Swedish Lapland: Deep Nature, Shaman Retreat, and Sámi Culture
Join One Planet Journey’s Iwona Bolöv as she journeys deep into the sub-Arctic landscape of Lapland in the north of Sweden. Here she hears the heartbeat of the Earth at a Sámi shaman retreat. A mystical and spiritual experience that immerses her in the Indigenous Sámi culture, where people and nature share sacred space with the invisible forces of our environment. A deep and personal travel story not to be missed.
Heading to a Sámi Shaman Retreat
Northern Lapland in Sweden is a place of vibrant colours in the sky, where one can almost feel the Earth’s heartbeat among the branches and roots of the trees. It is said that here, along with the Indigenous Sámi people, powerful deities of the elements of nature have their kingdoms, their secrets guarded by shamans, spiritual intermediaries between the human world and the invisible forces of the universe.
The Sámi have inhabited these sub-Arctic lands for millennia, preserving their language, traditions, and beliefs, maintaining an unbreakable bond with nature. They are the last Indigenous communities in Europe where shamans still play a key role – as healers, historians, visionaries, and spiritual guides. The region is magical, especially in winter, with its breathtaking northern lights, skiing possibilities, wildlife safari, husky sledge, and sacred Sámi shaman retreats with locals who also showcase their way of life. I’m here on a personal journey and am eager to begin this deep travel experience.
Encounters with a Sámi Shaman
Who are we? Where do we come from? What gives meaning to life? As a social researcher, photographer, and writer, these questions always accompany me. The impact of the wisdom of Indigenous cultures on contemporary challenges, from environmental degradation to a feeling of alienation in a world of excessive consumption, has interested me for some time.
I decided to spend a few days with Lena Greus, a shaman from the Forest Sámi people and travel to the north of Sweden to Suijavaara, a village located in the sub-Arctic areas near the Swedish border with Finland. Lena is a respected figure in her community, with her work featured in documentaries about shamanism and Sámi shaman retreats in Sweden and France. Her mission is to remind us that a genuine connection with nature and building a deep relationship with it is the key to inner fulfilment. It’s also the first step in lasting change, both in ourselves and in the world.
Sámi’s Singing Forest
My journey to Lena takes me deep into Arctic Lapland, beyond Kiruna and Karesuando in northern Sweden. I take a sunrise flight from Stockholm, and in under two hours, I am soaring over a grey-marbled landscape comprising frozen lakes, snow-covered peaks, and forests that seem to have no end. As we land, two moose outside the perimeter watch us curiously.
I get on a bus into Kiruna and catch a connecting service to Karesuando. Kiruna delights with its colourful wooden houses. In the centre, tourists can sign up for winter safaris with reindeer, elk, and husky sleigh rides. Occasionally, red-faced groups return in vans from their Arctic adventures. Just 20 km from Kiruna, you find the world’s first ice hotel in the village of Jukkasjärvi.
During the three-hour bus trip through wild forests and clearings, with spruces, pines, and birches covered in snow, we sometimes see reindeer crossing the road. Lena and her husband pick me up in Karesuando.
As we head to Suijavaara, we pass another herd of reindeer. Pointing to the ancient forest stretching around us, Lena says, “You can hear Mother Nature singing here.” She adds, “But I’m afraid that soon this forest will disappear if it’s cut down for mineral mining to make batteries. We have survived so many centuries, but if they take these trees away from us, we’ll lose our home.”
As we drive in silence, the trees flash in the headlights. I reflect on how fragile things can be, knowing she means both her physical home and the deep millennial bond the Sámi people have with nature.
The Shaman Connection to Nature
“I am a shaman from the Forest Sámi, separate from the Mountain, Reindeer, or Sea Sámi,” Lena says. Her wooden house, built by her great-grandfather and expanded over the years, is now a Sámi shaman retreat centre. Pointing to the pine trees outside the window, she explains, “We created this place so that travellers could come and reconnect in the virgin forest because Mother Nature is the real source of life.“
Michaël Rouhaud, who is currently staying with Lena and organising Sámi shaman retreats for individuals from France, Belgium, and Switzerland, adds, “I aim to help people hear their inner voice, which is often drowned out. I want to demystify shamanism and show that it is the most natural thing we as humans have always had. Shamans connect with the heart of humans and nature.”
A Shaman’s Test and Dimensions of Energies
When I wake up in the morning, wooden carvings of elks, bears, owls, and horses, as well as reindeer in paintings, look at me from every corner, bringing me into a new reality. “My big brother is the forest bear,” Lena says, pointing to a portrait on the wall.
During breakfast, I asked Lena what a shaman is, and she replied thoughtfully, “A shaman must ground themselves to hear spirits. By interpreting signs and signals from the environment and guided by empathy and responsibility, a shaman acts.“
“How?” I inquire.
“By connecting different unseen dimensions,“ Lena says, and adds, “The community chose me to be a shaman many years ago. I first realised my gift at the age of 5 when I noticed everything communicated with me – trees, flowers, water, sky. Over time, I developed the ability to see various spiritual dimensions, including those related to healing others.”
Shaman Nature Retreat
Since childhood, Lena had felt a connection to nature and a need to be close to animals and trees. Despite choosing to become a nurse, others noticed her skill in healing and encouraged her to embrace her calling – as a shaman.
“A significant culmination of the shaman’s gift is the test – the ability to stop bleeding. Usually, only shamans possess that skill,” – Lena explains. “People come to me with a variety of requests for assistance with wounds and illness to relationship problems and contacting the deceased souls of loved ones. By delivering messages from other dimensions, I help people gain a broader perspective on reality and provide reassurance.”
Lena perceives different shapes of energy, various realities, and connections between them. “I follow Albert Einstein’s teachings on how energy transforms into mass. Emotions, which I see as energy, manifest as illnesses. Shamans give guidance on aspects of life that transcend ordinary understanding,” she adds. Over time, she expanded her work by organising Sámi shaman retreats for individuals outside her community, providing them with an opportunity to connect with nature, human beings’ true home.
Virgin Forest, Spirits, and Re-connection
“Today we reveal nature’s energy as we connect with the source in a ceremony above the Grand Canyon, immersing ourselves in the richness of the natural world,” Lena says.With firewood, reindeer skins, and ceremonial attributes, we traverse Lapland’s winter savannah.
“We walk among nature’s spirits. Open, and you can feel them, though only a few can see them,” Lena explains, pointing out places of power: trees, rocks, and clearings. “Stand between those pines, touch their bark, close your eyes, and release your pain. They help carry your burden.” Opening myself to nature, I sense its profound richness. In this ancient forest, life pulses around me, and through my heart, I almost feel the Earth’s very heartbeat.
Living Art
After two hours, we reach the Grand Canyon. Michaël lights a bonfire as Lena leads the ceremony connecting us with the energy of the Ice (North), Wind (East), Fire (South), Water (West), Mother Earth below, and the gods, goddesses, and ancestors in the Sky and the Northern Lights above. As Lena plays the Jew’s harp, Michaël joins in. When it is time to set intentions, gratitude fills me for nature’s richness and Lena and Michael’s guidance.
After the ceremony, Lena asks, “Which great spirit of nature do you feel the most?” “The Canyon waters,” I reply and add, “But I also see something else – my sister’s gaze in your eyes.”
Lena looks at me and says: “Would you like to do a shaman drum ceremony to make Raven and Wolverine eat dead meat?”
“Yes,“ I answer instinctively.
“We will do it tonight,” she replies. After putting out the fire, she adds, “We leave only ashes in the forest.”
As we return, the tones of the sky shift, the sun descends, and nature enters a colourful sleep. In silence, I feel the material beauty of the outdoors and hear the ethereal aspects of my consciousness. Everything feels like living art, and we, its wandering figures on display in an art gallery.
I sense nature within me, with energy flowing from trees, air, and snow. After a moment, Lena says “Tomorrow our mountain wants me to take you there. If you want, we can leave after breakfast.”
“Yes, I’d love that,” I reply. “Is it far?”
“It’s the sacred mountain of the Sámi people, a place where we seek answers. We will go by snowmobile on prepared roads.”
Lávvu, the Drum, and the Red Flower
Soon, a drum ceremony awaits in the traditional portable Sámi Lávvu tent made of conical canvas and long wooden poles with a fireplace and reindeer skins on the ground. “The shamanic drum is a tool that allows us to enter a trance and receive information from other spiritual dimensions of existence,” Lena explains as she prepares the tent for the ceremony.
“We believe that after 20 minutes, a person enters a trance.“ Lena sits by the fireplace holding a drum and instructs, “Lie down comfortably on one of the skins, close your eyes, and let my Raven and Wolverine eat the dead meat.”
As I cover myself with another skin, I lay there with Lena’s dog and feel a connection to the pristine forest and wild nature around me, sensing various beings.
A Journey of Self-discovery
As the drum begins, accompanied by Lena’s animal sounds, I feel transported to the soul of the universe. Soon, someone grabs my hand. It is my deceased sister, looking beautiful and healthy. “Come on, let’s run together,” she says, smiling. In the distance, I notice our grandmother sitting by a window of a wooden house, dressed in a warm sweater, drinking tea, and waving. We wave back, running through rubble made of bones and black coals.
“I will guide you through, but we must hurry,” my sister says. As I turn away, I see a scary bird and a wolverine following us. “Don’t fear them,” my sister reassures me. Then I spot a reddish-pink flower and want to pick it. “Not now,” my sister insists and explains, “My animals need to eat first; they are so hungry.”
I shake off something, delighting the animals and my sister, who smiles lovingly. Right after, I take the flower and place it on my heart, feeling a surge of energy flooding my entire chest. As the drum stops, my sister waves to me.
Sámi spiritual traditions
When I open my eyes, Lena asks “What did you see?” After telling her about my vision, she replies, “Beautiful.” As we leave the tent, the image of rubble, my sister, and the flower linger, along with the drumming in my ears. It felt so real. I am filled with a sense of richness, as if nature and my ancestors are holding my hands with love.
Sauna and the meaning of life
“And now the sauna. We will warm up,” says Lena. We start with revitalising pine, then cleansing tar, energetic sage, and relaxing juniper. As their scents fill the air, I listen to Lena speak passionately about the sauna as a place where everyone is equal and a sisterhood between naked women is born. “Here there is no competition. We talk about our innermost problems, advise each other on matters of the heart, and exchange wisdom.”
Wondering how the Sámi have survived for millennia in the harsh Arctic, yet also built a unique and nature-friendly culture, I ask Lena about their values. “The most crucial ones are family, modesty, and honesty. Also, for us, Forest Sámi, it is important to ask nature for permission before taking something from it and leaving nothing but ashes.”
She continues. “To protect nature, we must first connect with it. Without a connection, empathy is difficult. It’s natural to protect what we have a relationship with, so I try to foster that bond through our Sámi shaman retreats. We must remember we are nature.”
Referring to excessive consumerism, she adds, “When you connect to the Earth, you need less stuff. Nature fills your life, bringing a sense of abundance, love, gratitude, simplicity, and a deep connection to its richness.”
Creativity and Curiosity
Listening to Lena, I think about the values of the Sámi and Indigenous People. They are deeply connected to nature, the opposite of the culture of quick-profit consumerism. This has led to the exploitation of the Earth’s natural resources and disconnects people from their environment.
“What, in your opinion, provides meaning in one’s life?” I ask.
“Being creative and discovering yourself in the journey of life. We are from the creative force, so we can also create. To explore mind and nature with respect, learn new things, be curious, speak your truth, and not marginalise yourself. In this way, you find the key to your courage. Many believe that a creator made us, and we should continue the Creator’s work by expressing our truth,” Lena answers.
Sacred Mountain, Life, and the White Tree
“We’ll see why the mountain wanted me to take you there,” Lena says, smiling. Riding on a snowmobile, we pass through the wild savannah and its sacred sites, unusual trees, and massive stones, believed to be gates to the afterlife. We stop at Camp Faravid, a survival camp managed by Lena’s brother Conny for extreme-condition adventurers, photographers, and military personnel.
Conny cleared the forest roads from snow, allowing us to make the trip. When we reach the top of the mountain, it’s all white. The sky, the peak, and the trees. They are all united. From the edge, I see different directions leading to three Nordic countries, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, where the Sámi live. There are no borders in sight, only wild nature stretching to the horizon on each side and the sound of the wind.
Balance of life
My eyes focus on a solitary tree that connects the Earth and the sky. It symbolises the balance of life that many ancient and native cultures see between a nurturing mother and a protective father. Lena then asks, “What do you feel?”
“Relief, unusual peace, and harmony as if everything has integrated into wholeness in me.”
I then ask, “Why is this mountain holy?”
“Because it provides answers and new perspectives. Just like physical distance in travel is important because it helps us gain more insight and find our own. Here we bring future shamans for shamanic initiations,“ Lena responds. Feeling a surge of creative energy, I hear nature around me speaking in the language of various stories that want to convey their meaning.
Sámi Dress, Gift and Life’s Path
After lunch, we head to the tent, where Lena appears in her traditional Sámi dress. “I’m going to show you my Sámi outfit, the drum, and the tent in the daylight. My drum is a replica of one of only two surviving shamanic drums destroyed during Christianisation. They come from our Finnish line of Sámi. It is from them I inherited my shamanic gift.”
As I photograph Lena in her dress, holding the shaman drum, I wonder about the idea of a gift passed down through generations and ask, “What is a gift and how does one discover it?”
“Start with what you love most and where you feel the most energy,“ Lena advises.
I press on, “And if someone feels a gift as a burden? What to do?”
“The key is to embrace and accept what comes, to be in genuine connection with it.”
Shamanic Journey in Nature
“Our life path illuminates by shifting perspectives,” Lena continues.“ To find yourself, be curious about yourself, avoid judgement, recognise what energises you, and understand your deepest values, which evolve with time. Embrace change, let it flow through you, and listen to your inner voice.”
As Lena plays the drum in the daylight, the tent appears like a time capsule transporting us to other dimensions. Looking at Lena and knowing that this ritual is centuries old, I feel time pause only for us. I sense the power of the present, the abundance of life, and a newfound place within myself. “A solitary trip to the desert, forest, or mountains helps answer life’s most important questions,” she continues. “Travelling allows you to know yourself in an unfamiliar environment. Delight is crucial for life energy, fostering creativity and empathy.
I ask Lena if she has a message for the readers of One Planet Journey. With a smile, she replies, “Hug a tree! Trees have extraordinary emotional, spiritual, and physiological healing powers, as they emit phytoncide. They will also show where the real source is.”
Farewell via Karesuando, Kiruna
Driving away from Lena towards Karesuando, I sense all aspects of my being integrating, experiencing great peace and energy. As I gaze upon the virgin forest holding memories of thousands of years and countless lives, my imagination bursts. It seems I leave behind its echoing songs resonating with melodies from other dimensions. I spend my last night in the sub-Arctic in a hostel in Karesuando. From there I catch a bus to Kiruna at dawn and then a plane to Stockholm.
Michaël accompanies me. He will soon guide another group for a Sámi shaman retreat. The temperature hovered around minus 22 degrees Celsius as we set off. Now and then, our driver stops to allow reindeer to pass. He leaves me with this parting thought, “When creativity becomes a part of the Sámi shaman retreats, it’s like the culmination of everything. People not only open up, but they also create from the depths of their souls.”
Have you been to Swedish Lapland? Have you ever taken part in a shamanic ritual? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe to our newsletter and benefit from travel guides, sustainable tourism and luxury travel tips, insightful interviews, and inspirational places to visit. One Planet Journey – The World’s First Deep Travel Magazine.
