“Flow state”
7 Day Creative Retreat in Labanoras, Vilnius County, Lithuania
Šiaurys Resort, Pasiaurės k. 1, Labanoras, Švenčionys District Municipality, Vilnius County, Lithuania
Lithuania Creative Retreat
A creative mind is a peaceful mind emotional well-being retreat. Creativity is not just drawing, painting, or writing. It does not have to be an activity at all. Creativity could just be a state of mind that feels more free. That is why this retreat is not just for creatives, they are for anyone who needs to rediscover more joy and ease in their lives.
Meet the instructors
Amy
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Highlights
- 6 days of activities
- Daily morning ritual
- Creative workshops and group sessions
- Tranquil surroundings
- 6 nights accommodation
- Tasty meals
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
6 days with instruction
Group size: Maximum of 20 participants
Accommodation
Facilities
- Sauna
- Fireplace
- Kitchen
- Lounge
- Terrace
- Yoga studio
- Library
Recreation complex Šiaurys is located in the legendary Labanoras Forest. This is a land for the people who love nature and believe in its powers, who want to make a pause amid the pace of the city and feel the silence and healing power of the forest, as well as those who want to devote their time to self-development and inner discoveries. This project appeared intending to bring together nature lovers and a united community of people who want to experience a life-changing forest and the magical silence of this space.
Program
Do you need to disconnect from external expectations, and connect to something that feels more natural - more like you? Benefits: emotional regulation - sense of fulfillment - increased performance - foster creative thinking. Akasha Yoga Collective encourages people who have never tried anything creative before to join, and you will get just as much out of this retreat as anyone. Anyone can be creative, it is just a matter of finding a way to get there.
Because they will offer a mixture of guided sessions and time to experiment and play, you will have lots of opportunities to explore - but also remember, there is no assessment or end goal in mind here. If you do create your masterpiece great, but just the challenge of trying this will be a great achievement for you. You will also get lots of benefits from being in a group, and being able to share and get feedback (if you would like to), as the group will be at lots of different levels, they encourage exchanging ideas and skills too.
They will be bringing the following items for use in the workshops they arrange:
- Set of paints (mixed acrylic and poster paints)
- Set of paintbrushes and palette
- Paper and card (variety of stock and color)
- One canvas per person for a special workshop
- Charcoal, pencils, and chalk
If you need something particular and would like them to source it, please send them an inquiry and they will see what they can do. If not, you will need to bring your own materials. There are several art shops in Oslo if you would like to buy them when you arrive in Norway.
Bringing back curiosity and play to the learning process
You can all remember being a lot less concerned about how you appeared to others at some point in your life. Young children learn new skills with more ease, partly because their brains are like sponges, but also because they simply do not care as much as you do as adults. The rereat will encourage you to get creative, by first reframing how you approach learning.
Akasha Yoga Collective has taken inspiration from many sources but overall they created this retreat in response to a collective feeling of being over-stimulated and under-inspired. Many studies show boredom as one of the key stages of creating, so here they bring you time for mental space, in contrast to your guided creative sessions. In this process, you can rediscover (or uncover) your inspiration again.
1. Ditch perfectionism
Trying to get things absolutely right is the death of creativity. Many great artists have to go through many ‘failures’ before they find their style, and the most unique ideas are often found when you least expect them. Perfectionism is a very modern issue, with online profiles that show only the best of everything, you do not always get to see what goes wrong. In some areas of life, of course, you need to aim to get things right, being creative is not one of them. The simple act of saying ‘it doesn’t matter’ is really powerful, and it is the first step in being truly creative.
2. Create for creating sake
As adults, you often feel like there has to be a purpose to everything you do - there does not. By removing the idea that you are creating something so you can post it on social media or as part of a professional project, you have zero limitations, and it all becomes a lot more fun and expansive. Without end goals in sight, you can just do what feels good, and get into the realms of enjoying creating again.
3. Learn through play
You were taught from a young age that learning had to happen in a certain way. Partly this comes from education systems and the need to have some way to measure success (i.e. exams). Unfortunately, some people are just not great at exams, but this does not mean they cannot learn. If you think back to being a young child, there were many things you learned very instinctively before you had to think about passing exams.
Many people have a great sense of what will look, feel, or sound beautiful, without there being any good reason behind it. By starting to learn new skills as you did when you were younger, just by trying and playing, you can find your own way of learning that feels right for you.
4. Repeatrepeatrepeat
A big part of creating is just practicing. No great creative got where they are without honing their craft, so you have to expect to spend time recreating your work again and again. In some ways the creative process is like an experiment, you have a hypothesis, you try it, and see the results, then you try a new hypothesis. This practice is key, so they want to help you find something you feel you want to make a part of your life in the future too.
5. Dare to be bored
Take plenty of time to do absolutely nothing. Just as your muscles need rest days between workouts to grow stronger, your mind needs periods of idleness to process. You do so at night while dreaming; during the day, your mind tends to process through daydreaming. In a series of studies, researchers found that subjects who were asked to do mundane, boredom-inducing tasks were more creative afterward.
Boredom is a “variety-driving emotion,” meaning that it primes you to seek out new and different - therefore creative - experiences and solutions. Boredom naturally fosters the foundational facet of wonder, openness. A ready openness to new experiences and to one’s environment leads to more potential creative insight.
This is a retreat for you if
- You feel a bit flat
- You have got creative block
- You are already an artist
- You are starting from scratch
What to expect
- A dose of disconnection: the venue will be deep in nature, and although they trust that you are all adults, they will encourage less screen time and unnecessary external stimulation
- Guided creativity sessions: you will have daily workshops and activities that they know help support creative thinking and start the process of becoming more free
- Space to share and exchange: creating can get emotional, and if it does, that is all welcome. this is not an art therapy retreat but it is a safe space to share your experience with others
- Lots of time to yourself (if you want it): a much-needed element of creativity is time alone, introspection, and a good dose of doing nothing at all
- Leave feeling re-inspired to create with a freer mind
Itinerary
They will have the option for you to join a morning guided meditation session every morning in the barn, or you can choose to take your own walking meditation around the grounds. They will overall encourage silence and reflection to start the day until you sit together for breakfast. This is your daily ritual to enter your day of creating. Following this mindful time, they invite you to spend time free writing, allowing anything and everything to pour out onto the page, there is no right or wrong way to approach this, but more a way to get the mind flowing.
On some days, they will offer some movement too, this could be anything from gentle yoga, to a chance to shake off the morning grogginess with some dancing. Every day, they will provide a morning workshop, pulling inspiration from many sources to bring you some different ways of thinking about how, and what, to create. This session is about experimentation, trying new things, working with others, and taking yourself out of your comfort zone. If you are already creative, it is a chance to drop a lot of what you already do and play with new ideas.
If you have never created before, this is your chance to find something that resonates with you. Whilst these sessions will be guided, there is no assessment, or desired outcome either. You are not focused on end goals, but more on experiencing the journey fully. Every afternoon you have time to invest in what you feel you need more of. This is your time to check in and ask "Do I feel inspired right now?" or "Do I need to allow some time for an idea to form?" If you need some silence and time to think (or feel), take a hike in the local area, sit by the fireplace and daydream, or even take a nap.
Remember, this time is just as important to your process as doing the work itself. If you are feeling inspired to create, the barn will be open for you to head back to your creative space and work. There will be an optional sharing space every evening before dinner, to come and share with your fellow creators. If you feel there is something you have created that you would like to share, this is your time. If you are feeling stuck and would like to get feedback from the group or just would like to sit and listen to what everyone else is experiencing, it is all welcome.
Daily schedule
- 07:00 Daily morning ritual
- 09:00 Hearty home cooking
- 11:00 Creative workshops
- 14:00 Free time versus create time
- 17:00 Talk, share, and listen
Instructors
Amy Patsalides
Amy is a natural ‘Yang’ personality with a background in marathon training and cross-fit. She is drawn to more athletic yoga practices such as Ashtanga and Vinyasa flow. Her yoga journey began as a new way to challenge her body, but became so much more than that, as she discovered the many layers of philosophy beneath the physical practice. Over the years, and following an intensive teacher training in Tantric Hatha yoga, she began to slow down and appreciate yoga, not just as a physical exercise, but as a holistic guide to being more balanced in body, and more importantly mind.
Location
The retreat will take place in Labanoras, Vilnius County, Lithuania. Siaurys is located about 80 kilometers from Vilnius and 130 kilometers from Kaunas. You will get the detailed coordinates upon confirmation of your booking.
Distances
- Vilnius Airport (VNO) - 1 hour drive
- Vilnius, 80 kilometers
- Kaunas, 130 kilometers
Food
All meals are included in the price. You will have a chef preparing all your food during the retreat to allow you to focus totally on immersing yourself in the process. Starting the day with a filling breakfast, they will provide some light snacks for lunch, and a nourishing buffet-style dinner where you join together to end the day. A glass of wine by the fireplace is also an optional addition to your evening. All dietary requirements are covered.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- Creative workshops
- Group sessions
- 6 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
- Artist supplies
- Access to one of the saunas
What's not included
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
How to get there
Recommended Airports
VNO
Vilnius Airport
68 km
Transfer not provided
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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