With this retreat we want to feel more at home in nature, just like the wild animals we really are.
To reawaken the sense of curiosity and wonder about all expressions of life. To sharpen our observation skills towards nature and our own body, and feel how totally we belong into the natural world. To be wild as we understand it, means to be genuine and unfiltered, to be in the moment, fresh, alert, and free.
In the morning we will wake up our bodies and minds through yoga and free flowing movement. This will prepare us physically and mentally for an active day in nature.
In the evening we will escape into the forest. We will go for hikes, swim in rivers and take a boat to reach a secret island in a lake.
We will learn about berries, mushrooms, trees and plants, from the large and ancient to the tiny sprout. We taste what is edible and in the evenings we cook delicious meals on a camp fire.
We will learn some of the skills that our ancestors had naturally at hand to survive, such as making fires and using knives. Also how to get cosy and comfortable on the ground, being fully present and alive among trees and wild animals.
We will search for beavers, and meditate in the presence of wild wolves and hopefully even hear them howl in the night. We will spend our evenings in areas where wild animals roam free.
This is a slow retreat. We will move slowly and take time to reflect and feel.
During the retreat we advice you to stay away from technology, internet and social media.
At the end of our days we will relax in a wood heated sauna, and then cool down with a dip in the lake, and hopefully fall asleep feeling happy and free.
- Truly strengthen your connection to nature and feel that nature is your true home
- Find ways to make your everyday life a bit wilder
- Disconnect yourself from stress and conditioning
- Become inspired and confident to spend more time in nature on your own
DAILY SCHEDULE
(*Subject to changes)
19.00 Welcome dinner at Shambala
21.00 Sauna ceremony
Night at Shambala
11.00-13.00 Yoga & meditation
13.30 Lunch at Shambala
16.00 Foraging for wild mushrooms and berries
18.00 Knife and fire skills
19.00 Dinner in the wild
Wood carving meditation by the fire
Relaxing in hammoc
11.00-13.00 Yoga & meditation
13.30 Lunch at Shambala
16.00 Boat trip, watching for beavers & wildlife
19.00 Dinner at island
Night at Shambala
11.00-13.00 Yoga & meditation
13.30 Lunch at Shambala
15.00 Excursion in wolf territory, meditation, howling, night walk
Night in tents
Return to Shambala
13.30 Lunch
Showers
15.00 Concluding the retreat, departure
meet the team
Marcus Eldh
Marcus spends a lot of time out in Sweden’s forests. He likes to go for hikes among trees, swim in cold lakes and to sleep in tents. His favorite season is Winter when he can walk on skis, heat up in saunas and cool down in frozen lakes.
He has worked full time as a nature guide since he founded WildSweden in 2003.
He shares his knowledge and love for Nature generously and sincerely, so every adventure is unique. Although he has seen innumerable wild animals and plants, his enthusiasm every time is as if it were the first time!
Relation to Shambala: Marcus used to live at Shambala for the first three seasons back when it all started, together with Johan and a bunch of other visionaries. Since then he has visited many times, often for the floating sauna.
Christiana Diamesi
Christiana loves teaching yoga, and cooking delicious and vibrant vegan food. Her heart is at home inside the forest, or by the sea, close to water and fire, under the stars.
She has completed a Classical Hatha Yoga Teacher Training (200hrs) in 2010 at Atma Vikasa School of Yogic Sciences in Mysore, India, and has visited her teacher several times since. In 2014 she completed an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training at Ashtanga Yoga Athens 2002, where she had been a long time student. She has been teaching yoga since 2010, in Greece and Scotland.
Her passion is to inspire living a simple and conscious life in nature, through freeing body and soul.Her teaching style is a combination of classical yoga principles, with body awareness, free movement, and self-love.
Having grown up in urban Athens, she came to Sweden with her dog Aretha and they both rediscovered the untamed version of themselves in the forest. Since then it’s been impossible to forget that truth for her.
Relation to Shambala: Christiana was working as a chef in Shambala’s kitchen during the Summer season of 2019. She visited Shambala for the first time in 2018.
MORE at Shambala
“Life changing, as thanks to Wild Sweden I have changed the way I travel and what I travel for; Nature and wildlife are now my number one priority”
“Reminds us that we are all Wild at heart! Just being in the peace, intense quiet, and beauty of these landscapes is something we should treasure… I would recommend Wild Sweden to anyone who cares about nature, wants to learn more about it, and who would love to feel some wildness in their heart.”
“Adventure of a lifetime! Over the 5 days we spent a lot of time “nature bathing”, just enjoying being outside, and experiencing a big variety of plants and animals. Sitting by the fire, camping between the tall trees, napping in a hammock and walking around in the woods in the middle of the night trying to hear the wolves. Also, if you are a foodie, this trip is for you. The food is divine!”
How to get here
Shambala Gatherings
Borntorpet 1
Skinnskatteberg
Sweden
Located just two hours away from Stockholm in Skinnskatteberg, Sweden, the area is easily accessible by air, train and car, making a great option for a short break wildlife destination.
- Coming by air: The nearest airport to Shambala is Stockholm Vasteras. The second nearest airport is Arlanda airport, the main airport in Sweden. You can easily take a train all the way to Skinnskatteberg from both of them.
- Coming by train / bus: We are fortunate to have a train / bus station at Skinnskatteberg only 5 minutes ride from the center. We offer free pick up services from this station in summer.
- Coming by car: Simply open this Google map on your navigator and follow directions to Borntorpet 1 in Skinnskatteberg, Sweden.