8:30AM-8:45AM: Arrival

Welcome at the entrance of Subak Uma Lambing and purchasing rice farmer conical hats from the Ibu that runs the farmer supply toko for wearing in the field (cost of hats is included in experience price and guests can take home as a souvenir). 

8:45AM-9:15AM: Walk to Bale Subak

Identify plants and crops growing in Subak Uma Lambing. Interact with farmers growing ceremonial flowers (bunga pacah, bunga mitir), and pick some flowers for offerings.

9:15 AM-9:30 AM: Prepare offerings

Using the flowers the guests harvested, prepare offerings with explanations provided by one of our facilitators.

9:30 AM-10:00 AM: Give offerings and ask permission for entering the field as a guest

Guests are assisted to wear sarongs and sashes. Tri Hita Karena is explained (Balinese foundational philosophy of balance between humans, nature and gods in the context of farming and a brief history of the subak is presented. Guests enter the subak temple to give offerings led by Balinese priests. Guests are led through Balinese hindu ritual and receive holy water and rice blessing. (NOTE: women who are menstruating are not meant to enter the temple but can observe from outside the temple)

10:00 AM-10:30 AM: Rice planting experience led by local farmer and local Sekolah Subak student

Guests are invited to step into the mud to experience planting rice and to see and learn about other phases in the rice cycle. The focus is on empathy and understanding the realities of rice farmers. Visitors to Bali see the paddies often as their ‘view’ or Instagram subject but may not reflect on the fact that a human hand placed every plant in that vast sea of green into the ground.

10:30 AM-11:00 AM: Discussion with elder and youth farmers

One of our facilitators and/or Sekolah Subak scholars will explain the history of the subak and the significance of rice cultivation to Balinese culture and ritual. Question and answer time between guests and farmers.

11:00 AM-11:30 AM: Tour of Community Garden

Explanation of permaculture and regenerative farming principles given by an interactive tour of the Astungkara Way community garden.

11:30AM-12:00PM: Lunch
Lunch served at the Regenerative Farming Learning Centre

Lunch prepared by the local farmers with some ingredients fresh from the field served on banana leaves. Lunch is enjoyed in a beautiful bamboo shelter with a view of the rice paddies.

12:30PM-1:00PM: Yoga Nidra

The Astungkara Way team and many farmers practice mindfulness by way of lying down and resting after lunch. Guests will be gently led through a simple guided meditation while lying on their backs in our bamboo shelter in Shivasana position and experiencing the moment immersed in nature. This is a deeply restorative practice.