Finnish Trekking Retreat (Lapland, Finland)

The Finnish Trekking Retreat is a backpacking meditation retreat in Finnish Lapland, often within Sápmi, the Sámi homeland. It is led by the Insight Meditation teachers Nathan Glyde and Zohar Lavie, and it suits people who want to practise meditation while walking through northern wilderness, carrying what they need on their backs.

The retreat runs for ten days, and the setting is the practice as much as the backdrop. Trekking and meditation share the days, in a region of Finland where the land has long been home to the Sámi people.

What to Expect

This is a trekking retreat rather than a stay in one place. The days are spent on the move through Lapland, with meditation woven into the experience of walking, camping and living simply outdoors. Nathan and Zohar teach in the Insight Meditation tradition, which brings together mindfulness, kindness and a practical look at how experience is put together.

Their wider work centres on dependent origination, the Buddha's teaching that all things arise reliant on other causes and conditions. They describe it as a practical exploration of how everything leans, and of how stress depends on thirsting. A long walk in open country is a natural place to see that for yourself.

About Nathan Glyde

Nathan Glyde is an Insight Meditation teacher recognised by Gaia House in the UK. He has practised and studied meditation since 1997 and has shared teachings on retreats since 2007. In 2004 he co-founded SanghaSeva, whose retreats emphasise wisdom and compassion in ecological and humanitarian service. With Zohar Lavie he writes the materials for DependentOrigination.org, a body of work on the Buddha's teaching of dependent origination, and the two of them offer retreats, online drop-in groups and meditation sessions.

About Zohar Lavie

Zohar Lavie teaches alongside Nathan Glyde and shares in the creation of the DependentOrigination.org materials. Together they aim to make this deep teaching accessible to everyone. Zohar also leads retreats and days of practice in the UK and in Israel, and offers online sessions, so the Lapland trek sits within a steady body of teaching rather than standing alone.

The Setting

The retreat takes place in Lapland, in northern Finland, often within Sápmi. It is a backpacking retreat, so the landscape itself is the venue, and you move through it on foot.

Before You Go

Because this is a backpacking retreat, expect to carry your own gear and to be comfortable walking and camping over several days. If you have questions about fitness, equipment or experience, ask the organisers before you commit.