Arrive in Sri Lanka and settle in before the retreat begins. We recommend arriving no later than 23 October and spending the night near Colombo International Airport.

This pre-retreat night is not included in the retreat price. We will provide recommended accommodation options and detailed information about the meeting point and group transfer before the journey.

In the morning, we meet near Bandaranaike International Airport and begin our journey together towards the Habarana area. As the city gradually gives way to a greener landscape, we make our way to the small eco-lodge that will be our home for the next seven nights.

Once we arrive, there is time to settle into our rooms, rest and explore our surroundings. There is no need to rush into a schedule. This first day is about arriving — not only in Sri Lanka, but also in the slower rhythm that will shape the week ahead.

We meet Maulie and discover the story behind the place we are staying. Years ago, she chose to leave a successful professional career and follow a very different path. Through her story, we learn how degraded land was gradually restored into a thriving ecosystem and how the idea emerged of creating a place where people could live more closely with nature.

Later in the day, we take a boat ride on the lake, our first opportunity to observe the landscape from the water, notice the birdlife and begin to experience the area at a different pace.

In the afternoon, we come together for a gentle grounding practice and an introduction to the retreat and the days ahead.

In the evening, we share our first dinner together at the lodge.

Meals included: Dinner

We wake to the sounds of nature and begin the day with yoga, meditation and breathwork.

Later in the morning, we meet Maulie for our first experience of Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku), the Japanese practice of slowing down and experiencing the forest through our senses. Guided by Maulie, we walk slowly among the trees, notice the changing light, listen to the sounds around us, explore different textures and begin to pay attention to the small details that often go unnoticed.

After lunch, there is time to rest and enjoy some personal time.

In the afternoon, we go birdwatching around the lake and through the forest. The area is home to a remarkable variety of birdlife, and the experience gives us another opportunity to slow down, observe and become more familiar with the natural world around us.

We end the day with dinner at the lodge and a quiet evening in the forest.

We wake to the sounds of nature and begin the day with yoga, meditation and breathwork.

After breakfast, we set out for **Sigiriya**, the iconic “Lion Rock” and one of Sri Lanka’s most remarkable historical sites. Rising dramatically above the surrounding landscape, this ancient rock fortress reveals the remains of a royal citadel and offers a fascinating glimpse into the island’s past.

We then continue to the **Dambulla Cave Temple**, one of Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist sites. Its caves, filled with Buddha statues and centuries-old paintings, introduce us to a spiritual tradition that remains deeply woven into everyday life across the country.

In the late afternoon, we return to the forest for dinner and a quiet evening at the lodge.

We wake to the sounds of nature and begin the day with yoga, meditation and breathwork.

Later in the morning, we return to the forest for another Forest Bathing experience with Maulie. Now that the forest has become more familiar, we go a little deeper into the practice, allowing more space for observation, presence and connection with the natural world.

After lunch, we walk to a nearby village to spend time with members of the local community and learn about their everyday lives and relationship with the land.

Together with women from the village, we prepare a traditional meal **by the river**. We wash the rice, prepare the ingredients and cook together, following methods that are part of daily life here. As the food comes together, so do conversations, stories and laughter — the kind of human connection that often grows naturally around preparing and sharing food.

The meal that follows is about more than what is on the table. It is an opportunity to spend time together, get to know the people behind the place and experience a little of Sri Lanka through the eyes of those who call it home.

The rest of the day unfolds at an easy pace, with time to rest and enjoy some personal space.

We wake to the sounds of nature and begin the day with yoga, meditation and breathwork.

After breakfast, we set out for Polonnaruwa, one of Sri Lanka’s most important ancient capitals and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We walk among temples, royal palaces, ancient reservoirs and intricate stone carvings that reveal the scale and significance of the city nearly a thousand years ago. As we explore, we discover an important chapter in Sri Lanka’s history and see how religion, architecture and everyday life came together in one of the island’s great ancient kingdoms.

In the afternoon, we return to the forest and join **Maulie for another Forest Bathing experience**, shifting once again from history and exploration to the quieter rhythms of the natural world.

In the evening, we gather for dinner at the lodge.

We wake to the sounds of nature and begin the day with yoga, meditation and breathwork.

Our morning continues with another Forest Bathing experience with Maulie, exploring the forest through the senses and quiet observation.

Later, we meet Dr. Pilapitiya, who has devoted much of his life to studying and protecting Sri Lanka’s elephants and to finding ways for people and wildlife to coexist.

Through his work, we discover a different side of Sri Lanka. We learn about the lives of elephants, their movements and family bonds, and the habitat that supports them. We also gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by local communities living alongside wild elephants and the ongoing efforts to make coexistence possible.

We explore the surrounding area, looking for signs of elephant activity and observing the landscape from a different perspective. If we are fortunate, we may have the opportunity to see wild elephants from a distance, always respecting their natural behaviour and space.

In the evening, we gather by the lake for dinner with Dr. Pilapitiya and members of the local community. As night falls, conversations unfold around nature, village life and the stories of this land.

The evening ends with Pel Kavi, a traditional form of Sri Lankan folk singing rooted in rural life. Through music, humour and storytelling, we encounter a living cultural tradition that continues to be part of local community life today.

We wake to the sounds of nature and begin the day with yoga, meditation and breathwork.

Our final full day in the forest unfolds without rushing. There is time to rest, enjoy some personal space and take in the rhythms that have become familiar over the past few days.

Later, we visit Ritigala, one of Sri Lanka’s most atmospheric archaeological and spiritual sites. Hidden within the forest are the ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastery, where monks once chose a life of simplicity and seclusion. We walk among stone pathways, ancient steps and the remains of monastic buildings, in a landscape that still carries a remarkable sense of quiet.

As the day draws to a close, we continue to Aukana, home to one of Sri Lanka’s most impressive ancient Buddha statues. Arriving as the light begins to soften gives us time to experience the site at a quieter pace — a fitting end to our days in the forest.

We return to the lodge for our final evening surrounded by nature and our last dinner together here, before continuing our journey into the mountains of Sri Lanka the following morning.

We wake to the sounds of nature and begin our final morning in the forest with yoga, meditation and breathwork.

After breakfast, we say goodbye to the place that has been our home for the past week and set off for Ella, one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful mountain regions.

Our journey takes us through changing landscapes, tea plantations, small villages and winding mountain roads, revealing another side of the island.

In the afternoon, we visit the iconic Nine Arches Bridge and have time to explore the surrounding area and enjoy the mountain atmosphere of Ella.

The change in landscape brings a change of rhythm too. We leave behind the quiet of the forest and enter Sri Lanka’s highlands, surrounded by tea country, cooler air and a very different scenery.

We spend the night in Ella.

After breakfast, we leave Ella and make our way towards Tangalle, on Sri Lanka’s southern coast.

As we leave the mountains and tea country behind, the landscape gradually changes until we reach the shores of the Indian Ocean, where we will spend the final days of our journey.

After arriving and settling into our accommodation, the rest of the day is deliberately unhurried. There is time to rest, swim and enjoy our first hours by the sea.

In the afternoon, we come together for yoga, meditation and breathwork by the ocean, ending the day with the sound of the waves and views of the sea.

We begin the day with yoga, meditation and breathwork by the Indian Ocean.

There is no set schedule today. The day is deliberately left open for rest, swimming, reading or simply spending time by the sea.

After days filled with experiences, encounters and changing landscapes, this is a chance to slow down even further and allow time for everything we have experienced to settle.

Later in the day, there is space for personal practice, a walk along the beach or simply listening to the sounds and rhythms of the ocean.

We begin the day with yoga, meditation and breathwork by the Indian Ocean.

The day unfolds slowly, with plenty of time to rest, swim and simply enjoy being by the sea. It is a chance to stay a little longer with everything we have experienced over the previous days, to enjoy the ocean and to let the journey settle in its own time.

Later in the day, we come together as a group for a final circle of sharing and reflection — a moment to look back on the places we have been, the people we have met and the different rhythms of life we have experienced along the way.

We begin our final day in Sri Lanka with yoga, meditation and breathwork by the Indian Ocean.

The rest of the morning is free to rest, swim, take a walk along the beach or simply enjoy a few more hours at the slower pace we have settled into over the past days.

In the afternoon, we come together for a farewell meal, a final moment to share around the table before saying goodbye to the sea, the journey and the group that has formed along the way.

Later in the afternoon, we leave Tangalle and transfer to Bandaranaike International Airport, where our journey together comes to an end.