with Mikaela Soldan
Experience the Nordic Midsummer Magic at the beautiful Finnish countryside and tap into your own inner Mystic
"Mikaela has been my source of inspiration for years. Her energy is uplifting and rooting at the same time; I feel that I get exactly what I need in her retreat or yoga class or mentoring session. I might not even be able to say what I need but she heals and guides me forward on my path every time we meet. The day retreat in Finland during August 2022 gave me a moment to pause, a moment to breathe and come back to my body. She held the space with her joy of life and I was purely me again. I trust and treasure my connection with her and am grateful to have her in my life."
Maria
Immerse yourself
in the Nordic way of life and powerful spiritual practices to take you deeper into yourself.
The Nordic Spirit Retreat
Rosavilla, Kouvola, Finland
July 8-12th, 2024
For a long time, the Finnish people have been called the Forest People for their deep respect and connection to the nature. Living in extreme conditions; endless amount of sunlight in the summer and all day long darkness in the winter, the Nordic peoples have developed a resilient, resourceful and accepting spirit. Allowing the weather and nature to be what it is and adjusting to that has built character that not everyone possesses.
You'll have an opportunity to tap into that energy, called sisu in Finnish, during this week of authentic Nordic summer life, spiritual practices and togetherness.
Mikaela is thrilled to offer this opportunity for you, whether you are Finnish or non-Finnish, to experience the traditional way of living during summer time in the Nordics. You will learn a lot about yourself through the practices and about the essence of Finland and its people. Daily yoga and meditation, sauna and lake dips, delicious local vegetarian food and sleep in the log cabins ensures that you are rested, cleansed and rejuvenated in body, mind and spirit.
Inquiries and booking: [email protected].
Granaries
Traditional wooden country granaries converted into beautiful, cosy and quiet rooms. Either for one person with a single bed, or two people with twin beds or a double bed for a couple. There is an outdoor bathroom right outside the granaries or a water serviced bathroom by the main house (about 2 minute walk). Shared showers are at the sauna building.
Barn rooms
The big barn has been converted into an event space, indoor yoga space, and has four lovely rooms. These rooms are bigger than the granary, and can accommodate one person, two friends or a couple. The shared water-serviced bathroom is in this building. Shared showers are at the sauna building, about 2 minute walk away.
The Yoga Space
Rosavilla has a beautiful yoga deck surrounded by gorgeous pine trees and a lake view. You cannot get closer to practicing in the forest than this (while still on a yoga mat and flat surface;). We also have access to two indoor spaces if the weather does not permit being outside.
Sound healing and ceremony
We will have guest facilitators come offer a sound healing and a beautiful ceremony circle.
Treatments
Rosavilla is known for their beautiful treatments, herbal medicine and special sauna experiences. We will have ritual sauna, flower crown making and a foot bath included. You are also welcome to book additional treatments for yourself.
The lakeside property
The most Finnish setting: a summer house at the lake, with a wood fired sauna, plunges, the silence in the pine + birch forests as the sun sets around 11pm...
What will our days here look like?
Arrival in the late afternoon/evening of Monday, July 8th. Departure in the morning of Friday July 12th. This schedule is a draft and the final schedule will be confirmed closer to the retreat.
Monday July 8th
- Arrival + snacks + welcome foot bath
- Dinner
- Gentle Stretching, Yoga Nidra
- Sauna Ritual
Tuesday July 9th, Wednesday July 10th, Thursday July 11th
- 7.30 Coffee, tea, light snack
- 8.30 Yoga, breath, meditation
- 10.30 Brunch
- Free time, forest bathing
- Workshop / sound healing / ceremony
- Fika (coffee, tea, pastry)
- 16.00-18.00 Yin + restorative + meditation practice
- 18.30 Dinner
- Sauna Ritual
Friday July 12th
- 7.30 Coffee, tea, snack
- 8.30-10 Yoga, meditation, closing
- 10.30 Brunch
- Homebound
Sign up and inquiries: [email protected].
"Before the retreat, I was stressed out, tired, created a sense of urgency for myself, and some of the relationships added to the stress. The retreat experience was pleasant, enlightening, and calming. After the retreat, I have been writing down my thoughts and feelings daily and doing breathing exercises. I have noticed that sitting with a straight back is easier after the retreat, and I pay more attention to it than before. Additionally, I have realized that I see the surrounding nature with completely different eyes than before the retreat, and my appreciation for it is greater. I recommend participating in Mikaela’s retreat. As a teacher, you are approachable, friendly, and open! You have a pleasant voice that is enjoyable to listen to."
Jenna
Your guide,
Mikaela Soldan
Mikaela Soldan is a yoga teacher, spiritual life coach and a Human Design teacher.
Mikaela trained to become a yoga teacher at ISHTA Yoga in New York City in 2013, and started teaching upon returning to Helsinki that year. In the beginning of 2016 Mikaela moved to New York City, completed her advanced yoga teacher training and other specialty trainings. From 2021 onwards Mikaela has been traveling; living in Costa Rica, spending time in the United States and Finland.
Mikaela is known for her deep, intuitive and spiritual approach to teaching yoga. Her retreats are a combination of deep personal work and fun and light togetherness and laughter.
Mikaela loves to combine her passions: travel, nature and body, breath and spiritual work. Her own devotion to life is very much alive in these retreat spaces and you'll get to receive her guidance, frequency and love.
Read about Mikaela
About this retreat
Whether it is your first time in Finland or you have been before, this retreat will show you the magic of the Nordic Summer and open you up to an even deeper connection with your self, with surrounding nature and All That Is. The lakeside property and pine forests will hold us as we voyage to ourselves, connect with other participants and journey into the mystical.
This week is a co-creation of all of us. As the space holds us, Mikaela guides the energy and all the participants will bring their unique frequency to the group we will receive exactly what we need. Together we create an atmosphere where you get to be exactly who you are, supported by the energy of the group.
Envision disconnecting from the world to connect within, to nourish your body with delicious food, afternoon fika, and bathing in traditional wood fired sauna. Nourishing your spirit with conversations, deep connections and laughter. Nourishing your heart by allowing yourself to be held, witnessed, supported.
Simplicity, being, presence, bliss.
"Before attending Mikaela’s retreat in Ohcejohka for the first time, I was quite nervous about spending several days at the guidance of a yoga teacher I had never practiced with. All concerns were unnecessary. Mikaela has an exceptional gift of attuning with each individual emotionally, spiritually and physically. In each area, she opens you doors and gives you directions but never pushes you to take any specific path (or any) of them if it’s not right for you at that moment. Learning with Mikaela is a genuinely reciprocal process where you feel respected and supported. And she makes heavenly cinnamon rolls!"
Investment
The rooms are rustic and simple yet beautiful and cozy. All rooms come with bedlinen and towels and mosquito nets. Bathrooms are shared and the sauna space has a shower that you are welcome to use at any time. We will have a communal sauna ritual every night, including lake dips (bathing suit optional!) It is a very traditional experience and I am sure you'll love it!
Granary rooms are private and do not have electricity, but they have chargeable lights (and at this time of the year you will not need lights anyway, since the sun is up nearly 20 hours a day). You can charge your phone at the barn or turn it off for the week! Barn rooms have electricity and are in the same building with the bathrooms and the dining space.
Rooms with single occupancy:
- Granary room with twin bed 1299€ 999€
- Granary room with queen bed 1399€ 1099€
- Barn room with queen bed 1499€ 1199€
Rooms with double occupancy:
- Barn room for two friends or a couple 1399€ 1099€ per person
Save 300€ with the early bird discount! Early bird prices are available until March 30th, 2024.
Register by emailing: [email protected]. There is a 400€ deposit to reserve your spot on the retreat. The deposit in non-refundable, but can in some cases be transferred to a future retreat. Payment methods include: Debit Card, Credit Card, Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, bank account transfer/wire
Price includes:
- Five days, four nights at Rosavilla
- Daily practices with Mikaela; yoga, breathwork, meditation, yoga nidra, workshops, lectures, ceremony
- A special sound healing from a guest facilitator
- Daily light breakfast, brunch and dinner
- Daily "fika": afternoon coffee/tea and pastry
- A floral foot bath
- Flower crown workshop
- Daily Sauna
- Welcoming gift
- Integration call after the retreat
Not included:
- Transportation from the airport or from Kouvola train station (airport taxi transfer is about 100€ roundtrip, or 30€ from Kouvola train station which will be arranged for you upon request)
- Flights to Finland
Retreat will be confirmed once the minimum amount of participants has been fulfilled. Please wait until confirmation to book your flights / book flights you can change/cancel. Sign up by emailing [email protected].
Did you know this about Finland?
- Although often combined with the Scandinavian countries, Finland is not part of Scandinavia. Finland is a part of the Nordic Countries along with Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. But the origins of Finnish people and the Finnish language are not related to Scandinavians. The Finnish people arrived from the east 1250–1000 years BC.
- The Finnish language is old and is part of the Uralic languages. It is related to Karelian language and Estonian and Hungarian. Finnish has influences of Sanskrit as well!
- Sauna is a sacred place for Finns. It is the place where people have gone to warm up, soothe aching muscles from farming and other labor, and it has been a place where the wounded have been treated and women have even given birth in saunas!
- The Finnish people have had nature religions and have different names for spirits of the waters, forests, streams and even saunas! Fairies, elves and nature gods were replaced by Christianity in the Middle Ages.
The space and I are already waiting for you!
Love, Mikaela