What is a yurt retreat?
A yurt is a round tent with a wooden frame, originally from the nomadic cultures of Central Asia. In our case it is a warm, carefully arranged space in nature, with rugs, cushions, candles and singing bowls. A yurt retreat is a day in that space, away from your phone, your to-do list and the pace of the city.
The day is not about learning a technique or reaching a goal. It is about slowing down enough to notice what is going on inside you. For people who run their life from their head, that is often the hardest part, and also the part they need most.
A past yurt day with Rosa was called Activate Your Dream Life. Participants describe it as a day of rest, sound healing with singing bowls, questions and exercises that made them reflect, time in nature and a shared lunch.
“The retreat created such a safe and grounding space to slow down, rest, and become more aware of patterns and emotions on a deeper level. Being surrounded by nature and held in the yurt made the experience feel even more special.”
Why the yurt matters: the space as part of the day
Where you are shapes how you feel. That is the idea behind set and setting: your mindset and your surroundings together determine a large part of an experience. A day in a neutral meeting room is simply different from the same day in a round, warm yurt surrounded by trees.
A circle without a front row
A yurt is round. There are no corners, no front and no back, and nobody sits higher than anyone else. Everyone sits in the circle. Many people find that this makes it easier to feel part of the group without having to perform.
Nature and distance from daily life
Outside the city, your mind has fewer places to wander off to. No errands around the corner, no familiar street. The sounds of nature, the fresh air and the silence tell your body that this day is different from other days. That distance, literal and figurative, often makes it easier to be where you are.
Want to know more about why surroundings matter so much? Read what set and setting means.
What a day at the yurt retreat looks like
Every yurt day has its own programme, but the arc is similar: arriving, opening, going deeper and landing again. There is no rush. The day has its own rhythm.
- Arriving: time to settle in, a cup of tea and space to leave the day behind
- Opening: a circle in which everyone can share what they came for, if they want to
- Sound healing: lying down while the singing bowls are played live
- Reflection: questions and exercises that help you look at what you long for
- Stillness and nature: a walk, rest, time on your own
- Landing: a closing circle before you head home
Silence is an active part of the day, not a gap in the programme. It is often in the quiet moments that the most settles. You never have to share more than you want to.
Yurt retreat or day workshop: which suits you?
Both offer depth, but they are different in nature. A workshop is about learning. A retreat is about receiving.
When a workshop fits
A workshop suits you if you want to learn something concrete, for example how to play singing bowls yourself or bring sound into your own practice. You are curious and you like to be actively doing. The sound healing workshop at Stars Frequencies costs €249.
When a retreat fits
A retreat suits you if you are tired in a way that sleep doesn't fix. If you need space, silence and something that carries you rather than instructs you. Or if you have done a ceremony before and want time to let its insights settle. You don't need to be able to do or know anything. You only need to be there.
Many people start with one and come back for the other. They don't compete. The workshop gives you knowledge of the instrument. The retreat lets you rest in the sound.
The next retreat: the truffle retreat in October
The date and place of the next yurt retreat have not been announced yet. The next retreat on the calendar is the truffle retreat at the Elsterdome on 17 and 18 October 2026. That is a two-day retreat with an overnight stay, a truffle ceremony and breathwork guided by Kim.
Would you rather start with a single day? Stars Frequencies guides truffle ceremonies in Amsterdam, in a small group of up to 8 people (€295 per person) or privately (€495). The day takes about 7 hours, and meditation and sound healing are part of every ceremony. Rosa is in the room the whole time. Read all about the truffle ceremony in Amsterdam.
About half of the participants are doing it for the first time. No experience needed. Every ceremony starts with a free 30-minute intro call, so you can ask all your questions first.