Four years ago, in the middle of an uncertain moment in the world, the three of us opened the doors of Yama.
At the time, the idea was simple: to create a place where retreats could happen. A space where people could gather, practice, reconnect and spend meaningful time together.
But it was also something completely new for us.
So we started quietly.
Without making much noise.
Just opening the doors and letting things unfold.
Little by little, retreat leaders started discovering the space. Communities began arriving. And slowly, something beautiful started to grow.
In these four years, almost 200 retreats have taken place at Yama.
Almost 200 retreat leaders have trusted this place to host their communities.
Each group that came brought something with them — energy, presence, stories — and each one left something behind as well.
Little by little, the space began to shape itself.
From the beginning, we also felt a desire to offer something slightly different from the image that sometimes surrounds retreats in Bali.
Especially around places like Ubud, where the concept of a retreat can sometimes feel a little distant from what Bali truly is.
What we wanted was something closer to the essence.
Closer to a Bali that still feels raw and real.
Nature. River. Ceremony. Silence.
Balian offered that perfectly.
And Yama slowly became a place where people could arrive, settle, and simply be.
The Family That Holds the Space
Over time something else happened too.
Our team grew.
But internally we never really called it a team. We always called it family.
Because that is exactly what we try to create for the people who come here.
A place where you feel welcomed.
A place where you feel supported.
A place where you feel at home.
Today that family has become something incredibly special — a strong and caring group of people who hold the space every day and support every retreat leader and every guest who walks through the doors.
In many ways, they are the heart of Yama.
A Moment of Maturity
After four years we started feeling something shift.
There was a sense that the project had reached a certain maturity.
Every retreat that passed through the space seemed to reinforce something we had felt from the beginning: the values behind Yama were becoming stronger with time.
And the idea that holds everything together — Right Living — started to feel clearer than ever.
Right Living is the way we try to move through the world.
It is how we approach work, relationships, nature, community.
It is our compass.
This rebranding was not born from the desire to change Yama.
It was born from the need to recognise what Yama has become.
What once started as a dream is now something real.
Something solid.
Something rooted.
And this new identity is simply a way of reaffirming that.
The Symbols of Yama
Our four icons have always represented the values of the space, and in this new stage they evolve — not by changing, but by becoming stronger and more grounded.
The figure of balance, representing yoga, meditation and stillness, becomes more rooted. It reflects that moment of quiet we all search for when we step away from the noise of daily life.
The leaf, symbol of nature and shelter, grows wider and stronger. Here at Yama, nature truly creates a cocoon around the space — protecting it and allowing people to disconnect from the outside world.
The hands, representing community, also evolve. They remind us of the cycle of giving and receiving — something deeply present in Bali through ceremonies, offerings and daily rituals. These hands now also carry the experience of nearly 200 retreats that have passed through the space.
And finally, the tiger.
The tiger has always represented our temple.
In Bali, guardians often stand at the entrance of temples, welcoming those who arrive with intention.
In the same way, our shala is like a temple. A place people enter with purpose — to practice, reflect, heal and reconnect.
The tiger becomes simpler, stronger, more present.
Almost like a quiet reminder:
this is a temple.
Becoming More Yama
The visual identity evolves in the same spirit.
The curves of the word Yama, inspired by the arches found throughout the space — doors, windows, bathrooms — have been refined and strengthened.
Our colors remain the same, but slightly deeper.
As if time itself had allowed them to settle.
Nothing dramatically changes.
Everything simply becomes more Yama.
A New Chapter
This new identity already lives on our new website, and little by little it will begin appearing everywhere as this next chapter unfolds.
We hope you enjoy discovering it.
But before we close, we should confess something.
There is actually another reason behind this rebranding.
A very important one.
We are just not quite ready to talk about it yet.
But we will very soon.
