October 9, 2025 | TRAVEL
RESET in BALI:
INSIDE the PANCHAKARMA EXPERIENCE
words Rengin Atik
photos Courtesy of Oneworld Ayurveda
After a twelve-hour flight, I landed in Bali with a suitcase full not just of clothes but of expectations. I had signed up for a weeklong program of Panchakarma — Ayurveda’s most powerful detox method — and the anticipation was running high. Let me say this right away: the moment I stepped into Oneworld Ayurveda in Ubud, I felt as though I had crossed into another dimension. It was as if the entire world around me had suddenly vanished. What came next? Let’s begin…
THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY
“Living in balance is the key to happiness, and that’s what I aim to offer,” says Claude Chouinard, founder of Oneworld Ayurveda. His path, however, was far from ordinary. After a successful career in Canada, Claude left everything behind in 1992 to embark on what was meant to be a one-year spiritual journey through Southeast Asia and India. That one year stretched into eight — years of deep inner exploration that profoundly transformed his view of life. Along the way, he discovered Ayurveda, yoga, and Eastern healing traditions.
In 2000, Claude was drawn to Bali by the island’s powerful spiritual energy and settled there. He began modestly, opening a small spa in Ubud, but his vision expanded quickly. By 2003, together with his partner Iyan, he co-founded Oneworld Retreats. A decade later, his vision evolved once again, leading to the creation of Oneworld Ayurveda — Bali’s first authentic Panchakarma center, blending ancient Indian wisdom with Balinese serenity.
WHAT IS PANCHAKARMA?
Literally translated, Panchakarma means “five actions.” This ancient Ayurvedic practice consists of five therapeutic steps designed to deeply cleanse the body of toxins and restore balance to the doshas — Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. According to Ayurveda, everything in the universe is made up of five elements — earth, water, fire, air, and space (ether) — and the three doshas are expressions of these elements in different forms. Vata embodies kinetic energy and movement (air and space), Pitta represents thermal and biochemical energy — heat (fire and water), while Kapha symbolizes potential energy, cohesion, and structure (water and earth).
The program offers 7, 14, or 21-night options under the supervision of Ayurvedic doctors and yoga instructors, who craft fully personalized treatments based on each guest’s unique dosha profile. By assessing physiological traits and psychological tendencies, Oneworld Ayurveda practitioners design daily routines, diets, and activities specific to you.
THE INVISIBLE LINK TO MY INNER TURBULENCE
My very first day was a challenge on its own. My body had to adapt not only to a new living space but also to the humidity and the long, sudden rains in the middle of Bali’s lush forests.
That first afternoon, during my consultation with Ayurveda gynecologist Dr. Resmi V. Rajagobal (BAMS), my body type, diet, and Ayurvedic supplements were determined. I turned out to be 50% Vata, 27% Kapha, and 23% Pitta. Flipping through the beautifully prepared booklet we were given, I stopped at the pages describing Vata traits and imbalances. Every word mirrored the silent struggles I had carried in daily life — insomnia, waking in the night and being unable to fall back asleep, and much more. For the first time, I could see the invisible link between my inner restlessness and my outer experiences. That’s how my journey began.
CLEAR OUTLINES OF THE DAYS
Each morning began at 6:00 a.m. with the gentle sounds of meditation bowls. At 6:30, a gong resonated throughout the property, reminding everyone that yoga was about to start. The rest of the day unfolded with nourishing vegetarian meals, toxin-releasing massage therapies, and treatments that left me feeling deeply renewed. Add to that attentive doctor consultations and another round of wholesome, flavorful dining, and every day flowed in a fulfilling rhythm of wellness — from sunrise to sunset.
Meals could be ordered to the room, enjoyed on the terrace, or shared with other guests in communal spaces. On some evenings, I chose to have dinner alone in my room, surrounded by the Bali jungle.
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE LIVE
The experts at Oneworld Ayurveda do more than provide a physically fulfilling program. They encourage you to think outwardly about Western health practices and inwardly about the way you live outside this sanctuary.
I had assumed my greatest challenge here would be giving up coffee — a small luxury that had anchored my mornings for years. Yet as the days unfolded, I realized caffeine wasn’t the real struggle. What unsettled me most was something simpler: not being able to take my daily long walks. The rhythm of walking, I discovered, had been my hidden form of meditation all along.
HOLISTIC SYNCHRONIZATION
Every part of the facility and the experience can be summed up with one phrase: holistic synchronization. Every detail had been carefully thought through and personalized. Nothing was overlooked. Even upon departure, we were given advice on how to sustain the benefits gained here — from continuing dietary adjustments to light yoga, and ideally dedicating equal time to detox in the “real world.”
HOW I FELT WHEN LEAVING
Oneworld Ayurveda is not simply a retreat — it’s an invitation to return to yourself. For me, the realization was simple yet profound: healing doesn’t always come from adding more to your life. Sometimes, it begins with stopping, letting go, and allowing yourself to rest.
By the end of my seven-day journey, I felt profoundly lighter — not just in body, but in spirit. I returned home not only with glowing skin and a calmer mind, but with a renewed awareness of how balance can be lived. And with the conviction that everyone should experience this at least once — to rebalance themselves and to recognize how modern life has thrown our doshas off course.
