ADVANCED SAUNA HEALING COURSE

Wednesday- Sunday 15.-19. July 2026

Metsäkartano, Rautavaara, Finland

Learn healing traditions in sauna with Justina Maslauskaite (Lithuania). Experience the traditional sauna of an old lumberjacks’ lodge by Tiilikkajärvi National Park. Connect with the natural healing medicines during the 5 days together in the woods.

Since ancient times, across lands and cultures, the healing power of sauna has been known through generations like a sacred secret of warmth and renewal. It is a realm that nowadays invites endless exploration. Sauna is a living and protected tradition woven with love, reverence, and devotion. For thousands of years, humans have turned to sauna not only for shelter and warmth, but as a hearth of life itself—where food was prepared, where the body rested, and where the soul was blessed.

Yet far beyond its physical comfort, the sauna has always been a sanctuary— a chamber of transformation where ceremonies, blessings, and the passages of human life were celebrated, purified, and strengthened. In its dim, humid embrace of sacred fires and sacred waters, we return to our essence. Here, within the mist, we cleanse, we awaken, we heal from within.

When we build or enter sauna with the spirit of healing, we align with the great unity between the human being and the living Earth. Our Mother Nature opens her endless treasury—inviting us to listen, to touch, to remember. Through the fragrance of plants, the rhythm of spells and songs, the wisdom of the senses and of ancient hands, she teaches us to rediscover the harmony of body and soul. The steam room becomes a sacred womb, where we soften, surrender, and return to wholeness.

May we continue to explore the mysteries of this healing magic. I warmly invite you to a longer weekend dedicated to a deeper, expanded approach to each element that may serve as a healing force within the sauna. Together, we will explore how to create a sauna ceremony and understand the purpose each element holds for different occasions in life. How might we move and breathe with the elements of Nature, shaping rituals that awaken vitality and peace within— that unlock the stories of our grandmothers and grandfathers, and that bring forth healing?

Sauna is not merely a room— it is a living spirit, a temple of renewal, a place where the flame of Life itself is honored and celebrated through Löyly.

PROGRAM

Here is the main frame of the program. A more detailed one will be shared with participants.

2026 July 15th Wednesday – Opening

17:00 Gathering around Sacred Fires in Drums’ circle – Opening circle

Introduction of the circle

Lecture (~1-2 hours)

Dinner

Evening Sauna for relaxing, getting to know each other. Sleep.

July 16th Thursday – Cleansing

Morning meal

9:30 Meditation and connecting to your own body fluids and the local area (~30 min.)

Connecting to the waters and fluids by walk in Nature (1 hour)

Lecture (~2 hours)

Lunch

Preparation for afternoon sauna: preparing cleansing approaches and elements for sauna treatments and healing, using aspects, that were shared in the morning’s session (~1 hour)

Sauna healing ceremony where we all will be practicing cleansing aspect.

Dinner

Discussion, experiences and round off the day. Sleep.

July 17th Friday – Vasta/Vihta

Morning meal

9:30 Meditation and connecting to the Powers of plants (~30 min.)

Connecting to the Land by walk in Nature and having an intent, shared in the morning (1-2 hours)

Lecture (1-2 hours)

Lunch

‘Cold’ practicing

Preparation for Sauna using aspects, that were shared during the day.

Sauna healing ceremony where we all will be practicing plants applications and moving with Vastaas

Dinner

Discussion, experiences and round off the day. Sleep.

July 18th Saturday – Nurturing

Morning meal

9:30 Meditation for sending love to our body parts (~1 hour, joga mats and blankets will be needed)

Connecting to all what surrounds us by walk in Nature (1 hour)

Lecture.

Lunch

How we combine all the aspects of healing sequence of Sauna. Preparation for Sauna using what has been learnt in the morning session.

Sauna healing ceremony where we all will be practicing nurturing potential of Sauna elements, if needed repeating what has been learnt in previous days.

Dinner

Discussion, experiences and round off the day. Sleep.

July 19th Sunday

Morning meal

10:00 Additional aspects and knowledge on Sauna healing and ceremonial work.

Reflections of the experiences, questions and sharing. 

Lunch and packing for journey home

14:00 Gathering around Sacred Fires in Drums circle – Closing circle

Reference:

Each of Justina’s sauna courses has been deeply transformative, giving me a richer understanding of how the sauna is truly a place of healing on so many levels. The Advanced Sauna Healing course, in particular, opened my eyes to the sauna as a sacred space: one for presence, restoration, and genuine connection with myself and others.

The teachings, the surrounding nature, the atmosphere, and the shared experiences all felt profoundly inspiring. I also found myself more deeply connected to our Finnish cultural heritage and to the natural world. The sauna helps me feel grounded, and this course revealed a new layer of wisdom within me. It strengthened my relationship with the healing elements and with the people around me.

Justina carries such deep wisdom and care, and her way of guiding each session felt nourishing, cleansing, and empowering. She inspires me to explore my own path and creative expression within sauna healing. I’m deeply grateful for her support, compassion, and wisdom and I can’t wait to attend another one of her beautiful courses or rituals in the future.

Hannah Weisenberg

About the course teacher, Justina Maslauskaite (Lithuania):

The sauna tradition — a profound, world-wide phenomenon especially rooted in Finland and the Baltic countries — is what inspires and attracts Justina most. She sees this ancient wisdom as one of the most beautiful ways to nurture and restore the well-being of both body and soul. After many years of practicing ceremonial sauna healing with trees and other plants, Justina earned her professional diploma in sauna treatments few years ago.

In her work, she primarily embraces the traditional elements of the Baltic sauna, weaving them with a ceremonial approach that celebrates life and supports the healing of the body, mind, and spirit. Deeply connected to Nature, Justina spends much of her free time exploring the wild and learning from the wisdom of the land. In recent years, she has also become a teacher of sauna ceremony and the sacred art of touch — both within and beyond the sauna — guiding others in the gentle work of connecting with the human body through presence and care.

This course is created to offer a deeper understanding of the sauna tradition and folk healing. Justina is a psychologist and bodyworker specializing in massage therapy, where she integrates various techniques to meet each person’s unique needs. She is also a practitioner of the Polynesian MA-URI® Healing Arts. For many years, Justina has been interested in indigenous cultures and healing practices, sharing and transmitting the ancient wisdom and heritage of the Baltic tradition.

Course location:

We will meet by Tiilikkajärvi National Park in Rautavaara, Finland.

The address of the place is Metsäkartanontie 700, Rautavaara.

The closest airports are Kuopio and Joensuu. The nearest train station is in Nurmes. You can only get there by private cars, but we help each other coordinate rides.

Metsäkämppa is an authentic lumberjacks’ cottage, located 1.5 kilometers from the main building of Metsäkartano (www.metsakartano.com). Built in 1955, the lodge has been modernised with electricity, heating, and running water. It is a very beautiful and safe place in the middle of the woods and by the lake. The traditional and big sauna building is perfect for our sauna healing course. Please notice, that there are no single rooms available; only shared rooms and bunk beds in traditional lumberjack style.

 Registration:

The course fee is 580 EUR + accommodation and meals.

You can sign up by paying the registration (non-refundable) fee 70 EUR (incl. 25,5 % VAT), which is reduced from the course fee. (When you open the link below, please see the language button on the upper right corner of the web shop):

Final payment of the rest of the course fee is until 1st of May 2026.

In addition to this, there is accommodation in a cottage for 4 nights in shared rooms for a total of approximately 106-182 EUR (incl. VAT) / per person (the final price will depend on the amount of participants – the more we are, the less the accommodation will cost). The meal package including dinner on arrival day and lunch in other days is 84 EUR per person.

Everybody will bring their own breakfast items and other meals. Notice: Only shared rooms available! If you like to have your own private room, it might be possible to arrange it 1 km away at the Metsäkartano main area.

If you need to rent the bed sheets and a towel, the rent is +15 EUR.

The course fee does not include trips or travel insurance. Think carefully before signing up for the course, as there are binding registrations for the course. Please read reservation and cancellation terms and conditions and disclaimer rules: https://www.karhuntalo.com/booking-and-cancellation-conditions

Please note that this course has stricter cancellation conditions and binding registration due to the very small group and the travel costs of international guest. Thank you for your understanding! <3

Questions by email: justina.ku@gmail.com

Have good sauna time, everyone!