“I had a dream where I was flying with someone and guiding them to the river for both physical and spiritual cleansing. We arrived at the Ayung River, where I bathed them, making them shine,” recalls Luisa Anderson, Regional Director of Spa at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific. This ethereal dream perfectly symbolizes the vision behind the newly conceptualized Sacred River Spa.
Entering the ethereal new Sacred River Spa with Luisa Anderson (right).
Luisa and I sit together in the serene atmosphere of the redesigned Sacred River Spa at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. Nestled near Ubud, on the banks of the sacred Ayung River—the longest, widest, and most revered river in Bali—this spectacular resort is ensconced in Bali’s vibrant rainforest. It’s the grand reopening day of this tranquil space, and I am honored to be the first guest to experience Tirta Ening—a 150-minute sacred water ceremony, that translates to “sparkling water.” This exceptional ritual pays tribute to the healing powers of Bali’s sacred water.
“I knew that we had to create a treatment that made water a central element,” Luisa explains. While developing the spa’s concept and ceremonies, she delved into Balinese cultural uses of water. Three key aspects inspired her: the taste of the temple water’s infusion of local plants like cananga, chempaka, and pandan, which are vital to Balinese healing; the traditional cleansing ritual known as Melukat, where holy water is poured over the individual for spiritual purification; and the subak system, Bali’s unique irrigation method for rice fields.
A Symphony of Sensory Delights
These influences are elegantly integrated into Tirta Ening, a symphony of sensory delights that begins with setting an intention through the resonant sound of a crystal singing bowl and sipping blessed water infused with local botanicals and crystals. “Water is said to hold the memory of the Divine,” Luisa notes. The journey continues with a gentle steam followed by an exfoliating scrub and an exhilarating Vichy shower, inspired by Melukat and Bali’s tropical rains, and enhanced by the cutting-edge Lemi Vichy system, providing the most invigorating Vichy experience I’ve had to date.
The lovely Tirta Ening treatment room
The massage that follows is no less extraordinary. Conducted on a special Lemi Dream Table equipped with a warm water mattress, it uses fluid Lomi Lomi techniques, emphasizing the body’s connection to water. “The flow and long strokes remind the body of its watery essence,” Luisa explains, while also ensuring the muscles receive deeper attention. The massage features Water Dreams, a locally sourced essential oil blend by Bali Radiance, which includes ylang ylang, vanilla, lavender, and patchouli.
“Few places in Bali have ‘unseen’ energies as powerful as those in the Ayung River basin . . .”
The ceremony closes with a crystal sound bath and a final sip of blessed water, accompanied by the gentle sound of flowing water all around. Throughout the experience, the music, specially composed for Tirta Ening, enhances the ambiance, blending sounds of water from the resort’s fountains, subak system, and the river itself, with the calming trickle of four water spouts outside the treatment room. These spouts, as Luisa explains, are designed to echo those found at Tirta Empul, the revered water temple near Ubud in the village of Tampaksiring.
The Spa Gets a Gorgeous & Thoughtful Redesign
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023, and was overdue for a spa upgrade. The original spa was situated on the lower level of the main building and consisted of three rooms. Treatments, explains Luisa, always nodded to Balinese culture with classics like the traditional Balinese Lulur and the Boreh scrub. In 2014, she introduced Chakra Ceremonies and “cleaned up” the menu.
“We always knew a major refurbishment was essential,” says Luisa. “In Asia, a treatment room without natural light or vegetation wasn’t going to cut it.” The thoughtfully redesigned spa complex spans 4,970 square meters and was crafted by Australian architects, The Fulcrum Agency; Japanese interior designers, Design Studio SPIN; and Indonesian landscape consultants, Bukit Kembar Permai. Every centimeter—indoor and out—was meticulously designed to harmonize the body and mind with the rhythms of nature.
A water blessing at the Sacred River Spa on the banks of the Ayung River
There are seven stunning Spa Villas that are named after sacred Balinese Elements. Nestled beneath the jungle canopy, these villas offer a seamless blend of natural beauty and modern design. Each villa is equipped with a humongous bathtub hand-carved from Indonesian stone, reflecting the resort’s commitment to harmonizing with the surrounding environment. Other noteworthy spaces include Dharma Satya, a lovely Yoga Pavilion that sits adjacent to the river and a blissful Relaxation Pavilion that’s set in a lily pond.
The new spa draws inspiration from the ancient Balinese philosophy of Niskala (unseen energy). “Few places in Bali have ‘unseen’ energies as powerful as those in the Ayung River basin,” Luisa explains, adding that it has been a privilege to connect with these energies throughout the spa’s relaunch.
Mary Bemis
A pioneering voice in spa and wellness journalism, Mary Bemis has spent four decades chronicling, championing, and helping shape the modern spa industry. As Founder and Editorial Director of Insider’s Guide to Spas, she brings a distinctive editorial perspective informed by a career that has helped define the language and landscape of spa media. Mary launched American Spa magazine in 1997, co-founded Organic Spa, and helped launch Luxury SpaFinder and NewBeauty. Her industry leadership extends to board service with ISPA, NYSPA, and WSPA, the latter two organizations she helped establish. She has also served as Special Advisor to the Balneology Association of North America. Today, she serves as Special Advisor to Global Wellness Day and sits on the board of the International Sauna Aid Foundation. Recognized among Medika Life’s Top 30 Influential Voices Transforming Wellness, Mary is also a recipient of the prestigious ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award, an inaugural Folio Top Women in Media honoree, and an American Spa Wonder Woman of Wellness. Her mission remains as steadfast as ever: to keep spa culture alive and relevant, honor its roots, challenge its shortcomings, and inspire an industry to live up to its promise.
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