The AFL Legend Who Turned to Ayurveda and Built a Bali Sanctuary

Like most young Australians, Luke was captivated by the island’s warmth - its people, its beaches, and its effortless sense of community. But what began as a simple love for Bali would, decades later, evolve into something much deeper: Sukhavati, one of the island’s most serene and luxurious Ayurvedic wellness retreats.

Luke’s path to creating Sukhavati Ayurvedic Retreat was anything but straightforward. A celebrated AFL player with the Western Bulldogs, his early brushes with meditation came not from a desire for mindfulness but from performance. “At 18 or 20, I wasn’t thinking about the benefits of meditation, it was just about playing better footy,” he admits. Some of the older players weren’t open to it, and eventually, he stopped. The decision, as he reflects now, came at a cost. “I said what a nightmare I’d become.” It was his wife, Bec, a yoga and meditation teacher, who reminded him to return to the practice that had once grounded him.

The turning point came during a month in India, while working on the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. With a four-day break, Luke travelled to Rishikesh, on the banks of the Ganges. There, he encountered the Ayurvedic practices that would later shape his life. “I felt fantastic,” he recalls. “I thought Bali would be the perfect place to start something like this.”

Together with his partner Geoffrey Thomas, whom he met in Rishikesh, he found a property in Mengwi, a village just inland from Canggu. “As soon as we walked down the stairs, we knew this was the place. It was beautiful. It felt right.” What emerged was Sukhavati, a retreat blending ancient Ayurvedic wisdom with modern luxury, designed to help guests slow down, reconnect, and leave healthier than when they arrived. 

Luke’s own life, with four kids, business commitments, and ongoing projects, means he knows the pull of busyness all too well. But Sukhavati, he says, is a gift: “Taking that time to recharge and then come back to your normal life better and healthier, it changes everything.” His children, now aged 15 to 22, have grown up visiting Bali regularly, and he credits their experiences on the island and with the Balinese community as profoundly shaping their family values. “The Balinese are the happiest people in the world. Spending time in the village, with 50 local employees, you see it’s always family first, community first, that’s the secret sauce.”

The retreat itself is designed for anyone curious about living better. Guests meet with in-house Ayurvedic doctors, each with more than 16 years of study, to create a tailored program of treatments, diet, and practices. It’s not about deprivation, Luke insists. “If you’re okay with a massage, that’s really all it is: eating a little better, vegetarian food, no alcohol. It’s not intimidating; everything is opt-in.”

Over the years, Sukhavati has drawn a wide range of visitors, from AFL players like Nathan Buckley, who traded a 10km training run for recovery and balance, to travellers from Sweden, Dubai, and India. What unites them is a desire to step away from the pace of modern life and rediscover a healthier rhythm.

Luke sees this as part of a bigger shift in travel. “Bali used to be a party destination, but it's really come full circle into a wellbeing destination; people genuinely want to live better, do better. They want to come back healthier than when they left.”

Sukhavati embodies that. With co-founder Geoffrey Thomas’ deep meditation background and ambassador Mark Bunn’s Ayurvedic expertise, the retreat has become a global hub for those seeking ancient wisdom in a contemporary setting. “The profound effect on your health is incredible,” Luke says. “The next six months after being here, you feel unbelievable.”

For him, Sukhavati is more than a business; it’s a way of life. “At its heart, it’s about reconnecting with yourself, your family, and what matters. Every time I go back, it reminds me of that. And that’s a gift worth sharing.”