The living moment – A soul awakening winter retreat in Tantric Presence, Eros & Ecstatic Regeneration
Floda, Sweden 30 min from Göteborg
With Aurora Georgijevic, Morgan Arundel & the Spanda team
The first retreat from Spanda – a few winter days of tantra, Shaivism, silence, sensuality, nature, contemplation, connection and deep regeneration.
There are times in life when we need more stimulation. And there are times when we need less.
Less noise, less doing, less trying to become someone. More space to breathe, to feel, to listen, and to actually be where we are.
This winter, we are gathering in the Swedish countryside for a few days of deep rest, contemplation, tantric practice and meaningful human connection. A retreat for those who feel drawn towards a quieter, more refined exploration of tantra. A retreat where silence, sensuality, beauty and awareness can all belong together.
Resting into life
Tantra begins with a very simple recognition: this moment is already alive.
The body is breathing. The senses are receiving. The heart is beating. Something is moving through us all the time. And yet so much of our life can happen without us really being here for it. We think about life, organise it, plan the next thing while life itself is happening.
The tantric path invites us back into the body, back into the sensual presence, back love, back to vivid presence. To feel our beating heart tune with the pulse of life and restore our aliveness and hope.
A quiet kind of tantra
In this retreat we will draw inspiration from the contemplative traditions of Kashmir Shaivism and from teachings such as the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra – exploring the many doorways through which ordinary experience can become a doorway into awareness and bliss.
The breath, the senses, stillness, sound, beauty, touch, longing, pleasure, the space between two thoughts.
We will explore what happens when we stop constantly reaching for the next experience and become more available to what is already here. We will not chase endless stimuli, or intense peak experiences through dopamine pumping pushy tantric practices, but rather teach the body and soul how to feel more from life by resting in deeper presence with what is.
There will be periods of silence throughout the retreat. We will also have darkroom moments, of almost complete sensorial withdrawal of sitting in a dark room and learning how to deeply be with your Self.
We will aim to create spaces and opportunities step out of the constant stream of words and stimulation and meet ourselves a little more directly.
The sensuality of being here
We will also explore sensuality, eros and love.
But we want to approach these dimensions with a certain quietness and reverence. Rather than creating more stimulation, we will explore what happens when we bring more awareness into what we already feel.
What happens when attraction is allowed to breathe? When pleasure doesn’t have to lead anywhere? When touch becomes a way of listening? When we can meet another person without immediately turning them into an object of desire, expectation or projection?
In this sense, sensuality becomes part of the contemplative path. The senses are not something to overcome. They can become doorways into presence.
Making peace with ourselves
A retreat can also be a place to stop fighting with ourselves for a while.
To sit with what is here. The beautiful things, the unfinished things, the joy, the grief, the longing, and the parts of ourselves we are still learning to love.
There is a particular kind of freedom that comes when we don’t need life to be different before we allow ourselves to be at peace with it. Learning to grow and transform without being constantly at war with ourselves through endless self-optimizing programs and “hacks”.
We will not hack ourselves into a happier life, but using the tantric wisdom to welcome the fullness of everything that each day gifts us with.
The art of ecstatic living
We often associate ecstasy with intensity. A peak experience, a rush, something extraordinary happening.
But there is another kind.
The warmth of your body after a sauna. Cold air against the skin. Stars above you. The taste of a beautiful meal. A deep breath after meditation. Someone laughing in the next room. A quiet moment of connection with another person. Seeing something beautiful. Resting in a deep embrace.
Nothing extraordinary – and yet somehow, everything.
For us, ecstatic living is partly about learning to become available to these moments. To experience more of life because we are actually present for it.
The Retreat
Over these days we will weave together tantric teachings, meditation, silence, yoga, ceremonies, nature and meaningful encounters.
There will be contemplations inspired by Shaivism and the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra, tantric art and creative expression, explorations of sensuality and embodied presence, conscious relating, sharing circles and space for personal reflection.
There will also be time to simply rest.
To walk in nature. Read. Write. Sit by the water. Enjoy nourishing food. Spend time alone or with others. Let the nervous system settle.
And then there will be the simple pleasures of winter: sauna, warm water, cold air, tea ceremonies and hopefully a clear sky above us.
The beauty of winter
Winter naturally invites a different rhythm.
The landscape becomes quieter. There is less to distract us. We come inside, gather around warmth, sleep a little more, listen a little more.
We want the retreat to carry something of that quality. A feeling of being held by nature while having enough space to hear what is happening within.
A few days to regenerate.
A few days to come home to yourself.
Spanda
This retreat is the first one we are creating through Spanda.
Spanda is a Sanskrit word referring to the subtle pulse or vibration of consciousness – the movement within stillness, the living pulse that runs through existence.
For us, Spanda is about coming into deeper contact with that pulse: with life, with the body, with consciousness and with each other.
We want to create spaces where ancient tantric wisdom can meet the realities of being human today. Where spirituality can be deep without becoming heavy, where sensuality can be beautiful without becoming performative, and where silence and laughter can exist in the same room.
The place
Just outside Floda, around 30 minutes from Göteborg, we will be surrounded by Swedish forest and water.
The setting gives us the possibility to move naturally between togetherness and solitude. To practice, eat together, walk outside, rest, disappear into the sauna, and step out into the cold night air.
A few days to come home
Maybe what we are really creating is not a promise of transformation, but a space where something can naturally settle.
A chance to slow down enough to feel your own life again. To become a little more intimate with yourself, a little more receptive to beauty, and perhaps a little more available to the people and the world around you.
And then to take something of that home with you.
Into your relationships. Into your body. Into your intimate life. Into your work. Into the ordinary Tuesday morning.
Because the real practice begins there.
In life itself.
For whom is this retreat?
This retreat is open for anyone who wants to learn how to become more intimate and open and authentic in relating to others. Since we are focusing on intimacy as something that begins with YOU, with YOUR openness and willingness, it is very much an individual journey. The retreat is there for both singles and open minded couples.
This retreat is for people over 18.
Practical Details & sign up:
Retreat Dates:25th – 29th Nov
Program of the retreat
• Check in Wednesday 25th of Nov: 16.00 – 18.00
• The program of the retreat begins around 18.00 with dinner on Wednesday 25th Nov and ends 17.00 on Sunday 29th of Nov
Prices: (including course fee, food & accommodation)
We want to make this retreat acessible and offer a chance to pay what you afford:
Tier 1: 4900 kr (max 7 spots)
Tier 2: 5300 kr
Tier 3: 6300kr
We will offer 5 spots of grace – for people with financial challenges of 3900 kr.
Payment:
Pay the full price or pay 3000 SEK as a reservation fee.
– The remaining amount is paid at latest the on the 13/11.
– Any cancellations after 5/11 will not be refunded.
– Prices do not include transportation.
The retreat fee is transferred to Spanda via:
Swish: 123 265 36 32
Bankgiro: 5384-0062
IBAN: SE42 9500 0099 6034 2179 8707
Kontohavare: SPANDA STOCKHOLM
Payment has to be marked “Winterretreat” + YOUR NAME+EMAIL” as your final confirmation of your participation.
As we have LIMITED PLACES (and the last retreats sold out very soon after publishing the event) available please make your payment as soon as possible to secure your place.
Access is based on the first appearances of the payments.
• Cancellation policy: After the payment has been done we will refund 95% until 2 months before, 70% of the fee to 3 weeks before the event after that refund is not possible.
Accommodation
You will be hosted in simple 2-4 bed rooms
If you wish to have a private room please contact us on stockholm@spanda.nu (limited places for private room)
Private room extra fee 250kr/night
Important if you come for the first time!
We wish to create the most loving and safe spaces for these retreats, and also a space for safely and courageously meeting one’s limits and opening up for transformation and true leaps of consciousness.
Therefore we ask everyone who comes the first time to first apply for the retreat by sending us an email to stockholm@spanda.nu where we will guide you to fill in a questionnaire in order for you to feel if this is a retreat for you. You are also most welcome to contact us to speak directly with the teachers if you are uncertain if this retreat is suitable for you.
Consent, boundaries & self-responsability
• We care deeply about creating a space where people can explore, connect and open up while remaining grounded in clear boundaries and personal responsibility.
• Everyone is responsible for listening to their own limits and communicating them clearly. Participation in all practices is voluntary, and you are always free to say no, step back or take space for yourself.
• The retreat is intended for adults who are able to take responsibility for their own wellbeing and boundaries. While the practices may be supportive and deeply nourishing, this is not a therapy retreat and the teachers cannot provide individual psychological or medical care.
• There may be practices or moments involving sensuality or nudity. These are never obligatory, and there will be no explicit sexual interaction as part of the workshops.
• The invitation is to explore — while staying connected to yourself.
• We encourage 100% self-responsibility
• This retreat is meant for healthy adults (over 18 years) that wish to open up to beautiful transforming experiences and know how to set healthy boundaries.
• The teachers and the team aim to do the utmost to create a loving safe space, but it is up to each and everyone to evaluate their own limitations and possibilities and know how to find harmonious participation
• Sensuality and nudity might appear, however participation in any of the parts of the retreat is ALWAYS OPTIONAL and there will not be any explicit erotic interaction in the workshops
• Before the retreat begins, all participants will receive a consent and boundaries agreement with some simple guidelines intended to support a respectful and harmonious environment for everyone, with common sense indications regarding a harmonious integration for all participants during the retreat
• Other boundaries must be respected so that everyone can enjoy a beautiful experience
Should I bring my partner? Can I go alone?
The retreat is designed for both singles & open-minded couples. It is up to the couples to decide the frame of their participation. The entire program and all its activities are guided so that you will meet, mingle and interact with all the other participants.
We aim to have an approximately equal number of men and women to create a balanced frame for everybody.
You can come as a single or as a couple. As long as you are open to participating in the common activities you will have a great time.
Spaces for this transformative winter retreat are limited, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to nourish your soul, deepen your connections, and experience the magic of tantra
How to get there?
To reach our wonderful retreat from abroad destination there are different options – you can both fly to Gothenburg , Malmö or even Copenhagen airport!
The retreat location is on the country side, so consider that the trip would consists in changing from flight to trains, but definitely a wonderful view of the Swedish landscape!
What we recommend to reach the location in the smoothest way is to fly to Gothenburg airport. From here you would have two options:
– get a direct Uber (the car trip would take only 30 minutes and cost 30/40 euro which you can share in case you travel together with someone).
– by airport-bus travel to Gothenburg City from the airport and from there by train to Floda Station, which is a smaller town nearby the location.
Sweden is very well connected, so trains and busses departure regularly, and the trip takes in total approximately 1h 15min.
Floda station is about 12 km from the retreat. From here we will arrange 2 pick-ups on the 6th, or alternatively if you do not wish to wait it is very convenient to get an Uber (this would cost about 15 euro).
About the teachers & team
Aurora Georgijevic and Morgan Arundel have been practicing tantra for close to two decades and teaching for more than 18 years. Over the years they have held numerous retreats, workshops and festivals, working with thousands of people exploring tantra, spirituality, relationships, embodiment and conscious living.
Their teaching brings together substantial experience with a love for the living, human side of tantra – with room for depth, humour, sensuality, questioning and genuine encounter.
For this retreat they will be joined by the Spanda team, bringing different experiences, skills and perspectives into the space.
Together, we want to create something that feels both well held and alive: a retreat with a clear container, but enough openness for the experience to unfold naturally.
Join us on this unforgettable journey of love, connection, and conscious living. Rest in the winter’s loving embrace, and let your heart blossom in the beauty of the present moment.