Six days in Lithuania’s Labanoras Forest, a secluded winter sanctuary of frozen lakes, deep silence and ancient Baltic traditions. Stay on a private three-hectare peninsula with luxurious lakeside accommodation, a glowing wood-fired sauna, a forest-view yoga studio and endless ice-dip possibilities. Everything is included once you arrive; transfers from Vilnius, traditional sauna rituals, daily yin and flow yoga, meditation and yoga nidra, cold-water immersion and breathwork, a gong bath and sound journey, Lithuanian crafting, a guided nature walk, and all meals, snacks, teas and coffees throughout the day (plentiful and nourishing). The only thing not included is your flight - simply get yourself to Vilnius and the rest is held.

Two beautiful lakeside houses with panoramic forest and lake views. Warmed by underfloor heating and open fires, rooms are single, shared, or ensuite. Outside, the peninsula is ours alone, with a sauna a few steps from the shore, a glass-fronted yoga studio, and a tipi for fireside gatherings under the stars.

Fresh, seasonal dishes from local cooks using produce from the Labanoras region. Simple, wholesome, and full of flavour - think steaming soups, rustic breads, forest berries, and herbal teas. All meals are included, nourishing both body and spirit after icy dips and long walks.

Morning flow, evening yin, and guided meditation with Fiona in the forest-view studio, with snow and silence just beyond the glass. All welcome, with optional Ayurvedic yoga massage for deeper rest.

Cold water immersion with Sarah is offered as a guided, optional practice, supported by simple breathwork techniques to help regulate the nervous system. You’ll be invited to explore the cold safely and at your own pace, with an emphasis on awareness, choice and embodied calm rather than endurance.

A Lithuanian pirtis ritual led by our top Lithuanian sauna masters. In the lakeside white smoke sauna, steam, forest-gathered herbs, and the gentle rhythm of birch whisks cleanse the body, calm the mind, and root you in centuries old tradition.

A guided walk with our local nature expert through ancient woodland, frozen rivers, and wildlife-rich wetlands. Spot white-tailed eagles, listen to the snowy owls, track wild moose, and learn the art of calling wolves.

A hour gong therapy session with Raimondas Binkauskas. Bowls and gongs fill the air with deep, resonant waves, a sound journey that settles the mind and softens the body.

Your wellbeing is at the heart of Sauna Stillness & Stars. This escape includes traditional Lithuanian wood-smoke sauna sessions and invigorating icy Baltic lake dips, a truly unique hot-and-cold immersion.

These temperature shifts can be intense, so please make sure you’re in good health. If you have heart or circulation problems, high or low blood pressure, respiratory conditions, epilepsy, diabetes, are pregnant, or have had recent surgery, check with your GP before booking.

You choose how much or how little you take part - there’s no pressure. We simply ask that you enjoy the magic safely, follow our guidance, and avoid alcohol or drugs before any sauna or cold-water activity.

From the UK you can fly directly to either Vilnius or Kaunas. Vilnius is 1.5hrs from the island and Kaunas is approximately 2 hours away. Vilnius is a beautiful medieval town and is perfect for a stopover.

Our minibus will leave Vilnius at 1.30pm on 2 February and return at 10 am on 7 February

February in the Labanoras Forest is true winter. As an inland, forested area, temperatures are consistently cold, with average daytime temperatures around –2°C and night-time lows often dropping to –8°C or below. Snow is common, and the landscape is frequently blanketed in white, with crisp air, quiet forests, and limited daylight.

Conditions can vary - some days are dry and clear, others snowy or occasionally damp, but it is reliably well below freezing. These are ideal conditions for the profound contrast of icy lake dips followed by deeply warming sauna rituals.

With the right clothing and equipment, you’ll stay comfortable, safe, and able to fully relax into the experience.

Please bring:

• Warm layered clothing (thermals are essential)

• Waterproof coat and sturdy waterproof boots

• Swimwear

• Sandals or Crocs (for moving between sauna and lake)

• Ice grips for shoes

• Head torch or torch

• Hat, gloves, and thick wool socks

• Comfortable clothes for yoga and meditation

Optional (but useful):

• Neoprene boots, gloves, or a wetsuit for cold water immersion

February in Labanoras is not about enduring the cold — it’s about meeting it well-prepared, then letting the heat, stillness, and forest do their work.

Once you have booked your escape your deposit is non-refundable. 

Cancellation more than 120 days before the start date of the retreat: full refund minus deposit. Cancellation 90 – 119 days before the start date of the retreat: 75% refund minus deposit. Cancellation more than 60-89 days before the start date of the retreat: 50% refund minus deposit. 

Cancellation less than 60 days before the start date of retreat: No refund. But at our discretion we may put the balance paid towards another escape. 

Terms and Conditions

Waiver of Liability

FAQs

Arrive at 3pm to our luxurious lakeside haven, tucked deep within Lithuania’s Labanoras Forest. Settle into your cosy room, wander snowy forest paths, and begin to meet your fellow wild-hearted women.

As the light softens and the sun lowers over the frozen lake, gather by the fire and ease into the rhythm of the escape. The evening unfolds gently with optional yoga, a nourishing dinner, and a soft closing meditation to welcome rest and stillness

(no sauna on arrival day)

Begin the day with optional flow yoga, followed by guided cold-water immersion and breathwork, gently leading into a Baltic ice dip before a hearty breakfast.

The morning remains open and unstructured before lunch.

After lunch, enter the heart of Baltic tradition with a three-hour Lithuanian wood-smoke sauna ritual, led by master sauna practitioners Inga and Romas. Steam, birch whisks and forest herbs blend with the exhilaration of plunging into the ice hole.

The day closes with a nourishing dinner, followed by optional yin yoga and meditation.

(Guided sauna ritual)

The day begins with optional flow yoga, moving seamlessly into guided cold-water immersion and breathwork, with the option of an invigorating cold dip in the ice hole for those who wish, before breakfast.

Late morning is left open and unstructured, with time to rest, explore the forest at your own pace, enjoy Lithuanian crafting, or book an optional Ayurvedic yoga massage for individual care.

After a nourishing lunch, the afternoon is spent on a guided nature walk through the surrounding forest, learning to track wildlife, listen deeply to the land, and even practice calling wolves, with opportunities for quiet observation and wildlife spotting.

The day closes with a nourishing dinner, followed by optional yin yoga and meditation, supporting deep rest.

(Unguided Sauna)

The day begins with optional flow yoga, moving gently into guided cold-water immersion and breathwork, with the option of a cold dip in the ice hole for those who wish, before breakfast.

Late morning is left open and unstructured, with time to rest, explore the forest at your own pace, enjoy Lithuanian crafting, or book an optional Ayurvedic yoga massage for individual care.

After a nourishing lunch, the afternoon is dedicated to a Lithuanian sauna ritual with Fiona, a slower, more intimate experience of heat, steam and stillness.

As evening arrives, gather for a nourishing dinner, followed by optional yin yoga and meditation, allowing the body and mind to settle deeply.

(Guided sauna ritual)

The day begins with optional flow yoga, flowing gently into guided cold-water immersion and breathwork, with the option of a cold dip in the ice hole for those who wish, before breakfast.

Late morning is left open and unstructured, with time to rest, explore the forest at your own pace, enjoy Lithuanian crafting, or book an optional Ayurvedic yoga massage for individual care.

After a nourishing lunch, the afternoon is spent enjoying the sauna at your own pace, allowing warmth, quiet and rest before gathering later in the day.

From 5–7pm, Gong Master Raimondas Binkauskas guides a deep sound journey using resonant gongs and bowls. Wrapped in warm layers and blankets, you’ll be held as sound and vibration soften the nervous system, still the mind and invite deep rest.

The escape closes with a final shared dinner, followed by a fireside closing ceremony in the teepee.

(Unguided sauna)

Enjoy a final breakfast together, time to pack and say goodbye, and a last moment by the lake or fire if you wish.

We depart by minibus at 10am, returning to Vilnius.

(No sauna on departure day.)