Lakeside Nature & Meditation Retreat in Glaskogen, Sweden

The retreat takes place at Lakeside Retreat inside Glaskogen Nature Reserve in Sweden. The reserve is one of the country's larger protected areas, made up of forest, lakes and waterways, with marked trails and plenty of quiet. You stay on the lake, so swimming and canoeing are directly accessible from the property. The daily program includes meditation sessions, yin yoga, guided nature walks, canoeing and swimming. All activities are optional — you decide each morning what you want to join. There's no pressure to fill the day.

A typical day might start with a morning meditation, followed by breakfast. Mid-morning could be a yin yoga session or a nature walk. After lunch, there's free time for canoeing, swimming, reading, or walking further into the reserve. In the late afternoon there may be another yoga or meditation session, then dinner. Evenings are quiet — sitting by the lake, watching the light change, or an early night. The exact schedule shifts with weather and the group, but the rhythm stays the same: something to join if you want, and nothing you have to do.

What makes this different from a lot of yoga or wellness retreats is that it isn't trying to be a program. There's no mandatory workshop, no group sharing circle, no digital detox rule. It's a quiet place in a nature reserve where meditation and yin yoga are offered. The instructors are there to guide sessions, not to run your day. If you've been on retreats where the schedule is packed from 6am to 9pm, this is the opposite.

The location is the main draw. Glaskogen Nature Reserve is in Värmland, western Sweden, near the Norwegian border. It's forest and water in every direction, with canoe routes, swimming spots and hiking trails. Wildlife is common — you may see deer, moose, and a range of birds. The retreat is built to sit lightly in that landscape. You're not in a hotel with a nature view; you're in the reserve.

Lakeside Retreat has been running these stays since at least 2020, based on the site copyright. The format is simple: come for a set number of days, stay in basic comfortable accommodation, eat meals together, and use the lake and forest however you like. It suits people who are comfortable with their own company and don't need to be entertained. If you want a structured fitness or yoga training camp, this isn't it. If you want a quiet week of meditation, yin yoga and being outdoors in Sweden, it is.

What's included

- Accommodation at Lakeside Retreat - Daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Daily meditation sessions - Yin yoga sessions - Guided nature walks - Canoeing on the lake - Swimming in the lake - Access to the nature reserve trails

What's not included

- Travel to and from the retreat - Airport or station transfers - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Alcoholic drinks - Optional extra activities not listed