meeting the healer in bali

Ketut stands at the gate of his very Balinese home, waiting to greet us! After asking a dozen friends about healers, I finally hit gold. Ketut, who is known to be an excellent healer, lives in Batuan, one of the more traditional villages on the way to Ubud.

He is a balian Usada, that is, his knowledge has been passed to him in mysterious ways. While his great grandfather was a respected healer, the next generations followed other lines of work, until Ketut received signs that healing was his calling.

So what does a traditional healer offer to a visitor to Bali?

Although there are many different kinds of traditional healer, the one thing that is for certain is that many traditional healers are effective at healing diseases and curing problems that western medicine may not be able to reach. Ketut works with stress issues, and a variety of stress related diseases. He creates herbal treatments for other diseases that could include some kinds of cancer that western medicine may not be able to manage. His excellent oil massages with herbal infused oils are very effective, even for those who just want to try a very relaxing treatment. Because of his excellent English, he can give you insights into Balinese culture and folk lore that one would never usually discover on a visit to the island, and even long term stayers are sure to discover things they never knew before.