Why the most remote place on Earth might be the best place to come home to yourself.

When most people imagine a retreat, they think of warm sun on bare skin. Ocean views. Flowing yoga. Perhaps somewhere in Bali, Costa Rica, or Mexico.

And I love those places. But what if the ultimate retreat wasn’t in the tropics at all?

What if it was in the Arctic?

Arctic Awakening Retreat

There is something otherworldly about Kilpisjärvi, the remote Finnish outpost where we hold our Arctic Awakening Retreat. It is the very definition of a retreat, not just a holiday, but a stepping back from the pages of your everyday life. A complete departure from the familiar. So far from your normal that you forget what your normal even is.

And in that forgetting, something new can emerge.

The Arctic demands presence. You cannot rush here. You cannot check out. The cold won’t allow it. The terrain won’t allow it. Even packing your day bag requires attention – miss one small item and your comfort is gone. Every move is a meditation. Every moment is deliberate. And so, without even trying, you become mindful.

There’s nothing quite like crossing a frozen lake on skis, your breath in clouds, your thoughts beginning to slow. There’s nothing quite like finding yourself in deep stillness, looking up at the stars, or if you’re lucky, the northern lights – beside people who were strangers just days ago, but now feel like kin. Because out here, connection matters. Community matters. You need each other. And that shared need becomes something beautiful.

There is no rubbish on the ground. The air is sharp, clean. The snow: endless. The silence is so vast, you start to hear your own thoughts differently. And then, after the cold: heat. The sacred, primal reward of a sauna. The luxury of rest. The nourishment of warm, honest food that your body deeply needs. And sleep like you haven’t had in years.

And yes, there’s yoga. Breathwork. Song. Celebration. There is joy here. But more than anything, there is truth.

This is not your typical retreat. This is a place that shows you your own strength. It strips things back, not to break you, but to return you to yourself.

The Arctic Awakening Retreat 2026 is not just a trip. It’s an experience you’ll carry forever. A retreat that reaches right into the soul.

And you might not think you’re ready for it – but you are.