Bali Usada Health & Calmness Meditation Retreat - Usada Tapa Brata
“People with a harmonious mind in both body and mind will find it easier to become healthy, remain calm, and stay strong when facing life's challenges.”
- Merta Ada, Founder & Master Teacher of Bali Usada
Since 1996, Usada Tapa Brata has been Bali Usada's foundational and primary Health & Calmness Meditation program. Viveka Vana is honoured to introduce this authentic program to North America for the very first time in collaboration with Bali Usada, Indonesia. Set amidst the forests and lakes of Viveka Vana Retreat Centre, participants will learn directly from experienced Bali Usada instructors travelling from Indonesia.
What to Expect
Throughout the retreat, participants are guided step by step through the traditional Bali Usada practice. Each day builds progressively, beginning with proper sitting posture, body awareness, mindful breathing, cultivating a harmonious mind, and learning to sense, nourish, and restore the body from within.
In addition to intensive meditation sessions, participants will receive teachings and inspired reflections from Pak (Mr.) Merta Ada, together with gentle Bali Usada movement and light exercises that support physical well-being and complement the meditation practice.
To foster deep inner stillness and self-awareness, participants will observe Noble Silence throughout the retreat. During this period, participants refrain from reading, writing, speaking, using mobile phones or other communication devices (which will be safely stored), and smoking.
Every aspect of the retreat—including the daily schedule, vegetarian meals, meditation, movement, silence, and the peaceful natural surroundings of Viveka Vana—is thoughtfully designed to support the practice of Tapa Brata, enabling participants to experience its full physical, mental, and emotional benefits.
Why the Retreat is Unique
The first Bali Usada retreat in North America.
Authentic Bali Usada Health & Calmness Meditation program.
Facilitated by certified and experienced Bali Usada instructors travelling from Indonesia.
Live session with Pak Merta Ada from Bali, Indonesia
Small group for personalized guidance (limited to 21 guests).
Beautiful lakeside forest retreat setting.
Chef-prepared vegetarian meals.
Meet the Founder & Master Teacher
Pak Merta Ada
Pak Merta Ada is the founder of Bali Usada Health Meditation. Pak Merta Ada is the Master Teacher of Bali Usada, also a renowned meditation practitioner in Indonesia. He is famous nationally and internationally for his skills in applying Health Meditation as an alternative medicine, exhibited by students that have benefitted or been cured from his teachings.
Since 1993, he has been actively teaching this meditation in various places in Indonesia such as Bali, Surabaya, Jakarta, Batam, Medan, Palembang, Pontianak, and Makassar as well as some places outside Indonesia such as England, Singapore, Germany, and New Zealand. To date, he has taught more than 127,000 people face-to-face. In addition, he is also actively teaching digitally, from television, radio, to online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and the Zoom application.
In 2001, Pak Merta Ada received the K. Nadha Nugraha award from Bali Post because of his successes in teaching, having helped thousands of people with meditation. This prestigious award is dedicated only to a limited number of people who have made outstanding contributions to the people of Bali.
The Health Meditation Technique that Pak Merta Ada teaches, aims to heal our body through focusing on the meridian, cakra, mental, mind, and memory. This technique is formulated based on years of research from old Balinese lontar manuscripts, Traditional and Modern Healing, Wisdom from renowned meditation teacher, and Pak Merta’s own experience as a healer. Lessons on the theory and practice of meditation at Bali Usada Health Meditation are taught in ways that are accessible, simple, and easy to learn.
A Brief History of Bali Usada
Founded in 1993 by Pak Merta Ada, Bali Usada Health & Calmness Meditation was established with a simple yet profound vision: to help people cultivate lasting health, inner calm, and happiness through meditation and the development of a harmonious mind.
The name "Usada" refers to the traditional Balinese science of healing and medicine. At the heart of Bali Usada's teachings is the cultivation of Pikiran Harmonis (the Harmonious Mind)—a balanced state of concentration, loving-kindness, mindfulness, and wisdom that supports physical well-being, emotional resilience, and inner peace.
For more than three decades, Bali Usada has offered meditation programs throughout Indonesia and internationally, welcoming participants from diverse backgrounds regardless of religion, ethnicity, nationality, or previous meditation experience. Under Pak Merta Ada's guidance, more than 127,000 people have participated in Bali Usada's teachings through in-person and online programs.
At the beginning of 2026, Bali Usada celebrated another significant milestone, having successfully hosted more than 1,000 meditation retreats and intensive training programs. Participants have travelled from across Indonesia, Asia, Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and many other parts of the world to experience the transformative benefits of the Bali Usada method. (This milestone is based on Bali Usada's organizational records.)
Today, Bali Usada continues its mission of sharing authentic Health & Calmness Meditation with the world while preserving the timeless wisdom of Balinese healing traditions. We are honoured that Viveka Vana Retreat Centre is hosting the first Bali Usada Health & Calmness Meditation Retreat in North America, marking a new chapter in this continuing journey.
Retreat Cost
CA$1,150 per person for shared accommodation.
What’s Included in the Retreat Cost
Six nights accommodation
All meals - gourmet vegetarian nourishment (fruit, breakfast, lunch and evening refreshments)
Complete Bali Usada program
Certified Bali Usada instructors from Indonesia
One-on-one interview with instructor
Retreat materials
Use of meditation studio, and lakefront/grounds
Your contribution also helps cover the international airfare, visa, local transportation, accommodation and meals for the Bali Usada instructors, allowing participants to experience authentic teachings without travelling to Indonesia.
Cancellation Policy
75% refund for cancellations made 45 days or more before the retreat start date.
50% refund for cancellations made between 30 to 45 days before the retreat start date.
No refund for cancellations made within 30 days before the retreat start date.
Transportation
Participants are responsible for travelling to Viveka Vana. A ride-share program will be coordinated where possible. Please indicate in the registration form whether you can offer or require a ride.
