A day with a balian, a traditional Balinese healer, is a spiritual and cultural experience, not a spa treatment. In 2013 I accompanied a guest from Melbourne, Cameron Trethowan, to meet three balians in one day. His account is still one of the clearest descriptions I have of what these visits feel like.
Why Cameron wanted to meet a balian
Cameron spent part of every year in Bali and had been curious about traditional healers for a long time. He wrote:
“For some time I have been interested in visiting some Balinese Balian or Shaman (traditional healers) and had researched online for some time and even visited one through an acquaintance that was adequate but not inspiring.”
He wanted more than a session. He wanted someone who could translate, and explain what each balian was doing within Balinese Hindu culture. That is the part I can offer as a Balinese host.
What happened during the three visits
Each balian worked in a completely different way.
The first balian was a bone specialist. Cameron described him as a kind of mystic chiropractor, working with the body directly.
The second balian worked through stillness and mudras. He pressed on sore points and told Cameron: “You are ok, it’s your mind! ….. you understand?” Cameron’s description of him:
“He reminds me of a beautiful Balinese Yoda-like sage.”
The third balian read Cameron’s name through mudras, meditation and trance, then performed a purification ritual. Cameron wrote:
“I felt connected to the ancient spirit underlining Bali and feel quite blessed to have been able to experience all that transpired on that day.”
He kept much of the day private, and I respect that. In his words:
“Of course I am leaving out much of what happened as it was very intimate and I believe that these healers are great people dedicated to a life of service and as such don’t deserve to be overly analyzed and explained.”
How Cameron felt afterwards
Weeks later, Cameron wrote that he felt “like an enormous weight has been lifted from inside myself.” He called it “an intensely spiritual day, one that I will remember for a long time.”
Can a balian treat a medical condition?
No. A balian session is a spiritual and cultural practice, and it does not replace medical care. Cameron lived with a chronic inflammatory condition and came to the balians for a different kind of support alongside his own care, not instead of it. If you have a health condition, keep working with your doctor and treat a balian visit as something you do in addition.
How do I find a genuine balian in Bali?
Go with someone you trust and already have a relationship with. Every year we hear from visitors who met a stranger offering to take them to a healer, then paid a lot of money for an experience that was not genuine. A real balian serves their own community first, rarely advertises, and does not set a tourist price.
Can Floating Leaf arrange a balian session?
Yes, on request, with honest limits. Balian sessions are one-on-one, availability is never guaranteed, and a balian’s first duty is to their village. For retreat groups we arrange sessions only for groups of 12 or fewer with room in the schedule. Retreat leaders can read more in Why One-on-One Healing with a Balinese Healer Matters, or contact us to ask about a session.
