Luminous Presence Retreat

Welcome to a unique tantrik immersion in the heart of magical Lapland in the beginning of December! This retreat offers a beautiful opportunity to explore the vibrating silence and splendor of our true nature. There are moments when we savor a felt sense of inconceivable mystery. It is as if we participate with every cell of our being to an all-pervading luminous network of life, one with its pulsing aliveness. In such moments, the limited narratives about our life and our self dissolve into pure being, astonishing in its simplicity and radiant power. We sense with absolute clarity that what we are in our deepest core is something infinitely vast, unborn, undying, and unwounded. This recognition is like coming home. Luminous Presence Retreat is an invitation to respond to the silent call from our depths and relax into undivided beingness. It is an intentionally created sacred container to explore embodied presence and play, empowered by contemplative tantrik practices. The haunting otherworldly beauty of the Lapland kaamos provides a perfect setting for this journey. This invitation includes: *Natural grounded presence through intimacy with the whole of your experience *Awareness cultivation from nondual tantrik tradition *Rejuvenating embodiment practices: yoga and somatics *Unique magic and power of the nature of Lapland *Sacred ceremonial work & ecstatic dance *Authentic sharing *Relaxation, sauna, avanto and “palju” under the stars (and if we are lucky) Northern Lights *Accommodation in gorgeous, traditional guesthouse Loihtua reserved just for us WHAT IS THE INTENTION OF THIS RETREAT? ⊹ Step into nondual view and perception of Reality ⊹ Learn simple and powerful practices to abide in your essence nature and access it’s innate joy, freedom and innocence ⊹ Shift your perspective from conditioned patterns to the underlying truth of your being ⊹ Embrace unconditional openness: surrender to the fierce grace of your life ⊹ Remember what is truly important! ⊹ Attune with spontaneous flow and intuitive insight ⊹ Increase your capacity to stay centered & connected, no matter how life unfolds ⊹ Directly experience the inherent unity and interconnectedness of existence “Just as waves arise from water, undulating flames from fire, and light-rays from the sun, the various kinds of waves of the universe arise from that which I AM - the awe inspiring power of Consciousness.” | Vijnana Bhairava Tantra 110 ABOUT OUR APPROACH: This retreat is a synthesis of the modalities of nondual tantra that we found most powerful on our own journeys when it comes to actualizing the goal of the path known as bodhi (awakeness). The lineage of shaiva tantra is the main source of liberating insight and inspiration for this retreat that we have both been studying and practicing in depth. Christopher Hareesh Wallis is a teacher of ours from this tradition whose work on the original texts has made these teachings accessible for a vast amount of people in our time. As facilitators we draw from our background in various forms of yoga, tantra, meditation, inquiry, nondual therapy, dance, movement, somatics, trauma-informed therapy and nonviolent communication (NVC). IS IT FOR ME? No previous background in tantra or awareness cultivation is needed. If you feel like on the verge of taking the next step on your awakening journey, this retreat offers various tools and insight to navigate the process, as well as space for authentic sharing with fellow practitioners. This doesn't mean you have to have a practice background. In fact, if this endeavour is something completely new for you to explore, there is the favorable benefit of a fresh beginning. Open mind and curiosity are the only requirements. Wonder is a gateway to grace. REGISTRATION: If you feel called to join us, register by reaching out to Gloria via E-mail ([email protected]) or phone (+358407393874) VENUE: This retreat is hold in the traditional LOIHTUA guesthouse in the full nature and magic of Lapland, Levi. The house has a warm, cosy, homy feeling with views of the open landscape of winter wonderland, huskies and Northern Lights. For pictures of the venue and different room options, please visit the page: https://www.loihtua.com/ Accommodation is in 4-6 persons rooms. There are also private and two person's rooms available with additional cost. The earlier you book, the more options will you have as in which room you would like to stay. TIME: The official program starts on Thursday 1.12. at 16.00. You are welcome to arrive earlier to enjoy the gorgeous guesthouse and the nature around. Finnair flights from Helsinki to Kittilä arrive either 8.15 or 12.55 to Kittilä. We recommend booking those. The retreat program ends on Sunday 4.12. latest at 15.00. Finnair flights from Kittilä to Helsinki leave 18.35 or 21.55. and we recommend booking those if you wish to travel to Helsinki on Sunday. MEALS: We will have three meals per day including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our catering is taken care of by an amazing culinary crafter. She will cook us delicious vegetarian and gluten free food during the whole retreat. Water boilers, coffee and tea will be supplied all day. There will be an evening snack also available after the program ends every evening. FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION: * Early Bird until 3rd October: 530€ * Standard price after 1st of October: 610€ There are limited single and double room spaces, so if this is important to you, we recommend booking soon! (Travelling to the venue is not included in the price. Please see below the information for travelling to Levi.) TRAVELLING TO THE VENUE: By car: Address to the venue: Inarintie 172, 99140 Köngäs By plain: Please check Finnair for flights: https://www.finnair.com/fi-en You need to take a flight from Helsinki to Kittilä airport. From the airport there is a bus running in connection to the flights to Levi. From Levi we arrange a transportation to Loihtua guesthouse. Warmly welcome! Gloria & Viivi Please follow the discussion section for more information about the venue, content, facilitators and more. BIO: Viivi Jokela Viivi Jokela shares from the universal wisdom of nondual awareness: awakening to the nature of Reality and the deeper truth of what we are. Her background is in the lineage of nondual shaiva tantra (Kashmir shaivism), which she first encountered academically (MA), and later on experimentally as direct experience. She is especially inspired by the aesthetic aspect of the tantrik path: a way of moving in the world as pure sensation, free from artificial division or conceptual overlay. Abiding in the sense experience in this unfiltered manner, one attunes with self aware wonder. An irresistible sense of yielding and expansiveness takes place. Life reveals itself as one unified flow. Grounded on the awareness cultivation practices of the direct way, she integrates somatics, intuitive movement, music, and embodied yoga to explore this so called natural mode of being. Her main teacher is Christopher Hareesh Wallis whom she met in 2014 after a profound awakening impulse took place. Other teachers that she has studied with are Adyashanti (nondual zen), Paul Muller Ortega (shaiva tantra), Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (bön dzogchen), and Rupert Spira (Kashmir shaivism & advaita). Gloria Salo Gloria has had passion for paths of awakening consciousness since she was a child. She began her serious study of yoga 20 years ago. After she found the esoteric and tantric practices of yoga and meditation, she committed herself to the ancient sacred yogic and tantric tradition. She lived years in an ashram near one of her teachers to deepen her understanding of spirituality, yoga, tantra and self-inquiry. During the years abroad she graduated as a yoga teacher, and concluded a years long tantric education. Gloria has always had deep interest in human psyche and the different dimensions of consciousness. The quest to understand the hidden potentials deep within, led her to graduate with Masters of Social Sciences, majoring in Social Psychology. Gloria has written her Master Theses on Mindfulness Meditation and in her academic studies combined psychological studies with her personal experience in meditation. Gloria is a child of not one but many traditions. She has studied with a world famous yogi Gokulchandra Das and has graduated from various Gokul Yoga Teacher Trainings with the emphasize on deep yogic practices and Bhakti - heartful devotion. These days she studies and practices classical nondual tantra from the Trika and Krama lineage with Christopher (Harees) Wallis. Currently she is training NVC (non-violent communication) and Living Compassion, and is doing her post studies in cognitive therapy.