JANUARY 14–18, 2027
A ladies only retreat where you can truly embrace winter – yoga, wood-fired sauna, icy dips, snowy walks, wholesome food and time for you.
A RETREAT FOR YOU
Embracing Winter: this retreat invites you to mimic nature’s winter pace by slowing down and making time for yourself – especially after the busyness of the festive season. From the moment you arrive, you will be protected from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, you can take your foot off the pedal and begin to reconnect with yourself.
Rather than feeling frustrated, deflated and tired of winter, give yourself the gift of freedom, rest and fun. Enjoy daily saunas, yoga classes infused with a little qigong, and take the opportunity to do as little or as much as you please, read a book, knit, play cards, take a walk, have a nap: you choose!
This is a space to soften, to listen, and to honour your own rhythm. Whether you come to rest deeply or to gently reconnect with movement and joy, you’ll be held in a warm and nurturing environment.
RETREAT HIGHLIGHTS
Each day is designed to nourish body, calm mind, and awaken your senses to the beauty of the Swedish wilderness.
A selection of Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin yoga with a sprinkling of Qigong.
Techniques for soothing the nervous system and to aid with cold water dips.
Reconnect with yourself, enjoy being in nature, rekindle your sense of fun.
Multi-sensory and mindful sauna rituals, and open sauna sessions for physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Gathering in presence, witnessing one another, experiencing a sense of belonging, and sharing meaningful moments with like-minded people.
Wholesome, mostly organic plant-based meals, sourced locally whenever possible, to ground your body and restore your vitality.
— Previous retreat guest
YOUR DAYS
Each day offers a unique program while maintaining this supportive rhythm, creating space for deep practice, connection, and joyful celebration.
Check-in is at 15:00 on the arrival day, and check-out is at 15:00 on the departure day.
A typical day on the retreat will look like this:
7.30 AM
Hatha/Vinyasa Yoga with a twist of Qigong!
9.00 AM
A relaxed, nourishing and easy-to-digest meal enjoyed slowly in shared silence.
10.45 AM – 1.15 PM
This will vary from day to day, but will include a mixture of free time, sauna and sauna rituals (with or without icy dips!), and breathing and relaxation sessions.
1.30 PM
A warm, freshly prepared vegan buffet to nourish and delight the senses.
2.15 PM
4.00 PM
A traditional Swedish moment to pause, enjoy a sweet treat, and share a warm drink.
5.30 – 7.00 PM
7.00 PM
Gather for a delicious, wholesome evening meal shared in a peaceful and heart-centered atmosphere.
ALL-INCLUSIVE
Not Included
YOUR GUIDE
Gail started her yoga journey in 1996, and is a dedicated yoga practitioner, teacher and eternal student, with over 1000 hours yoga and qigong teacher training and continual professional development courses. She aims to create a warm, friendly and welcoming environment for you to move your body mindfully and deepen your knowledge of yoga and/or qigong.
Her classes are fun and informative whilst also being nurturing and calming. Gail likes to focus on alignment, breath awareness, meditation and relaxation, and encourages her students to become their own inner teacher, listening to cues within their body to make their yoga and/or qigong experience unique to them.
Yoga
Qigong
Mindful movement
Breath awareness
GUEST EXPERIENCES
“I love Gail’s yoga retreats which are always so well planned and executed with an overall theme that allows us to learn more about yoga as well as benefitting from the poems she reads (carefully related to the theme of the day) and words of wisdom. I think Gail is a fabulous teacher, who adapts to individual needs and offers plenty of options. I love her yoga & Qigong classes. Despite her expertise, nothing is taken too seriously, allowing plenty of enjoyment and laughter. Truly rejuvenating.”
“Having never done any yoga and certainly not in a group, I thought why not and try it for the first time! What an experience I will never forget, and very glad I decided to!! I really enjoyed the hatha and yin yoga and felt Gail pitched the sessions so they flowed brilliantly. Finding a nice balance between resting and pushing a little more. I didn’t ever feel any pressure to be doing what anyone else was, or to try something I wasn’t comfortable with. Gail always gave options and catered for individual levels and abilities and checked to make sure everyone was ok! I felt looked after but at the same time in control of my own movements.”
“Words cannot express how much I loved your retreat. A beautiful place, fabulous food, a lovely group of ladies and of course… wonderful yoga classes by you. From the moment I arrived I just knew it was a magical place. I have left feeling … completely at peace. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
If you are traveling with Gail, a private transfer from the airport to Shambala is included in your booking.
If you are traveling independently, the journey from Arlanda to Shambala (Skinnskatteberg Station) takes around 3 hours and is quite straightforward. You can search for and purchase tickets at www.sj.se.
Please note that the full train schedule is usually available only 2–3 weeks before your intended travel date, so there’s no need to book earlier than that. There are several route options.
As there are no direct trains, you’ll need to take a combination of trains and/or buses. Once you arrive at Skinnskatteberg Station, we’ll pick you up, and then it’s just a 7-minute drive to Shambala.
Comfortable yoga clothing, a warm layer for the evenings, earplugs and an eye mask for the bright summer mornings, sturdy shoes for forest walks, and a journal if you enjoy writing. Yoga mats and props are provided. Swimwear for the sauna is optional. We’ll send a full packing list after booking.
Our kitchen is designed to avoid the most common allergens. That said, please let us know in advance if you have any food allergies or specific dietary needs, and we’ll take them into account when planning the menu.
For guests with multiple allergies, we offer a simple daily meal option of steamed vegetables and boiled rice.
While we aim to keep our kitchen as gluten-free as possible, trace amounts of gluten may still be present. Our meals are generally suitable for those with gluten intolerance, but we cannot guarantee the absence of cross-contamination for guests with celiac disease.
At Shambala, beyond being a retreat space, we cultivate a way of living deeply rooted in the yogic values of simplicity, presence, non-attachment, contentment, and communion with nature. Rather than luxury, what we offer is intimacy and a sense of belonging. Therefore, our accommodations are simple and mostly shared, with a variety of twin rooms, triple rooms, and glamping tents.
The guiding ethos is one of community and sustainability, creating a vibe that is understated, modest, welcoming, and easy. If you do feel a strong need for a single room, you can write to us. A single room may be available for an additional fee.
All accommodation options have access to shared showers and bathrooms.
We love children and would truly love to be able to host parents with young kids.
However, we’ve found that having young children on site can make it challenging to maintain the peaceful retreat atmosphere that many of our guests seek and deeply value.
For this reason, unless otherwise agreed, our retreats are intended for adults and youth aged 12 and above.
We love animals, but as some guests have allergies, we’re unable to allow animals inside the buildings. For this reason, we kindly discourage guests from bringing their pets.
Bed linen and towels are not included in your booking.
Want to support the environment? Feel free to bring your own bedding (single sheet, duvet cover, and two pillowcases) and towels.
If you’re traveling from abroad and prefer to pack light, you can rent a full linen and towel set from us for 200 SEK. This can easily be arranged once you arrive at Shambala.
The Shambala terms and conditions do not apply to this retreat. Please refer instead to Gail’s terms and conditions and cancellation policy here.
The retreat cost does not include travel insurance. Travel insurance is recommended for all participants.
Join us January 14–18 for four nights to embrace winter with yoga, wood-fired sauna, icy dips, snowy walks, wholesome food and time for you!
Or write to us directly: hello@shambalagatherings.com
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