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SEEKÂ THE LIGHT
Maha Gayatri New Years Retreat
December 30, 2026 - January 5, 2027 | Oulu, Finland
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Step into the threshold of the New Year and choose the light.
There are moments in time that ask for more than intention. They ask for devotion. For discipline. For a return to what is sacred.
Seek the Light is a deeply immersive japa retreat devoted to the Maha Gayatri Mantra—one of the most powerful and illuminating mantras in the yogic tradition. Led by three Sattva Yoga Master Teachers, we enter into rhythm with this mantra through repetition, ritual, and stillness… allowing it to reshape the inner landscape from the inside out.
You don’t chase the light. You become available to it.
WHY MAHA GAYATRI
The Maha Gayatri Mantra is a direct invocation of illumination; a call to awaken clarity, truth, and higher intelligence within you.
It is said to purify the mind, dissolve illusion, and align you with your highest path.
Through consistent japa practice, this mantra becomes more than sound; it becomes state, frequency, way of being.
And while it is ancient in origin, its impact is immediate, visceral, and deeply alive.
There is no high like mantra (believe me, we have tried it all). No external experience compares to the clarity, openness, and subtle power it awakens within.Â
THE EXPERIENCE
This is not a retreat where you consume.
It is a retreat where you practice.
Each day is intentionally designed to support depth, rhythm, and transformation:
- Mala Making & Intention Setting Ceremony
Craft your own mala and anchor your personal prayer for the year ahead - 4 Days of Guided Japa Rounds
Immerse in the repetition of the Maha Gayatri Mantra in a held and powerful container - Daily Meditation & Kriya Journeys
Refine your awareness and move energy through intentional, transformative practices - Sacred Puja Rituals
Connect to the elements and the subtle layers of devotion - Full Day of Integration
Space to land, listen, and allow the work to settle into your system - Evening Practices
Yoga Nidra + Sound Healing to restore and integrate each day’s depth - Northern Lights Viewing
A reminder of the vastness, beauty, and mystery you are part of - Nourishment at the Highest Level
Grounding, intentional meals prepared by a private chef with Michelin-star experience
WHO THIS IS FOR
This retreat is for you if:
- You’re ready to start the year with clarity and intention not chaos
- You crave a true practice-based experience, not just relaxation
- You feel called to mantra, ritual, or the deeper limbs of yoga
- You want to be held in a space that is both structured and deeply transformative
No prior experience with japa is required, only willingness and curiosity.
WHAT YOU’LL LEAVE WITH
- A personal relationship with the Maha Gayatri Mantra
- A completed mala infused with your intention
- Tools for daily practice (japa, kriya, meditation)
- A nervous system that feels clearer, steadier, and more regulated
- A powerful energetic reset to carry into the new year
And most importantly, a felt sense of light that isn’t dependent on anything outside of you.
RETREAT RHYTHM
Each day is intentionally designed to guide you deeper into stillness, into practice, into the frequency of the mantra.
There is a rhythm we will follow…one that balances devotion, spaciousness, and integration.
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DECEMBER 30: ARRIVAL + OPENING THE PORTAL
You’ll arrive into a warm, grounded space, settling into the land, the home, and the container we’ll co-create together.
In the evening, we gather for our Opening Ceremony;Â a moment to arrive fully, both physically and energetically.
Together, we will:
- Set clear and intentional prayers for the year ahead
- Be introduced to the Maha Gayatri Mantra and the path of japa
- Create your personal mala, infusing each bead with intention and devotion
This night is about anchoring your why so that every practice moving forward is infused with meaning.
DECEMBER 31 – JANUARY 3: THE PRACTICE
These four days are devoted to japa, ritual, and transformation.
Each day follows a sacred rhythm:
Morning — Awakening the Field
- 8:00 AM | Puja
We begin in ritual, connecting to the elements and invoking clarity, guidance, and light - 8:30 AM | Meditation
A steadying of the mind and refinement of awareness - 9:00 AM | Kriya Journey (90 min)
Transformative, energizing practices designed to move prana and awaken the inner current - 10:30 AM | Nourishing Brunch
Grounding, intentional meals prepared by our private chef
Midday — Entering the Mantra
- 11:00 AM | Japa Rounding
Repetition of the Maha Gayatri Mantra, building momentum, focus, and internal resonance - 1:00 PM | Light Lunch (Soup + Bread)
Simple, grounding nourishment to support practice
Afternoon — Deepening Devotion
- 3:00 PM | Japa Rounding
Extended immersion into the mantra: this is where the shift happens, where repetition becomes meditation… and meditation becomes state
Evening — Integration + Restoration
- 7:00 PM | Dinner
Warm, deeply nourishing meals to replenish the body - 9:00 PM | Restorative Yoga + Yoga Nidra / Sound Healing
Integration practices to allow the nervous system to receive and process the day - 10:00 PM | Optional Northern Lights Viewing
Step outside into the night: into stillness, awe, and the vastness of nature
SPACIOUSNESS + SUPPORT THROUGHOUT
This retreat honors both discipline and softness.
During free time, you’re invited to:
- Soak in the hot tub or sauna
- Walk in nature and integrate in silence
- Rest, journal, or simply be
Optional Add-On Experiences:
- Jyotish (Vedic Astrology) Readings
- Reiki Sessions
- Private Sound Healing
JANUARY 4: INTEGRATION DAY
After days of deep practice, we shift into integration.
This is where the experience becomes embodied.
The day will include:
- 1:1 Integration Sessions for personalized reflection and support
- Group Integration Circle to process, share, and anchor your experience
- A gentle outdoor group experience to reconnect with the body and the natural world
There is nothing to push here—only to listen, absorb, and allow.
JANUARY 5: DEPARTURE
We close the container and prepare to transition not by leaving the practice behind, but by carrying it forward.
You’ll depart with:
- A completed mala
- A lived experience of japa
- A clear, grounded energetic state to enter the new year
A NOTE ON THE PRACTICE
This rhythm is intentional.
Japa is not about intensity for the sake of effort; it is about consistency, repetition, and devotion.
Over these days, something begins to shift:
The mind quiets.
The body softens.
The mantra takes root.
And what begins as something you practice…
becomes something you are.
Meet Your Facilitators: Catherine, Charrise, and Laura
This retreat is guided by a team of three dedicated teachers, each bringing depth, devotion, and years of lived practice to the space we’ll share.
Together, we are Sattva Yoga Master Teachers, trained in the Himalayan tradition and teaching internationally—offering practices rooted in kriya, mantra, meditation, and ritual.
Our work is grounded in the understanding that yoga is not just something you do, but something you become.
Across our individual paths, we have guided thousands of students through trainings, retreats, and transformational containers around the world. What unites us is a shared devotion to the authentic transmission of these practices and a commitment to holding spaces that are both powerful and deeply supportive.
Throughout this retreat, you’ll be held by all three of us through practice, through integration, and through the subtle moments in between.
Catherine Wetenkamp
Founder of Seek Yoga Collective, Sattva Yoga Master Teacher, Vedic Astrologer
With well over 5,000 hours of teaching experience and 2,000+ hours of advanced training, Cat has led dozens of 200- and 300-hour yoga teacher trainings across the globe. Her work synthesizes power vinyasa, kriya, meditation, and Tantric philosophy, offering a rare depth of practice that initiates students into their own power as ritualists, leaders, and wise teachers.
Cat completed advanced initiatory study at Sattva Yoga Academy in Rishikesh, India, under the guidance of Anand Mehrotra. Through this sacred study within a living Himalayan Tantric lineage, Cat deepened her devotion to kriya yoga and the wisdom teachings of the Dasha Mahavidyas. She carries these teachings forward with reverence, integrity, and devotion. As a Sattva Yoga Master Teacher, her work is not merely instructional; it is devotional, radical, and liberatory.
Cat’s teachings have reached thousands—from sold-out crowds at Yoga on the Rocks (three-time featured teacher) to elite athletes like the Denver Broncos, whom she supports in mindfulness, recovery, and resilience. Across retreats, teacher trainings, and transformational spaces, she brings yoga into both peak performance and the quiet grit of everyday life.
A lifelong student of goddess mythology, non-dual Tantra, and the inner technologies of awakening, Cat teaches with both heart and precision. Her classes are not simply sequences; they are portals, alive with breath, story, sweat, and silence. Through her work, students do not just learn yoga; they begin to live it.
Laura Ianata
Sattva Yoga Master Teacher, Vedic Astrologer, Chef
Laura’s path is one of devotion—to awakening, to nourishment, and to the quiet art of caring for others.
Her journey into awakening began early, shaped by a deep sensitivity to the unseen layers of life. Drawn to both Western and Eastern traditions, she has spent years exploring the philosophies and practices that illuminate the path of self-realization. This calling led her into profound and transformative studies in Zen Shiatsu, Macrobiotics, Yoga and Meditation, and Astrology—each discipline offering its own gateway into awareness, balance, and well-being. For years, she has walked the path of Tantra, embracing it as a way of life rooted in devotion, discipline, and the continuous evolution of the Self. Through this journey, a natural desire emerged: to share these teachings and guide others toward deeper connection and inner alignment.
Alongside this spiritual path, Laura’s culinary journey has been a parallel expression of love and nourishment. Her earliest memories are in the kitchen, baking biscuits with her mother—moments that instilled in her the understanding that food is union, love, and a way of caring for others. Raised in a family from Central and Southern Italy, she grew up immersed in a culture where cooking is an act of generosity and connection. Even as a child, she found joy in preparing meals for friends.
With the support of her mother, she began her professional culinary career in a one-star Michelin restaurant. Over the years, she has refined her craft in various kitchens, with one of her most impactful experiences being nearly two years in a Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant. A vegetarian for over 15 years, she brings a thoughtful and creative approach to her cooking—blending local Italian flavors with ingredients and inspirations from around the world.
Her spiritual name, Annapurna, reflects her essence: the embodiment of nourishment and abundance through food. For Laura, cooking is more than a skill—it is a joyful, expressive, and sacred act of sharing love, cultivating connection, and caring for others on every level.
Charrise Ramkissoon
Sattva Yoga Master Teacher, Sound Healer
Cher brings a unique and deeply integrative presence to her teaching. With a PhD background, she is able to ground ancient yogic wisdom in a way that feels accessible, relevant, and embodied in the modern world.
Trained in Vinyasa and Himalayan Kriya Yoga from the Yog-Vedantic lineage, her teaching invites students to explore not just the physical body, but the energetic and inner landscapes that shape their lived experience.
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, with North and South Indian roots, Cher feels a profound connection to the yogic traditions that run through her heritage. These practices are not just something she teaches—they are part of her lived story, helping her continually rediscover a sense of belonging within herself and the world around her.
She is also a trained facilitator of Blue Health, embracing the understanding that true wellbeing arises through our connection with nature. In her spaces, students are gently guided back into relationship with the earth, their bodies, and their own inner wisdom.
Cher offers a grounded yet expansive space for exploration, where each person is supported in returning back to themselves.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Your experience is designed to be seamless, nourishing, and deeply supportive so you can fully devote yourself to the practice.
Your retreat includes:
- 6 Nights Luxury Accommodation
Shared or private rooms in a secluded, high-end mountain home designed for rest, warmth, and connection - All Daily Meals
Thoughtfully prepared, nourishing cuisine by a private chef with Michelin-star experience
(Brunch, light lunch, and dinner daily) - Full Guided Retreat Experience
- Opening Ceremony + Intention Setting
- Mala Making Workshop (all materials included)
- Daily puja, meditation, and kriya journeys
- 4 days of guided Maha Gayatri japa rounds
- Evening restorative yoga, yoga nidra, and/or sound healing
- Integration Day with group + optional 1:1 support
- Sacred Ritual + Practice Materials
Everything you need for japa and ceremony, including supplies to make your own personal mala - Access to On-Site Amenities
Hot tub, sauna, and nature immersion spaces - Northern Lights Viewing Opportunities
Weather permitting, with guidance on optimal times to experience - Held by 3 International Sattva Yoga Master Teachers
Continuous support, guidance, and energetic holding throughout the retreat
*Retreat programming and inclusions, add-ons, and exclusions are subject to change as details become finalized.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
To keep the experience flexible and personalized, the following are not included:
- FlightsÂ
- Optional Add-On Sessions, including:
- Jyotish (Vedic Astrology) Readings
- Reiki
- Private Sound Healing
- Travel Insurance (required)
- Personal Expenses (snacks, special requests, etc.)
A NOTE ON VALUE
This retreat is not simply a place to stay;
it is a fully guided, immersive practice container.
Every detail from the food to the schedule to the teachings is designed to support a single intention:
To help you enter the new year clear, grounded, and deeply connected to your inner light.
