Lithuania · 18–24 June 2027
The Sun & Moon Retreat
The Sun & Moon Retreat
Pirtis rituals · Tree teachings · Herb walks · Sound & Somatics · Rasos fire ceremony · Sutartinės singing circle
Survilų Sodyba, Lithuania · 18–24 June 2027
Silvija Šuliokaitė & Garwyn Linnell · 8 people
Midsummer in Lithuania. Six days. Eight people.
A gathering rooted in the Lithuanian pirtis tradition -heat, plants, whisks, cold water, fire. Three ritual sauna sessions across the week, each one shaped by the season and the trees. Morning qi gong beside the lake. Herb walks through the land. Salt scrubs and hydrosol made by hand from what we gathered that morning. Sound journeys in the long evening light. And on the final night — Rasos — the ancient Midsummer ceremony, the amber fire, sutartinės circle guided by Justina Joana, the songs that have been sung on this land for centuries.
ᛊ ᛚ
Early bird
SOLD OUT
Standard · 2 places left
£1,400
Accommodation allocated upon booking · paid on arrival.
Options from €10 camping per night to shared cabins.
Who this is for
This retreat is for you if:
You're drawn to ancestral practice, plant medicine or the Lithuanian tradition specifically.
You want five days where the pace is set by the land, not a timetable.
You're a practitioner wanting to go deeper into your relationship with trees and heat.
You simply need to stop. Properly. On ground that holds you while you do.
The 6 Days
The structure below holds the week, but not tightly. Each day has its own character and some of what happens will only be known when you're there — when the land speaks, when the group settles, when something opens that couldn't have been planned. The schedule holds the container. What fills it will find its own way.
A Day in the life of retreat
20 June · A window into the rhythm of the week
7:30 — Qi gong beside the lake with Garwyn. Slow, grounding.
9:00 — Breakfast
10:00 — Medicinal and folkloric herb walk with Silvija — foraging from the land
12:00 — Plant hydrosol and salt scrub crafting from what we gathered
13:30 — Lunch
14:00 — Free time. The lake is cold and clear. The forest is close. Rest is part of the practice.
17:30 — Tea ceremony and Sound Journey with Garwyn
20:00 — Dinner
The Arc of the Week
18 June — Arrival
The land receives you. A barefoot walk. A shared meal. Kanklės and cello after dinner.
19 June — Roots · Full Moon
Whisk making from the land. The first pirtis at dusk. Three hours under the Full Moon.
20 June — Depth
The herb walk. The making. The sound journey by the lake.
21 June — The Solstice
Sunrise on the land. Time in the forest. A long free afternoon. The solstice pirtis at dusk. Fire and kanklės after dinner.
22 June — Preparation
Movement, stillness, sound. The retreat holds its breath before Rasos celebration.
23 June — Rasos
The Rasos pirtis in the morning. A free afternoon. At dusk the ceremony opens - the amber fire, the sutartinės singing circle with Justina Joana. The fire burns through the midsummer night.
24 June — Rasos Morning
Slow breakfast. No rush. People leave in their own time carrying what they made.
Meet Silvija and Garwyn
Silvija Šuliokaitė — Pirtininkė & Herbalist
Born in Jonava, Lithuania. Trained at the Baltic Pirtis–SPA School and Perkūnija Sauna School. Silvija has spent years working with the trees, plants and healing charms of the Lithuanian pirtis tradition. She facilitates private rituals, women's gatherings and group sessions in the UK and Lithuania, and is the creator of With The Trees — a seven-session digital series moving through the trees central to Lithuanian pirtis practice.
This gathering takes place on her family's land, in the town she was born in.
Garwyn Linnell — Sound & Somatics
Garwyn is a sound practitioner and somatic therapist with a background spanning qi gong, cello and embodied movement. He has co-facilitated nature immersions and retreat experiences across Europe and is the composer behind the Dream with the Trees soundscape series (coming soon). His work is slow, precise and deeply held.
Justina Joana, Sutartinės Singer
Sutartinės are ancient Lithuanian polyphonic songs, recognised by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
On Rasos night Justina will guide us into a sutartinės circle — an invitation to slow down, reconnect and experience the power of singing together. No singing experience needed. You learn through listening, through singing together, through being held in shared sound.
Justina Joana is a Lithuanian folk culture practitioner with over seven years of experience leading sutartinės circles. She welcomes people from all walks of life into this unique and deeply connecting tradition.
Come as you are.
Guests book and pay accommodation directly with Survilų Sodyba, separately from the retreat fee, so you have full choice of how you want to stay. This is arranged via us.
Accommodation
Camping — own tent (1 spot taken)
Shared facilities · €10 per night · €60 for 6 nights
€10 per night · €60 for 6 nights per pitch. Bring your own tent and pitch it on the land. The most immersive way to stay — waking up inside the forest, steps from everything.
The Forest Cabin 1 (Available)
New Shared Cabin · two single beds · sleeps 2 · €65/pp per night · €390/pp for 6 nights
A shared cabin for two €65 per person per night — €390 each for the full six nights. This cabin is currently being expanded and will be ready ahead of the retreat, larger than shown. Simple, warm and private — ideal for two friends or a couple.
The Forest Cabin 2 (Sold Out) Shared cabin · 2 people · €100 per night · €600 for 6 nights
€100 per night for the whole cabin. Shared between two, that's €50 per person per night — €300 each for the full six nights. Close to the lake and the pirtis.
Shared between 4, that works out to €37.50 per person per night — €225 each for the full six nights. One of the largest space on the land and the closest to both the pirtis and the lake.
The Pirtis Cabin (2/4 Spots Left) Shared cabin · up to 4 people · €37.50/pp per night · €225/pp for 6 nights
FAQs
Can I come alone?
1
Yes. Most guests come solo. From the moment you arrive you’ll be welcomed into a warm, open-hearted group, with plenty of space for both quiet time and connection. We have the loveliest guests and have seen so many beautiful friendships form on retreat.
I’m new to sauna/ somatic proactises, can I still join?
2
Yes. You don’t need to be “good at sauna or meditation” to come. The retreat is open to all. We’ll always offer options so you can be and move in a way that feels kind and supportive for your body.
What’s the food like?
3
Abundant, colourful and deeply nourishing. All meals are vegetarian (with eggs) - created to stabilise and nourish your nervous system, not restrict you. Guests often comment on how surprised they are by how well-fed they feel.
We don’t serve alcohol on retreat. Tea and coffee (regular and decaf) are available at breakfast, and you’re invited to notice what feels most supportive for your body and nervous system during the week.
4
What about caffeine or alcohol?
Can you cater to allergies or special diets?
5
In most cases, yes. When you book, you’ll be able to share your dietary needs and we’ll confirm what’s possible with our chefs so we can prepare in advance. We can’t safely cater for extreme nut allergies, but for most other requirements we’ll do our best to make sure you feel well cared for.
Is there much free time?
6
Yes. The rhythm of the week is deliberately spacious. There are generous breaks between sessions for rest, treatments, reading, journalling, walks or simply lying by the lake and doing nothing.
What should I pack?
7
Think comfortable layers for practice, swimwear, something cosy for evenings and your usual travel essentials. All of your sauna kit. Room towels are provided. Before the retreat you’ll receive a simple packing list so you feel fully prepared.
How do travel and airport transfers work?
8
You’re welcome to arrange your own Bolt taxi or hire a car from the airport, which is often very affordable and lovely for exploring during your stay. We can help you with this. We’re also close to Kaunas Airport (around 20 minutes)
What if I can’t make it at the last minute?
9
Your deposit is non-refundable. If you need to cancel more than 12 weeks before the retreat, any additional payments you’ve made will be refunded. Within 12 weeks of the start date, we’re unable to offer refunds, but if we can fill your place we’ll always do our best to explore options with you.
What makes this retreat different from others?
10
This is not a spa weekend or a yoga holiday with a sauna thrown in. It is six days on Lithuanian land at Midsummer, held by a pirtininkė who was born here — who learned this tradition from inside the language, the lineage and the land it comes from.
The trees we bring into the heat are not interchangeable. The healing charms from the folk archive are nearly five hundred years old. The Rasos ceremony on the final night is not staged for guests, it simply happens here, every year, at this time.
There is nowhere else in the world you can experience this. Not because it has been designed to feel rare, but because it is.
Booking is open.
To book, pay the £200 deposit below. I'll be in touch within 48 hours to confirm your place, answer any questions, and send full practical details.
Early bird places go first. When they're filled, the standard price applies.