The Truth About Owning a Yoga Retreat in Bali (No Filter)

The Dream I Was Sold (and Sold to Others)

I know many of you dream of owning your own yoga retreat in Bali, becoming a yoga teacher, and living on a tropical island. A year-round tan, a smile that never quits, the confidence of someone who has cracked the code. A huge aura that pulls people in because clearly this is what a life well lived looks like. Oh, and typing emails while sipping a freshly picked coconut, finishing the day with a 3pm massage so you don't miss the sunset stroll on the beach.

I'll admit: I'm not that far off the mark. I do live some version of that life. But there's more to it than the Instagram squares let on, so let me tell you.

The Three Businesses Behind the Aura

Ubuntu Bali is the third official business I've started in my life (I don't count the side hustles that flew under the radar). All of them started the same way a vision, a dream, a gap I spotted that needed filling. It was always something that excited me. I've never taken a job purely for the money. It had to be fun, challenging, and yes, pay the bills too.

I never dreamt of becoming rich. I dreamt of freedom.

What Freedom Actually Meant to Me

Freedom meant travelling, taking trainings’, doing the courses that grew enhanced my skills and understanding of life. Freedom meant being able to disappear for long stretches, usually on a tiny budget (much more creative, I think). Freedom meant eating wholesome food, paying my bills without panic that the account would be empty before the last invoice. Freedom meant eventually hiring people to do the gnarly jobs I couldn't stand (hello, accounting), taking a day off because I wanted one and not because it was Saturday, being generous to friends who had less than me… the list goes on. So I worked hard to earn just that.

I never dreamt of yachts or diamond rings. But I have lived a rich life a wealth of experiences, of being welcomed into very simple settings and getting glimpses of the rich man's world too. My drive was to follow my passion, and along the way, to connect with people from every corner of this beautiful planet.

Have I succeeded? Yes big time.

The Pyjamas, the Puffy Eyes, the Phone That Wouldn't Stop

But living a dream off the road less travelled it sounds amazing. It is amazing. What gets spoken about less is what comes along for the ride.

The countless hours sitting in my pyjamas, rolling out of bed straight onto the computer to start paying bills, replying to emails, editing the website, posting on social media. Maybe a coffee. Food was not a priority. Before I knew it, the sun would be setting and I'd still be sitting there with messy hair, puffy eyes, wondering if I should eat something.

Then there were the years when my phone would not stay silent for more than five minutes. People calling with questions, problems, bookings. I was not anyone's idea of a fun dinner companion couldn't afford to miss a call, every penny mattered. There were the sleepless nights too, decoding the latest rules and regulations, trying to figure out how to make it all still work. The uncertainty. The not knowing if this dream would land softly or fall flat on its face.

A few too many knots in my stomach. Mostly about money. Some about ego failure is frowned upon, and I'd never been known for failing or giving up. My dreams had a habit of getting fulfilled.

But maybe it was drilled into me that for a dream to manifest, you have to suffer for it. Hardship. Long hours. The full package. And so I worked. Eventually I made it out of the pyjamas, fed myself properly, hired staff, stopped being the only person doing everything inside the business.

Honestly? It's probably the best business school you could ever go to starting from scratch, building it up organically, watching seeds turn into seedlings and seedlings into roots. It gave me a full understanding of every side of the business, while also letting me travel, study with hand-picked  masters, and work with extraordinary people who believed in what I was building.

Losing Samadi: When a Seven-Year Dream Ends Overnight

And then I lost a dream I'd built for seven years.

Just when everything had finally fallen into place when the pieces clicked, the team was solid, the community had grown Samadi was gone. From one day to the next. No more security, nothing left to hold on to. Pick yourself up, start again.

Does it get easier? I'm not sure. To a certain extent, maybe. By now, with twenty-plus years of being self-employed, I'd say I've earned my entrepreneur's PhD. But the setting-up and building-up part? Still nerve-wracking. The world's economy is shaking, war and climate and viruses keep rewriting the rules. Living on an island that leans heavily on tourism when tourism dries up, every certainty wobbles. I'm sure many of you have closed your eyes at night with a spinning head, asking yourselves: what now?

Why I Still Choose This

I stretch myself thin between running Ubuntu Bali, teaching our Ashtanga Mysore program in Canggu, hosting coaching retreats, giving private yoga sessions. Each of these requires full presence so when I dedicate my days to them, everything else slips to after sunset. Sometimes I ask myself: is it worth it? Wouldn't a regular job, fixed hours, a monthly salary be easier?

The answer is easy. That's not me.

I love my freedom. I love the growth, the building, the sharing of a dream. I trust that even when the climb looks steep, the hill has a peak too and then an easy descent on the other side.

I love what I'm doing. I remind myself, on the harder days, to trust the process. Not to project fear into the future (easier said than done). Because if I don't have faith in my calling and my dreams, then what do I have? As a spiritual entrepreneur, I keep walking the path. I keep offering what I believe is good for the greater good. I focus on “what is”, not on the “what ifs.”

If any of this lands if you're staring at your own “what now?” that's actually what I do.

I work with people who feel stuck, who have a dream they don't quite know how to walk towards, who want to step into the unknown but need a hand on the path. If that's you, I'd love to support you. We can book a life coaching session and start unravelling your journey together.

Email: namaste@ubuntubali.com

Coaching page: www.andreadrottholm.com

And if you're craving a deeper reset a chance to pause, breathe, and feel like yourself again come spend time with us at Ubuntu Bali. Our Ashtanga Mysore Bali program, daily yoga classes in Canggu, and intimate spiritual retreats in Bali are all here, tucked away in a little river valley with a bamboo jungle and the occasional flash of a neon Kingfisher to remind you that magic is still real.

With love,

Andréa