130 hrs. course: A deep dive - Yoga, Nature & Regenerative living

‘The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore… If a forest is a sacred grove, not timber… If other species are biological kin, not resources... Or if our planet is our mother, not an opportunity… Then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.’ – David Suzuk

Presenting our first course where we are connecting yoga, permaculture and regenerative living in an off-grid space in the Norwegian wilderness

Yoga and sustainability have always been somewhat interconnected for me. When I started my masters in sustainable development, it was in many ways a result of my increasing interest in yoga as an integrated part of my life. It seemed like the more yoga I practiced, the more need I had to find out a way to live more in sync with nature. I think the fundamental practice of yoga really is to get to know yourself. By getting to know yourself you realize that you are not something separate from nature but deeply connected to the world around you. By observing and understanding the natural logic of nature you can implement that to find more balance and abundance for yourself, which essentially is what permaculture is all about.

Reconnecting to nature, the yogic lifestyle, permaculture and three dimensions of regenerative living

We as humans have for a long time been living in communities close to nature, in harmony with the earth. With the current development of civilization there has been a gradual separation between human beings and nature. With this course we want to intentionally reintroduce the concept for people to reconnect to the awareness that we are not separate from nature, but we are a part of earth, increasing mindfulness to ensure well-being not only for humans but all life forms. Sustainability is often connected to an ecological aspect; renewable energy, food, self-reliance etc. but we want to introduce a holistic outlook, reflected in more dimensions that will be a part of how we are living together during the course.

Care of people, the social dimension (step 1 & 2 in yoga) – how we relate to others around us is in yoga called Yama and it’s the first step in yoga practice. At Hagabrekka you will experience living in a community, and it is essential to be considerate to all the people we share the space with, learning from people that are different from ourselves. We want to offer the experience of community living, encouraging unity through the respect of differences. The community, the feeling of being supported and cared for is an essential part of a sustainable life, to be able to realize yourself. The kindness and compassion that we are cultivating towards others will also be directed towards yourself, the next step in yoga; Niyama which is your individual discipline.

Care of the planet, the ecological and material dimension (step 3 & 4 in yoga) – we are protecting biodiversity and promoting mindfulness towards use of resources in daily life at Hagabrekka. You will learn about how to minimize your ecological footprint, avoiding processed food and products in general, embracing a natural way of life, moving away from using chemicals in personal hygiene, how to forage wild herbs and plants and using them as a way to heal through diet. There will be an introduction to what we grow, edibles in nature, and all participants will take part in foraging in the forest and picking vegetables in our garden for the meals. You will take part in tasks needed for the daily life of living off-grid. Our Asana and Pranayama practice, the two next steps in yoga philosophy helps us to keep a healthy body and mind which is essential part to care for the land and the daily tasks you will undertake. The asana practice is not only creating strength, mobility and balance, but it teaches us how to use our bodies when performing other tasks like chopping firewood or foraging. At the same time working the land, eating healthy organic self-grown and wild food is keeping our bodies healthy. Every day in your life you are continuously breathing. We live in a symbioses with plants; they want our carbon dioxide that we breathe to flourish and in return provide us with oxygen which we are relying on to live. We are in a intertwined cycle of life. Pranayama, the life force known in yoga is entering your body with breath. The breath that is completely reliant on the plants around you. You will for sure notice the immense power the breath can have for gaining insight to your inner world, but also the quality of this, meaning the quality of your life, is also relying on the nature around you, literally with every breath that you take is in a partnership with the plants. If we do not care for the planet, we are not caring for ourselves.

Fair share, the joy dimension (step 4 – 8 in Yoga) – The last four steps in yoga philosophy, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi takes us to the importance of your inner world and introspection. It teaches us how to turn the gaze inwards, to be able to stop letting thoughts and ego control us and to find the natural joy that is within. Connecting to nature and the elements through the practice of focusing our mind, the practice of meditation and awareness is essential not only for your own peace and happiness but to be able to perceive the world around us as something not separate from us, but that we are all the same. Realizing that greed is only hurting yourself, that fair share is the way to benefit all, yourself included is an essential part of permaculture, as well as the ultimate realization of yoga practice. Feeling and knowing the oneness of yourself with world around you are the ultimate goal of yoga. As Samadhi(enlightenment) the 8th step of yoga might be out of reach in this lifetime for most of us, we will work on developing an open mind and ease to handle any challenging situations. This will further promote a calm approach towards anything that life presents to you, as well as finding the joy of fair share to be an essential part of keeping your balance. Imagine if we were led by compassion in the choices we take, the idea of fair share would not have to even be presented as it would be the natural way of living.

We will dive deeper into this way of living, the practice, and the philosophy in the first 130 hrs. course that will be held in August 2026. More information about the program can be found here: https://wanderlustyoga.no/collections/frontpage/products/new-course-2026-15th-30th-august-130-hrs-course-a-deep-dive-yoga-nature-regenerative-living