Olympus Retreat

Friday

We depart on Friday morning at 08:00 from Thessaloniki. We arrive in Litochoro where we head to the forest location of Gortsia. From there we begin the climb to the Petrostrugka refuge where the first overnight stay will take place.

Ascent from Gortsia (1,120m) – Petrostrouga (1,930) = 3 – 4 hours of moderate ascent with two stops for exercises to deepen your knowledge of nature and breath training.

We will have the first session on Friday afternoon.

We will relax our bodies and slow down our pace. We will work with Feldenkrais exercises and selected Bowen body movements. We will stimulate the Central Nervous System, respiratory and musculoskeletal function, while at the same time awakening the sensory receptors of the muscles to practice our proprioception and balance.

Saturday

On Saturday morning at 09:00, we depart for the Yiosos Apostolidis shelter, where we will spend the second night.

Ascent from Petrostrouga (1,930m) – Muses Plateau (2,700m) = 4 – 5 hours of moderate ascent with two stops for mindful observation exercises and breath training.

On Saturday afternoon, the second practice session will take place at the nearby peak of Prophet Elias (2,803m).

We will work with physical practices, kinesthetic learning and inhale-exhale training. We will experiment with sound and its harmony. We will try Primal Play on our bodies and nature-related games. Connecting with nature through bare feet, integrating rhythm and playing sound.

Sunday

On Sunday at 09:00 in the morning, weather permitting, we will make the ascent to the peaks of Skala (2,882m) and Skolio (2,911m). There we will carry out the third part of the sessions and begin the descent, making an intermediate stop at the Spilios Agapitos (Zolotas) shelter. If the weather is unsuitable, we will carry out our session at the intermediate shelter without the ascent to the peaks.

In the third and final part we will exchange stories, comment on our ascent and turn the observation outside ourselves in pursuit of connectivity. From eco-observation we will be led to art and creative expression, creating an experiential imprint that we will take with us.