Return to Nature is an exclusive yoga retreat in the north of Norway. 

This weekend retreat is a sweet collaboration between the Arctic Yoga Conference (AYC) and the Heartfollowers, and this retreat will be our 9th year of inviting practitioners to the most beautiful yoga event in nature. 

The theme of the retreat is simple living and emotional wellbeing, and is an exclusive and intimate immersion of practice, nature and creativity. The retreat is led by Kristin Vikjord Paternotte, the founder of Arctic Yoga Conference - and it is the first event in the release of her new book, Inner Spark! The retreat program will cover exclusive drops from Kristin´s first book, 

You ´ll get to immerse yourself in Dharma teachings and practices such as mindfulness meditations, breath work, and mindful yoga. In addition there will be more creative sessions, and we'll be outside as much as the weather allows. 

Return to Nature is a retreat where you'll get to practice and reconnect with yourself - breathing the purest air, by the sea, in the woods, under the mountains. 

Warmly welcome!

Kristin believes in empowering emotional wellbeing, for integrated health to lead a wondrous life, and provides services through her online practice. She is trained clinical psychologist, yoga therapist & mindfulness facilitator, and is venturing a global paradigm shift of empowerment to mental health through her work. 

Practicing for nearly 20 years, and teaching for more than 15, Kristin is connected to the Spirit Rock community of dharma practice. She has spent the last decade on the application of yoga and mindfulness teachings as part of clinical work and mental health, both for patients and training health care professionals alike. 

Kristin is co-founder of Delight Yoga, the biggest yoga school in Europe, and the Arctic Yoga Conference. You’ll find her teachings on the online platform The House of Yoga, and presenting at the Inner Peace Conference in Amsterdam in October. Kristin is publishing her first book, Inner Spark, in September 2019.

Kristin lives in Bodø, Norway, with her husband and two sons, and they spend their time between the nature there, and city life in Amsterdam. Click HERE to read more.

Arctic Yoga Conference was founded in 2010 by Kristin and Wessel Paternotte, and has pioneered the last decade connecting global leading teachers of yoga, dharma, and mindfulness, with healthcare practitioners, academics and researchers. We have proudly hosted (amongst others) James Fox, Dr. Shirly Telles, Alexander Medin, Katiza Satya, Mark Singleton, Govinda Kai, Ronald Siegel, Prof Ingunn Hagen, Prof Silje Wangberg, Dr. Fahri Saatcioglu, Dr. Deborah Norris and many more. 

AYC has been held at various locations in and nearby Bodø, and collaborations with local businesses has been a core aspect, as to show our participants the beauty of our region. We have been so lucky to collaborate with the Heartfollowers from early on, and this year a dream comes true in organising an event with them, at their most beautiful retreat place.  

Ingrid Marie and Benjamin Hjertefølger hosts in their very own Nature House at stunning Sandhornøy, surrounded by beach, ocean and mountains. Here you'll find a breathing space just a little out of the ordinary. Their wish is to show an ecological lifestyle that promotes the potential of human and nature. 

Ingrid Marie and Benjamin has designed ond built Norways very first nature house, all by themselves. It is also the first home in Norway built in cob. Their house has naturally received lots of international attention since they started building it. Both inside and outside the geodesic dome, there´s a particular ambiance of stillness that creates the most beautiful framework for yoga and meditation. In addition they have their own garden where they cultivate ecological vegetables, and organises courses in vegan foods, cooking and raw foods.  

The Heartfollowers firmly believe in what they do, and share this promise on their site: 

"I swear in the name of everything I care about in this world, that I will do my utmost to spread permaculture, love, comfort, truth and freedom in this world for all who wish to take part in such a life and philosophy. With the help of these people we shall together clean up the contamination in the ground and the waters and cultivate quality food that will make minds think clearer and bodies work better. We shall create paradise on Earth and have fun while we are at it!"

Read more on their site, and contact them directly for questions about the accommodation. 

http://hjertefolger.no

The food is an essential part of the retreat, and it´s an honour to collaborate with Ingrid Marie and Benjamin, having not only curated this beautiful retreat venue (which is also their home), but also their vegetable garden and how the cook their homegrown foods. 

The food is ecological, homegrown, and all meals vegan - the most delicious three meals a day you only dream of. Ingrid Marie and Benjamin will share their secrets with us, on both how to grow you own food but also how to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle in your very own home. 

Expect a happy belly and a happy body <3

Bodø is easy accessible by airplane, we recommend booking transfer tickets (stopover Oslo) through Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). 

Getting from Bodø to Sandhornøya retreat venue

• Car: it takes 1,5 hour to drive from Bodø. Route from Bodø airport to the Nature House
• Bus: from Bodø Airport or Sentrumsterminalen to Sandhornøy bridge (where we pick you up). Fridays the bus departs from Bodø Airport at 16.55 and from Sentrumsterminalen at 17.15, arrival Sandhornøy bridge at 18.30. Retour on Sunday from Sandhornøy bridge both at 16.00 and at 18.20, arrival at Sentrumsterminalen by 17.10/Bodø Airport kl 17.20 and Sentrumsterminalen at 19.35/Bodø Lufthavn kl 19.40. 
• Boat: The boat departs from Sentrumsterminalen in Bodø to Våg (where we pick you up). Fridays the boat departs at 16.00 from Bodø and arrives at the stop Våg at 16.35. Retour Sundays from Våg at 21.05, arriving in Bodø at 21.40.

Go to THIS site to find the route for bus and boat.