Sauna Land – Finnish Folk Tradition Week

A Window to the Finnish Soul
The week opens a unique window to the ancient ways of living in the North. During our time together we will embody and unfold the Finnish and Karelian heritage. We will learn to sense the heritage with our bodies, spirits and minds and understand how the past is rooted in the Finnish soil, soul and sauna.

A Week of Healing and Learning
We will spend the week together in the Kotakylä. This very special place in North Karelia gives us a perfect setting for our week of healing, learning and working together. Our accommodation will be in comfortable huts with heating, but we can make fires and spend time together in the kotas, or even stay overnight.

Kotakylä welcomes us with an enchanting view to Lake Vaikko, a beach with clean water and fine sand, meals by the fire, and wilderness all around. Five amazing saunas, including the smoke sauna will be heated during the week. We can also swim or paddle, sit by the fire or just listen to the silence. Or we may stay up and watch the night sunset above the lake – or wake up at 4 a.m and greet the rising sun.

Feel the Spirit of the Ancestors
Kotakylä is a place for well-being and presence. It is like a secret world separated from the rush and stress of modern times. In Kotakylä we are one with the surrounding nature. There we can return to our roots and live in the spirit of the ancestors.

Here are the main themes of the cultural adventure that awaits us:
FOLK ART: Kalevalaic Singing, Incantations and Word Magic
MANUAL SKILLS: Sauna Hat Felting, Sauna Whisk Making, Birch Bark Bowl Making
WAY OF LIFE: Slash-and-Burn Tradition, Sauna Evenings
HEALING RITUALS: Labyrinth Building, Collecting Herbs, Smoke Sauna Ceremony
JOURNEYS: Visiting Monastery Site, Inner Journey to the Beginning.

Group size: 8-12
Valid: 3.-9.6.2024 | 19-25.8.2024