Connect Retreat
26.08–31.08.2024
CULTURAL AND YOGA JOURNEY
IN BRANDENBURG
An incredible 6-day experience for multi-passionate souls, who are drained by busy, hectic city life and want to slow down, recharge and find a community that values real and intimate connections.
Immerse in Finnish rituals, wisdom and traditions with me and a small group of likeminded people and discover why Finns have been ranked the happiest people on earth for the seventh time in a row.
Midsummer Retreat
2023 Recap
Do you constantly feel all over the place and are tensing up in your body?
Then keep reading.
Why are Finns so calm and happy?
Let me tell you about sisu.
This Finnish concept is our anchor for determination, endurance and inner strength, that guides us through life's challenges with a smile on our face.
During the Connect Retreat we will practice this everyday, so it becomes a part of you too and keeps you calm, connected and happy when you’re back home.
So how do we get sisu?
By practicing. By challenging ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. By connecting body, mind and soul.
Think of sisu as a muscle that you can strengthen and train (the more you train the bigger and stronger it gets). That’s exactly what we do during our Connect Retreat.
Sauna bathing relaxes your muscles but it also challenges you to endure the heat
Ice Bathing refreshes your body but it also invites you to surrender to the cold
Foraging and forest bathing are big parts of Finnish culture, where we learn about edibles and non-edibles at a very early age to build confidence in basic survival instincts
Dancing with your eyes closed to release stuck energies and break out of your comfort zone
Birches are a national tree in Finland that we will use to make birch twig branches to whip the body and cleanse the skin and body and strengthen the immune system, because gladly our space is in the midst of birches
Painting with handmade water colors can be super meditative and if it brings you joy it can spark your creativity within
Cleansing Practices and delicious plant-based food to nourish and detox you from the inside out for a healthier feeling
Connection to the people around us in an understanding, loving, caring and especially inclusive way brings acceptance towards ourselves and the world around us
You are a student of mine? Private, studio classes, online? You get an extra 10% on this years retreats. Simply put “(the studio name)” into the discount field in the registration form and I will check your attendance in my classes.
You are a student of mine? Private, studio classes, online? You get an extra 10% on this years retreats. Simply put “(the studio name)” into the discount field in the registration form and I will check your attendance in my classes.
This Retreat is exactly
what you need when …
… you keep working many many hours overtime, neglecting your physical and mental health
… you tend to have full days but very little quality time
… you are longing to nurture your soul, recharge your spirit and revitalize your body
… you would love to release tension in your body & mind (I mean, right now, relax your shoulders ... and your forehead ... and your jaw)
… you are under a lot of pressure in your job
… you are totally overthinking things all the time (and get headaches a lot)
… you love nature but hardly have time to spend any in it right now
…you are interested in getting to know Finnish traditions and culture, want to deepen your yoga practice and connect to an intimate group of 10 souls
Did you nod at least once? Then Connect will change your life!
Here are some highlights of this journey for you
Ashtanga, Hatha, Vinyasa
and Yin YogaAroma Workshop using essential oils
Asana Lab with Ana Clara
The Art of Foraging Workshop
Cleansing Practices, like foot baths and more
Cold-Heat Exposure (Sauna &
Ice-Bath)Create Your Own Birch Branch Twig Workshop
Creative Painting Workshop
Dance Workshop
Deep Transformational Breathwork
Soundbaths with Tibetan Singing Bowls
Sound Healing using your own voice
Where will
we stay?
We will stay at “Der Birkenhof”in Uckermark,
Brandenburg, Germany
What’s
included?
All yoga classes and activities, different workshops, group activities, 3 delicious vegan local meals a day and facilities of our home such as sauna. Additionally we will provide non-alcoholic beverages (water, tea, coffee) and snacks throughout the day.
What’s
not included?
Travel expenses of any kind.
What is the
energy balance?
Starting at 1600€
(please contact me for payment plans, if needed)
I am Rika, born in Finnland raised in Germany, wanting
to spread the beautiful Finnish culture with you and the world. Every retreat is different on its own but always connecting to my roots and sharing knowledge and wisdom of the Finnish culture and traditions. I combine this Finnish bliss with different aspects of the yogic path to create an holisitic approach that has supported me along the way.
-
HOST AND YOGA TEACHER
Rika is a certified Yoga Teacher for Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin. Last year she accredited as sound healer and ever since has been including sound into her classes and sound baths/healings into her schedule. Breath, the science of the breath and its healing benefits are a big part of her daily life. You won't miss a good pranayama or breathing expertise within her classes.
She is passionate about the practice of yoga and dedicated to spread her knowledge to the world. But her willingness to share personal experiences and her unique journey is even greater.
Rika has had quite a few opportunities to do so through regular classes and events like retreats and workshops in all around Germany, Finland, Greece and Online.
Her classes are created with much thought and therefore creative with playful elements and fun transitions.
She was a dancer in Jazz- and Modern from a very young age, where she at some point competed in tournaments all around Germany.
So movement has always been a huge part of her life and she wouldn't want to miss it.
Every summer is filled with berry picking, swimming in
the lake and many many rounds of sauna. As well as eating grandmas famous "mustikkapiirakka" (blueberry pie), that you might get a taste of during her retreat.
Ana is a Yoga teacher and artist from Brazil, who always cultivated a deep relationship to the body and movement.
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YOGA TEACHER FOR
ASHTANGA AND ASANA LAB
Having a contemporary dance and somatic background, Ana started teaching movement classes in 2017, around the same time when her Yoga practice became deeper. At first, she was drawn to calm and contemplative forms of Yoga, which led her to her first teacher training in Hatha-Vinyasa in 2021.
Shortly after, she encountered Ashtanga Yoga and it was love at first sight. Ever since, she devoted her entire practice to Ashtanga, creating a daily ritual of being with the body and the breath. Ana practices regularly under the guidance of Andrea Lutz, with whom she also took teacher trainings.
In addition to the meditative and established sequence of Ashtanga Yoga, Ana also teaches special classes called 'Asana Lab', where she combines the knowledge of movement mechanics and bodily sensation to focus on a specific set of postures (i.e. backbending, inversions, hip openers, etc).
Ana believes that Yoga should be a practice for everyone, and in her teaching she aims at finding the best approach for each individual student, so that every body can feel more connected, empowered, and happy.
