SAUNA CEREMONY AND POWERS OF NATURE

9.-11. August 2024

Kotakylä, Juuka, North Karelia, Finland

This is a unique possibility to learn about the magic and healing rituals of sauna traditions in an intimate small group. Come and experience the wonderful sauna world in special wilderness location in North Karelia region in Finland.

Together with Lithuanian sauna ceremonialist Justina Maslauskaite and local teacher of anismistic-shamanic practices Helena Karhu.

Justina shares:

Sauna has its very old tradition in many ancient cultures and purpose for a human being to be strengthened, renewed or healed from within. The Steam room becomes a sacred space where one could restore the physical and spiritual well-being, dive deeper into goodness of body and Earth, knowledge, and inner wisdom. It is far more different than anything else. In Sauna we create a very special space for cosmic Water and cosmic Fire to dance the Cosmic dance, where relation with spirit and divine can be nurtured in each of us.

How can we create a Sauna ceremony by using Nature elements and applying them in Sauna, what personal life occasions could be embraced by Ceremony? Mostly we consider instruments and physical elements for Sauna, yet I trust that there is always much more – there is a Land where we plan to hold the ceremony, which gives us what is needed at that moment and space. What kind of plants grow there, what stories of stones have been told in valleys, what energies of waters flow around? Everything is deeply connected and unfold in us our personal relations to the outside and the way we mirror these connections in our inside.

In the Sauna we have a straightforward contact with Powers of Nature, its various elements among seen and unseen worlds. We fulfil ourselves with energies of Sun and Waters, as well as exploring our own bodies flow and state of being.

The sacred space of Sauna is the place for gentle transformation, where we cleanse and rise again fresh in the moment now. So how do we understand and create this space, what elements are important? May we explore and learn to create the Ceremony together and echo the divine process of Creation within the togetherness!

OUR PROGRAM:

Friday 18:00 Gathering around Sacred Fires in Drums circle – Opening circle

Life and year occasions which we can celebrate in Sauna ceremony (1 hour) / Helena and Justina

Saturday Morning / meditation and connecting to the Land we stay (1 hour) / Helena

Connecting to the Land for everyone – walk in Nature (1 hour) / Justina

Nature powers and elements that could be used in Sauna with potential for healing and principles of ceremony, how we create that (3 hours) / Justina

Lunch

Walk in the forest or surrounding and connect to certain plants, mostly trees. Picking branches of trees and other plants for Sauna ceremony to be used and integrated. (1-2 hours) / Helena, Justina

Additional explanations and creating vastas (1 hour) / Justina

Dinner (light meal)

Preparation for Sauna, getting ready all elements that were gathered during the day. (1 hour) / Justina

Sauna ceremony (4-5 hours) (Justina)

Sunday morning: Reflections of the Ceremony and discussion (Helena and Justina) 

Gathering around Sacred Fires in Drums circle – Closing circle

Is this course for me?

No special knowledge or experience is required for the course. The course is alcohol-free.

We will work in a small group of max. 10 participants.

COURSE LOCATION:

Kotakylä, Juuka, North Karelia, Finland:

In Kotakylä you live in the middle of nature. It is its own secret world on the shore of a wilderness lake, separated from the hustle and stress of modern times. In Kotakylä you can return to your roots and be in direct contact with nature.

You can walk along the edge of a swamp or stream or along a forest path. Or just listen to the sounds and silence of the forest and sense the calming presence of the lake.

You get to experience Kotakylä's magic, peace and wilderness. Enjoy Kotakylä´s Sauna World, cook in the kitchen cabin and stay overnight in a traditional tipi-style hut.

Accommodation is at home or in your own tent. There is also a caravan park next to Kotakylä. For cooking and storage, we have a shared kitchen with a refrigerator, cooking utensils and dishes. There are also a few charging points for mobile phones. The toilets are outhouses.  

Address: Kotakyläntie 197, 83900 Juuka. Read more: https://www.kotaloma.com/en/

How to get there?

The closest railways station and airport is Joensuu. Trains: www.vr.fi and flights: www.finnair.fi

From Joensuu, we coordinate share rides and car pools to the course location.

About course guides:

Justina Maslauskaite:

Justina is a psychologist and bodyworker in massage therapy where she applies various techniques in working with human physical, emotional and spiritual body. She is a practitioner of MA-URI®️ Healing Arts originating from Polynesia. Many years Justina is interested in indigenous cultures and practices, cares about Baltic heritage and wisdom. Sauna tradition is one of most loved ways for her to nurture and heal the human body and soul, so several years ago she learnt and got initiated to  create and share Sauna ceremony principles, how we can apply Nature powers in Sauna. Most of her free time she spends in wild Nature and explores the wisdom of Earth.

Justina has falled in love with the Northern nature, and this will be her fourth time visiting us in North Karelia.

„Sauna Ceremony with Justina on the shores of Munajärvi Lake in Lapland and last summer in Kotakylä have been some of my most beautiful experiences of my life. I feel the deep connection and understanding Justina has with the spirits of the trees and their healing qualities. Even tough I have been in sauna countless times through my whole life, I have never before experienced such richness of quantity of the healing tree spirits and the different ways one can use tree in sauna. The way Justina was using the branches on me at the sauna, was healing arts in its best. I am so excited to be with her and with all of you joining this circle by Lake Vaikkojärvi in Juuka, North Karelia!“ Helena

Helena Karhu:

I am a local North-Karelian shamanic teacher, culture producer, and researcher. My ancestors are all from this region, and the first journey in my life was a pilgrimage around the sacred lake Pielinen as a 7 months old baby. Today, the soul task of my life is within Karhun Talo (House of Bear), which aims to help us to remember our deep connection with nature, as the source of awareness, wellbeing, and connectedness. I wish to understand, remember, and develop folk cultures and wisdom traditions together with all of you. I am a chairwoman of a local culture association called Pielisen Tietäjäkeskus ry., which aims to promote, strengthen, and live the ancestral wisdom traditions of North Karelia. I have about 15 years of experience of meditation and mindfulness practices, and I have guided meditation for groups for about 10 years. My fulltime spiritual journey started in November 2015, and started soon as an entrepreneur with my own company of magic, arts, and wellbeing.

I have vast international experience, as my international career took me to live over 13 years in Copenhagen, Denmark. My world journeys have taken her across the Northern and Arctic regions in quest for meaning of life. I have lived for short periods in Greenland and in Fairbanks, Alaska. Before this, I have lived also in Spain and Lithuania. My passion is to bring forth the light-increasing, co-operative, and empowering aspects of the ancestral practice, where everyone can rest as they are, yet have freedom to become who they are. As a retreat guide, my ambition is to be of inspiring and positive guidance, where simplicity and naturalness of life are the key focus.

How to sign-up?

You can sign up for the course by sending e-mail to: info@karhuntalo.com

The participation cost is 275 EUR per person including the retreat program Friday-Sunday and 24% ALV.

In addition to this, the accommodation in teepee (or on your own tent) and access to the sauna world incl. smoke sauna, and one warm meal per day is 175 EUR / person.

Everyones takes care of their own meals during the weekend (except the one warm meal included each day). There is an open outdoor kitchen for preparing and storing food. More information about these details in the letter of participation.

The course fee does not include travel costs to the retreat center and back, nor travel insurance. All the participants are required to read and understand the terms of reservation and cancellation prior of registering: https://www.karhuntalo.com/booking-and-cancellation-conditions

 Please notice, that for this course there is special cancellation conditions, as we have a small group and a teacher from abroad. The registration is binding so that in case of cancellation, the participation fee is not returned. Thank you for your understanding!

Have beautiful summer time coming up!