Reflections from the Forest: Looking Back at Our First Retreat – The Spring Renewal

Haltia Lake Lodge, an award-winning hotel in Nuuksio National Park, was our host.

If you read my earlier post on how Five Senses Retreats was born, you know how personal this project is to me. So, as I arrived at Haltia Lake Lodge for our very first retreat, I felt a mix of anticipation and, if I am being completely honest, a few nerves. This retreat is a continuation of my own journey, and I wanted for it to be a special gift to everyone who attended.

Our intention for the weekend was simple: slow mornings, crisp forest air, the warmth of bonfire, and the space to arrive, soften, and be restored. Almost immediately, the group embodied that intention. I sensed a collective exhale and, to my delight, a genuine willingness to embrace the calm and ease into intentional time off.

Everyone seemed engaged fully experiences the weekend ahead.

Grounding in the Forest

We embarked on "forest bathing" with our retreat guide in hand.

Our first immersion into the weekend began under the canopy of the trees with Metsäkylpy (forest bathing). There is something profoundly resetting about letting nature dictate the schedule. By focusing on the light, the silence, and the earth beneath our feet, we can let go of our internal clocks. As one participant reflected:

"The two hours for forest bathing was the perfect amount of time to dive into slowing down the pace of life and syncing with the rhythm of nature."

That walk, which helped us move away from our own rushed lives back home and into a natural pace, laid the foundation for the rest of our weekend.

The Beauty of Transition: Art & Sound

We took the memories of the weekend home with us.

After some gentle, grounding movement, we shifted into exploring our creativity and culture.

We engaged in a nature art experience using cyanotype photography – a 19th-century camera-less printing process that produces blue prints using UV light and iron salts. There is something deeply rewarding about creating with our hands and surrendering to the elements.

We painted our papers and arranged our foraged pieces on top of them. We then watched and waited as the sun slowly

transformed our canvases into brilliant shades of blue.

It was a reminder that beautiful things take time to reveal themselves. As one guest noted:

"The peaceful doing... was a perfect way to calm down the nervous system."

The next day, we also sat down to play the kantele, a traditional Finnish instrument. Beyond the beautiful, resonant music it created, there was a tactile magic in simply plucking the strings. We felt the vibration of the strings in our fingers and throughout rest of our body.

Kantele session was led by Arja Kastinen who teaches at the world-famous Sibelius Academy

The true enchantment, however, was how quickly we found our collective rhythm, playing together as one. One guest shared that they were"amazed about this shared jam session built up in no time." 

To top it off, we participated in a restorative yoga session as we continued to let the rhythms of Arja's kantele soothe our hearts in the background. Sound. Touch. Movement. All combined into one beautiful session.

From the Pantry to the Plunge

Berries of vivid colors from the Finnish forest

Our exploration of Finnish nature wasn't just visual and auditory; it was also physical. During our Nordic pantry session in the afternoon, we didn't just learn about local berries and herbs; we tasted them, touched them, and crafted with them. Cooking, as I found out, is more enjoyable in a group!

That hands-on session extended naturally into our lakeside sauna ritual. The very herbs we had just learned about became the aromatic foundation of our sauna experience. We took the jams and other light bites we prepared with us to the lakeside sauna!

Lakeside sauna session consisted of herbal foot bath and natural masks.

We smelled the rich aromas in the steam and felt the herbs on our skin through

herbal foot baths and face masks. Paired with the invigorating (and challenging!) cold plunge in the lake, the contrast was the ultimate physical reset. The group embraced it fully, calling it a true "moment of well-being and unity."

Shared Warmth in the Kota

The aroma of wood-smoke greeted us in the kota.

After a full day of engaging all five of our senses, there was no better way to ground ourselves than around the fire. We gathered in an atmospheric kota (a traditional Lappish hut) for our evening bonfire dinner.

Our bellies were filled with great food and hearts were warmed by new friendships.

Sitting together, breathing in the rich smell of wood-smoke, we shared a delicious meal. It was a space of reflection and connection. The feedback from this dinner still warms my heart:

"I could cry about how good the food was, and the dedicated team... The impromptu session on how to start a fire, the atmosphere under the teepee, the genuine enthusiasm of the chef..."

Kippis!

Carrying the Quiet Forward

Taking the deep sense of calm we found in the forest back into our noisy, daily lives is challenging. But the retreat weekend provided all of us with a powerful glimpse of what it actually feels like to rest and invest in ourselves.

The Spring Renewal was a beautiful reminder that well-being is not a one-time event that we check off a list. It is an ongoing practice, often better when done together.

It is something we must cultivate on our own in quiet moments, but also something we can cultivate intentionally with others, stepping away together for a weekend to remember how to breathe.

It was a short weekend, but lasting bonds were formed. Embracing during Closing Circle on Sunday morning.

Seeing this vision come to life and reading the reflections afterward affirmed the core mission of this journey. As one guest so beautifully captured,

"the retreat feels like a rare concept in Finland: beautifully curated, deeply intentional, and built around something many modern travelers genuinely need — stillness, presence, and a chance to reconnect with themselves through nature." 

It is precisely this need for intentional stillness that will continue to guide Five Senses Retreats.

The weekend flew by – although not before we headed back to the kota for fresh coffee and pancakes cooked over open fire – but I look forward to sharing this experience with more people like you!

Pancake brunch wrapped up the weekend of rest and relaxation.

Thank you to everyone who joined the first retreat! You made this first retreat everything I hoped it would be.

If you're curious about The Sun & Light summer retreat, which is from 31 July to 2 August, please visit summer retreat page to learn more.