Could a Cambodian chakra retreat restore your inner balance?

Kerry Low embarks on a journey of healing, reflection, and renewal.

If a few months ago, you’d told me I’d find myself on a three-day chakra balancing retreat, I’d have laughed and changed the subject. But last year was a big one. Becoming a grandmother was one of my greatest joys, but somewhere between the long distance family visits, a busy work schedule, and my penchant for saying “yes” to everything, I realised I was running on empty.

When the invitation landed, my instinct was to politely decline. I’m more at home keeping my feelings in check through pickleball, tennis, and outrigger than dabbling in stillness or anything that could be coined ‘woo-woo’. The retreat was part of the wellness line-up at Knai Bang Chatt by Kep West on Cambodia’s southwest coast. In Eastern philosophy, chakras are seven energy centres along the spine, each shaping aspects of our physical and emotional wellbeing. This 72-hour refresh promised to help me unwind, rest, reflect, and rebalance through yoga, meditation, breathwork, chanting, and gentle movement.

I’d never attended a retreat before, practised yoga properly, or meditated for more than twelve seconds successfully. But somewhere beneath my reservations, a quieter voice whispered: Go. A short reset suddenly felt less like indulgence and more like self-preservation.

Celebrating new friendships at the Closing Circle session

Stay open

Knai Bang Chatt is both a holiday resort and an active retreat centre, with sailing, spa treatments, gardens, and a programme supporting local artists. When I arrived in the late afternoon, the hotel and surroundings appeared almost surreal in their serenity. Located along Cambodia’s coastline, just two hours from Phnom Penh, I didn’t need a downward dog to feel recalibrated here,
the ambience was enough! My 1950s heritage villa confirmed this: spacious and sophisticated, a huge bed sat beneath a floor-to-ceiling mosquito net creating a gentle cocooning effect, while the light-filled bathroom and uncluttered layout set a tranquil scene.

My retreat teacher, Lana Yang, the resort’s Wellness Manager, greeted me with the calmest presence I’d ever encountered. Cool and centred, she spoke fluent emotion, so much so that I joked she’d need special skills to bring about any change in me. She smiled and said quietly, “Just stay open.” Simple enough, I thought.

That evening, after a solitary dinner at The Wave, the resort’s signature restaurant, I walked back to my villa and paused. Soft chanting floated through the night, a harmonium humming beneath it, steady and ethereal. My scepticism wavered.

Left: The 1950s heritage villa was a tranquil haven

Spiritual wellbeing

The next morning began with an optional sunrise bike ride led by Lana and Chef Chuon Sokheng. The early light and rhythm of pedalling felt unexpectedly restorative. Fishermen hauled their nets, vendors arranged their stalls, and kids darted through the streets. It gave me a glimpse of Cambodia’s daily culture and a little reminder of life beyond Singapore’s constant buzz. We finished on the hills around Kep National Park, the perfect way to set me up for what was to come.

Back at Knai Bang Chatt, I headed to the Wellness Centre for the programme’s Opening Circle. Set slightly away from the residential villas, it included an understated yoga shala, the resort spa, and a breezy dining mezzanine. Rustic and open to nature, it sat close enough to the shoreline to hear the ocean – bliss.

There, I met the women I’d be spending the retreat with, a diverse group ranging from their 20s to 60s. Many mentioned burnout as a reason for being there; the need to stop, start over, and get away from reality and into a soothing and nurturing space. Fresh flowers formed a central mandala between us, incense spiralled through the air, and nature pulsated in the background. As we lay in a circle, Lana asked us to notice our breath, our bodies, the ground beneath us. My shoulders loosened a fraction.

Next came an introduction to the seven chakras. Lana explained that when these energy hubs are in balance, life flows – vitality, focus, emotions, and intuition all feel aligned. When they’re blocked or out of sync, it can surface as stress, fatigue, restlessness, or emotional knots we’d rather ignore.

With this in mind, we began a Mindful Practice for Deep Rest focused on the root chakra which sits at the base of the spine and is considered the grounding centre of our body. While Lana’s explanation made sense, I still felt unsure, and more than a little self-conscious when we were handed a mantra sheet for chanting. “Om Namah Shivaya Gurave” (Sanskrit text for “I offer myself to the light”) was a phrase that meant nothing to me, but Lana shared how repeating short mantras can work to steady the breath and draw awareness to our root.

Still finding my footing, I traced the words carefully, mouthing the sounds hesitantly and feeling self-conscious about keeping up. Everyone looked just as awkward at first, but the more we continued to chant, the louder our voices and confidence grew. Gradually I found my voice, letting it flow with the rest of the group.

A deep meditation followed, which unravelled the tightness in my body and quietened the constant noise in my mind.  Encouraged to sleep by 10pm, I fell into the kind of lovely rest I’d almost forgotten existed.

“I’d never attended a retreat before, practised yoga, or meditated for more than twelve seconds successfully”

Coastal cycling with my new great buddy Chef Sokheng

Release emotions

The retreat’s daily rhythm soon revealed itself: sunrise awakenings, quiet afternoons, evening rituals of movement, chanting, meditation, or sound healing, all interspersed with nourishing meals. One of my favourite parts was the period of morning silence with no speaking, no eye contact, no social cues. Moving through the early hours without social expectations felt liberating and meditative.

On day two, the group began with sunrise meditation and Pranayama, a yogic-style breathwork practice used to calm the mind, regulate energy flow, and support clarity. Surprisingly, the breathwork worked almost immediately – slow and steady, it eased everything. Within minutes my thoughts felt less scattered, and the focus it required created a little more space in my head. We then moved into an Energising Yoga Flow centred on the Sacral and Solar Plexus chakras (just below the navel and around the diaphragm respectively). I wobbled through the poses like a baby giraffe, my body protesting and my mind whispering doubts. But Lana encouraged listening to our bodies rather than achieving, not something pushed in my usual tennis lessons. Halfway through, warmth travelled from my lower belly to my core… then the tears came. Lana had said this might happen as blocked chakras release old emotions or fire. I let it happen, and the crying felt cleansing.

Thankfully, the retreat served three comforting, nourishing meals a day, so the post-sob brunch was exactly what I needed to lift me back up. Prepared by Chef Sokheng, whose 20-year career spans Khmer, Korean, and Western kitchens, his menus kept us fuelled, hydrated, and feeling calm within. With dishes like Quinoa Avocado Beetroot Tartare and Sweet Sago Pearl with Coconut Milk, not once did the committed non-veggie in me find myself scanning the table for backup protein.     

Post brunch, I wandered down to the famous Kep Crab Market, less than a five-minute stroll along the shoreline, soaking up the clatter, colour, and controlled chaos of local life before heading back to Knai Bang Chatt for our afternoon Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga session.

Carry ease

By now feeling more at ease with the mantras and movements, I was curious, and a little excited, about the group session that promised more chanting, stretching, and gentle wobbling. Kirtan is another style of chanting mantras, often with an accompanying harmonium. Lana guided us through the session’s mantra, sharing that we’d be focusing ​on the heart and throat chakras. In time, each sound seemed to untangle months of tension, and the group’s voices created a fuzzy electric connection through my body.

By day three, I was all in and felt closely bound not just to myself, but with Knai Bang Chatt and my surroundings. Something in my mental and emotional state had shifted – a calm clarity replacing my usual internal chatter. My mind felt spacious, my emotions settled, and I had no urge to reach for my phone or engage with anything beyond the retreat and our small group. After sunrise meditation, Pranayama, and a Chakra Yoga Flow concentrating on the crown chakra at the top of the head, we formed our Closing Circle. Lana asked each member of the group what we wished to take home from the retreat, and what we were finally ready to release. Silence fell across the room, none of us wanting to go first. Suddenly, the candle holder in front of me snapped in two with a sharp, peace-shattering pop. I took it as a sign!

“I want to carry ease,” I said. “And I want to leave behind the belief that I have to be everything at once.”

Left: Quinoa Avocado Beetroot Tartare

In that luminous quiet, I held with me not just the soothing sunrise meditations or the soft stretch of yoga flows, but the warmth of the bonds made in the past few days: Lana’s kind guidance, Chef Sokheng’s generosity and culinary magic, and the other attendees whose openness reminded me that we’re all on our own journeys, yet there’s always space to meet and grow together. Connection and learning surround us every day if we pause long enough to notice.

By the time I left for the airport after the final dinner, I carried with me fond memories and a renewed sense of ease, leaving old pressures behind. I felt restored, realigned, and far less frazzled than when I’d arrived. Energy hubs rebooted, my chakras had done me proud. I won’t pretend I’m ditching my favourite high-paced sports activities, but I will be sneaking a little more yoga, sound healing, and mindful breathing into my week. If this retreat taught me anything, it’s that life really is about balance – some days a shoulder stand, others a cross-court smash.

ANZA members stay 3 nights for the price of 2 at Knai Bang Chatt Resort. Find out more.

 kepwest.com/knaibangchatt