Laponia winter yoga retreat

A week of yoga, meditation and skiing in the mountains of Sweden

Welcome to our winter yoga retreat taking place in the peaceful and pristine mountains around Laponia World Heritage Site. We combine skiing in old forest and across open mountain landscape with relaxing yoga and meditation. We’ll take our time to really enjoy the nature, we listen to the wind rustling in the trees and the Siberian jay that curiously examine our lunch spot. The yoga and meditation classes are led by Petra Kalla Yoga Therapy who beautifully adapt her classes to the group and the weather condition that we are facing. You can expect a mix of indoor morning and evening yoga in our cozy yoga room and shorter yoga or meditation sessions out in the mountains. We enjoy breakfast and dinner in the restaurant and cozy outdoor lunches outside in the snow.

For thousands of years the Sami people have lived here and migrated from the forest region and up through the mountain valleys, all in harmony with nature. We start this winter yoga retreat in Jokkmokk with a visit at Silba Siida where you’ll meet Anna and her reindeers. Listen to stories about the Sami culture and her life in a reindeer herders’ family. We continue our winter yoga retreat up in the mountains at Saltoluokta mountain lodge where we fill the days with yoga and skiing. Both in Jokkmokk and Saltoluokta we stay in comfortable twin bedrooms, just a few steps from both the yoga room and the forest and the mountains outside the door.

Our idea is to have a break from our daily life and have time to really relax and take care of our self in a calm and pristine mountain area

This winter yoga retreat is for you who…

…are looking for a yoga retreat that combines yoga and meditation with skiing and nature experiences. You need no earlier experience from neither yoga nor meditation. All the classes can be adjusted to your level. We recommend that you have some experience of skiing, either downhill or cross-country. To be able to take part in all activities you must be able to ski about 5-10 kilometer per day in terrain with moderate differences in altitude and with a backpack of around 5 kg. Recommended age from 16 years old. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding your physical ability or experience level.

Join us and experience:

• A relaxing and peaceful environment
• Yoga and meditation in the mountains
• A mountain SPA in a wood heated sauna
• Cozy Saltoluokta mountain lodge
• Sami experience together with Anna Kuhmunen

About the yoga…

We will practice a therapeutic form of Hatha yoga and qigong, that is adapted to the time of day and the energy of the group. We will make sure to care for both the physical body and the mind. The morning yoga will guide us into our bodies, warming up the muscles and joints for a day of skiing. We will also invite an intention for the day, giving the practice a deeper meaning. If the weather allows we might take a yoga and meditation break during our ski tour as well. In the afternoon or evening we will make sure to relax the body through gentle yoga and meditative techniques to calm the mind and nervous system to prepare us for a well-earned good night’s sleep. 

…and our yoga therapist

Petra is a yoga therapist and physiotherapist with more than 20 years of experience, so she will able to meet you where you are each day. The yoga will create a framework for self-reflection that adds depth to the retreat experience in a meaningful way. Do not worry if you are new to yoga and meditation; this is a great place to start! And if you are experienced, you know that there are always new insights awaiting every time you practice. 

I believe that Nature, Movement & Self-compassion are potent medicines for health and wellbeing. Nature invites a sense of awe, making us aware of something that is bigger than us. This state is actually anti-inflammatory! In yoga and qigong, movement is seen as essential to maintaining our quality of life. For me, self-compassion heals me personally and my relationships, by helping me to turn towards what I value in life. To give myself time to enjoy and practice these things, is the greatest gift I can give myself. That is why I love sharing these Mountain retreats – Petra Kalla

Ski in small groups with a local guide

During this winter yoga retreat you will also meet a guide from Laponia Adventures. Your guide will lead the ski tour and make sure you get food on the table and a bed to sleep in. We want to give you the best experience possible of a relaxing and energizing winter yoga retreat. Therefore, we only allow 10 participants in total. All our guides live in the area and can tell you stories about the culture and history in Laponia. They are all certified guides trained in wilderness first aid or live up to the same standard or higher.

Solo travelers

Many of our guests travel on their own and don’t know anyone else in the group when arriving the pickup location. It is a great way to experience new areas and to find new yoga friends. Solo travelers are of course welcome to book the tour, but we will need a minimum of four guests in total to give it a go.

Information

Accommodation and comfort

The first night on this winter yoga retreat we stay in at Åsgård guesthouse in the center of a small town named Jokkmokk located just north of the arctic circle. The house, built almost 100 years ago, was owned by the state forestry company, being the home of the local forester. And still today it feels like coming home when entering the front door. We’ll stay in twin bedroom with shared toilet and shower and sauna in the basement if you would like to finish the evening with a hot sauna. At the guest house there is free wifi. As far as possible we try to offer separate rooms for men and woman traveling on their own. And to let travel companions share a private room. You can also pay extra for a single room. 

After one night in Jokkmokk it is time to head out to Saltoluokta mountain lodge. Saltoluokta is a cozy and genuine accommodation, located right by the foot of the mountain and away from roads and civilizations. The oldest building is built already in 1912 and the main building is from 1918. We stay in twin bedrooms with a shared toilet in the same building. Single room supplement is possible. You’ll find both showers and sauna in a nearby building, the mountain view from the sauna is just stunning. And after a day in the mountains it is for sure nice with a sauna! At Saltoluokta mountain lodge there is free wifi.

The food

All meals from lunch day 1 to breakfast day 6 is included in the price. In Jokkmokk, Caisa, who runs the guest house will cook for us and in the mountains, we have breakfast and dinner in the restaurant at Saltoluokta mountain lodge. For lunch we bring lunch packages from the restaurant and eat in a snow couch somewhere outside in the mountains. Vegan or vegetarian options will be available for all meals. Please let us know when making the reservation if you have any allergies or food preferences.

Start and end location

We will meet you at Jokkmokk Guesthouse at 12.00 on day 1 and the yoga retreat ends at 12 in Gällivare on day 6.

Travel here…

Get on the night train in Stockholm in the evening and wake up in Jokkmokk the next morning. This is not only the best option for the planet, it is also a cool experience. Book your private cabin or just a single bed in a cabin with 3 or 6-beds. In the morning you get off the train in Murjek where you board bus 43 for a last hour of traveling before arriving Jokkmokk. There is a bus stop, named Åsgatan, only a few hundred meters from the guesthouse where you will be staying. Purchase both the train and the bus ticket online at www.sj.se. Enter Stockholm Central, Arlanda airport, or wherever you choose to travel from to Jokkmokk bus station and it will give you the options.

If you prefer you can also fly directly from Stockholm to Luleå Airport the day before the tour starts. From the airport there is a bus that takes you all the way to Jokkmokk, or you can also stay in Luleå and continue by bus and train early in the morning on day 1. The airport shuttle you’ll find at www.ltnbd.se and trains and buses at www.sj.se. Please note that the shuttle needs to be booked latest 17.00 the day before.

…and home

From Gällivare you can jump on the night train south directly to Stockholm, Arlanda or other destinations. Book you whole train journey from at www.sj.se. From Gällivare you can also travel to Luleå Airport with the train or bus and fly directly to Stockholm. Please note that you may have to stay an extra night in Gällivare or Luleå before continuing. Information about buses can be found at www.ltnbd.se and buses and trains at www.sj.se.

However you choose to travel here, flexible tickets are recommended. Weather conditions can delay our return to Gällivare.

How cold will it be?

During a week in Jokkmokk and Saltoluokta we see all kinds of weather. We can experience sunshine and -15C degrees during the day but also +5C degrees with rain and strong winds. Night temperatures can drop down to -30C, but normally stays around -10C to -20C. Our packing list helps you to decide what to bring to stay warm and happy on the retreat.

 Packing list – Laponia winter yoga retreat >>

How heavy will your backpack be?

On the day tours all participant will each carry a day pack with extra layer, lunch and part of our safety equipment. Expect you day pack to weigh around 5 kg.

Itinerary

Included meals marked each day with B=breakfast, L=lunch and D=dinner

DAY 1 ARRIVAL JOKKMOKK (L,D)

We meet you at Jokkmokk guesthouse for lunch before we drive you to our place just outside Jokkmokk where we give you an introduction to the winter yoga retreat and try out the ski equipment. In the afternoon we head out to Silba Siida where we meet Anna and her reindeers. We have a “fika” and listen to her stories about life as a reindeer herders’ family. In the evening Petra will give you an introduction to the yoga and meditation before we finish the day with dinner together at the guest house.

DAY 2 SALTOLUOKTA (B,L,D)

We start the day with a refreshing yoga class before having breakfast at the guest house. We pack the minivan and head out to the mountains and Naturum, an exhibition about Laponia World Heritage Site. In the afternoon we’ll ski across the lake to Saltoluokta mountain lodge where we have dinner and an evening yoga class in the yoga room. Our luggage will be transported by snowmobile and we will just carry a day pack with extra layers, a water bottle and some safety equipment.

Distance on skis: about 3-4 km, elevation gain/loss: close to zero, estimated time out skiing: about 2h

DAY 3 THE ULTEVIS FOREST  (B,L,D)

In the morning we do yoga before we have breakfast in the restaurant. During the day we discover the beautiful old forest in Ultevis mountain forest Nature Reserve. The skiing is fairly flat, following the shore of the lake and a winter trail across smaller frozen wetlands. Surrounded by gnarled birches and pine trees we stop to eat the lunch package that we carry in our backpacks. Depending on the weather and outdoor temperature we may have shorter yoga or meditation sessions outside or ski in silence for a stronger connection to the nature around us. We finish the day with dinner in the restaurant and evening yoga.

Distance on skis: about 5-10 km, elevation gain/loss: +50/-50m, estimated time out skiing: 4h

DAY 4 THE MOUTAINS (B,L,D)

We start the day with yoga class followed by breakfast. Today it is time to ski up the hill above three line and enjoy the views from above. Our goal for the day is the small peak Dának where we have lunch before heading back down. In the afternoon the wood heated sauna down by the lake is booked for us. Enjoy a relaxing mountain SPA after a day in the mountains. In the evening we have dinner in the restaurant and evening yoga in the yoga room.

Distance on skis: about 8 km, elevation gain/loss: +250/-250m, estimated time out skiing: 4h

DAY 5 FULL DAY OF YOGA OR LONGER SKI TOUR (B,L,D)

On this last day in the mountains you’ll have the chance to join a longer ski tour up to mount Buollámtjåhkkå from where you, on a clear day have a spectacular view over the surrounding mountains and lakes. Or you can choose to stay at Saltoluokta and get deeper into yoga and meditation together with Petra. In the afternoon we all come together to enjoy a yoga class before dinner in the restaurant.

DAY 6 DEPARTURE SALTOLUOKTA (B)

We start the day with our last yoga session and breakfast at Saltoluokta mountain lodge. A snowmobile takes us back across the lake to our minivan. The journey continues back to Gällivare where it is time to finish our winter yoga retreat and to say good bye.

We reserve the right to make changes

Nature is a dynamic place and we may need to adjust the route and the itinerary according to the current weather conditions. We are also in contact with representatives for the local reindeer herders’ communities and other local actors to collaborate in the best way possible.

Do you have any questions?

Please send us an email to info@laponiaadventures.com
We are happy to help and will answer you as soon as we can.