greeted at The Estate by more big Balinese smiles and a lei of tuber-roses (a tell-tale sign of all new-comers) before being escorted on a tour of the nine acres of gardens and thoughtfully appointed public spaces sitting above the River Ayung that make up The Estate. I arrive at my room where my ‘personal assistant’, Widi, brings me a welcome drink, checks me in and explains my daily schedule. 

My Sanctuary
My room is a perfect sanctuary for the week that is about to unfold. It offers spacious, understated elegance with everything I could possibly need. A huge four-poster bed, comfortable furnishings in gentle natural tones, plasma TV, a balcony and outdoor setting to soak up the view of the lush gardens and terraced fields in the distance, an enormous bathroom that peeks into the world outside, a bowl of tropical fruit, an orchid plant and a big dose of serenity. 

Wining & Dining
The Estate offers a number of dining options including the contemporary, open-air Glow restaurant; traditional Indonesian cuisine in Kudus House set in a gorgeous 150-year old former Javanese residence; light snacks served around the poolside Ojas area and in-room dining. 

The COMO Shambhala food philosophy is a holistic approach to nurturing the body with food that tastes good but is good for you. There is no calorie-counting, but instead a balanced approach to food with a focus on fresh, local produce that suits the personal needs of the guest. Australian-born Executive Chef, Chris Miller, (formerly of Neil Perry’s, Wockpool) heads up the kitchen at Como Shambhala Estate and sister-property, Uma Ubud. In cahoots with the resident nutritionist, Miller dishes up healthy, but tasty fare with a full rein of influences ranging from Indian to Italian and of course, Indonesian. And alcohol? Yes, there is a bar and wine list!

Leisure Time
The Estate offers so many leisure options it’s almost hard to choose (I only left The Estate for a total of four hours in the week I was there). In addition to yoga and spa treatments, there is a host of onsite leisure activities including daily guided walks, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Pilates, mountain biking, hiking, white-water rafting, tennis, outdoor circuit training and cooking demonstrations. There’s also a rock climbing wall, indoor gym, swimming pools, sauna and steam rooms as well as a comprehensive library of books to borrow during your stay. The Estate also offers guided cultural activities including visits to local temples, ceremonies and markets; cultural workshops including Balinese dance, photography and writing; and one-on-one wellness consultations with the resident nutritionist, Ayurvedic doctor, psychologists and therapists. 

Leaving
I beg the General Manager for permission to stay or take Widi home. He declines on both fronts, so I reluctantly leave feeling relaxed, energised and inspired with the assurance that I’ll return again one day soon. I also recognise a new sense of inner peace and wisdom that I’m sure I didn’t have when I arrived at this ‘sacred place of bliss’. 

MUST DO’S …

• The Estate Walk. Take your swimmers and a book for a dip in the spring pools near the river and lounge on the gorgeous day beds.
• Breakfast in Kudus Restaurant. Set in a 150-year old former Javanese residence, this intimate space is the perfect spot to enjoy the morning mist rising up through the rainforest. The porridge is delicious.
• A Hot Stone Massage with The Estate’s star practitioner, ‘Oka’
• A visit to the local healer, ‘Tjorkoda’ (as your Personal Assistant to book your visit)
• A shopping trip to ‘Threads of Life’ – a shop/museum dedicated to keeping the traditional weaving arts of Indonesia alive (www.threadsoflife.com)

FAST FACTS:

• Rates start at USD$300 per person, per night including accommodation, breakfast, a wellness consultation, use of leisure facilities, participation in daily activities and your personal assistant. For information about upcoming Yoga Retreats or The Estate’s personalised Wellness Programs visit www.cse.como.bz.
• COMO Shambhala operates COMO Shambhala Retreats at Bali, Bhutan, the Cocoa Island and the Maldives, with Urban Escapes in Bangkok, London and Singapore. For more information visit www.comoshambhala.bz
• Visas can be purchased on arrival in Bali for USD$10 (7 days) or USD$25 (30 days). Make sure your passport is up-to-date and valid for at least 6 months from arrival.

HOW TO GET THERE:

• Como Shambhala Estate is located 15 minutes drive from Ubud, and one-hour from Bali’s Denpasar International Airport.
• Airport transfers to COMO Shambhala Estate are USD$40 each way.