Back to Basics Retreat

Let’s slow down, and sink deep into nature.

25/01 - 01/02

Registration is now closed

In a little hidden valley, 
tucked away between the mountains,

no phones

no electricity

we listen, we wonder

we sink, we settle

 

into our nature

deep in the song of birds

and the rustling of the trees

we may remember,

who we really are.

Hey friends,

 

Let’s stop for breath

 

Far away from it all

Far away from ticking clocks

Buzzing phones and revving engines

Far away from a frantic society that never seems to find rest

There between the yellow firs

sits this little cabin

 

“Come in come in”

she seems to say

Warm your hands now by my fire

Lay to rest those weary heads

And when you wake tomorrow

By the early morning light

Feast your eyes and ears on these here lands

In glorious delight

The essence

Sinking into nature, coming to our senses

This retreat is born from a personal desire to take a long and deep breath of fresh air. To allow the senses to rest on the simpleness of life. I find it is something quite essential to physical and mental well-being: Every once in a while step out of the busyness of life, and into the wild, into nowhere, and just be. Just listen

The proposal

A week of connection, adventure and stillness. 

A week to

  • Contemplate: Guided meditations and contemplative nature walks. One day and night in silence.
  • Be creative: They say: “From the void springs the source of creativity.” This may be your time to write, make art, music, poetry.
  • Get into body: In guided bodywork sessions we help eachother sink deeper into our own body and nature. Think massage, somatics, movement.
  • Cocreate: We go on this journey together. We shape it together. There will be space to share what you wish to share- be it your art, cooking, music, humor, sensitivity, skills, ..

And space. Did I already mention space? Lots and lots of space.

The place

Valley of a thousand shadows,
is what we first called this place when me and a friend stumbled upon it some three years ago. 

 

It lies in the French/Italian Alps close to Bardonecchia.

(The exact location I will keep a bit of a mystery for now)

Travel by carsharing or train to Bardonecchia

The cabin is owned by Nico, a good friend of mine who has been so generous to open it up for the purpose of this retreat.
“In this time of year there will be no one. You’ll have the valley all to yourselves” – Nico

Now, lets bring the romantic down to reality

When I say back to basic, I really mean basic. 

  • There’s no running water in the cabin. Instead 100m away is a river providing us with water for “showering”, cooking, dishes and drinking.
  • Off-the-grid we go: No electricity, no signal.
  • Yes candles. Yes fire.
  • It will be cold outside, very possibly snowy. These can be tough conditions.
  • We sleep in a dormitory style room
From the time when I lived in Norway

About Ludo

I once lived half a year in Norway. As often as we could my friends and I would go on cabin trips: Hike for several hours to a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere. We would sing around the fire, dip our naked bod’s in the lake, and try to catch fish. It awoke in me a part that I tend to forget when I spend too much time in the city: An adventurous free spirit that feels most at home in these raw places. It’s something primal. I hope you can relate to this feeling.

 

Ever since I have organized many climbing trips and nature gatherings, bringing together friends in wild places. These experiences together with what I learn from meditation and somatic studies (CI, massage, craniosacral therapy) form the basis for this retreat.

So friend, tell me,

Do you feel the call of the wild?

Registration has closed

There is space for 8 people